Ecclesiastes 1 · a question people ask
"The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem" (1:1). Who is the Preacher? Is he Solomon?
The chapter calls him "the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem" (1:1), and he says, "I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem" (1:12). The book calls him the Preacher in seven verses (1:1, 1:2, 1:12, 7:27, 12:8, 12:9, 12:10) (tap Preacher). Christians read who he is in two main ways, and these notes choose neither. Both agree that the book calls him "the son of David" (1:1) and a king in Jerusalem (1:1, 1:12), that it gives him no other name, and that its closing words stand whoever he is: "Fear God and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man" (12:13), "For God will bring every work into judgment" (12:14). These notes set out each reading from the Bible's own verses only, without a date, anything from outside the Bible, or the style of the Hebrew.
How Christians read it
Where Christians differ, Favor sets out the main views side by side and doesn't pick one.
Solomon himself
Those who read it this way set what the Preacher says of himself beside what 1 Kings says of Solomon. Solomon was David's son and reigned in Jerusalem: "Solomon sat on David his father’s throne" (1 Kings 2:12), and "The time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years" (1 Kings 11:42). The Preacher says, "I have obtained for myself great wisdom above all who were before me in Jerusalem" (Ecclesiastes 1:16), and in 1 Kings God says to Solomon, "I have given you a wise and understanding heart" (1 Kings 3:12); "Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east" (1 Kings 4:30). The Preacher tells of the houses, vineyards, gardens and pools he made (Ecclesiastes 2:4-6), and says, "So I was great, and increased more than all who were before me in Jerusalem" (Ecclesiastes 2:9); 1 Kings says, "Solomon was building his own house thirteen years" (1 Kings 7:1), and "So King Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom" (1 Kings 10:23). Near its end the book says the Preacher "set in order many proverbs" (Ecclesiastes 12:9), and 1 Kings says of Solomon, "He spoke three thousand proverbs" (1 Kings 4:32). On this reading the son of David, king in Jerusalem, is Solomon, and the book gives his words as the Preacher's.
1 Kings 2:12 · 1 Kings 11:42 · Ecclesiastes 1:16 · 1 Kings 3:11-12 · 1 Kings 4:29-32 · Ecclesiastes 2:4-9 · 1 Kings 7:1 · 1 Kings 10:23 · Ecclesiastes 12:9
A speaker the book leaves unnamed
Those who read it this way point to what the book leaves out and to how it speaks of him. It never names Solomon; it calls him the Preacher, in seven verses (Ecclesiastes 1:1, 1:2, 1:12, 7:27, 12:8, 12:9, 12:10), and "the son of David, king in Jerusalem" (Ecclesiastes 1:1). He says he was king: "I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem" (Ecclesiastes 1:12). And at the end the book speaks about him rather than in his voice: "Further, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge" (Ecclesiastes 12:9), and "The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words" (Ecclesiastes 12:10). On this reading the book gives the words of one who speaks as the son of David, a king in Jerusalem, without naming him; what he says of his wisdom and his works (Ecclesiastes 1:16, 2:4-9) is read as the words of that speaker.
Ecclesiastes 1:1-2 · Ecclesiastes 1:12 · Ecclesiastes 1:16 · Ecclesiastes 2:4-9 · Ecclesiastes 7:27 · Ecclesiastes 12:8-10
The verses
“The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem:”
“I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.”
““Behold, I have found this,” says the Preacher, “to one another, to find an explanation”
““Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher. “All is vanity!” Further, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge. Yes, he pondered, sought out, and set in order many proverbs. The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words, and that which was written blamelessly, words of truth.”