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Ecclesiastes 1:1-11 Overview
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| 1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. |
Invoking the authority and wisdom of Solomon, the editor begins the scroll by getting the attention of the reader. The “Preacher”, “Qoheleth” is a collector of sentences, one who calls them out in the street for any to hear. While Ecclesiastes does not have the statement from Proverbs “20 Wisdom shouts in the street, She lifts her voice in the square;” but we have the Qoheleth who fills the role. [I plan to look at authorship a bit later, but for now my current view is that there are wise sayings from Solomon and many other unknowns. The sayings were collected by the “qō·he·leṯ” who identifies his work in 12:10 who “searched to find delightful sayings and to record accurate words of truth.“}
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| 2 “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.” |
The whole of the book repeats and expand this point, “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.” The teacher looks through all manner of occurrences, events, and thoughts, concluding that all has limited or no value, evaporating into the wind like a passing vapor.
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| 3 What advantage does man have in all his work – Which he does under the sun? |
Here the speaker asks a question that many have asked, “What is of value? What have I done of value?” Too many ask this question and without answers we have seen suicide throughout time. Thought the book speaks of vanity, it does, regularly, give advice on what makes life better.
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4 A generation goes and a generation comes,
But the earth remains forever. |
Different Lives will begin and end, over and over, as long as the earth remains. Forever here is עוֹלָם – olam – o-lawm’ (meaning long duration, antiquity, futurity, forever)
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| 5 Also, the sun rises and the sun sets; And hastening to its place it rises there again. |
The position of the sun cycles and can be seen to repeat itself over and over.
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| 6 Blowing toward the south, Then turning toward the north, The wind continues swirling along; And on its circular courses the wind returns. |
The direction of the wind cycles, repeating itself over and over.
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| 7 All the rivers flow into the sea, Yet the sea is not full. To the place where the rivers flow, There they flow again. |
Water cycles, from rivers to sea and back, yet has it’s boundaries
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| 8 All things are wearisome; Man is not able to tell it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, Nor is the ear filled with hearing. |
Life is fleeting and diminishes. Remember that absolutely fabulous meal, or painful emotional experience? Well maybe, but it has sensation has lessened. That time you slammed your finger in the door, it hurt a lot, but the discomfort of lightly placing you finger nail into your thumb seems more acute and noticeable in the moment. This early idea foretells the diminishing returns defined in economics. This diminishing is one reason we should experience and consider our current situation.
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| 9 That which has been is that which will be, And that which has been done is that which will be done. So there is nothing new under the sun. |
“There is nothing new under the sun” can seem disheartening, particularly if you feel the need to be involved in something innovative. On the other hand if you miss something, don’t suffer desiring to have it back, wait and see, if it might come back around.
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| 10 Is there anything of which one might say, “See this, it is new”? Already it has existed for ages Which were before us. |
Today we have this idea, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
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| 11 There is no remembrance of earlier things; And also of the later things which will occur, There will be for them no remembrance Among those who will come later still. |
We all know not to forget the past, but we can be sure we will. This also foreshadows the idea to be developed, Our death and remembrance will be forgotten. Everything we have and do will come to no value when we pass. Ecclesiastes is all about how to live with purpose in the current time. It also advises what not to do. I think of Gilgamesh lamenting over not having his name stamped on the bricks of the city of Uruk, “He said to his servant Enkidu, ‘I have not established my name stamped on bricks as my destiny decreed; ‘”
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