Ecclesiastes 1 · The Lantern

Everything Is Futile

The words of Qohelet son of David, king in Jerusalem.

why is it that Solomon, who in these three little books seems to comply with the will of the Holy Spirit, is in Proverbs indeed called "Solomon the son of David, who reigned in Israel"; whereas in the second book he is not written down as Solomon, but it says, "the words of the Preacher (Ecclesiastes), the son of David, king of Israel in Jerusalem" … That in very many places So…

Question: [Are the] words of Ecclesiastes said by the author personally?Answer: Actually the Spirit is the author of the divinely inspired Scriptures. The Spirit inspires so that words are expressed, but the wise man is also involved. For the Spirit has not himself invisibly written the letter and put down the text, but he breathes it into the soul.

Concerning the efficient cause: it has been said that the efficient cause was Solomon. That it is not fitting, however, for such a person to be the author, appears from the following: Because he was a sinner and carnal: but when a carnal man preaches spirituality, he causes scandal rather than edification: therefore this book is more apt to generate scandal than edification.

Breath of breaths, said Qohelet; breath of breaths — everything is breath.

Let us see what is the "vanity" to which the creation was subjected. My own opinion is, that this is nothing else than the possession of bodies, for even though the stars are composed of ether they are nevertheless material.

To those who have entered into the church of the mind and marvel in contemplation of what has come into being, the text says, Do not think that this is the ultimate end or that these are the promises that have been stored up for you. For all these things are [only] vanity of vanities before the knowledge of one's God.

Concerning the purpose of the book of Ecclesiastes: it is said that the purpose of the book is contempt of the world. That it is so determined, is proved by that which is said in James 4: "The friendship of this world is enmity with God": but everything that is hostile to God, it is good to despise.

What profit is there for a man in all his labor that he labors under the sun?

Those who are rich in things that are valued in the realm of the natural do not gain anything. They do not gain longevity. Rich and poor are in the same situation: they go through life quickly and do not stay for a long time. Thus "from all the toil at which they toil under the sun" one does not gain anything, no increase in natural qualities.

So this is what the rich should do: not be haughty in their ideas, nor set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on the living God, who bestows all things on us abundantly for our enjoyment; that is what they must do. But what are they to do with what they have?

Again, civil war is the temptation of the world. Indeed, every creature is a trap. Hence the saying: Vanity of vanities! All things are vanity! What profit has man from all the labor which he toils at under the sun? Vain and worthless is anything of which nothing remains to man after death: wherefore all things are vanity.

A generation goes and a generation comes, but the earth stands forever.

Amen I say to you, that this generation shall not pass away, until all these things be done. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. Let us see what this generation is, of which Christ speaks.

The sun has existed since it was created and will exist and be one and the same as long as God wants it. But if I say … that humankind remains forever, I do not mean one and the same human being but the whole succession of generations. The same is true for other mortal beings and plants.… One generation goes and one generation comes.

And that he has nothing more than vanity, he shows when he adds: "A generation passes away, and a generation comes." Therefore there is change and succession both in man and in his works.

And the sun rises and the sun goes in, and to its place it pants — there it rises.

The sun of righteousness rises in the soul. The beginning of its rise is preparatory. It is a preparatory enlightenment. But when it circles around the whole soul and enlightens it altogether so that nothing is outside the light any more, then the soul is in perfect enlightenment. For often it sets in order to rise again. Sunset and sunrise are in accordance with its progress.

And Solomon says: The sun ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place. Arising he goeth there towards the south and wheeleth round in his circuit, and the wind goeth on its circuits.

Here secondly he shows mutability in the celestial nature, as is evident in the sun, which never rests, but when it rises, it tends toward setting, whence it does not remain in its rising.

Going to the south and turning to the north, turning, turning, the wind goes, and on its rounds the wind returns.

"It goes to the South and rotates to the North; turning, revolving, the wind goes and returns upon its circuits." From this we are able to believe that the sun approaches the meridian quarter in the time of winter, and in the summer is near to the Great Bear, and does not commence its movements in the equinox of autumn, but when the west wind is blowing in the time of spring, w…

According to the narrative he calls the sun wind, due to the speed of its movement.

Here is touched upon the mutability in elemental nature, and first with respect to air. With respect to air, he touches upon the mutability in spirit or in wind, which is either the motion of air according to some philosophers, or according to Aristotle the motion of vapor in the air, by whose motion the air is also moved.

