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A excellent commentary is Ecclesiastes by Tremper Longman (NICOT series).
A excellent commentary is Ecclesiastes by Tremper Longman (NICOT series).
I actually disagree with this assessment. I found this commentary to be among the very worst on Ecclesiastes, because of his view of the frame narrators. Basically, for Longman, the Preacher is a heretic, and almost no positive theology can be gleaned from the book at all except for the frame narrator. The same goes for his disciple in the Revised Expositor's Bible Commentary (written by a disciple of Longman). The very best technical commentary on Ecclesiastes is Choon Leong-Seow in the Anchor Bible. It is surprisingly helpful for a series that is usually liberal. Time after time, he had the best comments. For easier reads, I would go with Ferguson's book _The Pundit's Folly_, and also Kidner and Eaton, as Fred mentioned.
I'm with Lane here. (But then again, I'm not a big Longman fan in general). Kidner and Eaton do a very good job of explaining the correct take on the book - which I view as a missions oriented book. It is Solomon's way of explaining all the things he tried with no satisfaction.
I preached an entire series through the book, and found no difficulty at all with it.
Christ Church PCA Ecclesiastes Sermons
I cannot understand why anyone would think that the Lord would include a heretic's book in Scripture.
Pundit's Folly is a really nice exposition packaged in a wonderful way. Ferguson really swayed me to a position that Ecclesiastes does have good evangelistic function.
I'm also with Fred on the Longman thesis - it's really disturbing when otherwise solid folks take the liberal's position on a book of Holy writ. - it's very easy to hear the whole book as Solomon's reflections on this life and hope for the next; not hard at all to imagine the man speaking those words to me as my elder brother helping me gain better perspective on the world and God's sovereign rule over it.
Don't miss Edward Reynolds's exposition, either, in volume 4 of his works. It together with Bridges served to gird up my own teaching of Ecclesiastes in our sunday school this fall.
A excellent commentary is Ecclesiastes by Tremper Longman (NICOT series).
I actually disagree with this assessment. I found this commentary to be among the very worst on Ecclesiastes, because of his view of the frame narrators.
A excellent commentary is Ecclesiastes by Tremper Longman (NICOT series).
I actually disagree with this assessment. I found this commentary to be among the very worst on Ecclesiastes, because of his view of the frame narrators. Basically, for Longman, the Preacher is a heretic, and almost no positive theology can be gleaned from the book at all except for the frame narrator. The same goes for his disciple in the Revised Expositor's Bible Commentary (written by a disciple of Longman). The very best technical commentary on Ecclesiastes is Choon Leong-Seow in the Anchor Bible. It is surprisingly helpful for a series that is usually liberal. Time after time, he had the best comments. For easier reads, I would go with Ferguson's book _The Pundit's Folly_, and also Kidner and Eaton, as Fred mentioned.
I found Longman's thesis the best way to make sense of some of the bizzare(unorthodox) wisdom of the preacher. I found his argument for internal evidences against full Solomenic authorship compelling. How do you suggest we take said wisdom otherwise? It is hard for me to buy the confused backsliden theory. What is it about the frame theory that causes you to reject it? Thanks