Which phrase best describes the speaker's role in Ecclesiastes?

• A. A prophet who proclaims doom
• B. A preacher, teacher, or philosopher
• C. A king who decrees laws
• D. A priest who sacrifices

Answer: (B)

The speaker’s role is best described as a preacher, teacher, or philosopher. In Ecclesiastes, the voice presents as Qohelet, a sage who examines life, asks hard questions, and offers reflective, sometimes skeptical observations about wisdom, labor, pleasure, and the meaning of existence. This isn’t a prophetic messenger delivering God’s doom, nor a ruler issuing decrees, nor a priest performing sacrifices. Instead, the speaker guides readers through thoughtful discourse, weighing human experience and pointing toward sober, measured living in light of life’s uncertain, fleeting nature. That contemplative, instructive, and philosophical mode is what defines the speaker’s role.