Week 1: Ecclesiastes Chapters 1 & 2
Commentary of Chapters 1 & 2
1:1 Title
The Hebrew of Teacher is Qohelet, which is a Hebrew participle. It has a meaning (like the English name Baker). See the Introduction.
1:2–2:23 The pessimist’s problems
1:2–11 Some basic facts. 2 Meaningless translates a word which includes ideas of brevity, unreliability, frailty and futility, lack of discernible purpose. 3 Real progress cannot be found. Gain is a term used in ancient commerce. It refers to substantial achievement, observable evidence that something worthwhile has been done. Labour and toil may refer to physical effort (see 2:4–8; Ps. 127:1) or to mental and emotional heaviness (see 2:23; Ps. 25:18). Mr Teacher refers to what he observes under the sun. In view of its frequency and the sharp distinction made in 5:2 the phrase must be significant. It is attested in various ancient cultures and refers to the earthly realm as opposed to ‘heaven’, where God supremely reveals himself. The phrases ‘on earth’, ‘under heaven’ and ‘under the sun’ are synonymous. See further in the Introduction. Mr Teacher explicitly confines his outlook for the moment to the limited resources of the world he surveys. 4 The succession of generations does not change humankind’s basic situation. The problem of ‘meaninglessness’ is embodied in the entire world. Rom. 8:20 is making precisely this point and perhaps is an allusion to Ecclesiastes (Paul’s Greek word is the word in the Greek version of Ec. 1:2). 5–7 Nature shows no progress. It is busy in sky (5) and land (6) and sea (7) but its busyness brings about no change in people’s fundamental situation. 8 Wearisome carries the thought of ‘exhausted’. It implies that nature’s activity leaves it depleted or that human beings are exhausted by it. 9–10 We come to history. Circumstances (what has been) and human activity (what has been done) repeat themselves. 11 Remembrance may refer here to action arising from memory. Our present life does not arise from what we have learned from the past. People do not learn from previous generations.
1:12–18 The failure of wisdom. In the light of the problems presented in 1:2–11, is wisdom the solution to the lack of ‘gain’ (1:2) in life? 13a Study and explore speak of thoroughness and extensiveness. Under heaven lets us know a limited area is being considered. 13b–15 Three conclusions follow. (i) The quest for purpose is a God-appointed matter. Burden has the sense of ‘compulsory activity’. (ii) Frustration results. Chasing after the wind refers to striving for the unattainable. Human beings ‘under the sun’ cannot solve their problem. (iii) There are insoluble twists and gaps in life. What is twisted refers to both human life (see 1:3–4a) and environment (see 1:4b). The source of the twistedness is suggested in 7:13, 29 but is unmentioned here. Life and circumstances have ‘gaps’, leaps of logic or gaps in data which leave life an enigma. In 16–18 the phrase and also of madness and folly shows that the Teacher kept the alternative to wisdom in mind. This anticipates 2:1–11. His conclusion is that the attempt to solve the problem of life enlarges one’s view of the problem but does not bring any solution. Further insight into a solution was to await the advent of Christ.
2:1–11 The failure of pleasure-seeking. Having shown the failure of wisdom, Mr Teacher shows the failure of its opposite. We see his resolve (1a), his conclusion (1b–2), his detailed account (3–10) and a repeated conclusion (11).
Laughter (2) tends to be used of superficial fun; pleasure (in its general usage) is more thoughtful. All kinds of pleasure fail to answer the Teacher’s problem. Foolish is a word associated with loss of judgment. The unanswered question What does pleasure accomplish? lets us know that even lofty joys cannot solve life’s enigma.
Vs 3–10 lists the Teacher’s endeavours. Every kind of relaxation and pleasure was involved. Slaves, herds and flocks indicate great wealth. A difficult word in v 8 probably means ‘concubine’ (NIV, harem). V 9 tells us of his prestige and his retaining his objectivity (which is the point of the last phrase). Nothing outward (visible to eyes; 10) or inward (things in which the heart takes pleasure) was withheld. The result was a sense of achievement (10b) but nothing more.
His final conclusion (11) is no different from that of his exploration of wisdom (cf. 2:11 with 1:17–18). The pile-up of terms (meaningless, chasing the wind, nothing … good) indicates his bitter disappointment.
2:12–23 A sure fate for all. After the problem of life (1:2–11) and two unsuccessful remedies (1:12–18; 2:1–11), a question is left: is there any preference between wisdom and pleasure-seeking? In one respect wisdom is better than pleasure-seeking. In another respect they are equal; neither can deal with the problem of death.
