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Nazarene Commentary 2000©

21^st Century Paraphrase of the Hebrew Scriptures© –
21^st Century Version of the Christian Scriptures© [NCMM]

ECCLESIASTES

CHAPTER ONE:
A KEY OBSERVATION STATED

Summary

The Public Speaker asks the key question: What does a person gain by all this toil and effort? Life seems a series of endless cycles. There is nothing new or unique under the sun. The Public Speakers concludes from his own experience that wisdom brings more futility and knowledge increases pain.

Ecclesiastes 1:1-3 – The Key Question

EC1:1 The words of the Public Speaker, the son of David, the king of Jerusalem 1 –

1

The words of the Public Speaker, the son of David, the king of Jerusalem: Or, KJV: of the Preacher [Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance #6953]; JPS: Koheleth; RHM: Proclaimer; MOF: Speaker; KNX: Spokesman; NJB: Qoheleth. The Hebrew is QOHELETH and means one who a congregation gathers to hear, that is, a Public Speaker or teacher. The unnamed king is Solomon, and we may wish to believe there was a degree of humility in the absence of his name here. All would recognize him by just the designation Qoheleth. The LXX Greek is EKKLESIASTOU from which the book gets its name. In Greek ECCLESIA is the word translated church, congregation or assembly in English. It refers to those who have been called together to hear someone. See related words in 1 Kings 8:1, 22; 2 Chronicles 5:2. Compare Ecclesiastes 12:10. [1 Kings 12:12; 2 Chronicles 9:30] The Nazarene Master Jesus mentions Solomon several times. [Matthew 6:29; 12:42; Luke 11:31; 12:27]

EC1:2 The Public Speaker says: Absolute futility! 2 [Romans 8:20] Everything is completely futile!

2

Absolute futility: Or, KJV: Vanity [Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance #1892]; BAS: All is to no purpose; MOF: utterly vain, utterly vain; NEB: emptiness, emptiness; NJB; sheer futility. The LXX Greek is MATAIOTES and Paul uses it at Romans 8:20, “For, the [human] creation was subjected to a vain and empty life.” [21st Century Version of the Christian Scriptures] There he uses MATAIOTETI in the context of that life outside of Eden, under the curse of Genesis 3:18, 19, “The ground is cursed because of you. You will only partake of its product through pain as long as you live.” [21st Century Paraphrase of the Hebrew Scriptures] It is in this context Solomon’s words must be understood.

EC1:3 What do human beings gain [Matthew 5:47] by all their laboring toil under the sun? 3

3

What do human beings gain by all their laboring toil under the sun: Or, KJV: What profit [Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance #3504]; LXX: What advantage is there to a man in all his labour that he takes under the sun; NEB: what does a man gain. The LXX Greek uses PERISSEIA for “gain” and this is a word Jesus uses at Matthew 5:47 – PERISSON]. Solomon will go on to answer this rhetorical question. Compare Ecclesiastes 2:11. [Isaiah 55:2; Matthew 16:26]

Ecclesiastes 1:4-7 – Earth’s Endless Cycles

EC1:4 A generation passes away and another generation takes its place, but the earth remains throughout ageless periods of time. 4

4

A generation passes away and another generation takes its place, but the earth remains throughout ageless periods of time: Or, BAS: One generation goes and another comes; but the earth is for ever; JPS: and the earth abideth for ever; LXX: but the earth stands for ever; YLT: and the earth to the age is standing; AAT: while the earth endures forever; NAB: the world forever stays. That is, there is an endless cycle of human beings, come and going, but the earth will always be here. The Hebrew for “ageless periods of time” is ‘OWLAM [Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance #5769, long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world] and means an unknown period of time. The LXX Greek is AIONA from which the English EON and AEON are derived. The word refers to a certain age or period of time, usually characterize by something or someone. [Age of the Dinosaurs; Atomic Age] The Creator made the earth to last forever. [Psalm 37:29; 78:69; 104:5; 119:90; Isaiah 45:18]

EC1:5 The sun also rises and then sets. Indeed, panting the sun returns to its place of rising. 5

5

The sun also rises and then sets. Indeed, panting the sun returns to its place of rising: Or, KJV: and hasteth [Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance #7602]; BAS: The sun comes up and the sun goes down, and goes quickly back to the place where he came up; LXX: And the sun arises, and the sun goes down and draws toward its place. The Sun Also Rises is the name of Ernest Hemingway’s novel. That is, one day follows another and to many each day ends like someone exhausted and painting, waiting for sundown. [Psalm 19:6; 104:19] For the continual seasons after the Cataclysm see Genesis 8:22.

