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Brian Jones

Ms. Geisler 13-14

AP English 12

April 20, 2004

An Interpretation of Ecclesiastes

The phrase “everything is meaningless,” at first glance,

seems to be a statement without hope. Hence, when it is repeated

several times throughout the book of Ecclesiastes, the book

itself may then take on a theme of hopelessness. However, the

Holy Bible, like many other religious texts, is supposed to be a

book filled with hope and meaning for the spiritual reader. How,

then, can a disheartening and almost discouraging book such as

Ecclesiastes fit into the Bible? The answer is actually a

correction of the question: the book is not disheartening and

discouraging. In fact, it is filled with good tidings, for both

the spiritual and unspiritual reader. The author says that, even

though everything is meaningless, other than pleasing God, one

can still find satisfaction in what one does if one allows

oneself to do so.

In order to understand this concept, it is important to

know who the author is. By knowing the author, one may then

understand how and why the author would make such statements.

After all, reasoning behind a statement is just as important as

the statement itself; and, furthermore, the reasoning may be

useful

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in deciphering the statement. In this case, if the author is one

who hates the idea of religion, and does not see any hope in

living, then the reader should most likely take the phrase

“everything is meaningless” at face value. On the other hand, if

the author is one who fears and believes in God, then the reader

should be searching for a deep spiritual meaning to the text. It

is widely believed that the latter is the true story. The

author, in fact, is viewed most commonly as Solomon, King of

Israel, son of David. Though speculation, this theory is

supported by several details that the author places in the book.

The first point is derived from the very first verse in

Ecclesiastes: “The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in

Jerusalem” (1:1). The last two parts of the verse are quite

obvious and direct in the support of Solomon’s authorship.

However, the use of the name “Teacher” is the controversial

point of this debate. Who is the Teacher? Why does he not use

his real name? It has also been suggested that Solomon, whose

name means “Peace” (Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown 35), felt that

through his actions, he had brought trouble upon Israel. Because

of this, he did not want to claim the identity of peace any

longer. Instead, he wanted to claim the identity of a teacher:

one who, through experience and hardship, had learned valuable

lessons which needed to be taught to the masses.

Perhaps an investigation of the original Hebrew word may be

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of some use in determining the meaning behind the title. This

use of the word “Teacher” is actually a translation of the

Hebrew “Koheleth,” directly meaning “Assembler” (Jamieson 35).

Surely, being King of Israel, Solomon assembled his people

several times over the years of his reign. Although this term is

actually feminine, it can be still attributed to Solomon,

through the sense that he is an embodied form of “Wisdom”, which

is also feminine (Leale 4). Perhaps, then, Solomon was trying to

exclude himself from authorship, and then having the reader see

the writings as coming straight from Wisdom itself.

Solomon, after all, is known Biblically as the wisest man

ever to live. He was blessed with God’s wisdom, which he asked

for in 1 Kings:

“‘Now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in

place of my father David. But I am only a little child and

do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is

here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too

numerous to count or number. So give your servant a

discerning heart to govern your people and to

distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to

 govern this great people of yours?” (1 Ki. 3:7-9)

This, of course, works in parallel to Ecclesiastes: “I, the

Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. I devoted myself to

study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven.

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What a heavy burden God has laid on men” (Eccl. 1:12-13).

Through the use of this wisdom, Solomon was able to deliver the

messages of God to his people. This, then, explains why he also

wrote Proverbs and the Song of Solomon.

These two books, though, were written earlier in Solomon’s

life. If one examines the subjects covered in each book, in

relation to the different periods of his life, the chronological

order of the writings can be easily calculated. In the beginning

of his reign, Solomon was very devoted to the Lord and His work.

At this time, he also must have felt very enlightened through

his newfound wisdom, and must have felt the urge to record his

many proverbs. Later on, when Solomon was beginning to engage

himself with several women, he was overcome with feelings of

love and sensuality; which can be found in the Song of Solomon.

