Introduction to Ecclesiastes 1-4
Name:
Originally called “Qoheleth” in Hebrew. “Qoheleth” means “preacher.” “Ecclesiastes” comes from the Greek Ekklesia, meaning “the assembly” (to whom the preacher preaches). In English, Ekklesia is translated as “church.”
Theme:
“What is the purpose of life?” The Hebrew word “hevel” appears throughout the book, and is used to describe various aspects of life. It can be translated literally as vapor, smoke, or breath, or metaphorically as something that is illusive, empty, or a delusion. Some translators translate is as “meaningless” and “vanity.”
Chapter 1
Qoheleth generally and then specifically examines work and wisdom (in a cyclic fashion) to support his thesis that all of life is smoke. There is no advantage to work from earth’s perspective because of the cycles of life which entrap people and because of the lack of fulfillment in doing anything.
“‘Hevel! Hevel!’
says the Teacher.
‘Utterly hevel!
Everything is hevel.’”
“What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun.
Is there anything of which one can say,
‘Look! This is something new’?
It was here already, long ago;
it was here before our time.”
Qoheleth affirms that by increasing in wisdom he did not find fulfillment, but the emptiness of work, the certainty of design, and the pain of awareness.
“I, Qoheleth, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.”
“I have seen all the things that are done under the sun;
all of them are hevel, a chasing after the wind.”
“For with much wisdom comes much sorrow;
the more knowledge, the more grief.”
“‘Hevel! Hevel!’
says the Teacher.
‘Utterly hevel!
Everything is hevel.’”
“What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun.
Is there anything of which one can say,
‘Look! This is something new’?
It was here already, long ago;
it was here before our time.”
Qoheleth affirms that by increasing in wisdom he did not find fulfillment, but the emptiness of work, the certainty of design, and the pain of awareness.
“I, Qoheleth, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.”
“I have seen all the things that are done under the sun;
all of them are hevel, a chasing after the wind.”
“For with much wisdom comes much sorrow;
the more knowledge, the more grief.”
Chapter 2
In the pursuit of pleasure and hard work Qoheleth found the latter to be preferable, but both to be empty in and of themselves.
“I denied myself nothing my eyes desired;
I refused my heart no pleasure.
My heart took delight in all my labor,
and this was the reward for all my toil.
Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done
and what I had toiled to achieve,
everything was hevel, a chasing after the wind;
nothing was gained under the sun.”
In examining wisdom and folly Qoheleth affirms that the former (wisdom) is preferable, but not ultimately fulfilling since death is the end of both the fool and the wise.
“I saw that wisdom is better than folly,
just as light is better than darkness.
The wise have eyes in their heads,
while the fool walks in the darkness;
but I came to realize
that the same fate overtakes them both.”
Qoheleth concludes that work is empty and life is to be hated because it only leads to grief (evil) in that others may later squander your fruits, therefore, only pain and preoccupation exist from work now. Recognizing that the hand of God is responsible for one’s life, Qoheleth contradicts his former statements and affirms that pleasure and work are both good. The reason one can enjoy life when one sees that God’s hand is involved is because without Him life is meaningless and full of despair.
“So I hated life,
because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me.
All of it is hevel, a chasing after the wind.
I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun,
because I must leave them to the one who comes after me.
And who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish?”
“I denied myself nothing my eyes desired;
I refused my heart no pleasure.
My heart took delight in all my labor,
and this was the reward for all my toil.
Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done
and what I had toiled to achieve,
everything was hevel, a chasing after the wind;
nothing was gained under the sun.”
In examining wisdom and folly Qoheleth affirms that the former (wisdom) is preferable, but not ultimately fulfilling since death is the end of both the fool and the wise.
“I saw that wisdom is better than folly,
just as light is better than darkness.
The wise have eyes in their heads,
while the fool walks in the darkness;
but I came to realize
that the same fate overtakes them both.”
