Perhaps there is no book in the entirety of the Bible that is more misunderstood, or for that matter the source of greater biblical conflict than that of Ecclesiastes. Where some see nothing more than the nihilistic musings of the world’s most famous pessimist, others see an underlying positivism that pervades the majority of the book. No consensus can be found on who exactly the author is of the book. Where some see Solomonic authorship as very plausible, others see a post-exilic date of composition, which would make it impossible for Solomon to be the author. Debate does not stop at the watershed of specific authorship, but also the amount of authors or editors who had a hand in it. Some see a singular composition, others multiple sources, still others see multiple editors, and others see redactors. What is abundantly clear is that agreement can only be made in the fact that no agreement can be made.
Scholarly and philosophical debate has also come to blows over the centuries over the meaning of Ecclesiastes as well. The question itself may be simple enough; what did the author or authors of Ecclesiastes mean to convey to their readers at the time it was written and to us as current readers? The problem does not lie in the question, but rather in the answers. Many answers can be found concerning this question, but is there one answer that seems to be the umbrella meaning for this specific book? Is there an overarching theme that seems to be present in the text that all other answers can easily fit into? The answer is a most resounding yes! As will be seen throughout this paper we will show that the overarching message of Ecclesiastes is the simply the nature of life itself. The author is literally walking the reader through his journey of life and all of his hollow attempts to find fulfillment, only to come to the conclusion in the end of where fulfillment truly lies. Our first task is to look at the central terminology that is at the heart of the book itself, as this will color our perception of its message.
The author of Ecclesiastes opens the entire book with a somewhat pessimistic phrase that seems to set the tone for the rest of the text. This pessimist’s manifesto is found in Ecclesiastes 1:2: “Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher, "Vanity of vanities! All is vanity."[1] The word hebel is used 38 times within the text of Ecclesiastes, so it is critical to understanding its message.[2] If one were to see the word vanity it would surely seem to connote the idea of futility and meaninglessness, but a closer look at the Hebrew word used here is required. Qoheleth uses the Hebrew word hebel here which is translated as either vanity or meaningless. Is this the correct translation though? Hebel has many possible translations, such as: brevity and insubstantiality, emptiness, vapor, soon to be ended, unreliability, frailty, or breath.[3] Hebel though happens to also be the name of Abel, the son of Adam and Eve, and the brother of Cain.[4] This would seem to be a critical connection to the use of this word in Ecclesiastes as its connection would most definitely not have been lost on the author himself.
We can also see many connection points between the concept of hebel as it is found in Ecclesiastes and Abel’s life and death. First we see Qoheleth’s definite focus on the issue of death, which makes this reference to Abel even more plausible in that Abel was the first human recorded in the Bible as dying.[5] It is not hard to make the case that through the story of Abel we are confronted with the frailty and mortality of man itself for the very first time.
We can also see that Abel’s life was not futile in any sense of the word, as he was the first human being who was also liked by God.[6] Abel presented God with an acceptable sacrifice, and although his life was cut short and was fleeting in nature, it was not meaningless or futile in any sense of the word. In fact, one could argue that even Qoheleth understood that to be liked by God was the key to a meaningful life (Ecc. 12:13). If we are to look at hebel from the connection it has to Abel we would clearly render the meaning of the word as vapor, mist, short, or a breath of wind.
So the question remains, what is the exact meaning of the word hebel? Does it mean futile and meaningless, or mist and vapor? How we define this term is critical to how we see the rest of the book itself. If one is to see hebel as meaning futile or vanity, than the book of Ecclesiastes will be seen as a pessimistic treatise on the meaninglessness of life itself. If one sees it as connected to Abel and his story in Genesis, thus embedded with the sense that life is fleeting, then Ecclesiastes would be seen as instruction on the fulfillment of life in view of its brevity.
After looking at the evidence, it is hard to conclude that the writer of Ecclesiastes with his preoccupation with death itself, would not have drawn from the well of Abel to fill out the definition of his use of the term hebel. At the same time, by his double usage of the word within the text it is also easy to see that the author is attempting to show the reader that not only is life short, but due to that shortness it is futile as well. To the author of Ecclesiastes, life is but a vapor, and thus the meaning of life is at its core futile at best. Thus vapor becomes the ultimate organizing metaphor for the human existence.[7] This is what the author means when he talks most passionately about vanity.
Now that the author has set the reader up with the mental attitude that life is both short and futile, he begins to take the reader on his journey through life to find the meaning of his existence. It is neither a happy nor fulfilling journey to say the least. His quest takes him through five earthly attempts to find meaning: philosophy, hedonism, materialism, ethics, and religion. A closer look at each is warranted.
