Summary
We find Bridges’s Ecclesiastes a sober and consoling guide to one of Scripture’s most searching books. He helps us hear the Preacher’s repeated exposure of vanity, and he shows how Ecclesiastes dismantles our false refuges so that we learn to fear God and enjoy His gifts rightly.
The tone is realistic about suffering, disappointment, and the limits of human wisdom, yet it is not bleak. Bridges repeatedly presses us toward humble dependence, patient obedience, and settled trust in the Lord’s providence.
Why Should I Own This Commentary?
We should own this commentary because it helps us preach Ecclesiastes with honesty and hope. Bridges does not soften the book’s edge, but he also prevents us from turning it into a philosophy lecture.
We also benefit from the pastoral aim. He helps us address weary saints, ambitious strivers, and anxious hearts, and he shows how Ecclesiastes calls us to repentance from self made meaning.
For teaching, it supports exposition that is both searching and gentle, and it helps the church learn contentment under God.
Closing Recommendation
We recommend this as a strong mid level resource for preaching Ecclesiastes, particularly when we want help applying its realism with tenderness. A modern commentary may assist with some interpretive debates, but Bridges remains excellent for pastoral use.
As pastoral next steps, we can visit the Bible Book Overview, browse Top Recommendations, and use the Reformed Commentary Index to build a wiser working library.
Charles Bridges
Charles Bridges was an English Anglican minister of the nineteenth century, evangelical in conviction and warmly Reformed in emphasis.
He is best known for work in wisdom literature, where he helps pastors read Proverbs and Ecclesiastes as moral formation under the fear of the Lord. Bridges combines careful explanation with searching application, pressing the heart while keeping grace and repentance in view. He is often strongest where modern readers need help with worldly wisdom, speech, work, money, and temptation.
He remains valued because he is both probing and steady, with counsel that fits real pastoral ministry. Recommended titles include Proverbs in the Geneva Series, Ecclesiastes in the Geneva Series, and The Christian Ministry with Inquiry into the Causes of Its Inefficiency.
Theological Perspective: Reformed