The Wisdom Commentary series now has about one-third of its anticipated 66 volumes available. When finished, it will stand as the first complete commentary series that examines each book of the Bible through a feminist interpretive lens. Within each volume, the authors utilize a wide variety of interpretive and methodological approaches to achieve the series’ goals. When approaching Qoheleth, Lisa Michele Wolfe recognizes that this biblical text has propagated a dangerous worldview of misogyny and patriarchal hierarchy. Yet this text also encourages a type of “hermeneutic of suspicion” that questions and even subverts past biblical doctrines and theological traditions. Wolfe astutely connects this suspicion to the misalignment between lived-experiences and received theological traditions. In this sense, she finds a parallel between the examination, questioning, and deconstruction found in Qoheleth’s approach and the hermeneutic of suspicion that is central to feminist biblical interpretation. Wolfe thus frames the relationship between Qoheleth’s approach to questions and feminist biblical interpretation writing that “If feminist method requires not only deconstruction but also reconstruction for the sake of revolution, then Qoheleth has more to offer on the front end of that hermeneutical circle” (p.lxix).

While situating Qoheleth approximately in the Hellenistic period (c. 250 BCE, with appropriate caveats) in the volume’s introduction, Wolfe’s commentary more often assesses the implications of the text’s claims for women in a broadly constructed biblical literary context. Of particular note is her discussion of the use of gendered language and imagery, exploring how Qoheleth often bends gendered metaphors and imagery. For example, she examines the literary construction of Qoheleth as an authorial identity, noting that the term “Qoheleth” is grammatically feminine and occasionally appears in feminine constructions, yet often reflects masculine gendered assumptions. She, therefore, avoids ascribing distinctively gendered pronouns for Qoheleth in the commentary to allow room for questions concerning this ambiguity. Wolfe’s section-by-section commentary is particularly attentive to lexical repetitions or grammatical irregularities within the text and draws connections with comparable constructions elsewhere in the biblical texts.

Part of Wolfe’s approach involves navigating interpretive possibilities. Wolfe occasionally presents multiple interpretations for the reader to consider. For example, in the assessment of Qoheleth’s distinctive use of the first-person (particularly in 2:1-10), Wolfe notes that it could reflect various understandings of “introspection,” “egotism,” a “God complex,” the fictive illusion of an authorial identity, or even a satirical depiction of the self-absorption of “the wealthy, powerful elite male” (pp.21-23). She concludes the discussion by noting that “The burden lies with the interpreter to consider whether Qoheleth perpetuates or criticizes that hierarchical structure—or both” (p.23). This approach to interpretive possibilities fits well with the commitment to a “symphony of diverse voices” (p.xxii) in the series, as reflected in the periodic side-bars that provide brief excursive discussions from complementary authors.
In conclusion, Wolfe’s attention to ambiguities, uncertainties, and interpretive possibilities makes this a fruitful commentary for generating thought-provoking reflections on the text in a way that invites the reader into the interpretive process. The presentation of the Hebrew text with corresponding English translations makes the volume accessible for students and faith practitioners who engage the text primarily in English translation, though there were a few places where a reader may encounter a Hebrew term removed by several lines from its corresponding translation, which may prove difficult for those unaccustomed to reading the Hebrew consonants.