Philosophy
Using Solomon as his example in life’s quest for meaning, he starts naturally with the quest of philosophy.[8] Solomon himself was known for his astounding wisdom, so it would be only natural for Qoheleth to begin here.[9] We see this journey take form in Ecclesiastes 1:12:
And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom concerning all that has been done under heaven. It is a grievous task which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.[10]
It seems that the product of Qoheleth’s search for wisdom was grievous in nature, and truly negative. Solomon’s quest was not simply one-sided either, as he studied folly as closely as wisdom (Ecc. 2:12). The results of his study were also shocking; there was as much futility in wisdom as there was in folly. In typical fashion for a teacher, Qoheleth gives the students the outcome of his quest before he delves into the details, “Because in much wisdom there is much grief, and increasing knowledge results in increasing pain.” (Ecc. 1:18).[11] In short, his quest for knowledge and wisdom only led to the realization of grief, pain, and ultimately death itself. Qoheleth saw that God deliberately didn’t give people the knowledge they needed in order to life a successful life.[12]His rejection of wisdom was an understanding that wisdom was unable to make life meaningful in and of itself. His quest for meaning was fruitless.
Hedonism
Solomon though would quickly pivot in his search from philosophy to hedonism. If he couldn’t find meaning in increased knowledge, perhaps he could do so in the quest for increased pleasure. Here Solomon was also aptly supplied in his quest. As king he had access to vast wealth, power, and others. If one were going to exhaust himself on this quest it would be Solomon.
Hedonism is not a far jump when one is unfulfilled and unhappy. In fact it easily makes sense that someone would turn to such a thing as pleasure during this time. The results though would be much the same as the quest of philosophy; empty and ultimately futile. We see this quest most clearly in Ecclesiastes 2:1: “I said to myself, “come now, I will make a test of pleasure; enjoy yourself.” But behold, this also is vanity.” Solomon would hold nothing back in this quest, he had wine, women and song; gardens, slaves, pools, and cattle.[13] However, all these amazing trinkets and pleasures could not hold his fascination for very long.
It is in this section of Qoheleth’s quest that much debate takes place. Many scholars see his philosophy in (2:24-26) as simply believing that life is meaningless so we should seek pleasure in the small moments of life.[14] However, we can see from the very first verse concerning the quest for pleasure that Qoheleth too is condemning this pursuit as meaningless. One can clearly see the essence of what Qoheleth is teaching here is that pleasure is ultimately fleeting and pointless, and should not be the primary purpose and aim of our life, yet it is also a small conciliation concerning earthly pursuits.
Materialism
Shortly after seeing the emptiness that pleasure brought, Solomon would then turn his full attention to accumulation of wealth and power. His would be a quest for ultimate riches which in itself leads to great power. Here again we see that Solomon is uniquely suited for this quest in that he has the vast resources of his kingdom as well as his wisdom to aid him in this most earthly quest. We see the essence of this quest most clearly in Ecclesiastes 2:8: “I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces.” No mention of how his wealth was used is mentioned within the text itself, and in the end whether used for good or for bad, it still was empty. This demonstrated that wealth had no inherent goodness or satisfaction within it.[15]
Power would shortly follow his journey for wealth: “I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me (Ecc. 2:9).” Eaton believes that the greatness being referred to here is specifically tied to Solomon’s vast wealth.[16] Power here is greater than mere pleasure because when one has power, they have power over pleasure and can access that pleasure anytime.[17] Wealth however could buy many things, but in the end Solomon would find that the one thing it could not buy was meaning and purpose.
Relationships
Next we see that Qoheleth’s journey takes a somewhat new and novel turn from the self-centered approach of wisdom, pleasure, and power. Here the reader sees Solomon begin to test the area of relationships in his life. He would begin this by espousing the importance of relationships in Ecclesiastes 4:9-11:
“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”
We can see a definite shift in philosophy and focus here as it no longer is simply about the individual, and their quest, but also relationships and their strengths. Solomon makes this transition by marking how a lonely man who had amassed great wealth by working hard had no one to share his toil and spoils with.
However this reliance upon relationships and family is also meaningless and empty in the end because Solomon wonders whether they will be wise or foolish with what he has amassed (Ecc. 2:18-19). Therefore, he concludes that relationships cause more worry and grief and in the end are in and of themselves meaningless.
Religion
In giving up all hope for earthly meaning in his other endeavors, Solomon then turns to the God of reason and nature. He sees a God of cause and affect. Things he cannot accept, understand, or agree with, merely should be thought of as from God himself. We see religion’s influence upon the writer concerning God in Ecclesiastes 7:13-15:
“Consider what God has done: Who can straighten what he has made crooked? When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future. In this meaningless life of mine I have seen both of these.”