EC1:6 Blowing to the south and circling to the north, the wind constantly circles, returning to repeat its circuits in endless cycles. 6

6

Blowing to the south and circling to the north, the wind constantly circles, returning to repeat its circuits in endless cycles: Or, BAS: The wind goes to the south, turning back again to the north; circling round for ever; LXX: arising there it proceeds southward, and goes round toward the north. The wind goes round and round, and the wind returns to its circuits [CYCLOI]; YLT: Going unto the south, and turning round unto the north, turning round, turning round, the wind is going, and by its circuits the wind hath returned. The LXX Greek word for “wind” is PNEUMA which is also used by Jesus at John 3:8. The Hebrew for “wind” is RUWACH [Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance #7307]. There is a jet-wind constantly circling the globe going west to east but sometimes turning north or south.

EC1:7 Water flows down to the sea and yet the sea is never filled. Then water returns to whatever stream where it flowed only to cycle again. 7

7

Water flows down to the sea and yet the sea is never filled. Then water returns to whatever stream where it flowed only to cycle again: Or, BAS: All the rivers go down to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the rivers go, there they go again; LXX: All the rivers run into the sea; and yet the sea is not filled: to the place whence the rivers come, thither they return again; YLT: All the streams are going unto the sea, and the sea is not full; unto a place whither the streams are going, thither they are turning back to go. That is, the water cycle in a constant movement from the mountains to the sea, rising in the clouds and returning to them mountains. [Job 6:15; 36:27; Isaiah 55:10; Amos 5:8]

Ecclesiastes 1:8-11 – Nothing Is New

EC1:8 It is all so burdensome. Words cannot describe it, nor is any person able to explain it. 8 The eye is never satisfied in seeing, nor is the ear ever content with hearing. 9

8

It is all so burdensome. Words cannot describe it, nor is any person able to explain it: Or, BAS: All things are full of weariness; man may not give their story; JPS: All things toil to weariness; man cannot utter it; LXX: All things are full of labour; a man will not be able to speak of them; YLT: All these things are wearying; a man is not able to speak. Compare Ecclesiastes 12:12.

9	The eye is never satisfied in seeing, nor is the ear ever content with hearing: Or, BAS: the eye has never enough of its seeing, or the ear of its hearing. That is, one cannot never see enough or hear enough – before death ends it all. Compare Ecclesiastes 4:8. [Proverbs 27:20]

EC1:9 Everything that once existed is exactly the same that will happen in the future. Whatever has been done will just be repeated. There is nothing new under the sun. 10

10

Everything that once existed is exactly the same that will happen in the future. Whatever has been done will just be repeated. There is nothing new under the sun: Or, BAS: That which has been, is that which is to be, and that which has been done, is that which will be done, and there is no new thing under the sun; YLT: What is that which hath been? it is that which is, and what is that which hath been done? it is that which is done, and there is not an entirely new thing under the sun. That is, essentially everything just keeps repeated itself, just as “history repeats itself.” The time comes when there is no new story, no new song, life is just one long repetition of doing what others have done with a different angle or twist. Compare Ecclesiastes 3:15.

EC1:10 What is it about which it could be said, “Look, this is new?” It has already been done by someone else. 11

11

What is it about which it could be said, “Look, this is new?” It has already been done by someone else: Or, BAS: Is there anything of which men say, See, this is new? It has been in the old time which was before us; LXX: Who is he that shall speak and say, Behold, this is new? it has already been in the ages [AIOSIN] that have passed before us. The only ones who can claim something “new” are those who have done it first. Compare Genesis 4:20, 21. Some claim that in the area of fiction there are only a handful of plots and story-lines, the rest just repeat these themes in different settings.

EC1:11 No one remembers things of the past, nor those things that followed them. And those things that will come to be will not be remembered by those who come later. 12

12

No one remembers things of the past, nor those things that followed them. And those things that will come to be will not be remembered by those who come later: Or, BAS: There is no memory of those who have gone before, and of those who come after there will be no memory for those who are still to come after them; LXX: There is no memorial [MNEME] to the first things [PROTOIS]; neither to the things that have been last shall their memorial be with them that shall at the last time [ESCHATEN]. That is, essentially all peoples of the past and the things they did are forgotten save for an extremely few exceptions. Compare Ecclesiastes 2:16; 9:5.

Ecclesiastes 1:12-18 – The Speaker’s Conclusion

EC1:12 I, the Public Speaker, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13

13	I, the Public Speaker, was king over Israel in Jerusalem: See note on Ecclesiastes 1:1.

EC1:13 With all my heart I tried to wisely examine everything with regard to everything that is done under the sky. 14 That is, the common futile work The God gave to humanity to continually occupy itself. 15

14

With all my heart I tried to wisely examine everything with regard to everything that is done under the sky: Or, BAS: And I gave my heart to searching out in wisdom all things which are done under heaven; JPS: And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven. Compare Ecclesiastes 7:25; 8:16. [1 Kings 4:30] In a position to examine all peoples and their wisdom, and with all the time and money to make such a search, Solomon analyzes humanity and all its works. He saves all his readers the wasted effort of making such a search themselves. Even that has already been done by someone. Compare Ecclesiastes 12:11, 12.

