The Message of Ecclesiastes (The Bible Speaks Today Series) Paperback – August 13, 1984

I really want to like this commentary, but there's something unapproachable to it.I'll firstly state that I am not a Biblical scholar nor do I have the knowledge and insight that I know Mr. Kidner has. I will also state that just because I didn't prefer this commentary doesn't mean I have any harsh feelings towards Mr. Kidner so please keep any comments on my review civil as I have done so in my review.The short:I gave this commentary 3 stars because perhaps my gripes with the commentary are more about personal taste than it is with the content. For any one looking to buy it, I will emphasize that it is still very much readable for the lay person, but depending on your preference you might get bogged down in, what I feel is, his personal style.The long:From his commentary on Ecclesiastes, I see hidden gems, key elements that are helpful in understanding this book. Deep and insightful as they are though, they are just that, hidden.Between the quality of the print (which for some is just a direct photocopy of the original making the footnotes miserable to read. Not Kidner's fault, I know) and Kidner's wordiness, the knowledge that he wishes to share (which there is plenty) gets lost. There is a lot of what seems to be at times unnecessary, fluffy exposition that like a man searching for words that can't seem to find the right things to say to give full meaning to what he is trying to communicate like a man searching for water in the desert and much like I'm doing right now...the original reason for writing the sentence is unknown. A lot of folks like this commentary, and they have great reason to like it. However for me, I get waylaid by Kidner's personal writing style which is always profound but never entirely clear and never concise.

I have read this at least five times. I bought a second copy because my first was littered with notes. Kidner's ability to bring crystal clarity astonishes. I can't count the number of times he says more in one sentence than others say in an entire chapter. As to the specifics about this book, it's already been well said in some of the other five star reviews. I've been meaning to write this short review for a long time, and just noticed it recently has garnered a few one star reviews. God bless those reviewers. Ecclesiastes is quite the outlier, as it relates to the rest of the scripture, probably the most misunderstood book in the Bible. Perhaps they just weren't ready yet to really dive into it.

IVP's "The Bible Speaks Today" series is always helpful, and I own a number of volumes in the set. This one looks like it was a less-than-quality print job -- over-inked, some pages so over-inked they almost look like the whole page is in boldface. The print is lighter or heavier on some pages than on others. Some pages are fuzzy because the font is not cleanly imprinted. I happy with what I read, but disappointed that it isn't crisp, clear type.

This commentary is well written and offers solid insight to the truths contained in Ecclesiastes. There is a problem with the print quality on some pages as some have noted. (It almost looks blurry like when you need a little magnification to bring it into focus... magnification didn't help)

Good book. The physical printing is very suspect. This may be some type of knock off printing it does not appear to be a professionally printed book.

Well written and very helpful to explain what can be a difficult book. The only problem is the print quality is terrible. Perhaps it is a "get what you pay for" issue, but the publishers should really re-print in a better quality.

And excellent book for anyone who is interested in a study of Ecclesiastes. The writer gets to the heart of the book in a clear and concise way, making personal application and understanding of the book easier.I would definitely purchase other books from this seller, the transaction time was minimal and the book condition was as expected.

I purchased this for a Canadian friend because he had so many questions as he read through the book of Ecclesiastes. The writer, Derek Kidner, was an outstanding scholar who knew how to write ot difficult things and explain them simply and with clarity. My friend was delighted with my purchase.