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The End of the Matter: Understanding the Epilogue of Ecclesiastes is unavailable, but you can change that!

One of the most debated subjects in Ecclesiastes studies is the purpose of its epilogue (ch. 12:9–14). Many scholars view the epilogue as a later addition that attempts to tone down the unorthodox message of the book. They tend to overlook the content of the concluding passage and in turn miss out on its significance. The End of the Matter brings a fresh perspective to the epilogue of...

wind”).26 This nuance can be seen in 2:11, where Qohelet assesses his works and judges them futile because they produced no profit. These two nuances together still do not cover all of Qohelet’s uses of הבל. For example, the situation described in 8:14, where righteous men receive what evil men should receive, and evil men receive what righteous men should receive, is not merely vain or futile, and surely Qohelet is not using הבל to show that the situation is fleeting or transitory. Instead, this
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