Even if this concluding section stems from a second author, there is no compelling reason to interpret these verses as offering a critique rather than an explanation of the book’s compositional purpose and a hermeneutical guide to its proper understanding. Interestingly, in the Hebrew text, verses 9 and 12 begin identically (NJPS “A further word” or “and furthermore”), while verse 13 begins with, literally, “a final word” (cf. Eccles. 3:11; 7:2), possibly thereby dividing this section into three parts. Verses 9–10 describe Qoheleth’s (i.e., the Teacher’s) purpose, procedure, and product, which parallel in some respects the narrative description of Solomonic wisdom in 1 Kings 4:29–34. Qoheleth was a wise person who publicly instructed the people. For that purpose, he pondered (literally “l…