Beginning with the Author: Solomon is Qualified

 1 The words of the Preacher [Heb., Koheleth (6953) also spelled Qoheleth only occurs in Ecclesiastes; the modern title, Ecclesiastes, comes from the Latin word for preacher], the son of David, king in Jerusalem [Extended Notes].

 

Beginning at the End: Conclusion of Life Under the Sun

[Extended Notes]

 2 “Vanity of vanities,” [or, Futility of futilities – hebel (1892) – the idea is that if something is vain, it is unsatisfying.] says the Preacher [Heb., Koheleth], “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity [or, futile].” [This was not a period of famine, but comfort and surplus, and yet life was still meaningless “under the sun!”]

 

vv.3-11 – Life Under the Sun Never Changes: Proof that Life is Vain

 3 What advantage [yithrown (4504)] does man have in all his work  [amal (5998) – a primitive root; to toil, i.e. work severely and with irksomeness:–(take) labour (in).] Which he does under the sun? [No matter how many zeroes you add, the number is still zero, unless there is another number at the beginning.  The zeroes are all the advantages man thinks he has under the sun.  It is only when we add God and His love that life adds up to meaning something (1 Cor. 13:1-3).]

 

 4 A generation goes and a generation comes, But the earth [lit., stands] remains forever [i.e., in relation to a human life, which is described in the following verses; owlam – 5769]. [Our “under the sun” worth is not measured by its length.  While we live longer than some creatures, we do not live as long as others, nor as long as the earth.]

 5 Also, the sun rises and the sun sets; And hastening [lit., panting  (7602) – Pav  sha’aph,  shaw-af’ – a primitive root; to inhale eagerly; figuratively, to cover; by implication, to be angry; also to hasten:–desire (earnestly), devour, haste, pant, snuff up, swallow up.] to its place it rises there again.

 6 Blowing [lit., Going] toward the south, Then turning toward the north, The wind continues swirling [lit., turning] along; And on its circular courses the wind returns.

 7 All the rivers flow [lit., go] into the sea, Yet the sea is not full [male (4309)]. To the place where the rivers flow, There they flow again.

 8 All things are wearisome; Man is not able to tell it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, Nor is the ear filled [male (4309)] with hearing. [i.e., just as the rivers continually flow into the ocean never filling it up, the world continually flows into our eyes and ears creating a coveting that is never satiated.]

 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. [And yet miscreants are always looking for something new!]

 10 Is there anything of which one might say, “See this, it is new”? Already it has existed for ages [owlam – 5769] Which were before us.

 11 There is no remembrance of earlier [lit., first or former] things; And also of the later [lit., latter or after] things which will occur, There will be for them no remembrance Among those who will come later still.

 

Vv.12-18 – Personal Experimentation: Wisdom

 12 I, the Preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. [See extended notes of 1:1]

 13 And I set my mind [lit., heart] to seek and explore by wisdom concerning all that has been done under heaven. It is a grievous [lit., an evil; ra (7451) – from 7489; bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral):– adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, + displease(-ure), distress, evil((- favouredness), man, thing), + exceedingly, X  great, grief(-vous), harm, heavy, hurt(-ful), ill (favoured), + mark, mischief(-vous), misery, naught(-ty), noisome, + not please, sad(-ly), sore, sorrow, trouble, vex, wicked(-ly, -ness, one), worse(-st), wretchedness, wrong. (Incl. feminine raaah; as adjective or noun.).] task which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted  [(6031) – awnah -a primitive root (possibly rather ident. with 6030 through the idea of looking down or browbeating); to depress literally or figuratively, transitive or intransitive (in various applications, as follows):–abase self, afflict(-ion, self), answer (by mistake for 6030), chasten self, deal hardly with, defile, exercise, force, gentleness, humble (self), hurt, ravish, sing (by mistake for 6030), speak (by mistake for 6030), submit self, weaken, X in any wise.  ] with. [I wonder if we sometimes mistake our curiosities with God’s plan for us?]

 14 I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity [or, futility] and striving after wind [vexing of spirit – KJV].

 15 What is crooked cannot be straightened and what is lacking cannot be counted. [Even wisdom cannot accomplish certain things.]

 

 

 16 I said [lit., I spoke with my heart] to myself, “Behold, I have magnified and increased wisdom more than all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my mind [lit., heart] has observed a wealth  [lit., an abundance]of wisdom and knowledge.” [There are two types of wisdom within Ecclesiastes: Human philosophy and God’s infinite knowledge.]

 17 And I set my mind [lit., heart] to know wisdom and to know madness [howlelah (1947) – feminine active participle of 1984; folly:–madness] and folly [cikluwth (5531) – or sikluwth (Eccl. 1:17) {sik-looth’}; from 5528; silliness:–folly, foolishness]; I realized that this also is striving [rayown – (7475)] after wind [ruwach (7307)]. [We all can see the futility in trying to catch the wind – it impossible.  The KJV translates this last phrase differently: vexation of spirit.  The NASB shows the futility of wisdom, madness and folly in satisfying man’s soul via a metaphor.  The KJV shows the inward effect upon man if he strives after such satisfaction through wisdom, madness and folly.]

 18 Because in much wisdom there is much grief, and increasing knowledge results in increasing pain.

 (NAS95)

Tags: Commentary

This entry was posted by PHall on Wednesday, September 30th, 2009 at 4:55 pm and is filed under Ecclesiastes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.