- As you study the 7 proverbs (Ecclesiastes 7:1-14) that Kohelet has chosen (written or rewritten), what themes emerge? What attitudes are encouraged? What emotions are evoked? Are the proverbs consistent with each other?
- If a good reputation (one’s “name”) is better than precious oil, in what way might it follow that the day of one’s death is better than one’s birth day (Ecclesiastes 7:1)?
- What is it that Kohelet wants to constantly remember (Ecclesiastes 7:2)?
- What attitude towards life is recommended in Ecclesiastes 7:3-6?
- What areas of self-control are recommended in Ecclesiastes 7:7-10?
- What advantage does wisdom have over riches? Does Kohelet recommend poverty (Ecclesiastes 7:11-12)?
- In summary (Ecclesiastes 7:13-14) what practical advice does he offer for conducting one’s life?
- What is the major problem of good and evil that Kohelet sees (Ecclesiastes 7:5)?
- What logical conclusions does he reach about religious piety, pursuing wisdom and acting wickedly (Ecclesiastes 7:16-17)?10.
- Is Kohelet therefore advising that it’s OK to be a little unrighteous and a little wicked (Ecclesiastes 7:17-18)? Are all these actions intentional? Does he see this as virtually inevitable (Ecclesiastes 7:20)? Is this his idea of the “Golden Mean”?
- How does it follow from this that one shouldn’t be concerned with what others say (Ecclesiastes 7:21- 22)?
- What important conclusion has he reached abut the pursuit of wisdom (Ecclesiastes 7:23-24)? How does this compare with Deuteronomy 30:11-14 that God’s commandment “is not too difficult nor far off… nor in heaven nor beyond the sea”?
- To what, then, did Kohelet turn in his investigation of life (Ecclesiastes 7:25)?
- Would you say that Kohelet was a happily married man, a bitterly married man, a bachelor, a bitter bachelor (Ecclesiastes 7:26-29)? How does this compare with his advice in Ecclesiastes 9:9? Do you think Kohelet advocates marriage? (Before you answer, please see the note to question 4 in Ecclesiastes 9.)
- What opinion does he have of man compared to woman statistically (Ecclesiastes 7:27)? Have you changed the category you put him into in the last question?
- Does Kohelet blame God or human beings for the characteristics he finds in each sex (Ecclesiastes 7:29)?
