Ecclesiastes Chapter 1

From The Open Bible Project

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

• The Argument - Solomon as a preacher and one that desired to instruct all in the way of salvation, describes the deceivable vanities of this world: that man should not be addicted to anything under the sun, but rather inflamed with the desire of the heavenly life: therefore he confutes their opinions, which set their happiness either in knowledge or in pleasures, or in dignity and riches, wishing that man’s true happiness consists in that he is united with God and will enjoy his presence: so that all other things must be rejected, save in as much as they further us to attain to this heavenly treasure, which is sure and permanent, and cannot be found in any other save in God alone.
• (a) Solomon is here called a preacher, or one who assembles the people, because he teaches the true knowledge of God, and how men ought to pass their life in this transitory world.

1:2 "Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher; "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity."

• (b) He condemns the opinions of all men who set happiness in anything but in God alone, seeing that in this world all things are as vanity and nothing.

1:3 What does man gain from all his labor in which he labors under the sun?

• (c) Solomon does not condemn man’s labour or diligence, but shows that there is no full contentment in anything under the heavens, nor in any creature, as all things are transitory.

1:4 One generation goes, and another generation comes; but the earth remains forever.

• (d) One man dies after another, and the earth remains longest, even to the last day, which yet is subject to corruption.

1:5 The sun also rises, and the sun goes down, and hurries to its place where it rises.

1:6 The wind goes toward the south, and turns around to the north. It turns around continually as it goes, and the wind returns again to its courses.

• (e) By the sun, wind and rivers, he shows that the greatest labour and longest has an end, and therefore there can be no happiness in this world.

1:7 All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full. To the place where the rivers flow, there they flow again.

• (f) The sea which compasses all the earth, fills the veins of it which pour out springs and rivers into the sea again.

1:8 All things are full of weariness beyond uttering. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.

1:9 That which has been is that which shall be; and that which has been done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.

• (g) He speaks of times and seasons, and things done in them, which as they have been in times past, so come they to pass again.

1:10 Is there a thing of which it may be said, "Behold, this is new?" It has been long ago, in the ages which were before us.

1:11 There is no memory of the former; neither shall there be any memory of the latter that are to come, among those that shall come after.

1:12 I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.

• (h) He proves that if any could have attained happiness in this world by labour and study, he should have obtained it, because he had gifts and aids from God to it above all others.

1:13 I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the sky. It is a heavy burden that [1] God [See Ecclesiastes Footnotes 1] has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.

• (i) Man by nature has a desire to know, and yet is not able to come to the perfection of knowledge, which is the punishment of sin, to humble man, and to teach him to depend only on God.

1:14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and behold, all is vanity and a chasing after wind.

1:15 That which is crooked can't be made straight; and that which is lacking can't be counted.

• (k) Man is not able by all his diligence to cause things to go other than they do: neither can he number the faults that are committed, much less remedy them.

1:16 I said to myself, "Behold, I have obtained for myself great wisdom above all who were before me in Jerusalem. Yes, my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge."

1:17 I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also was a chasing after wind.

• (l) That is, vain things, which served to pleasure, in which was no convenience, but grief and trouble of conscience.

1:18 For in much wisdom is much grief; and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.

• (m) Wisdom and knowledge cannot be come by without great pain of body and mind: for when a man has attained the highest, yet is his mind never fully content: therefore in this world is no true happiness.