What is life about? In the end, does it all amount to a wisp of vapor, a puff of wind, a mere breath---nothing you can get your hands on--the nearest thing to zero? So says the Preacher in the book of Ecclesiastes. But is this the whole message of Ecclesiastes? With imagination and clarity, Derek Kidner introduces this Old Testament book which speaks so powerfully to our generation. His love of Hebrew poetry and his understanding of biblical mind shine through in his careful passage-by-passage exposition. The full biblical text is included.
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About the Author
Derek Kidner (M.A., A.R.C.M.) was formerly warden of Tyndale House, Cambridge. He has written several volumes in the Tyndale Old Testament Commentary series.
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16 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Wisdom literature is where Kidner excels (see his "Wisdom of Proverbs, Job and Ecclesiastes" as well as his commentary on Proverbs). I have used his commentaries on Psalms and Proverbs for personal reading for 25 years and am still filled and never disappointed. As a previous reviewer has observed, Kidner has a way of capturing the essence of the meaning of a passage and distilling it into a very brief and satisfying statement. A few words from Kidner are usually worth a few pages from some others.
This volume on Ecclesiastes shares this same lucid, penetrating and practical style. He adds very useful insight about the flow of thought (often difficult to discern on the surface) which enables one to readily assimilate what Solomon is actually trying to convey. Kidner's introduction is extremely helpful on the themes of Ecclesiastes. I especially like how he points out the "Facts to Face About God" which underly the ultimate worldview and message of Ecclesiastes and should control our interpretation.
One caveat: Kidner does not seem to view Solomon as the actual author (see his comments on 1:1 where he is purposefully, yet disappointingly, vague). However, Kidner is absolutely committed to the inspiration and authority of Ecclesiastes as scripture by whatever process he views it as coming into being. For Kidner, pinning down the human authorship of Ecclesiastes appears to be secondary to understanding God's message.
I have over a thousand commentaries on the OT in my personal library - 39 on Ecclesiastes. I consult them extensively for personal reading as well as for preaching and teaching. Kidner remains one of my favorite authors and this volume on Ecclesiastes only confirms this evaluation.
Note: A previous reviewer used this forum to complain about unmet expectations and/or bad service (apparently from a used book dealer). I wish folks would realize that there is a place on Amazon for expressing these kinds of frustrations (rating a seller). This forum is about rating the quality of a book - usually its content.
This volume on Ecclesiastes shares this same lucid, penetrating and practical style. He adds very useful insight about the flow of thought (often difficult to discern on the surface) which enables one to readily assimilate what Solomon is actually trying to convey. Kidner's introduction is extremely helpful on the themes of Ecclesiastes. I especially like how he points out the "Facts to Face About God" which underly the ultimate worldview and message of Ecclesiastes and should control our interpretation.
One caveat: Kidner does not seem to view Solomon as the actual author (see his comments on 1:1 where he is purposefully, yet disappointingly, vague). However, Kidner is absolutely committed to the inspiration and authority of Ecclesiastes as scripture by whatever process he views it as coming into being. For Kidner, pinning down the human authorship of Ecclesiastes appears to be secondary to understanding God's message.
I have over a thousand commentaries on the OT in my personal library - 39 on Ecclesiastes. I consult them extensively for personal reading as well as for preaching and teaching. Kidner remains one of my favorite authors and this volume on Ecclesiastes only confirms this evaluation.
Note: A previous reviewer used this forum to complain about unmet expectations and/or bad service (apparently from a used book dealer). I wish folks would realize that there is a place on Amazon for expressing these kinds of frustrations (rating a seller). This forum is about rating the quality of a book - usually its content.
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Kidner's commentary is like a slim slab of gold. While not a detailed exegetical commentary, Kidner's compact, concise, insightful, arresting style makes this one of the most useful and accessible commentaries on this often misunderstood book. He can say in a single paragraph what it takes most people a page to say. On the joy motif expressed in 2:24-26 he remarks: "In themselves and rightly used, the basic things of life are sweet and good. What spoils them is our hunger to get more out of them than they can give." Kidner's writing is to the commentary literature what poetry is to prose.
This was a helpful, if a bit dated, commentary on a very difficult book of the Bible. The highest praise to be given is its simple brevity. However, the greatest criticism would have to be its brevity. This cannot be the only source you consult in studying/teaching Ecclesiastes, but it is a helpful one. Kidner, one of the evangelical giants of OT studies in second half of the 20th century, gives clarity to an often confusing book and I greatly appreciated his realistic wrestling with the difficulties of interpreting Qoheleth's mysterious sayings. All in all, a helpful commentary.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
The Message of Ecclesiastes
And excellent book for anyone who is interested in a study of Ecclesiastes. The writer gets to the heart of the book in a clear and concise way, making personal application and... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Mimi
Ecclesiastes book
This is a good nonfiction read for those who are doing Bible study. It is a short book and can be read in a day.
Published 4 months ago by Doris Murdoch
Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
THE voice of the Old Testament has many accents. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
striving after wind, unhappy business Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Old Testament, New Testament New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
THE voice of the Old Testament has many accents. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
striving after wind, unhappy business Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Old Testament, New Testament New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 21
books:
See all 21 books this book cites
48
books
cite this book:
See all 48 books citing this book
- The Bible Speaks Today (48 Volume Set) by David Atkinson in Front Matter (1), and Front Matter (2)
- Message of Jeremiah (Bible Speaks Today) by Derek Kidner in Front Matter
- The Message of James by Alec MOTYER in Front Matter
- Standard Version: With Book of Common Prayer by Hymns Ancient and Modern in Front Matter
- Hymns Ancient and Modern Revised (Revised Edition) by Hymn Anc Mod in Front Matter
See all 21 books this book cites
- Doing God's Business: Meaning and Motivation for the Marketplace by R. Paul Stevens on page 126, page 189, and page 193
- Libros Poéticos, Los by Pablo Hoff on page 243, and Back Matter
- Biblical Hermeneutics by Bruce Corley in Back Matter
- The Message of the Sermon on the Mount (Bible Speaks Today) by John Stott in Front Matter
- The Message of Genesis 12--50 (Bible Speaks Today) by Joyce G. Baldwin in Front Matter
See all 48 books citing this book
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