The post below is “Excerpt #1” from a recent paper I wrote on the themes of Ecclesiastes. I took a class on Ecclesiastes this semester and have absolutely fallen in love with the book. So honest, timeless, and immediately relevant... but then again, isn’t that what all true wisdom is?
By the way, if you are looking for an easy-to-read, humorous, brief, and reliable guide to what Ecclesiastes is all about, I highly recommend DelHousaye and Brewer's book (though the commentaries on Ecclesiastes by Derek Kinder, David Allan Hubbard, and Walter C. Kaiser are also good resources).
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The book of Ecclesiastes records the personal wisdom of Solomon, known in this book as Kohelet (the wise preacher/sage), as he unpacks universal human questions concerning the meaning and purpose of life. As far back as it is possible to go “in the history of the interpretation of Ecclesiastes, this book has provoked controversy. And it still does, with contemporary commentators polarized as to how to read it, whether as a positive book affirming life or as deeply pessimistic.”[1] Despite the controversy of its interpretation, the wisdom of Kohelet continues to attract attention and resonate deeply with the existential struggles of people today[2], perhaps because in many ways the observations of Kohelet have never been more relevant. As Kohelet’s own words reveal, “The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings” (12:11). Hence modern audiences are finding his “delightful words” (12:10) both stimulating and able to hold true when bearing the weight of life’s experiences.
Life under the sun is hevel. In the preface statement of Ecclesiastes we find the motto that summarizes much of Kohelet’s findings about life here on earth: “‘Vanity of vanities,’ says the Preacher, ‘Vanity of vanities! All is vanity’” (1:2). To begin with utter futility may sound overly morose, but Kohelet is a realist and honestly pronounces the bad news first, before taking us on the journey of how he came to this conclusion. Lest we be tempted to counter Kohelet’s statement too quickly or to simply write him off as a pessimist, there are two important pieces of information to keep in mind. First, Kohelet’s approach is to thoroughly examine human life from the perspective of that which is lived “under the sun” (1:3, 9, 14); the afterlife and divine recompense are not yet in view. Therefore, hevel is the most logical, appropriate conclusion for the incessant striving and futility that Kohelet has observed. As Michael Eaton comments, “Vanity characterizes man and the realm he occupies and dominates. If his resources are entirely this-worldly, ‘No profit’ is the motto over all he does.”[4] Secondly, the Hebrew word hevel, translated in English as “vanity”, primarily means “vapor” or “breath”.[5] So another way of translating the preface (which is repeated again in12:8) is literally “vapor of vapors, the thinnest of all vapors.”[6] This being the case, it is likely that the word hevel does not necessarily denote meaninglessness so much as it conveys “a brief and transitory status.”[7] Indeed, the emphasis of hevel throughout Ecclesiastes “lies on the passing nature of existence and on its elusiveness and resistance to intellectual and physical human control.”[8] In other words the substance of our lives under the sun is as elusive and brief as a vapor, yet much like steam, it can be wasted or utilized.[9] Kohelet’s use of hevel reflects the reality that life is short and that all one really has is the present moment. Each fleeting moment can pass by untapped, be pressed in vain for more than it can deliver, or be embraced as a gift from God.
[1] Craig G. Bartholomew, Ecclesiastes, (BCOTWP; Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2009), 17.
[2] Ibid.
[4] Michael A. Eaton, Ecclesiastes (TOTC; Downers Grove: Intervaristy Press, 1983), 68. Emphasis Original.
[5] Darryl DelHousaye and Bobby Brewer, The Personal Journal of Solomon: The Secrets of the Kohelet (Maitland, Fla.: Xulon Press, 2008), 26.
[6] Ibid.
[7] Ibid, 22.
[8] Iain Provan, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs (NIVAC; Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2001), 38.
[9] Ibid.
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