Ecclesiastes arises from the heart of an experienced teacher to become a treasury of wisdom. James Limburg’s treatment of the book in Encountering Ecclesiastes: A Book for Our Time is thus a fitting interpretive companion, as it arises from Limburg’s reflections on the book accumulated from three decades of studying and teaching the book. Limburg approaches his work as a master teacher, presenting the subject matter clearly with an appropriate sprinkling of contemporary illustrations.

Content

Limburg opens up the book by providing an introduction to his personal journey with the text of Ecclesiastes, and a survey of how the book has been treated within traditions of the church and Judaism. This is followed by a wonderful overview of the book’s themes and structure in the first chapter, in which Limburg describes the interplay between the “pedal point” of the book, “All is vanity!” and the various melody points within the text, such as the value of finding joy in one’s work and in the blessings of life.
The remainder of the book contains commentary on the respective sections of Ecclesiastes. These chapters vary somewhat in their treatment of the texts, but in the main they closely follow the flow of Ecclesiastes, providing some commentary on whole passages and often on individual verses. These treatments are fairly brief, so that the whole commentary runs for only about 110 pages of the 138 pages of the book. The argument of the book concludes with a summary of how Ecclesiastes fits within the complete canon of scriptures and how its themes are taken up and shifted in other pieces of scripture. Finally, Limburg provides a source list of other commentaries that may aid a reader in further study.

A Fresh Look at an Undervalued Book

I found Limburg’s treatment of Ecclesiastes quite valuable for several reasons. First of all, Limburg follows an interpretive tradition that includes Luther, and Bonhoeffer, and that finds the book to affirm the experience of encountering joy in life’s blessings. As a constant counterpoint to this theme, Limburg interprets the theme of hevel (often translated vanity) as pointing towards the temporary and seemingly meaningless nature of life. The tension between these two themes encourages the reader to acknowledge both the limits of our understandings about life’s meaning and the span of our mortal lives, while enjoying and celebrating the blessings of the present moment. Thus, recognition of our finitude in Ecclesiastes becomes the motivation for enjoying the life that we have received as a gift from God. The wise thank God for the joy they find in blessings such as food and wine, love, companionship, and the joy of fitting work, choosing to neither overvalue such or deny God honor by undervaluing his gifts. This line of interpretation redeems Ecclesiastes from a common line of interpretation that sees the book as a series of failed experiments of meaning, intended to lead the reader to reject a focus on the material life and simply focus on God alone. Limburg uses Ecclesiastes to open up a theology that takes the gift of earthly life seriously. While this seems like a fresh new take on the book in my reading, Limburg’s use of prior interpreters such as Luther, Bonhoeffer, and Jewish sources makes it clear that such a reading has long been a part of the interpretation of Ecclesiastes.

Great Summaries!

Secondly, I found great value in Limburg’s brief sections about the book’s storyline and place within the canon. The summary of the flow of the book in the opening chapter and the description of Ecclesiastes’ place within the canon provide the contexts for reading individual passages within the book. Although often quoted, Ecclesiastes remains a book that demands that each section be read properly in these contexts if they are to be read correctly, and Limburg handles these sections with brevity but great skill.

Brevity...a Strength or Weakness?

The brevity of the work as a whole might be both the book’s greatest strength and weakness. Limburg’s treatment is very readable and feels very much like a conversation with a wise teacher about one of the teacher’s favorite subjects. It is clear that Limburg genuinely loves Ecclesiastes and believes it to be of great benefit for the reader. This is not a laborious commentary on the book, but a conversational exposition, although one that is very orderly. This nature does limit the scope of interpretation of some passages, and perhaps Limburg’s ability to probe out alternative lines of interpretation for their strengths or weaknesses. However, judging the book for what it is rather than what it is not, I believe the reader will find within the work a useful aid to beginning to understand and even love this piece of wisdom literature. It is at least a great starting place, one that whets the appetite for the subject rather than quenching it. This is one mark of a great teacher, and is found both within the book of Ecclesiastes and within Limburg’s exposition of it.

Accessible Book

Limburg's work is written on a level that I believe will make it accessible to readers on many levels. From the college student wrestling with their faith and asking questions that require genuine, honest struggle, to the lifelong bible student who wishes to have some fresh insight into this neglected book, I believe Limburg provides a great deal of insight. Ecclesiastes is a strange-feeling book to many who have been around the bible their whole lives, but which may resonate more clearly to those who begin with doubts in place. Limburg recognizes all this, and writes a book that gives attention to scholarship without being bogged down in academic language.



Recommended: Yes