American King James Version - AKJV - 1999
Ecclesiastes 1
5
The sun also rises, and the sun goes down, and hastens to his place where he arose.
6
The wind goes toward the south, and turns about to the north; it whirls about continually, and the wind returns again according to his circuits.
Reference
Parallel theme
John 3:8
7
All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; to the place from where the rivers come, thither they return again.
8
All things are full of labor; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
Reference
9
The thing that has been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
Reference
10
Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it has been already of old time, which was before us.
Reference
Parallel theme
Acts 7:51
11
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.
Reference
12
I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
Reference
Kingdom
Ecclesiastes 1:1
13
And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail has God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.
Reference
Parallel theme
Genesis 3:19
Ecclesiastes 1:17
Ecclesiastes 7:25
Psalm 111:2
Proverbs 18:15
Proverbs 4:7
Proverbs 18:1
Proverbs 23:26
Ecclesiastes 8:9
References God
Ecclesiastes 3:10
14
I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
Reference
15
That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
Reference
16
I communed with my own heart, saying, See, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yes, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.
Reference
Parallel theme
1 Kings 4:30
1 Kings 10:7
Hebrews 5:14
2 Chronicles 2:12
References Jerusalem
Ecclesiastes 2:9
17
And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.
Reference
Summary of Ecclesiastes 1
Ecclesiastes 1 opens the book with a deep reflection on the temporary nature of human life and the difficulty of finding lasting meaning in everything people do.
The Teacher begins by looking at the world around him.
People are born, live their lives, and eventually die, while the earth continues.
One generation replaces another, but the world itself keeps moving forward.
The sun rises and sets.
The wind continues through its cycles.
Rivers keep flowing toward the sea.
Nature appears to repeat itself endlessly, while individual human lives are brief.
This contrast becomes one of the most important ideas in the chapter.
Human beings work hard and spend their lives pursuing goals, but the Teacher asks what permanent advantage remains after all that effort.
People build, earn, learn, create, and achieve, yet eventually another generation takes their place.
Even the memory of those who lived before can disappear.
The chapter therefore challenges the assumption that human achievement automatically creates lasting significance.
The Teacher does not simply complain about life without examining it.
He deliberately investigates it.
He uses his wisdom and experience to observe human behavior, work, knowledge, and the patterns of the natural world.
His conclusion is uncomfortable: much of what people pursue appears repetitive and temporary.
Human beings constantly search for something new, but many of the same patterns have existed before.
People experience different circumstances, but the basic struggles of human life continue from one generation to another.
The Teacher also discovers that wisdom has limitations.
He has devoted himself to understanding life and has gained great knowledge, yet knowledge does not solve every problem.
In fact, understanding more can sometimes make a person more aware of suffering, injustice, disappointment, and limitations.
The more clearly someone sees the world, the more clearly he may recognize how much cannot be changed.
This is why the chapter ends with the observation that increased wisdom can also bring increased sorrow.
The Teacher is not saying that wisdom is worthless.
Rather, he is showing that wisdom alone cannot provide the complete answer to the meaning of life.
Human intelligence has boundaries.
Human effort has boundaries.
Human achievements have boundaries.
Even human memory has boundaries.
The repeated cycles of nature emphasize this limitation.
The world continues regardless of individual accomplishments, and eventually every individual becomes part of the past.
Ecclesiastes 1 therefore establishes the foundation for everything that follows in the book.
It asks the reader to look honestly at life rather than pretending that success, knowledge, work, or possessions can guarantee permanent satisfaction.
The chapter does not yet provide a simple solution.
Instead, it creates the problem that Ecclesiastes will continue exploring: If everything people accomplish eventually passes away, where can lasting meaning be found?
The overall message is not that life has no value.
Rather, it is that life cannot find its ultimate meaning in temporary things alone.
Work can be valuable, wisdom can be valuable, and human achievements can be worthwhile, but none of them can permanently overcome mortality or control the future.
Ecclesiastes 1 therefore begins with humility.
Human beings are limited.
The world is larger than individual lives.
Knowledge cannot solve every problem.
And achievements that seem permanent today may eventually disappear.
The chapter invites the reader to look beyond the endless cycle of human effort and begin searching for a meaning that is deeper and more lasting than anything found simply “under the sun.”
The Teacher begins by looking at the world around him.
People are born, live their lives, and eventually die, while the earth continues.
One generation replaces another, but the world itself keeps moving forward.
The sun rises and sets.
The wind continues through its cycles.
Rivers keep flowing toward the sea.
Nature appears to repeat itself endlessly, while individual human lives are brief.
This contrast becomes one of the most important ideas in the chapter.
Human beings work hard and spend their lives pursuing goals, but the Teacher asks what permanent advantage remains after all that effort.
People build, earn, learn, create, and achieve, yet eventually another generation takes their place.
Even the memory of those who lived before can disappear.
The chapter therefore challenges the assumption that human achievement automatically creates lasting significance.
The Teacher does not simply complain about life without examining it.
He deliberately investigates it.
He uses his wisdom and experience to observe human behavior, work, knowledge, and the patterns of the natural world.
His conclusion is uncomfortable: much of what people pursue appears repetitive and temporary.
Human beings constantly search for something new, but many of the same patterns have existed before.
People experience different circumstances, but the basic struggles of human life continue from one generation to another.
The Teacher also discovers that wisdom has limitations.
He has devoted himself to understanding life and has gained great knowledge, yet knowledge does not solve every problem.
In fact, understanding more can sometimes make a person more aware of suffering, injustice, disappointment, and limitations.
The more clearly someone sees the world, the more clearly he may recognize how much cannot be changed.
This is why the chapter ends with the observation that increased wisdom can also bring increased sorrow.
The Teacher is not saying that wisdom is worthless.
Rather, he is showing that wisdom alone cannot provide the complete answer to the meaning of life.
Human intelligence has boundaries.
Human effort has boundaries.
Human achievements have boundaries.
Even human memory has boundaries.
The repeated cycles of nature emphasize this limitation.
The world continues regardless of individual accomplishments, and eventually every individual becomes part of the past.
Ecclesiastes 1 therefore establishes the foundation for everything that follows in the book.
It asks the reader to look honestly at life rather than pretending that success, knowledge, work, or possessions can guarantee permanent satisfaction.
The chapter does not yet provide a simple solution.
Instead, it creates the problem that Ecclesiastes will continue exploring: If everything people accomplish eventually passes away, where can lasting meaning be found?
The overall message is not that life has no value.
Rather, it is that life cannot find its ultimate meaning in temporary things alone.
Work can be valuable, wisdom can be valuable, and human achievements can be worthwhile, but none of them can permanently overcome mortality or control the future.
Ecclesiastes 1 therefore begins with humility.
Human beings are limited.
The world is larger than individual lives.
Knowledge cannot solve every problem.
And achievements that seem permanent today may eventually disappear.
The chapter invites the reader to look beyond the endless cycle of human effort and begin searching for a meaning that is deeper and more lasting than anything found simply “under the sun.”