Biblical scholar Michael V. Fox seeks to address the complexities and so-called “absurdities” of Ecclesiastes, or “Qohelet,” the Hebrew word for the preacher. He focuses not on resolving the contradictions, but on seeing them as part of the overall structure and meaning of the book. Fox gives an in-depth introduction to the historical exegetical studies of Ecclesiastes and explains his own position. He then divides the discussion into five sections:
- The Meaning of Hebel and Re'ut-ruah in Qohelet
- Toil and Pleasure
- The Way of Wisdom: Qohelet’s Epistemology
- Justice and Theodicy
- Commentary
The first four sections contain the same format, in which Fox names a specific contradiction and terminology. The last section provides Fox’s commentary on the whole of Ecclesiastes, including purpose, key words, language, structure, and translations. Fox also gives a bibliography and indexes of authors and subjects.
