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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...

production of many books. We can assume that this refers mainly to Wisdom writings produced by the sages of verse 11.253 The reason given for this warning is because אֵין קֵץ (“there is no end”). This exact phrase occurs three times in Ecclesiastes.254 Here, the epilogist is saying that the task of producing Wisdom writings is unending. It is unending because the sages cannot achieve a satisfactory solution to the world. They cannot find “pleasing words” that account for life’s absurdities and give
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