Commentary on Ecclesiastes

What remains when wealth, pleasure and achievement pass away? For Didymus the Blind, the searching questions of Ecclesiastes open a path toward wisdom and a life directed toward God.

A Christian teacher in fourth-century Alexandria, Didymus brings Scripture into conversation with the questions of his students. His commentary moves from the rhythms of nature and the uncertainties of daily life to the formation of virtue, the freedom of the soul and the hope of the life to come. Its exchanges preserve the immediacy of a classroom: objections are raised, difficult phrases examined and familiar words seen afresh.

This English translation presents the surviving Greek commentary with an introduction, explanatory footnotes, biblical references and a concordance. The losses in the ancient text remain visible, while concise notes help readers follow its philosophical language, scriptural allusions and unfamiliar arguments.

Prepared by Dr Bishoy Marcus, this edition invites clergy, students and thoughtful readers to encounter a distinctive Alexandrian reading of one of the Bible’s most challenging books.

“Revere God and keep his commandments.” — Ecclesiastes 12:13

Didymus the Blind taught in fourth-century Alexandria. Generative artificial intelligence assisted the preparation of this accessible English edition from the Greek. It does not replace primary texts, printed editions or surviving manuscripts. Scholars should verify quotations, textual readings and academic conclusions against those sources.