Zack Eswine does for biblical commentary what Red Smith did for sports journalism: he makes it better. Recovering Eden is not a dry, predictable, warmed-over treatment of Ecclesiastes. Rather, it is compelling, challenging, and prophetic. Eswine writes as someone you can tell has wrestled with Ecclesiastes and been changed in the process. In Recovering Eden, Eswine offers his unique voice and perspective on this challenging book of the Bible.
As an example of Eswine’s approach, take the worthwhile introduction. Most commentaries begin similarly: author, date, setting, and theme. While Eswine does discuss these matters, he brings them up in the middle of his expositions of passages, distilling the details well. Rather than separating Hebrew words and original context from the narrative discussion, Eswine brings them in at the appropriate time within the commentary in ways that make the text more compelling and memorable.
Also, the book is well organized. Ecclesiastes talks about a few topics throughout the book. So, to go verse by verse or chapter by chapter can make it difficult to treat all the diverse biblical sayings. Qoheleth (the ‘Teacher’) says he hates toil, but in another place explains that there is nothing better than the enjoyment of toil. Thus Eswine treats topics, such as ‘toil,’ seeking to bring in all the data from the book to harmonize and expound what Ecclesiastes says on these topics. This is another sign of Eswine’s good exegetical digestion.
In a time where some evangelical scholars say that much of Ecclesiastes is questionable, and only the epilogue (‘Fear God and keep his commandments’) makes it Christian Scripture, it is refreshing for an author such as Zack Eswine to show how this whole book is God’s revelation to us. Even more refreshing is that he does this in a singular, poetic, and gospel-centered way. Buy this book. You will love Ecclesiastes and Jesus all the more.
