The relation of Ecclesiastes to the Book of Wisdom
From BibleWiki
As Wright and McNeile have clearly proved, the author of the Book of Wisdom, like Ben Sira, knew the work of Qoheleth, but, unlike him, did not approve of it. In ch. 2.1-9 he sets himself to correct various sayings of the ungodly, and palpably quotes as such several of the sayings of Qoheleth. The parallelism is as follows:
| Wisdom | Qoheleth |
|---|---|
| 2.1: For they (the ungodly, see 1.16) said within themselves, reasoning not rightly: Short and sorrowful is our life, and there is no healing at a man's end, and none was ever known who returned from Hades. | 2.23: For all his days are pains, and his task is vexation, also at night his heart does not rest. 5.1: the (small) number of the days of his life. |
| 2.2: For by mere chance are we born, and hereafter we shall be as though we had never been; because a smoke is the breath in our nostrils, and reason is a spark in the beating of our hearts. | 3.19: For the fate of the sons of men and the fate of the beasts— one fate is theirs. As is the death of one, so is the death of the other, and all have one spirit. Cf. also Qoh. 9.11. |
| 2.3. Which being quenched, the body shall be turned to ashes, and the spirit shall be dispersed as thin air. | 12.7: And the dust shall return to the earth as it was, And the spirit shall return to God who gave it. |
| 2.4: And our name shall be forgotten in time, and no one shall remember our works; and our life shall pass away like the track of a cloud, and shall be scattered as a mist chased by the beams of the sun and by its heat overcome. | 1.11: There is no remembrance of former men. 2.16: For the wise like the fool has no remembrance forever. 9.5: Their memory is forgotten. 2.11: The whole was vanity and a desire of wind. |
| 2.5: For our life is the passing of a shadow, and there is no retreating of our end, because it is sealed and none turneth it back. | 6.12: The number of the days of his vain life, for he spends them like a shadow. 8.8: Nor is he ruler in the day of death. |
| 2.6: Come then let us enjoy the good things that exist, and let us use the created things eagerly as in youth. | 2.24: There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink and enjoy himself. |
| 2.7: Let us fill ourselves with costly wine and ointments, and let no flowers of spring pass us by. | 9.7: Drink thy wine with a glad heart. |
| 2.8: Let us crown ourselves with rosebuds before they be withered. | 9.8: At all times let thy garments be white, and let not oil be lacking for thy head. |
| 2.9: . Let none of us be without a share in our wanton revelry, everywhere let us leave tokens of our mirth, for this is our portion and this is our lot. | 3.22: For that is his portion. 5.18: For that is his lot. 9.8: For it is thy lot in life. |
As Qoheleth is the only Jewish writer known to us who champions such sentiments, there can be little doubt that this polemic is directed against him. It is true that in the following verses the author of Wisdom denounces oppressions which Qoheleth nowhere countenances and couples them with these false doctrines; that does not, however, prove that his shafts are not aimed at Qoheleth, for it has in all ages been one of the methods of theological warfare to hold the opinions of heretics responsible for the most immoral practices.