Near the end of his life, after realizing the horrible,

blasphemous acts which he had committed, he felt enlightened

once again; this time through experience, as well as wisdom. At

this point, Ecclesiastes was written.

Due to the guilt that Solomon felt for betraying God, he

holds a unique perspective of both cynicism and spirituality in

Ecclesiastes. It should then be noted that, although he believes

in the Lord, he does not do so naively. On one hand, he is tired

of his worldly ways, and is attempting to quickly dispose of

them. On the other hand, he finds that he must be patient, and

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should let God be in control. By combining these two motives,

Solomon strives to understand God’s ways.

Yes, Solomon was searching to obey God. At the same time,

though, he was “an independent thinker, facing and questioning

life for himself” (Macdonald 85). Because of this, Ecclesiastes

seems to be filled with contradiction. At one point, he wonders

what he gains by being wise (2:15), but later on, he writes that

wisdom is a good thing (7:11). This is merely because the book

is written in chronological form. Solomon clearly states that he

considered many different methods of obtaining a meaningful

life, yet he could not have attempted them all simultaneously.

He could not have practiced hard work and toil, and at the same

time, have several slaves producing toil for him. These tests of

life were all performed in turn, and the book is thereby written

as a chronological recording of his theories and conclusions.

The very beginning of the book, however, is an exception to

this order. Serving the purpose of an introduction, it shares a

common view with the conclusion: “Everything is meaningless”

(1:2). This introduction is then explained by the process which

he used to reach such a conclusion. The process, of course, is

that of testing the aforementioned methods of attaining

happiness. He experienced several forms of supposed happiness;

including wisdom, materialistic pleasures, and toil. None

provided the lasting meaning for which he was searching.

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Solomon’s first test was that of wisdom. He studied all

sorts of sciences and philosophies, created by both man and God.

Man’s wisdom provided nothing. No doubt he searched for the

elusive secrets of youth, life, the earth, and the heavens.

Mankind has attempted to decipher such mysteries for the

duration of its existence; yet it still lacks the power of

eternal life and the ability to control the cosmos. Over two

thousand years ago, in Solomon’s time, science was even less

advanced than it is today. As such, he did not buy into the idea

that man can find true wisdom. Through his experience, Solomon

came to realize that man cannot control all that he sees, no

matter what sciences have been created. Hence, “there is a time

for everything,” he says in 3:1. The third chapter lists several

different happenings that people experience in life, both good

and bad. There is “a time to love and a time to hate, a time for

war and a time for peace” (3:8). Of course, it is a widespread

biblical tenet to “love your neighbor as yourself,” (Matt.

22:39), so why would it then be right to hate at some point?

This question, however, is a misreading of the text. Solomon is

not saying that it is right to both love and hate. He is instead

saying that one should expect to experience both love and hate.

These things all occur because they are a part of God’s plan,

Solomon suggests, and man cannot change that. “What is twisted

cannot be straightened; what is lacking cannot be counted”

(Eccl. 1:15).

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Over the years, however, man has tried to become wise. Much

of this has come from the use of studies and writings. Human

wisdom has been studied and written upon, and those studies have

in turn been studied. Solomon’s opposition against this is

rephrased well by Matthew Henry: “[The Scriptures] are

sufficient to guide us in the way of true happiness, and we need

not, in pursuit of that, to fatigue ourselves with the search of

other writings” (1051). Unfortunately, man is convinced that he

can determine the ways of the universe and himself. Still, the

human studies will never find an answer, so they infinitely

grow. “What has been done will be done again” (Eccl. 1:9).

