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answer the question, "Does the evidence of language lead us to accept or reject the
Solomonic authorship of Ecclesiastes?"
In the first place we may be asked, "What does the book itself say with regard to
authorship?" Solomon's name is nowhere mentioned, but the following statements are
made, and these, we submit, apply to no other man than Solomon.
(a). He was the son of David, king in Jerusalem (1: 1). This is a title that is true of
Solomon, but not exclusively so, for it is true of all the kings who reigned in Jerusalem
up to the captivity.
(b). He was king over Israel in Jerusalem (1: 12). The only other king whose name is
put forward as being the author Ecclesiastes is that of Hezekiah. Hezekiah, though a son
of David and reigning in Jerusalem, is spoken of in Scripture as king of Judah. There are
only two kings of whom it can be said that they were kings over ISRAEL in
JERUSALEM, they are David and Solomon.
(c). The writer of Ecclesiastes was not only a king, but he claims to have gotten
"more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem". The wisdom of
Solomon is proverbial. The Lord said:--
"Lo, I have given thee a wise and understanding heart, so that there was none like thee
before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee." "And God gave Solomon
wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart.....Solomon's
wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of
Egypt. For he was wiser than all men" (I Kings 3: 5-12; 4: 29-34).
The writer of Ecclesiastes claims to have gotten more wisdom than ALL they that
were before him in Jerusalem. There is no statement to the effect that the writer was
wiser than any king before him--it is the simple statement, "all". Solomon was in
Jerusalem, and inspired Scripture tells us that he stands alone regarding wisdom. Neither
before nor since has anyone had such wisdom. We have therefore no need to pursue this
section further.
Solomon was the son of David.
Solomon was king in Jerusalem.
Solomon alone was, with the exception of David, king of Israel in Jerusalem.
Solomon was wiser than any before him or after him in Jerusalem.
The writer of Ecclesiastes was son of David, king in Jerusalem, king of Israel in
Jerusalem, and wiser than all who were before him in Jerusalem.
We are therefore obliged to (1) accept the statement that Solomon was the author of
Ecclesiastes, (2) reject either I Kings 3: 5-12, 4: 29-34, or (3) believe that some
unnamed writer assumed the name of Solomon for his own purposes. To think of any
other king as author necessitates two men, each wiser than the other, which is absurd.
Those who tell us that the book must have been written much later than Solomon's day
adopt 3. There is no alternative for the believer in inspired scripture with regard to 1 and
2.