The second half of v 12 lit. ‘What kind of person is it who will come after the king, in the matter of what has already been done?’ (see M. A. Eaton, Ecclesiastes, TOTC (IVP, 1983), p. 68 for more details). The NIV gives roughly the same thought. The sense is, ‘Will future kings be such men as are able to do better than I have done in my quest?’. Future kings will have to face the same problem Mr Teacher has faced; what advice can he give? Wisdom is the need of the king supremely (see 1 Ki. 3:5–28; Pr. 8:14–16). The fool is notorious for his ill-considered babbling and malice; he is one for whom wickedness is ‘fun’ (see e.g. Pr. 9:13–18).
Verses 13–14a answer the question. Wisdom is of value. Light is a metaphor for understanding, know-how, skill in living. Another angle is in vs 14b–16. The same fate is death, which confronts everyone, wise or foolish (14b). Its inevitability puts both the wise man and the foolish on the same level. Neither can defeat the ‘last enemy’ (15). The thought of v 16 is like that of 1:16 except that here the individual is in view. Memories are too short to make endeavour worthwhile (see also 9:15).
In vs 17–23 the Teacher considers life under the sun. Death brings wisdom to a halt, which in turn makes life itself seem pointless. 17 To me is a valid translation, but the phrase also means ‘upon me’ and sometimes expresses what is burdensome (see Is. 1:14). 18 Hatred of life is followed by hatred of toil, a term which sometimes refers to the total struggle for understanding (1:13) but here focuses more on daily activities. 19 Another aggravation is that a man may ruin the work of his predecessor (Rehoboam following Solomon is an example; 1 Ki. 11:41–12:24). 20 An abyss of despair is the end of the Teacher’s reflections thus far. The Hebrew may be translated, ‘he allowed his heart to despair’. 21 It was an injustice that another should profit from his predecessor’s labours. Despite wisdom (practical know-how), knowledge (information) and skill (the success that comes from wisdom and knowledge), there is nothing that can sidestep death or guarantee permanence. Only the gospel gives an answer: ‘your labour in the Lord is not in vain’ (1 Cor. 15:58). 22 What do toil (work, endeavours) and anxious striving (emotional-intellectual struggles) achieve? The answer is in v 23. Pain and grief may refer to the mental or to the physical. Both aspects must be in view for at night refers to the sleeplessness that may come with the frustration.
2:24–3:22 The alternative to pessimism
God was scarcely involved in 1:2–2:23, being mentioned only in 1:13. Earlier argument referred to the earthly realm (1:3, 13–14; 2:3, 11, 17–20, 22) and only passingly mentioned God as the cause of frustration. But now God is controller of his world, creator of beauty, judge of injustices. Nihilism and despair turn to joy, beauty, God’s generosity, security and purpose in life.
2:24–26 The generous God. 24a Human-kind is to enjoy God’s good provisions. Eat and drink signify the provision and contentment that is God’s will for all. 24b–25 The enjoyable life when we experience it comes from his hand. 26 Three blessings from God are wisdom (skill in living), knowledge (knowledge of facts, understanding, experience) and joy. The sinner is one who does not live to please God; the usage is different at 7:20. The judgment on the sinner is also God-given. Wealth is not explicit in the Hebrew; the Teacher refers to all-embracing acquisitiveness. But possessions only fall into the hand of the righteous. This is not something observed. That the ‘sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous’ (Pr. 13:22) can be seen in Canaanites’ cities falling into Israelite hands. The Christian’s view of eternity makes it easier to understand (for the opposite seems to happen in this life) but for the Teacher it must have been sheer faith. Events like those of Ex. 12:35–36 may have given rise to his conviction.
Brevity of Life on “Under the Sun”:
3 What do people gain from all their labors
at which they toil under the sun?
4 Generations come and generations go,
but the earth remains forever.
4. Mankind’s problem is further aggravated by the contrast between the brevity of life and the apparent permanence of the earthly realm (cf. Ps. 90:4f., where man is as effective as a midnight watch, as energetic as sleep, as enduring as grass). Thus the inherent vanity of the earthly realm gives no hope of change. Goes … comes … remains represent Hebrew participles and imply continuity of action, ‘is continually going … coming … remaining’. For ever means that ‘under the sun’ there is no conceivable end to the problem of earthly futility.