Kohelet: Der Prediger Salomo by Melanie Köhlmoos

Abstract

Reviewed by: Kohelet: Der Prediger Salomo by Melanie Köhlmoos Annette Schellenberg melanie köhlmoos, Kohelet: Der Prediger Salomo (ATD 16; Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2015). Pp. 253. €44.99. The commentary on Ecclesiastes by Melanie Köhlmoos replaces the older work by Walther Zimmerli (1962) in the ATD series. K., who is professor of OT at the University of Frankfurt, offers a fresh and stimulating commentary, which reflects her research interests in literary theories (textual strategies, etc.) and intertextuality. [End Page 327] In five introductory chapters, K. lays out her views on the book of Ecclesiastes, addressing questions such as its place in the canon, reception history, genre and structure, the connection with Solomon, topics and theology, author and formation. Like most scholars, she considers it most likely that the bulk of Ecclesiastes originated in the middle of the third century b.c.e., but she also points out that this date remains hypothetical (p. 71). Regarding the author of the biblical book, K. argues that the "biographical" information in 12:9-10 might be as fictional as the Solomon fiction. Both serve to legitimate the author of the book, who uses the alias of Qoheleth and "hides" behind his mask of being Solomon. Nevertheless, the author still reveals a lot about himself, for example, through his language (Late Biblical Hebrew), the distance to the Torah, critical wisdom, and the "unmarked" intertextuality. In K.'s assessment, the work of Qoheleth was later expanded through redactional additions (p. 72). More concretely, she maintains that there is a layer of additions (1:2-11; 2:12*, 16; 3:9, 15; 9:5-6; 11:9*, 10; 12:1-12) that goes back to an editor Z (for Zweite Generation = "second generation"), who might have known Qoheleth, as well as several other additions (1:1; 3:17*, 18*, 21; 4:14-16; 5:12-16; 7:11-12, 23-29; 8:1, 10, 16-17; 9:11-12; 10:18-19; 11:9*; 12:13-14) that are not connected with each other but were added at different times. K. does not explain her redactional analysis in detail but points out that it is less based on assessments of content (and so-called contradictions) than on observations on language and style. Nonetheless, she also observes tendencies of the later additions, for example, that Z reinforces the "pessimistic" inclination of Qoheleth, enriches his argument with cosmological aspects, and argues against eschatological-protoapocalyptic traditions. Concentrating primarily on formal characteristics (mention of Qoheleth; passages in first person, second person, third person), K. analyzes the structure of Ecclesiastes as follows: 1:1; 1:2-11; 1:12–12:7; 12:8; 12:9-14, with 1:12–12:7 further divided into 1:12–4:16; 4:17–10:20; 11:1–12:7. She directs attention to the structuring phrases and elaborates on their implications for the book's genre. With "words of Qoheleth" (1:1; cf. 12:9-12) and the keyword "truth" (; 12:10), later redactors point out the book's status as an authoritative text. With Qoheleth's self-introduction as "king" (1:12) and the dominance of speeches in the first person, the book imitates the ancient Near Eastern tradition of royal testaments and has analogies in OT farewell speeches (e.g., Joshua 23; 24; Deuteronomy). And with the expression "says Qoheleth" (1:2; 12:8), finally, the framing passages present the book as narrated speech and the speaker (Qoheleth) as an authoritative person. Köhlmoos gives much weight to the implied identification of Qoheleth with King Solomon. She points out that this fiction is neither explicit nor complete; the book is not pseudepigraphic. Rather, "Solomon" is a mask of the author, meant to direct the reception of his work (p. 37). Though the fiction is most obvious in 1:12–2:26, K. concludes that it continues throughout the book. In her view, Qoheleth reuses the figure of Solomon to participate in the Solomonic discourse of his time, taking stands vis-à-vis the Solomon traditions of Kings, Chronicles, and Proverbs. In the actual commentary, K. offers, for each passage, a German translation with detailed notes, followed by a thorough analysis...