The answers, then, belong to God. Mankind may not be able

to learn His secrets on their own, but He is all-knowing. He

created the universe, and He maintains it. Solomon believes that

man must leave God in charge, thus ending some of man’s own
inward tension. After all, how much stress has been placed on

ending wars peacefully, determining absolute morality, and

setting rules that protect all people? How many of these

endeavors have been successful? The former is much, and the

latter is few. So, then, Solomon asks, why should man bother

with all of these useless endeavors? Man should relax and let

God be in charge. If bad

times come, then people should not work themselves to death

trying to find a solution – they probably will not be able to

find one. If it is God’s will for man to survive through

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calamity, then man will survive. In terms of knowledge, people

do not need to understand everything about the universe. It does

not matter. Man cannot change the universe. The Interpreter’s

Bible compounds on Solomon’s words by noting that “there appears

to be no place where man’s freedom may exercise itself” (Atkins

44). This is what Solomon believes, and his point is that

mankind should relax and not worry about understanding

everything.

This, of course, is not how Solomon spent his life. He

wasted several years trying to uncover the secrets of the

universe. It accomplished nothing for him, in the long run. If

it had, then he would not have written about it so negatively in

this book. The human wisdom which he tried following, including

philosophy and man-made religions, were nothing but “a chasing

after the wind” (1:14). However, it is through the wisdom of God

in which Solomon believes salvation can be found.

Still, Solomon argues that “wisdom is better than folly”

(2:13). Science is not altogether a bad thing, and Solomon

agrees that it can be used to preserve the life of its bearer.

This, no

doubt, is a positive characteristic – though it is still only a

temporary solution. On the other hand, much wisdom and knowledge

are not sources of happiness. “For with much wisdom comes much

sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief.” (1:18) What is the

purpose of learning about the wrongs that are being committed in

foreign lands? Knowing of the horrible deeds committed

throughout

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the world is surely not a source of happiness. The only

realistic reason one would want to learn of the world’s evils

would be to try to solve the problem. After all, learning about

a war in the Middle East may only provoke grief in one’s heart.

Why bother finding out about the war, unless one would be

willing to change the situation? The fact is, Solomon argues,

with more wisdom comes more responsibility. If someone knows

about an evil that they can end, then they should end it. This

is a basic biblical principle. All the same, wisdom is useless

if all it brings is sorrow.

Because wisdom did not provide the lasting happiness which

Solomon sought, he then turned to what he calls “pleasure”:

things which would obviously seem to provide at least temporary

happiness. One such pleasure was laughter. Surely, one would

think that happiness would come from the use of humor. It

obviously does, but only temporarily. For all time, mankind has

used humor as a form of escape. Laughing can be an especially

powerful defense mechanism in times of calamity. When in the

midst of tragedy, humans have often been known to joke about the

situation, in order to divert their attention from the

seriousness of the problem. Unfortunately, the problem is not

solved through laughter. After the joke has been told and the

laughter has died, the situation still exists. In the end, the

laughter has changed nothing.

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Solomon’s other pleasures included producing great projects

for himself. He constructed a great palace for himself, along

with several other houses. Also, he planted gardens and

vineyards, along with parks and reservoirs. His property

expanded and was beautiful. Still, it was all for himself, just

like human wisdom. Solomon wanted to give himself credit for

becoming the

wisest man in the world, as well as having the most wonderful

property. Again, he refused to do his work for God, or even for

other men. Once the work was finished, all Solomon could do with

his projects was to look at and appreciate what he had given

himself. Still, what purpose does that serve? According to

Solomon, “nothing was gained under the sun” (2:11).

However, these were not the only pleasures Solomon gave

himself. The king bought slaves, both men and women, who could

carry out his every whim. Unfortunately, this produced nothing

but boredom. The slaves did everything for the king; the king

himself had nothing to do. He was not required to perform even

the most mundane of daily activities: serving his own meals,

determining what to wear each day, or performing any kind of

physical labor. Being a normal human being, Solomon surely did

not want to be bored for all of his days. So then, he

rhetorically asks, what is the point of having slaves to do

everything?

