| 12 I, the Preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. |
Authority to speak, to be heard as a counselor, is reasserted. Solomon was said to have “32 … spoke 3,000 proverbs, and his songs were 1,005.” Solomon’s wisdom and discernment were in the mind in post exilic Israel. Referring to Solomon grabs the attention of the reader, creating a vigilant environment. I think of a commercial some year ago where everyone stopped in the middle of whatever they were doing when someone began to repeat something said by E. F. Hutton.
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| 13a And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom concerning all that has been done under heaven. |
Authority is invoked by referring to Solomon, but that is not enough. The preacher sets up a more scientific approach. Just listening to your elders is limited, but to listen to someone who has, in some degree tested the value of actions, is more robust.
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“All that has been done” refers to action. Ecclesiastes, like all wisdom literature, looks at the value of what people can do. Even with moral ethics visible, it is the practical nature and consequences of action at the heart of Ecclesiastes.
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This experiment is seen from a high level overview concluding in Ecclesiastes 2:9-11 – “Ecclesiastes 2:9-11 Experiment Complete – All Found to Be Vanity””
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