15

That is, the common futile work The God gave to humanity to continually occupy itself: Or, BAS: it is a hard thing which God has put on the sons of men to do; JPS: it is a sore task that God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith; LXX: for God has given to the sons of men an evil trouble to be troubled therewith; YLT: It is a sad travail God hath given to the sons of man to be humbled by it. That is, as a result of the curse from God in Genesis 3:17-19. Paul echoes the same misery during “a season of groaning pain.” [Romans 8:18, 20] Compare Ecclesiastes 3:10; 4:4.

EC1:14 I paid close attention – and behold! – all the works done under the sun amounted to futility as if trying to chase after wind! 16

16

I paid close attention – and behold! – all the works done under the sun amounted to futility as if trying to chase after wind: Or, BAS: I have seen all the works which are done under the sun; all is to no purpose, and desire for wind; JPS: I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind [RUWACH]; LXX: all were vanity and waywardness of spirit [PNEUMATOS]; YLT: vexation of spirit. Compare Ecclesiastes 2:18; 8:9; 9:3.

EC1:15 You cannot straighten something crooked, and you cannot perfect the imperfect. 17

17

You cannot straighten something crooked, and you cannot perfect the imperfect: Or, BAS: That which is bent may not be made straight, and that which is not there may not be numbered; JPS: That which is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is wanting cannot be numbered; LXX: deficiency cannot be numbered [ARITHMETHENAI]; SPR: that which is defective cannot be made complete; BER: what is lacking cannot be counted; MOF: you cannot count up the defects in life; NJB: what is not there cannot be counted. “You cannot put in what God left out.” Compare Job 14:4.

EC1:16 So, I said in my heart: “Now look, as for me I became someone great, collecting together more wisdom than anyone else who existed before me in Jerusalem. 18 My heart experienced considerable wisdom and knowledge. 19

18

Now look, as for me I became someone great, collecting together more wisdom than anyone else who existed before me in Jerusalem: Or, BAS: See, I have become great and am increased in wisdom more than any who were before me in Jerusalem; LXX: I am increased, and have acquired wisdom [SOPHIAN] beyond all who were before me in Jerusalem; YLT: I have magnified and added wisdom above every one who hath been before me at Jerusalem. Solomon was well aware from where his wisdom originated. [2 Chronicles 1:12] Compare Ecclesiastes 2:9.

19

My heart experienced considerable wisdom and knowledge: Or, BAS: my heart has seen much wisdom and knowledge; JPS: my heart hath had great experience of wisdom and knowledge; LXX: applied my heart [CARDIAN] to know [GNONAI] wisdom and knowledge [GNOSIN]. [1 Kings 3:28; 4:29; 2 Chronicles 1:10] Solomon experienced all this so that we would not have to.

EC1:17 Indeed, in my heart I have concentrated on experiencing wisdom – as well as crazy boasting and foolishness – then I realized that all of this was like chasing after the wind. 20

20

Indeed, in my heart I have concentrated on experiencing wisdom – as well as crazy boasting and foolishness – then I realized that all of this was like chasing after the wind: Or, BAS: And I gave my heart to getting knowledge of wisdom, and of the ways of the foolish. And I saw that this again was desire for wind; JPS: And I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also was a striving after wind; NJB: I have applied myself to understanding philosophy and science, stupidity and folly, and I now realize that all this too is chasing after wind. Compare Ecclesiastes 2:3, 11, 12, 26; 7:25; 9:3; 10:1. Solomon is not bragging but trying to demonstrate his own effort and the conclusion he reached, and thus saving us wasted time and energy.

EC1:18 The reason is this: more wisdom brings with it more futility, and the person who grows in knowledge grows in pain.” 21

21

The reason is this: more wisdom brings with it more futility, and the person who grows in knowledge grows in pain: Or, BAS: Because in much wisdom is much grief, and increase of knowledge is increase of sorrow; JPS: For in much wisdom is much vexation; and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow; LXX: For in the abundance of wisdom is abundance of knowledge; and he that increases knowledge will increase sorrow. There are several reasons for this truth: a] there is too much material and one can never read it all [Ecclesiastes 12:12]; b] with knowledge comes more responsibility [James 3:1]; time in life is so precious that it cannot be wasted in the wrong places. Compare Ecclesiastes 2:15; 7:16. [1 Corinthians 3:20]