Qoheleth concludes that work is empty and life is to be hated because it only leads to grief (evil) in that others may later squander your fruits, therefore, only pain and preoccupation exist from work now. Recognizing that the hand of God is responsible for one’s life, Qoheleth contradicts his former statements and affirms that pleasure and work are both good. The reason one can enjoy life when one sees that God’s hand is involved is because without Him life is meaningless and full of despair.
“So I hated life,
because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me.
All of it is hevel, a chasing after the wind.
I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun,
because I must leave them to the one who comes after me.
And who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish?”
Chapter 3
Qoheleth affirms that everything, including events and experiences which seem to be contradictory, has an appointed time.
“There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.”
Although the appointments of life may point to despair in striving, meaning for life may be found if one follows the eternal drive within oneself to recognize God as the giver of life.
“I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race.
He has made everything beautiful in its time.
He has also set eternity in the human heart;
yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”
Qoheleth affirms that man is forced to turn from himself to God when he realizes that He controls events, is the source of morality and gives any meaning to the equalizer of death.
“God will bring into judgment
both the righteous and the wicked,
for there will be a time for every activity,
a time to judge every deed.”
The reason one should be happy in one’s appointed activities is because there is no future beyond them apart from God.
“As for humans, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals.
Surely the fate of human beings is like that of the animals;
the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other.
All have the same breath; humans have no advantage over animals.
Everything is hevel.
All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return.
Who knows if the human spirit rises upward
and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?”
“There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.”
Although the appointments of life may point to despair in striving, meaning for life may be found if one follows the eternal drive within oneself to recognize God as the giver of life.
“I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race.
He has made everything beautiful in its time.
He has also set eternity in the human heart;
yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”
Qoheleth affirms that man is forced to turn from himself to God when he realizes that He controls events, is the source of morality and gives any meaning to the equalizer of death.
“God will bring into judgment
both the righteous and the wicked,
for there will be a time for every activity,
a time to judge every deed.”
The reason one should be happy in one’s appointed activities is because there is no future beyond them apart from God.
“As for humans, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals.
Surely the fate of human beings is like that of the animals;
the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other.
All have the same breath; humans have no advantage over animals.
Everything is hevel.
All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return.
Who knows if the human spirit rises upward
and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?”
Chapter 4
When Qoheleth examines the unjust state of oppressors who have power and the helplessness of the oppressed, he concludes that living is the worst of all possible states.
“I saw the tears of the oppressed—
and they have no comforter;
power was on the side of their oppressors—
and they have no comforter.
And I declared that the dead,
who had already died,
are happier than the living,
who are still alive.
But better than both
is the one who has never been born,
who has not seen the evil
that is done under the sun.”
Qoheleth affirms that to be driven in work, especially for oneself, is a great emptiness because people are designed for one another.
“There was a man all alone;
he had neither son nor brother.
There was no end to his toil,
yet his eyes were not content with his wealth.
‘For whom am I toiling,’ he asked,
‘and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?’
This too is hevel —
a miserable business!”
“Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their labor:
If either of them falls down,
one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them up.
Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”
Qoheleth affirms that in view of the shrewdness of youth and the fickleness of people it is empty to depend upon status for security in life. The young replace the old only to be replaced themselves.
“I saw the tears of the oppressed—
and they have no comforter;
power was on the side of their oppressors—
and they have no comforter.
And I declared that the dead,
who had already died,
are happier than the living,
who are still alive.
But better than both
is the one who has never been born,
who has not seen the evil
that is done under the sun.”
Qoheleth affirms that to be driven in work, especially for oneself, is a great emptiness because people are designed for one another.
“There was a man all alone;
he had neither son nor brother.
There was no end to his toil,
yet his eyes were not content with his wealth.
‘For whom am I toiling,’ he asked,
‘and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?’
This too is hevel —
a miserable business!”
“Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their labor:
If either of them falls down,
one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them up.
Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”
Qoheleth affirms that in view of the shrewdness of youth and the fickleness of people it is empty to depend upon status for security in life. The young replace the old only to be replaced themselves.
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