Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs

"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die..."

When the reformers of the sixteenth century turned to this well-known text from the Book of Ecclesiastes, they did not find a reason to despair, but rather confirmation of their hope and faith in God. For example, Martin Luther pointed to the comfort offered through this text: "You cannot live any longer than the Lord has prescribed, nor die any sooner. . . . To Christians this is a great comfort, so that they know that death has not been placed into the power of tyrants nor into the hands of any creature," but in the hands of God.

In this volume of the Reformation Commentary on Scripture, Reformation scholar David Fink guides readers through a wealth of early modern commentary on three Old Testament books: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs. Readers will hear from familiar voices and discover lesser-known figures from a diversity of theological traditions, including Lutherans, Reformed, Radicals, Anglicans and Roman Catholics. Drawing upon a variety of resources—including commentaries, sermons, treatises, and confessions—much of which appears here for the first time in English, this volume provides resources for contemporary preachers, enables scholars to better understand the depth and breadth of Reformation commentary, and seeks to help readers find comfort in God's Word.

Contents

Acknowledgments
Abbreviations
A Guide to Using This Commentary
General Introduction
Introduction to Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs
Commentary on Proverbs
Commentary on Ecclesiastes
Commentary on Song of Songs
Map of Europe at the Time of the Reformation
Timeline of the Reformation
Biographical Sketches of Reformation-Era Figures and Works
Sources for Biographical Sketches
Bibliography
Author and Writings Index
Subject Index
Scripture Index