In the end his beliefs about God deny any hope of a genuine faith and introduces a cold religion that at its best is a superstition that reduces God down to a mere First Cause.[18] Solomon sees God as nothing more than an unknowable quantity that lets the righteous perish and the wicked prosper. His beliefs inform his practices. He encourages a luke-warm religion where one is to be tepid at best, only doing what is required of them. His quest for religion left him with above all a meaningless God that demands and requires little of those who serve him.
Earthly Conclusions
The writer of Ecclesiastes clearly shows the reader the results of all of these fruitless journeys for significance: meaninglessness. Solomon would give five main reasons why all the earthly pursuits and quests are in the end vain and empty. Kreeft sums them up best: 1. the sameness and indifference of all things, 2. death as the final and certain end to life, 3. time as a cycle of endless repetition, 4. evil as the perennial and unsolvable problem, 5. God as the unknown mystery.[19]
What must be clearly understood here is that the author of Ecclesiastes is not stating that all of life is meaningless, but this earthly approach to life is. Many draw a broad conclusion that Qoheleth is indeed a pessimist, when truly all he is doing is thoroughly analyzing a common approach to life, and in the end proving how inadequate it is to answer the basic question of meaning for anyone. His conclusion is decisive and slamming. An earthly approach simply does not work, and will lead to nothing but emptiness.
There is however another message that lies within the pages of Ecclesiastes that often times is overlooked, another quest if you will. While Qoheleth sees that the life of one who pursues all that the world has to off will in the end be both short and meaningless, he is not without hope. For just as there is nothing under the sun that can truly satisfy, there is something above the sun that can, God himself. We are given this quest with the final verses of the book this enigmatic book in the 13th and 14th verses of Ecclesiastes 12: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: 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.”
It is most fitting that the entire book, or the conclusion of the whole matter as the author (or perhaps final editor) puts it, is summed up with the whole of Hebrew wisdom itself, to fear the Lord. Though God’s ways may be unknown to us, though life may be fleeting and hard at times, though we walk in doubt and ignorance, we must walk understanding that everything we do will have some eternal significance.
The significance of our lives then is not found in our trivial earthly pursuits, but rather in their eternal consequences. In short, God makes all of our actions meaningful. This is why we are implored by the author of Ecclesiastes to find God in the details of our daily lives; this offers the readers the dread and delight of the everyday, and the glory of the mundane.[20] The author here is pointing the reader to the true crux of life itself: a right relationship with God, obedience, and a proper understanding of our future judgment.[21]
What does one say when confronted with the fact that clearly this epilogue seems to be a later edition to the text, and is not the original teaching of Qoheleth? While this may in fact be true, it does not change our analysis of Ecclesiastes as a whole. First there is much disagreement over how many authors or editors even contributed to this book, and secondly, we must take the text as a whole the way we have it, as it is found in the canon. We cannot simply escape the conclusion of this work simply because we are unsure about authorship. At minimum what one could say is that the final editor agreed with Qoheleth’s teaching but added the caveat that while it is true that life with an under the sun mentality is fruitless and empty, one spent chasing God in obedience is not.
We can also not forget that Qoheleth himself encourages his students to remember God while they are young (Ecc. 12:1). To remember God is no simple act of the mind, but recognition of our own inability, and a commitment to God himself.[22] So regardless of what one feels about the final section of Ecclesiastes, we can easily see Qoheleth looking above the sun as well.
The truth could not be simpler, God makes our lives significant. It is not in the chasing of pleasure, power, wisdom, relationships, or even religion, but in the chasing of God. Our meaning, fulfillment, and purpose are all found in our Creator, not in any of his creation. God alone gives meaning.
In looking through the entire book of Ecclesiastes we can see a message of negativism, pessimism, and defeat. However, this is not the only message found within its pages. There is also a message of hope, love, and meaning. The crux is whether we as the readers are on the right path to finding it. Each reader stands at a fork in the proverbial road of life, and Qoheleth is the voice calling out in the darkness that we should all heed. He is calling out to each and every one of us that down the road of the world lies nothing but heartache, suffering, and in the end nothing. Down the other road we find nothing short of fulfillment within God himself. The choice is up to us.
At the heart of Ecclesiastes is the message that each person must choose which path they are going to take. It is this choice we are each presented with: to live life with our eyes under the sun (which in the end leads to death), or to truly live with our eyes above the sun and on God. That is the message of Ecclesiastes, which path will you choose?