On the other hand, the slaves were not the only people

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Solomon found to work for him. He also acquired a harem which

could satisfy any of his sexual desires – “the delights of the

heart of man” (2:8). Of course it is the delight of the heart of

man; still, after fulfilling these desires, Solomon was left

empty-handed. The relations which he would hold with all of

these women were surely satisfying at the time; but, in the end,
they had no permanent effect on him. The harem did not provide

meaning in his life. Of course, along with wisdom and projects,

it should be noted that sex is a wonderful concept in the eyes

of human society. Due to the impact of pro-sex psychologists

such as Sigmund Freud, and the impact of the modern sex-oriented

culture, modern readers can find an enormous amount of relevance

in this story. In fact, it is almost as though the ultimate goal

of humans is to have sex – which, by following the pattern,

would then explain why it provides no meaning. As Solomon found

with all his other sources of joy, sex was yet another human

ambition. In the end, it provided nothing.

All of these “pleasures” which Solomon sought and

accomplished were, again, all about him. He did not think of

others in deciding what to do with his life. He did not think of

God when determining what he wanted. After accomplishing his

goals, he was still left with a meaningless life – a life in

which he was still searching for true, permanent happiness.

Indeed, Solomon had spent years toiling on the great

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projects which he had set out to do. He was angry, and “hated

life” (2:17) because of all the time he had wasted trying to be

a hard worker. One would think that working hard to achieve a

goal would be very meaningful afterwards, but this turned out

not to be the case. In fact, all his toil provided nothing but
pain and grief. Solomon worked very hard for many years, but it

did nothing for him once his work was done. On top of this, he

seemed to have given himself an endless amount of work – a

typical symptom of man’s yearning for meaning. However, by

giving himself an infinite list of things to do, his ultimate

goal in working could never be reached. This was indeed the

case, and therefore, any ultimate meaning in all of his toil

could never be within the reaches of possibility.

Another large flaw in the idea of toil, Solomon finds, is

that the accomplishments that toil produces are not in the hands

of the original worker forever. As it turns out, great projects

are often handed down to someone who took no part in the work.

This especially holds true in the case of royal succession. 2:21

speaks of this, and tells the reader that the work may be

mistreated by a future owner of the project. Of course, if the

project will be mistreated in the future, then there is clearly

no point in trying to achieve a project’s goal; it will never be

achieved in the hands of a poor owner.

So it is with a sinner and a follower of God. 2:26

discusses

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the sinner, whose purpose is to gather and store up wealth,

which will then be handed over to the follower of God. The

sinner’s work, then, is pointless. Again, however, one finds

that God is integral to having a purpose. The sinner works for

himself and gains nothing, but the one who pleases God finds

lasting happiness.

A similar occurrence happened to Solomon’s father, David. 1

Samuel tells the story of how David came to power in the throne

of Israel. The king before him, Saul, was a decent king, but his

heart was against the will of the Lord. Because of this, Saul

was killed in battle, and David became the king. David, being a

good servant of God, received the country which Saul had been

improving for years. The people loved him because of his good

heart and will to do the Lord’s work. Unfortunately, later

generations wanted to uproot David out from the throne –

including members of his own family. As a king, he was hated by

many whom did not know of his earlier exploits.

Solomon finds a story such as this to be a sad one, because

it shows that advancement is meaningless (Eccl. 5:13-16). The

glory of being a high rank is merely temporary, he says. After

one’s reign is over, future generations will forget the great

deeds that were accomplished by that king. Then, the king’s

successor will come to power and do great things, and he will be

forgotten by even later generations. This cycle continues not

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only in royal terms, but in the business world, as well as the

world of celebrities. Great people are often forgotten, so it is

highly difficult to make a permanent mark on society. Because

the glory of advancement does not last, it too becomes a

meaningless effort.

Even the riches that are enjoyed during one’s peak of fame

are meaningless. Due to the corrupt nature of man, the demand

for money never ceases. One reason for this behavior is the

basic economic principle of supply and demand. If someone has

found a good way to make money, and consumers want more of the

product, then the person will obviously raise the prices. This

way, the cash flow will increase and inflate on an infinite

track. Greed, of course, is the driving force of supply and

demand – not to mention one of man’s deadliest sins. It should

be noted that Matthew 6:24 warns, “You cannot serve both God and

Money.”

