Ecclesiastes

(preacher; in Hebrew, Koheleth) (Eccl. 1:1, 11, 12, and elsewhere) — the name of a book counted among the canonical sacred books of the Old Testament. It was written by Solomon in the last years of his brilliant and remarkable reign. It consists of 12 chapters, and in it, on the one hand, is depicted the vanity and nothingness of all earthly things, which of itself cannot bring satisfaction and peace to the human soul, since it is unstable and ever-changing, as Solomon demonstrates on the basis of his own varied experience (chs.

1–6); while on the other hand it points to the proper relation of the wise man to the world. To rise above earthly things toward the eternal and unchanging, to seek amid earthly vicissitudes one’s happiness and peace in God — this, it teaches, is the true task of the wise man’s earthly life (chs. 7–12). “The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem” (1:1) — thus the sacred book begins. “I have seen all the works that are done under the sun,” the Preacher continues, “and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit” (v. 14).

“I made me great works,” he says further, “I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards… I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house… I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers… and whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them… Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun… And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven… So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me… and my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge; and I knew that this also is vexation of spirit.

For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow” (1:1–18). In the final, twelfth chapter, the gradual approach of old age in a person’s life, and then death, is described in a beautiful poetic form. “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth,” says Ecclesiastes at the conclusion of this exalted book, “while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them… In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened, and the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low… and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets… Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher; all is vanity.” What, then, is the true, the attainable contentment and happiness for man here on earth? “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter,” the sacred writer answers this question: “Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil” (12:1–8, 13, 14).