Word Biblical Commentary, Vol. 23A: Ecclesiastes [Hardcover]

Roland Murphy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 15, 1992

The Word Biblical Commentary delivers the best in biblical scholarship, from the leading scholars of our day who share a commitment to Scripture as divine revelation. This series emphasizes a thorough analysis of textual, linguistic, structural, and theological evidence. The result is judicious and balanced insight into the meanings of the text in the framework of biblical theology. These widely acclaimed commentaries serve as exceptional resources for the professional theologian and instructor, the seminary or university student, the working minister, and everyone concerned with building theological understanding from a solid base of biblical scholarship.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 170 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson (December 15, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0849902223
• ISBN-13: 978-0849902222
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,034,133 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Helpful treatment of Ecclesiastes despite some flaws, October 11, 2006

By 

Matthew Gunia (Justice, Illinois) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Word Biblical Commentary, Vol. 23A: Ecclesiastes (Hardcover)

Roland Murphy is a professor of Biblical Studies at Duke University. This commentary on Ecclesiastes is part of the Word Biblical Commentary series, a semi-conservative series that is geared more for the scholar/serious student than a teaching pastor or layperson. Murphy's commentary on Ecclesiastes does not break this pattern.

Murphy writes his commentary with certain beliefs about the text and its background. Among these are:

The opening and closing pericopes, which describe Qoheleth as a wise king, reigning in Jerusalem, is fictional;

It was authored after the Babylonian captivity, after the Israelites returned to the land;

Ecclesiastes defies any attempts to classify its genre or outline its structure;

Its worldview is influenced by Egyptian and other Ancient Near East wisdom literature;

Ecclesiastes is not Christ-centered; attempts to learn about Christ via wisdom literature is wrong-headed.

The purpose of Ecclesiastes is to enter into dialogue with and critique other Israelite wisdom literature, including Job, Proverbs, and Sirach

Although I disagree with the majority of these beliefs, Murphy does a good job of analyzing and unpacking the text despite the above assumptions. He is intimately acquainted with the Hebrew and Aramaic and provides an excellent translation of the book. He also is skilled at pausing in the text, pointing out a statement made by Qoheleth, then comparing/contrasting it with the expected statement or worldview. Thus he is able to bring out the high level of emotion that must have been present when the book was originally authored.

Even still, there were aspects of this commentary that disappointed me. I was disappointed to find that Murphy does not share my conservative, Christocentric approach to Scripture. But even without these assumptions, Murphy would have done well to place a greater emphasis on structure. Instead of attempting to present an outline of Ecclesiastes, he instead views it as a meandering, stream-of-conscientiousness-esque work. Without a metanarrative in mind, Murphy does not reach forward and backward into the text in order to present Ecclesiastes as a unified whole. He presents a somewhat meandering, directionless commentary to reflect his view that Ecclesiastes is a meandering, directionless book.

Murphy ends with a significant epilogue that is essentially an introduction to wisdom literature. Here, he presents modern (1993) scholarship on wisdom literature concerning its origins, linguistic style, worldview, the interrelationship between Ancient Near East wisdom works, the personification of Wisdom, and a theological interpretation of wisdom literature. This reader found the epilogue interesting as it provides a framework for further studies in the Biblical wisdom writings. Mildly recommended.

1 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars mom for gin, July 7, 2005

By 

Cheryl R. Courtney "mom for gin" (Alabama) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Word Biblical Commentary, Vol. 23A: Ecclesiastes (Hardcover)

thank you for sending the book so quickly. it is very helpful for my studies...I'm getting my Master's degree.