“Ecclesiastes: Life in a Fallen World” is a newly released book by The Banner of Truth Trust. This book was written by Hebrew scholar Dr. Benjamin Shaw, and it’s written as a concise commentary on the often neglected Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes.
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Ecclesiastes: Life in a Fallen World
Coming in at only 156 pages which contain 22 short chapters, Ecclesiastes: Life in a Fallen World is sure to be a go-to resource for Christians that are looking to grow in their understanding of this integral part of God’s Word. And perhaps that is one reason for the writing of this book by Dr. Shaw, that Ecclesiastes is unfortunately all too often not understood to be an integral part of God’s Word.
However, as the Apostle Paul so clearly teaches us, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be compete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Ecclesiastes is breathed out by God for those exact purposes, and Christians should not neglect to benefit from the riches of the living and active Word as found in the wisdom literature of Ecclesiastes!
Dr. Shaw’s book contains a wonderful balance of readability and technical material. The book does not read like many commentaries, but instead it is a smooth, devotional type of reading. It is very enjoyable. This is accompanied by an in-depth exegesis of the biblical text, and included in that exegesis is an occasional technical dealing of words and phrases in their original language of Hebrew. I believe that the interaction with Hebrew as well as the differing English translations is frequent enough to provide greater understanding for the reader, but not so frequent that it leaves the reader overwhelmed by technicality.
It is worth pointing out that this Banner book is a paperback edition, a great size that is comfortable to hold and easy to underline and make notes in. I point this out for the mere fact that the vast majority of my Banner of Truth works are hardcover (with the exception of my Puritan Paperback series). The cover design is very nice and appropriate, as it attempts to communicate the brokenness of a fallen world.
I highly recommend this book for Christians that are seeking to grow in their understanding of wisdom literature in general and the book of Ecclesiastes in particular. It is a fabulous book that is short and to the point. Dr. Shaw is a trusted Hebrew scholar who is worth listening to when it comes to this material.
Disclaimer: My thanks to The Banner of Truth Trust for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. The opinions expressed are my own.
Matt became a joyful follower of Jesus at the age of 21. He is very grateful to be a husband to Lindsey, and a father to four boys. He is an ordained minister (teaching elder) in the PCA. He previously served as a pastor of biblical counseling and is currently a corporate chaplain in southern Delaware. Matt received his Master of Divinity degree in Biblical Counseling from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and holds an advanced certification in biblical counseling from the Association of Biblical Counselors. In his free time, he loves playing with his boys, traveling with his wife, and reading (and buying!) books.
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