To God be the Glory FOREVER, AMEN AND AMEN! ! !

The main speaker in this book of Ecclesiastes is called qohelet, meaning "teacher" or "preacher," a feminine participle from a verbal root meaning "to assemble." But at that point the agreement ceases.

The well-known conservative scholar of the nineteenth century, Franz Delitzsch, declared in a much-quoted opinion, "If the book of Koheleth were of old Solomonic origin, then there is no history to the Hebrew language." However, Fredericks devoted a careful inspection of all the linguistic arguments for dating the book late and concluded that they were unpersuasive. The other approach to show that the book is late is to try to show affinities in thought between Hellenistic thought and Ecclesiastes. This would mean that the book originated in the Greek period, but this method also has been beset by problems. These so-called affinities can be shown to be just as easily related to far earlier thought and literary forms than the late Greek period.

So this leaves us with deciding if indeed the text could have come from Solomon. Evangelical scholars such as Moses Stuart, Hengstenberg, Delitzsch, Young and Kidner have all challenged the view that Solomon wrote the book. But much of that was on the strength of the allegedly late language and concepts. Now that that obstacle has fallen, at least since Fredericks's study in 1988, it is worth looking at the idea of Solomonic authorship one more time.

The only immediate son of David who was also king over Israel in Jerusalem would be Solomon. But against his authorship it is argued that in Ecclesiastes 1:12 the king is represented as saying, "I . . . was king over Israel in Jerusa-lem." But far from declaring that he was no longer king, Solomon is saying "I have been king," for the action of the Hebrew verb begins in the past and continues up to the present. The argument shifts to Ecclesiastes 1:16, where the writer compares himself advantageously to "anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me." Since David was the only Hebrew ruler to precede him in Jerusalem, the words hardly seem appropriate in Solomon's mouth. The reference could very well be to the line of Canaanite kings who preceded Solomon in Jerusalem, such as Melchizedek (Gen 14:18) and Adonizedek (Josh 10:1).

But the most convincing telltale signs that Solomon is "the Teacher" are the allusions to circumstances that fit only Solomon's life and experience: (1) his unrivaled wisdom (Eccles 1:16; compare 1 Kings 3:12); (2) his unsurpassed wealth (Eccles 2:4-10, compare 1 Kings 7:1-8); (3) his huge retinue of servants (Eccles 2:7-8, compare 1 Kings 9:17-19); (4) "there is no man that does not sin" (Eccles 7:20, compare 1 Kings 8:46); (5) not a god-fearing woman in a thousand (Eccles 7:28, compare 1 Kings 11:1-8); and (6) his weighing, studying and arranging proverbs (Eccles 12:9, compare 1 Kings 4:32). This forms a very convincing case that Solomon is "the Teacher."