Did Solomon apply Ecclesiastes 7:26 to himself?

Question

Ecclesiastes 7:26

I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a trap and whose hands are chains. The man who pleases God will escape her, but the sinner she will ensnare.

Solomon had many many wives and concubines. Some ensnared him. He knew this would go bad for him.

Answer 1

Solomon was a very complex character who was (as with all humans) full of contradictions!

• He was an astute observer of human nature (as Ecclesiastes reveals)
• He was a victim of his own carnality as his biography reveals
• He was a brilliant naturalist and amateur "scientist"
• He was capable of being the human conduit of great divine truths as Ps 72 and Proverbs shows
• He was also a brilliant poet who composed some of the most inspiring literature of all time
• He was a superb politician and statesman (1 Kings 4:20-34) who made Israel the greatest nation in his time.

Thus, much of Solomon's inspired writings in Ecclesiastes is based on both person (and very deep) experience and that of others around him. Which was inspired by which cannot now be known - just enjoy and apply the great man's wisdom.

Answer 2

A note about the authorship of Ecclesiastes. Scholars don't know who wrote Ecclesiastes so it would be tenuous to apply everything written to Solomon.

Here is a quote from Michael V. Fox's commentary of Ecclesiastes (or Hebrew, Qohelet - which can mean 'teacher to the public'):

"Koheleth was traditionally identified with Solomon...since the nineteenth century, critical scholarship has not regarded Solomon as the actual author. Though modern scholars do not think that Koheleth was Solomon, almost all of them believe that the author wants us to make that identification.

You can check out a short video regarding who wrote Ecclesiastes, from an Old Testament scholar/professor, John Walton, here