All the streams go to the sea, and the sea is not full; to the place where the streams go, there they return to go.

The waters that the earth drank on the first day were not salty. Even if these waters were like the deep on the surface of the earth, they were not yet seas. For it was in the seas that these waters, which were not salty before being gathered together, became salty.

You, whose period of struggle is short, do not become more lifeless than the earth, do not become more unthinking than the insensible, for you are endowed with thought and directed by reason toward life.

On that passage of Ecclesiastes: "To the place whence the rivers go forth, they return:" Bernard says that "the origin of fountains is the sea; the origin of virtues and knowledge is Christ." He says therefore: "To the place whence the rivers go forth," namely of graces, "they return, that they may flow again." For just as a fountain has no duration unless it maintains a contin…

All the words are wearisome; a man is not able to speak. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, and the ear is not filled with hearing.

Therefore incline to him of whom the psalmist says, "He has not taken his soul in vain." To speak now of the troubles of this life, the person has taken his soul in vain who is constructing the things of the world and building the things of the body. We arise each day to eat and drink; yet no one is filled so that he does not hunger and thirst after a short time.

All writings, both of secular and of divine wisdom, yield instruction when effort is applied.

Above, the vanity in things was determined according to the being which they have in the universe: here vanity is determined according to the being which they have in the human intellect: and vanity is shown in them in three ways: first, because they are not evident; second, because they do not satisfy; third, because they do not endure.

What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.

It is probably in this way that, so far as our weakness allows, we shall maintain a reverent belief about God, neither asserting that his creatures were unbegotten and coeternal with him nor that he turned to the work of creation to do good when he had done nothing good before. For the saying that is written, "In wisdom you have made all things," is a true one.

"The thing that has been, it is that which will be. And that which is done is that which shall be done. And there is no new thing under the sun." It seems to me that he now speaks generally about those things that he enumerated above: about generation after generation, the globe of the earth, the rising and setting of the sun, the course of rivers, the vastness of the ocean and…

And that one cannot be refreshed in these earthly things, he shows, because the eye and ear wish to perceive new things; but nothing remains in newness; therefore the ear and eye are filled by nothing.

Is there a thing of which one says, “See this — it is new”? It has already been in the ages that were before us.

"Is there anything whereof it may be said, see this is new? It has already been for ages, which were before us. "Symmachus translated this more clearly: "Do you think there is a man who is able to say: look this is new, it has already been done before because it was before us." But he agrees with his predecessors that there is nothing new in the world, and that there is none th…

He shows that nothing remains in newness, neither with respect to being nor with respect to becoming. Therefore he says: "What is it that has been?" He asks and he himself responds: "The same that shall be." Similarly it follows: "What is it that has been done?" He responds: "The same that is to be done." And from this he concludes: "Nothing is new under the sun, nor can anyone…

There is no remembrance of the former ones, and also of the latter ones who will be there will be no remembrance with those who will be at the last.

If oblivion has overtaken things which were, do not be surprised; for those that now are will also be veiled in oblivion. When our nature inclined to evil we became forgetful of the good; when we are set free again for the good, evil in turn will be veiled in oblivion.

"There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after." In the same way as the past is concealed for us in forgetfulness, thus it is with those things which are either done now, or will be done.

In the third place it is touched upon here that things do not endure so as to be remembered, because all things are delivered to oblivion; whence he says: "There is no remembrance of former things," namely among us who come after: Wisdom two: "Our name shall receive oblivion through time, and no one shall have remembrance of our works." And so it is in things past and in things…

With Wisdom Comes Sorrow

I, Qohelet, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.

And I gave my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the heavens. It is an evil business God has given to the sons of man to be busied with.

I thoughtfully examined and wisely learned the nature of everything on earth. I discovered that it was all very complex, because human beings are allowed to toil away on earth, wallowing about uselessly in various kinds of pretentious effort at various times.

"I applied my mind to seek and probe by wisdom all that happens beneath the sky - it is a sorry task that God has given to the sons of man with which to be concerned." Aquila, the Septuagint, and Theodotion have all translated the Hebrew word "anian "similarly as "peristasmon", which the interpreter expressed as "occupied" in Latin [Hier..