Another flaw with the growth of wealth is the potential of

loss. The more money someone accumulates, the more sorrow they

shall experience upon the loss of this money. This can be seen

in the modern world on several different occasions. Lottery

winners, for example, have been known to win large amounts of

cash – and

then unwisely spend it all in a matter of weeks. Surely, someone

who wastes five thousand dollars will be more regretful than

someone who wastes only five dollars. This is merely common

sense. Certain celebrities, in the same fashion, have been

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reduced to nothing after squandering their fortunes – the

fortunes that were brought about only from their fame and

success in the world of pop culture.

Still, at the time of possessing wealth, it is commonly

believed that the possessor holds power. This may be true, to a

degree; but the rich can not change everything. A rich man can

not change the fundamental laws of the universe – no man can.

The Bible, however, indicates that God has the power to do so.

God is omnipotent, and with God all things are possible. In

fact, He controls the universe; and trying to defy His will

would be an act against Him. This said, if a rich man attempts

to gain total control, he is in violation in the Lord’s eyes.

Hopefully, by now one should be able to notice a definite

pattern in the flaws of everything Solomon tested. It has

already been discussed that all of these were man-oriented.

Solomon did many things to give himself credit and glory, but

found that he received no real glory from any of them. It seems,

though, that almost everything man does is for himself.

Interestingly enough, this is actually supported in older

translations of Ecclesiastes. The translations, though differing

in word choice, do not contradict each other, however; they

complement each other. In the words of Pastor Joseph Chambers of

North Carolina, Bible readers are “cast upon a sea with varying
compasses each

reflecting a different nuance of what the Scripture instructs”

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(Maxwell 86-87). The King James Version, along with several

other translations, uses the word “vanity” in place of

“meaningless” throughout Ecclesiastes. This clearly denotes the

vain, self-promoting behavior of man. At the same time, though,

the vanity shows that this behavior will not produce the desired

effects, such as everlasting power and glory.

Man’s behavior does indeed produce happiness, but only

temporarily. The appreciation of a project’s greatness can only

last so long. Even if someone never runs out of happiness from

his deeds in his lifetime, still one thing will end this

happiness: death. Death is key in Ecclesiastes. When one dies,

his wisdom and deeds no longer affect him. They no longer

matter, nor can they provide any more happiness to their

deceased possessor. However, one must not forget that this is

all coming from the Holy Bible, and this end can be avoided

through God. If one is chosen by God to enjoy eternal life in

His Kingdom, then the life shall not end, and the happiness may

continue. This would then imply that the only way meaning can be

found in life is through God. With this eternal life, happiness

can be enjoyed and never lost. Wisdom, toil, memories of one’s

life, and the relationships that one has held with others may
all be enjoyed

forever, if one is among God’s chosen. It should also be

considered that, in God’s kingdom, “there will be no more death

or mourning or crying or pain” (Rev. 21:4). By pleasing God, one

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can experience true, everlasting happiness.

God can also provide purpose for man – bringing glory to

the Creator. This process never ends, and man can always have

something else to do to please God. All of life is an

opportunity to do so. By following the basic tenets of His Word,

such as treating others with kindness, one can fulfill His

commands anywhere. This can be universally applied, not only at

church, but also at school, the workplace, or during a hobby of

some sort. It all comes down to having a Godly state of mind

wherever one is.

Even though it may seem like work, living for God actually

allows time for relaxation. As Solomon says, there is a time for

everything. God has a plan, and a follower of God will let Him

be in control. Even if death is near, an individual striving to

please God may look forward to what is to come: the

aforementioned eternal life.

Although this is all part of the spiritual side of

Ecclesiastes, one may find both religious and non-religious

application in Solomon’s words. Yes, God brings meaning to life,

because He provides eternal life. Those that do not believe in

God’s ways do not believe in His eternal life, so they cannot

find an eternal way to bring meaning to their lives. However,

they can still agree with what Ecclesiastes is saying. In fact,

it is an existentialist book, until God is put into the picture.

