Teach the Text

commentary series

Ecclesiastes

and

Song of Songs

Edward M. Curtis

Mark L. Strauss and John H. Walton

General Editors

Rosalie de Rosset

Associate Editor

BakerBooks

a division of Baker Publishing Group

Grand Rapids, Michigan

© 2013 by Edward M. Curtis

Captions and Illustrating the Text sections © 2013 by Baker Publishing Group

Published by Baker Books

a division of Baker Publishing Group

P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287

www.bakerbooks.com

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Curtis, Edward M.

Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs / Edward M. Curtis.

pages cm.—(Teach the text commentary series)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-0-8010-9223-7 (cloth)

1. Bible. Ecclesiastes—Commentaries. 2. Bible. Song of Solomon—Commentaries. I. Title.

BS1475.53.C87 2013

223′.807—dc23

2013006733

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com

Scripture quotations labeled ESV are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2007

Scripture quotations labeled NAB are from the New American Bible with Revised New Testament and Revised Psalms © 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, DC, and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All rights reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright holder.

Scripture quotations labeled NASB are from the New American Standard Bible®, copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

TEACH THE TEXT COMMENTARY SERIES

This volume is dedicated to my excellent wife, Joy who has patiently encouraged me in ministry and in projects like this one. Her wise insights in reading through the various drafts of this commentary have made it a better volume. Her love for me gives me regular glimpses of what God’s hesed looks like, and I greatly appreciate her partnership for the last forty-seven years.

The volume is also dedicated to my two grandchildren, Ryken and Aven. They have brought immeasurable delight to their Pop-pop. I pray that they may continue to grow in their love for God and others and have the wisdom and courage to live out God’s truth in the world. I trust that they will find meaning and fulfillment ...