Ecclesiastes Part One Deep Dive

THE WISDOM PARADOX | ELLA HICKEY

Wisdom literature in the Old Testament refers to and is entirely involved with the notion of ‘skill in living’, which is a combination of the capacities of human intellect, the application of knowledge, and experience of daily life – teaching us moral principles, or prompting us to reflect or investigate problems which are associated with the human existence.* It challenges and confronts the human search for meaning and purpose, as well as the reality of pain, suffering, death, and our relationship with God thereof. This was the function of wisdom literature within the Jewish tradition, and therefore it is with this understanding that we must approach the books which fall under this genre enclosed within the Bible – including the Book of Ecclesiastes (not to be confused with the deuterocanonical Ecclesiasticus, also known as the wisdom of Sirach or Ben Sira).

In the Old Testament, there are two kinds of wisdom literature, on one hand there are those that are instructional in nature, giving advice and teaching on how to live, which is called ‘didactic wisdom’ and includes books such as Proverbs. Then, on the other hand, there are the predominantly speculative or philosophical wisdom books which address Theodicy, such as Job and Ecclesiastes. Each book is part of the same genre, communicating wisdom around how to live, yet each is entirely distinctive and contrasting. At face value, one could presume that they are contradictory – herein enters the wisdom paradox.

On the basis of this, the Book of Ecclesiastes stands out the most in regard to its speculative, seemingly doubt-inducing, and cynical nature. We are introduced to the thoughts of the Qoheleth, or as most translations call ‘The Teacher’ or ‘Preacher’.

E 1:2 Meaningless! Meaningless! Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless. What do people gain from all their labours at which they toil under the sun? … I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

The repetitive nature of Ecclesiastes is glaring, with consistent mentions of the meaninglessness of life and life’s pursuits under the sun – likening it to a ‘chasing after the wind’. This is a common distinctive feature of Hebrew poetry, which is to have rhythm of sound alongside rhythm of thought including semantic parallelism, and ‘inclusio’, which means to repeat certain words or phrases to make the point in which you began. Ecclesiastes also includes a miscellany of literary genres within the overarching theme of ‘wisdom’, including allegory, sayings, metaphors, and even proverbs.

These first few lines set us up for the entire twelve chapters of the book, where the Qoheleth tackles the myth of religious fulfillment which essentially claims that if you do good, you receive good in return, and if you do bad, you receive bad. He asserts, based upon intentional investigation, exploration, and life experience, that is simply not the case. Whether good or bad, the result is the same – all of life’s pursuits are meaningless and death awaits us all.

We come to somewhat of an impasse here, because other books of the Bible that fall under the same genre of wisdom literature, such as Proverbs, seem to tell an entirely different story. For example, the wisdom of Proverbs typically follow a similar formula like that of Proverbs 3:5-10.

P 3:5-10 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones. Honour the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.

So this concept that justice prevails, and good behaviour = good results and bad behaviour = bad results, appears to have some biblical grounding. What is most often misunderstood with the Book of Proverbs is that they are just that – proverbs, not necessarily promises. A proverb is ‘a short, well-known pithy saying stating a general truth of piece of advice’. They are not providing a guarantee, but communicating and advocating for a certain way of living. This diffuses much of the tension that comparing Proverbs to Ecclesiastes initially creates.

What we learn then, is that although the Book of Ecclesiastes seems entirely contradictory to the Book of Proverbs, the former delving into the grey aspects of life and wisdom, and the latter giving us a black and white way of living, ultimately, they are both looking at two sides of the same coin in their conclusions. Together, they still give us an incomplete understanding of life under the sun simply because they both highlight and leave room for the colourful mystery of God. According to both the conclusion of Ecclesiastes and Proverbs, at the end of the day fear of the Lord and wisdom are still key in a flourishing life under the sun. These conclusions are what ultimately sets Hebrew wisdom literature apart from its Eastern counterparts. To the Hebrews, God is inseparable from true wisdom, understanding, and living ‘the good life’ under the sun.

Ultimately, the wisdom of Ecclesiastes compels us to an honest faith in God, one that acknowledges and invites doubt, so that we cannot dismiss the mysterious, inexplicable and paradoxical nature of God, which ultimately teaches us to leave room for the parts of our faith in which we cannot understand.

Ella Hickey is a coffee drinking, exasperatingly optimistic, irresponsibly tattooed, twenty-something assistant pastor, novice radio announcer, neophyte writer and Bachelor of ministry graduate. She would describe herself as a theological pilgrim and one who tries their very best to be sensible and reliable (despite the tattoos and caffeine dependence).

Ecclesiastes Part One Deep Dive

THE WISDOM PARADOX | ELLA HICKEY

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