Saarnaaja

Saarnaaja is the Finnish title for the biblical book known in Hebrew as Kohelet, commonly referred to in English as Ecclesiastes. It is part of the wisdom literature in the Hebrew Bible and, in Christian tradition, a book of the Old Testament. Most scholars place its composition in the late Second Temple period, roughly in the 3rd century BCE, though earlier and later scholarly proposals exist. The book presents the voice of “the Preacher” (Kohelet), who undertakes a series of inquiries to discover meaning in life.

Content and themes: The Preacher tests various avenues for meaning, including wisdom, pleasure, work, wealth, and toil, and repeatedly concludes that many human pursuits are void or elusive, often summarized by the refrain that life under the sun is fraught with vanities. The work blends reflections, questions, proverbs, and poems, including a famous passage that there is “a time for everything.” Despite its skeptical tone, the text moves toward a final exhortation: fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of humankind.

Authorship and form: Tradition attributes the work to King Solomon, but modern scholarship generally regards Kohelet as the voice of an anonymous or composite author or school, writing in Hebrew with later redaction. The book’s place within the canon varies, but it is commonly grouped with Job and Proverbs as part of wisdom literature.

Influence: Saarnaaja has influenced Jewish and Christian thought on meaning, mortality, and the limits of human wisdom, and it remains a widely studied and translated text in religious and literary contexts.