Bullock, Hassell. An Introduction to the Old Testament Poetic Books. Revised ed. Chicago:IL: Moody Publishers, 2007.
Dillard, Raymond, Tremper Longman, and T. Longman III. An Introduction to the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: MI: Apollos, 1995.
Dor-Shav, Ethan. "Ecclesiastes, fleeting and timeless. Part II." Jewish Bible Quarterly 37, no. 1 (January 1, 2009): 17-23. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed November 17, 2010).
Eaton, Michael A. Ecclesiastes (Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries). Reprint ed. IL: IVP Academic, 2009.
Kidner, Derek. The Message of Ecclesiastes (Bible Speaks Today). Leicester, England.: IVP Academic, 1984.
Kreeft, Peter. Three Philosophies of Life: Ecclesiastes, Life As Vanity Job, Life As Suffering Song of Songs, Life As Love. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1989.
Longman, Tremper, III. "Challenging the idols of the twenty-first century: the message of the book of Ecclesiastes." Stone-Campbell Journal 12, no. 2 (September 1, 2009): 207-216. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed December 17, 2010).
Lucas, Ernest C. Exploring the Old Testament, Volume 3: A Guide to the Psalms and Wisdom Literature (Exploring the Bible: Old Testament). IL: IVP Academic, 2008.
Parsons, Greg W. "Guidelines for understanding and proclaiming the book of Ecclesiastes. part 1." Bibliotheca sacra 160, no. 638 (April 1, 2003): 159-173. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed November 17, 2010).
Shuster, Martin. "Being as breath, vapor as joy: using Martin Heidegger to re-read the book of Ecclesiastes." Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 33, no. 2 (December 1, 2008): 219-244. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed November 17, 2010).
[1] NASV
[2]Dor-Shav, Ethan, “Ecclesiastes, fleeting and timeless Part I”, Jewish Bible Quarterly 37, no. 1, pg. 215.
[3] Michael Eaton, Ecclesiasties, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries. IVP Academics, IL: 2009. Pg. 66.
[4] Dor-Shav, Ethan, “Ecclesiastes, fleeting and timeless Part I”, Jewish Bible Quarterly 37, no. 1, pg. 215.
[5] Ibid, Pg. 215.
[6] Ibid, 216.
[7] Shuster, Martin. 2008. "Being as breath, vapor as joy: using Martin Heidegger to re-read the book of Ecclesiastes." Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 33, no. 2, Pg. 238
[8]Derek Kidner, The Message of Ecclesiastes (Bible Speaks Today) (Leicester, England.: IVP Academic, 1984), pg. 28.
[9] Peter Kreeft, Three Philosophies of Life: Ecclesiastes, Life As Vanity Job, Life As Suffering Song of Songs, Life As Love (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1989), page 38.
[10] NASV
[11] NASV.
[12] Ernest C. Lucas, Exploring the Old Testament, Volume 3: A Guide to the Psalms and Wisdom Literature (Exploring the Bible: Old Testament) (IL: IVP Academic, 2008), page 168.
[13]Peter Kreeft, Three Philosophies of Life: Ecclesiastes, Life As Vanity Job, Life As Suffering Song of Songs, Life As Love (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1989), page. 40.
[14] Longman, Tremper, III. 2009. "Challenging the idols of the twenty-first century: the message of the book of Ecclesiastes." Stone-Campbell Journal 12, no. 2. pg. 212.
[15] Hassell Bullock, An Introduction to the Old Testament Poetic Books, Revised ed. (Chicago:IL: Moody Publishers, 2007), page 198.
[16] Michael Eaton, Ecclesiasties, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries. IVP Academics, IL: 2009. Pg. 79.
[17] Peter Kreeft, Three Philosophies of Life: Ecclesiastes, Life As Vanity Job, Life As Suffering Song of Songs, Life As Love (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1989), page 41.
[18] Derek Kidner, The Message of Ecclesiastes (Bible Speaks Today) (Leicester, England.: IVP Academic, 1984), pg. 69.
[19] Peter Kreeft, Three Philosophies of Life: Ecclesiastes, Life As Vanity Job, Life As Suffering Song of Songs, Life As Love (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1989), page 45.
[20] Greg Parsons, “Guidelines for understanding and proclaiming the book of Ecclesiastes, Part 1.” Bibliotheca Sacra 160, no. 638, Pg. 169.
[21] Raymond Dillard, Tremper Longman and T. Longman III, An Introduction to the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: MI: Apollos, 1995), page 287.
[22] Derek Kidner, The Message of Ecclesiastes (Bible Speaks Today) (Leicester, England.: IVP Academic, 1984), pg. 100.
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