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The possibility of both religious and non-religious messages in

the book stem from the difference between meaning and

satisfaction.

Meaning is permanent: it drives individuals with a purpose,

and produces long-lasting happiness. Memories, for example, are

only meaningful if they can always be cherished. Satisfaction,

on the other hand, is merely temporary. It cannot be denied that

sex, riches, and education can provide happiness for at least a

short time. Some of this life’s satisfactions can only be

temporary, such as sex. Others, such as wisdom, are meaningless

only if they are not temporary. Again, it all comes back to

pleasing God. It is still very important to remember that many

things in life can be enjoyed for at least a short time. In this

fashion, both spiritual and non-spiritual readers can be

comforted by this book.

The point that Solomon is trying to make, then, is that

people should relax and try to enjoy life. This is the central

idea in the book. “A man can do nothing better than to eat and
drink and find satisfaction in his work” (Eccl. 2:24). The

journey of life is more important than the end or the start,

especially if one is not following God – the destination of

death and the afterlife is completely irrelevant. An individual

following God should let Him be in control, and relax. A person

that enjoys life will not induce as much stress on himself as

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otherwise, thus causing a healthier lifestyle. Life can be

simple and stress-free with this philosophy of enjoying life. It

can be enjoyed on a day-to-day basis. A man may be alive one

minute, and dead the next, so man should take what he has been

given and enjoy it; such an attitude can go a long way in terms

of meaning and satisfaction.

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Works Cited

NIV [New International Version] Bible. Pocket-Size Edition.

N.p.: Holman Bible Publishers, 1995.

The Bible.

Atkins, Gaius Glenn. “The Book of Ecclesiastes: Exposition.” The

Interpreter’s Bible. Ed. Buttrick, George Arthur, et al.

Vol. 5. New York: Abingdon Press, 1956.

Henry, Matthew. Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Vol. 3. McLean: MacDonald Publishing Company, n.d.

Jamieson, Robert, A.R. Fausset, and David Brown. A Commentary:

Critical, Practical and Explanatory, on The Old and New

Testaments. Vol. 2. Chicago: Fleming H. Revell, n.d.

Leale, Thomas H. “A Homiletic Commentary on the Book of

Ecclesiastes.” The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical

Commentary on the Old Testament. New York: Funk & Wagnalls

Company, 1892.

Macdonald, D.B. The Hebrew Philosophical Genius. Princeton:

Princeton University

Press, 1936.

Maxwell, Joe. “King James-Only Advocates Experience

Renaissance.” Christianity Today, vol. 39, no. 12. October

13, 1995.
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Annotated Bibliography

Henry, Matthew. Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Vol. 3. McLean: MacDonald Publishing Company, n.d.

By focusing on only a few verses at a time, Matthew Henry

is able to combine practical application, devotional insight,

and scholarship on the Holy Bible. Volume 3 covers from the Book

of Job to the Song of Solomon. Henry implements the use of

cross-reference frequently throughout the commentary, relying on

a “whole Bible” effect to properly illustrate several biblical

principles. The overlapping themes of the Bible are very easily

illustrated in Henry’s commentary, and verses are dissected into

their various meanings. On the whole, this book is a good source

for understanding the Holy Bible.

Atkins, Gaius Glenn. “The Book of Ecclesiastes: Exposition.” The

Interpreter’s Bible. Ed. Buttrick, George Arthur, et al.

Vol. 5. New York: Abingdon Press, 1956.

The Holy Bible, being a very abstract and confusing text,

has derived several different sources of commentary and

examination. This book provides multiple sources on every book

of the Bible, including an introduction, an exegesis, and an

exposition. The exegesis, the exposition, and the original

biblical text are all split up into three different sections of

each page; making it easier for the reader to compare certain

verses to certain parts of the reference material.