1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

2 Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.

3 What profit has a man of all his labor which he takes under the sun?

4 One generation passes away, and another generation comes: but the earth stays for ever.

5 The sun also rises, and the sun goes down, and hastens to his place where he arose.

6 The wind goes toward the south, and turns about to the north; it whirls about continually, and the wind returns again according to his circuits.

7 All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; to the place from where the rivers come, thither they return again.

8 All things are full of labor; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.

9 The thing that has been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.

10 Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it has been already of old time, which was before us.

11 There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.

12 I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.

13 And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail has God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.

14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

15 That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.

16 I communed with my own heart, saying, See, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yes, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.

17 And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.

18 For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increases knowledge increases sorrow.

Ecc 1:1. See Introduction.

Ecc 1:2-11 may be called an introduction to the book; it also presents the writer's conclusions. He has surveyed life from many angles and decided that all human effort is fruitless and unavailing, or as he puts it, vanity. This is his key-word (the Hebrew means vapour, breath, and so nothingness): it occurs forty times. Vanity of vanities is the Heb. way of saying utmost vanity. Man toils under the sun, i.e. upon the earth, but reaps no gain; like players on a stage the ever-changing generations come and go, while the earth, man's scene of toil, abides. As with man so with nature; sun, winds (north and south, cf. Ca. Ecc 4:16), streams, all pursue a dreary round of endless repetition and accomplish nothing, e.g. the sea is never filled. The whole creation groans and travails but makes no ascent, and its futile activities so react on man that his faculties, e.g. seeing and hearing, enter on equally profitless and unsatisfying orbits. Everything moves in monotonous and steady cycles, there is no novelty in life (cf. Ecc 3:15), but men do not perceive the repetition because each generation is ignorant of the experiences of preceding generationsthere is no remembrance (cf. Ecc 9:5).

Ecc 1:5. hasteth: lit. panteth. The idea is that of the chariot of the sun drawn by panting steeds. 2Ki 23:11 shows that the Hebrews as well as Greeks and Romans had this notion.

Ecc 1:12 to Ecc 2:26. Qoheleth's Investigations. Assuming the character of Solomon the writer tells of his search for happiness under many forms. The pursuit of wisdom ( Ecc 1:12-18), absorption in pleasure ( Ecc 2:1-11), the study of human nature ( Ecc 2:12-17), the acquisition of wealth ( Ecc 2:18-18), alike fail to yield satisfaction. After all his experience the only verdict he can reach is that there is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink and enjoy life as well as he can while he has it ( Ecc 2:24-26).

Ecc 1:12 to Ecc 2:26. Qoheleth's Investigations. Assuming the character of Solomon the writer tells of his search for happiness under many forms. The pursuit of wisdom ( Ecc 1:12-18), absorption in pleasure ( Ecc 2:1-11), the study of human nature ( Ecc 2:12-17), the acquisition of wealth ( Ecc 2:18-18), alike fail to yield satisfaction. After all his experience the only verdict he can reach is that there is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink and enjoy life as well as he can while he has it ( Ecc 2:24-26).

Ecc 1:12; Ecc 1:16. See Introduction.

Ecc 1:13. Cf. Ecc 7:25; Ecc 8:16, and for God as a hard taskmaster Ecc 3:10. seek and search: get to the bottom of the problem and survey it on all sides.

Ecc 1:14. striving after wind: see mg., a strong phrase for aimless and futile desire.

Ecc 1:15. Life is incurably twisted and imperfect.

Ecc 1:17. Qoheleth would discover truth by the study of contraries. For madness and folly, however, LXX by a slight change of the Hebrew reads comparisons (or parables) and science. But increased knowledge only means increased perplexity ( Ecc 1:18).