Solomon announces his theme
1
📚The words of the teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.1:1 We see in Eccl 12:9-10 what Solomon did as a “teacher” – he searched for knowledge, tried to find the best words to express it, and taught the people with righteous and true words. The Hebrew word here translated “teacher” could also be translated “preacher” or “guru”. In Solomon’s case much of his teaching was done, it seems, by writing rather than speaking. Ecclesiastes, Song of songs, and most of Proverbs are from his pen (and from God Who inspired him to write).⚜
2 📚Vanity of vanities, says the teacher, vanity of vanities. All is vanity 📖.
He gives illustrations
3 📚What profit does a man have from all his labour which he undertakes under the sun?
1:2-3 Solomon did not mean that the fear of God, and obedience to God’s Word are vain (see Eccl 12:1, 13. See too Paul’s words in 1 Cor 15:58). He meant that all of man’s activities “under the sun” – that is, on his own and apart from God – are vain. This key phrase “under the sun” occurs 29 times in this book. A similar phrase “under heaven” occurs 3 times. The word “vanity” occurs 35 times. This is very remarkable in so small a book. At the end Solomon indicates that man can be what he ought to be, can escape from the vanity of life under the sun, only by having a right relationship to God and those things which are above the sun.⚜
4 📚One generation passes away and another generation comes, but the earth remains forever.
5 📚The sun also rises, and the sun goes down and hurries to its place where it rose.
6 📚The wind goes toward the south and turns around to the north; it swirls about continually, and the wind returns again on its circuits.
7 📚All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full. To the place from which the rivers come, there they return again.
8 📚All things are wearisome; man cannot utter it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, or the ear filled with hearing. 9 📚The thing that has been, is what will be; and what has been done is what will be done; and there is no new thing under the sun. 10 📚Is there anything of which it may be said, “See, this is new?” It has already been in olden times, which were before us.
11 📚There is no remembrance of former things; nor will there be any remembrance of things that are to come by those who will come afterwards.
1:4-11 Solomon now begins to give his reasons for saying all is vanity under the sun. Though the earth permanently remains, all men must die and leave it (v 4). In Ecclesiastes death is a dark shadow cast over all of life (Eccl 2:16, 18, 21; 3:2, 18-20; 5:15-16; 6:12; 7:2; 8:8; 9:2-6, 12; 12:5-8). A brief existence that is taken up only with the things of earth must be meaningless. If this life is all there is for the individual, then life is a tiresome burden and not worth living. There can never be any permanent satisfaction in studying the ceaseless cycles of nature which do not change (vs 5-8); there can be no hope that something really new will come along that can give men ultimate satisfaction in this world (vs 9,10); achievements that bring name and fame are also vain, even if people remember them, and they won’t remember them for long (v 11).⚜
He more fully introduces himself
12 📚I, the teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13 📚And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom everything that is done under heaven; this unhappy task God has given to the sons of man with which to be occupied.
14 📚I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, look, all is emptiness and chasing the wind 📖.
1:12-14 Solomon did not reach his conclusion about the vanity of life on earth through ignorance or superficial examination. He made the most thorough search of this subject that was possible to him, perhaps the most thorough search any man ever made.⚜
15 📚What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is lacking cannot be counted.
1:15 He gives here two further reasons for the uselessness of human effort – much is crooked and wrong in man’s existence on earth, but man cannot make it right; and there are so many things lacking for a fully satisfying life that man cannot even know all of them, let alone supply the lack.⚜
16 📚I spoke in my own heart, saying, “Look, I have amassed and acquired more wisdom than all those who have been before me in Jerusalem; yes, my heart has had great experience in wisdom and knowledge”.
He resolves to gain understanding of the meaning of life
17 📚And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly 📖; I have come to see that this also is striving for wind.
18 📚For in much wisdom is much grief; and he who gains more knowledge gains more sorrow.