Here curiosity itself is touched upon, because he wished to know all things and to investigate them subtly. Therefore he says: "And I proposed in my mind to seek," namely from another, "and to investigate wisely," by myself; and this is curiosity; Romans twelve: "Not to be wise more than it behooves one to be wise, but to be wise unto sobriety"; whence Proverbs twenty-five: "Yo…

I have seen all the deeds that are done under the sun, and see — everything is breath and chasing after wind.

This then is the "vanity" to which the creation was subjected, and above all that creation which is certainly the greatest thing in this world and which holds a distinguished preeminence by reason of its function.

"I have seen all the deeds done underneath the sun, and behold all is futile and a vexation of the spirit." We are compelled here by necessity to examine the Hebrew words more closely than we wish. It is also not possible to know the real meaning of the text, unless we learn it through studying the original Hebrew words.

Here is touched upon the discovered vanity, because he profited nothing more, except that in his consideration he found vanity. And therefore he says: "I saw all things that are done under the sun," that is, I considered all things.

What is twisted cannot be made straight, and what is lacking cannot be counted.

He is upright in heart who does not have his mind inclined to excess or to deficiency but directs his endeavors toward the mean of virtue. He who has turned aside from valor to something less becomes crooked through cowardice, but he who has strained on to greater things inclines toward temerity.

"A twisted thing cannot be made straight, and what is not there cannot be numbered. "Whoever is wicked cannot be corrected, unless he was corrected beforehand. Anything that is already correct will receive embellishment; and that which is deviated will receive correction. A man is not called wrong unless he has been diverted from the correct path.

But because not all see this, and because they thus labor in vain and do not perceive their affliction: to this tacit question he responds saying: "The perverse are corrected with difficulty": whence Proverbs 18: "A fool does not receive words of prudence, unless you say those things which revolve in his heart." "And the number of fools is infinite," namely on account of their…

I spoke with my heart, saying, “I — see, I have made great and added wisdom above all who were before me over Jerusalem, and my heart has seen much wisdom and knowledge.”

Therefore it is written in Ecclesiastes, "And I added wisdom above all who were before me in Jerusalem; and my heart saw many things; and besides, I knew wisdom and knowledge, parables and understanding.

"I said to myself: here I have acquired great wisdom, more than any of my predecessors over Jerusalem, and my mind has had much experience with wisdom and knowledge." Solomon was not greater than Abraham and Moses, and other saints, but than those who were before him in Jerusalem.

Here he similarly shows his curiosity in the consideration of moral matters. For first is noted his transition from natural things to moral matters; second, the discovery of affliction; third, the turning to the enjoyment of delightful things; fourth, the return to the consideration of evils.

And I gave my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I knew that this also is a striving after wind.

It is Solomon who speaks these words. This Solomon was the third king of Israel, after King Saul and David, the chosen of the Lord.

"I applied my mind to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this, too, is a vexation of the spirit." Contrary abstract ideas are understood by looking at contrary facts; and " wisdom is the first to be lacking in foolishness" [Horat. Epist.I, 1,41-42.], but it is not possible to be lacking in foolishness, unless one has understood it.

Whence he says: "And I gave my heart to know prudence," with respect to things to be done, "and learning," with respect to things to be known, "and errors," against prudence, "and folly," against learning; because nothing is known perfectly unless its opposite is known.

For in much wisdom is much vexation, and one who adds knowledge adds pain.

"For with much wisdom comes much grief, and he who increases knowledge increases pain." The more a man seeks wisdom, the more he finds himself in vice and far from those virtues, which he is seeking. For those who are powerful suffer torments more gravely [Cfr Sap. 6, 7.], and more is demanded of the man, to whom more is entrusted.

The knowledge of things terrestrial and celestial is commonly thought much of by men. Yet those doubtless judge better who prefer to that knowledge, the knowledge of themselves; and that mind is more praiseworthy which knows even its own weakness, than that which, without regard to this, searches out, and even comes to know, the ways of the stars, or which holds fast such knowl…

"Because in much wisdom there is much indignation," either of contrition, against fault, or of impatience from pride, because great clerics, when they do not have what they want, are most easily indignant: whence it is said in Job thirty-two that Elihu was indignant, and this because he considered himself wise.

Ecclesiastes1

Everything Is Futile

With Wisdom Comes Sorrow