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| General Editors' Preface | |
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| Acknowledgments | |
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| Abbreviations | |
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| Ecclesiastes | |
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| Bibliography for Ecclesiastes | |
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| Introduction to Ecclesiastes | |
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| Authorship | |
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| Date | |
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| Place of Origin | |
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| Audience, Occasion, Purpose | |
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| Sociological and Cultural Issues | |
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| Textual History and Composition | |
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| Text | |
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| Canon | |
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| Composition | |
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| Literary Features | |
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| Genre | |
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| Linguistic Style | |
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| Literary Style | |
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| Structure | |
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| Theological Themes | |
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| Vanity of Vanities | |
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| Sovereignty of God | |
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| Limitations of Wisdom and Righteousness | |
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| Doctrine of Retribution, and Limitations | |
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| Profit and Portion | |
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| Wealth and Contentment | |
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| Ethics | |
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| Hermeneutical Issues | |
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| Diversity of Interpretation | |
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| Dealing with Contradictions | |
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| Interpretive History | |
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| Wesleyan Interpretation | |
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| Liturgical Use of Ecclesiastes | |
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| Commentary on Ecclesiastes | |
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| Vanity of Vanities (Title and Theme)(1:1-2) | |
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| Title (1:1) | |
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| Theme (1:2) | |
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| There Is No Profit from Toil (Prologue) (1:3-11) | |
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| No One Leaves a Surplus (1:3) | |
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| Nothing Changes (1:4-8) | |
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| Nothing Is New or Remembered (1:9-11) | |
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| I Was King in Jerusalem (Introduction) (1:12--2:26) | |
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| I Studied and Explored (1:12-18) | |
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| I Tested Pleasure and Wealth (2:1-11) | |
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| I Tested Wisdom (2:12-16) | |
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| I Began to Despair (2:17-23) | |
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| What to Do? Enjoy! (2:24-26) | |
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| A Time for Everything (3:1-22) | |
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| In God's Time (3:1-8) | |
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| What to Do? Enjoy! (3:9-22) | |
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| (A Time for Judgment [3:16-17]) | |
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| What Is Better? (4:1-16) | |
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| Better Not to Be Born (4:1-3) | |
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| Better a Little with Contentment (4:4-6) | |
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| No Contentment (4:7-8) | |
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| Better Two than One (4:9-12) | |
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| Better Poor but Wise (4:13-16) | |
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| Let Your Words Be Few (5:1-9) | |
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| Conduct Before God (5:1-7) | |
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| Oppression and Justice (5:8-9) | |
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| Limitations of Wealth (5:10--6:9) | |
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| No Satisfaction (5:10-12) | |
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| Grievous Evil (5:13-17) | |
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| Contentment (5:18-20) | |
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| Evil (6:1-6) | |
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| No Satisfaction (6:7-9) | |
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| Limitations of Wisdom (6:10---7:14) | |
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| Sovereignty of God: Humans Do Not Have Foreknowledge (6:10-12) | |
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| Don't Depreciate the Past/Present in Favor of the Future (7:1-4) | |
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| (Wisdom Is Still Valuable [7:5-6]) | |
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| Wisdom Is Limited (7:7) | |
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| Don't Depreciate the Future/Present in Favor of the Past (7:8-10) | |
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| (Wisdom Is Still Valuable [7:11-12]) | |
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| Sovereignty of God: Enjoy Life (7:13-14) | |
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| Judgment, Righteousness, and Wisdom Are Elusive (7:15-29) | |
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| Judgment Is Elusive (7:15-18) | |
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| Righteousness Is Elusive (7:19-22) | |
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| Wisdom Is Elusive (7:23-24) | |
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| There Is Judgment; Righteousness and Wisdom Are Superior (7:25-29) | |
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| The Days of the Wicked Will Not Lengthen (8:1-17) | |
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| Sovereignty of the King (8:1-9) | |
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| Mystery of Retribution (8:10-15) | |
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| Sovereignty of God and Limitation of Wisdom (8:16-17) | |
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| The Same Destiny Overtakes All (9:1-18) | |
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| The Same Destiny for Righteous and Wicked (9:1-6) | |
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| Enjoy Life (9:7-10) | |
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| Success Is Unpredictable (9:11-12) | |
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| The Results of Wisdom Are Unpredictable (9:13-18) | |
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| Flies in the Ointment (10:1-20) | |
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| Folly Can Outweigh Wisdom (10:1-7) | |
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| Results Can Be Unpredictable (10:8-15) | |
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| Benefits of a Wise King (10:16-20) | |
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| Cast Your Bread upon the Waters (Conclusion) (11:1--12:7) | |
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| Generosity (11:1-2) | |
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| Knowledge Is Limited (11:3-6) | |
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| Happiness in Youth (11:7-10) | |
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| Remember Your Creator (12:1-7) | |
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| Pleasing Words (Theme and Epilogue) (12:8-14) | |
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| Theme: Vanity of Vanities (12:8) | |
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| The Value of Wisdom (12:9-12) | |
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| Fear of God, and Justice (12:13-14) | |
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| Lamentations | |
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| Bibliography for Lamentations | |
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| Introduction to Lamentations | |
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| Authorship | |
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| Date | |
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| Place of Origin | |
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| Occasion | |
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| Purpose | |
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| Sociological and Cultural Issues | |
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| Textual History and Composition | |
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| Literary Features | |
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| Genre | |
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| Linguistic Style | |
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| Literary Style | |
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| Theological Themes | |
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| Suffering | |
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| Sovereignty of God | |
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| Suffering Is the Result of Sin | |
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| Repentance | |
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| Hope | |
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| Commentary on Lamentations | |
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| Poem One: How Deserted (1:1-22) | |
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| How Deserted Lies the City (1:1-11) | |
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| Look at My Suffering! (1:12-22) | |
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| Poem Two: The Cloud of God's Anger (2:1-22) | |
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| The Cloud of God's Anger (2:1-12) | |
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| What Can I Say for You? (2:13-19) | |
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| Look, O Lord! (2:20-22) | |
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| Poem Three: I Am the Man (3:1-66) | |
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| I Have Seen Affliction (3:1-20) | |
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| Faithfulness, Hope, and Love (3:21-36) | |
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| We Have Sinned and Rebelled (3:37-54) | |
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| Hear My Plea! (3:55-66) | |
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| Poem Four: The Gold Has Lost Its Luster (4:1-22) | |
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| Gold Is Treated like Clay (4:1-9) | |
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| Prophets and Priests Shed Blood (4:10-16) | |
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| We Looked in Vain for Help (4:17-22) | |
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| Poem Five: Remember, Yahweh (5:1-22) | |
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| Remember, O Lord! (5:1-18) | |
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| Restore Us, O Lord! (5:19-22) | |