Another Bible Commentary: Ecclesiastes
Updated: May 26
This is a book about how earthly life is temporary and fleeting, as we have seen in Psalm 39:5-7, Psalm 78:39, etc. It is traditionally attributed to Solomon. The word for vanity hevel is “a breath”, short, ephemeral. We’ve seen it before in the name Abel (Genesis 4). The death of Solomon’s older sibling (2 Samuel 12:14) seemed to haunt his life. We’ve covered wise generalizations for living a holy and successful life, and we’ve looked at times when that doesn’t go so well; Job’s life was good, then bad, then good again. However, this cheerful little book is here to point out that the same hole in the ground was waiting for everyone the whole time. Still, it corrects the notions from Stoicism (oversimplification: all is fated, control your feelings, only the mind matters) and from Epicureanism (oversimplification: human behavior is of no importance to God, enjoy the simple things, only the body matters) that became common in even Jewish thought in the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry. And yet, despite Solomon’s wisdom, he still did the Deuteronomy 17:16-17 stuff. We all need grace. We all need the New Covenant’s new heart, new spirit, and the Holy Spirit living in us; accept no substitutes. Apart from Christ, Solomon’s wisdom manifested itself as nihilism. Despair led to pleasure-seeking and a plethora of marriages to idolatrous wives (partly to maintain international relations) who led Solomon to idols. The certainty of death (Genesis 2:17) is the pinnacle of wisdom in a fallen world. Teens act out because they have figured out that they will die and that those they disobey might die first; part of it is living it up, part of it is distancing themselves from those they’ll miss. Only God has meaning. Even meaninglessness is meaningless. Still the “meaninglessness” in many translations is better seen as “ephemeral”. “Nothing” still matters, but even if nothing matters, smile anyway. If works are futile, grace is everything.
1:4 It’s even worse than Solomon thought; see 2 Peter 3:10.
1:5 See Isaiah 60:19; the sun’s leaving too.
1:9 Therefore, “New” in Jeremiah 31:31 is a big deal.
1:15 What is wrong cannot be righted, like Genesis 4:10. The Abel references will keep coming.
1:16 “anyone” includes the Jebusite kings before David took the city.
1:18 “much knowledge” Excess; being overly concerned with concerns that don’t concern you. See Ecclesiastes 2:13, Ecclesiastes 7:11, and Ecclesiastes 8:1.
2:2 Laughter is an enjoyable loss of control, so he called it madness.
2:3 The wine was valid given Psalm 104:15. Biblical drunkenness is to the point of blackout.
2:4 like Genesis 4:17.
2:5-6 Even if these were like the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Solomon found Adam’s/Cain’s work unfulfilling.
2:8 “harem” like Genesis 4:19.
2:11 People, the people and things they love, their accomplishments, etc., are doomed. What’s the point? We who died with Christ are waiting for a better world.
2:13-14 Stupidity hurts worse than knowledge (Ecclesiastes 1:18), but pays the same.
2:16 “remembered…forgotten…die” with regard to the superstitions concerning proper burial (Ecclesiastes 6:3) in addition to mere ego.
2:17-18 like Psalm 49:10-12.
2:22-23 isn’t “no work” but “just enough work”; see Ecclesiastes 4:5-6.
2:24 The richest man of his day found no greater pleasure than simple things like enjoying meals, job satisfaction, and doing good (Ecclesiastes 3:12).
3:5 “scatter stones” like to plow a field, as opposed to gathering them for boundary markers.
3:11 “eternity” was comprehended even under the Old Covenant. Regarding everything being beautiful in its time: “Everything is beautiful in its own way, like a starry summer night or a snow-covered winter’s day. Everybody’s beautiful in their own way, and under God’s Heaven, the world’s gonna find a way”. - Ray Stevens
3:12 Even the faithless who do not see a life beyond what their eyes can see have a version of this: If their lives are absurd, nothing has meaning, and nothing matters, then they are free to act in the manner which they desire. If nothing they do matters because they're going to die anyway, all that can matter, in the end, is what they have done. If they don't think people should suffer like they do, and if there's no bigger meaning, then the smallest act of kindness is the greatest thing in the world. However, human life is not meaningless: Christ has already given it meaning. We are not abandoned in an absurd universe trying to manufacture purpose through rebellion and struggle. He finished it. As Galatians 2:20 says, our old independent self has been crucified with Christ, and now “Christ lives in me.” The Christian life is not about desperately trying to make our temporary existence matter before death erases it. Christ defeated death. Sharing His eternal life means our identity and purpose are secure and not fragile. We do not produce significance through striving, rebellion, or self-construction. Philippians 2:13 says that “it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose.” Even our desires are being shaped by Him as the natural outflow of Christ’s indwelling life: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22–23). Ephesians 2:10 says we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works that He prepared beforehand. We don't force meaning onto a meaningless universe: God already wove purpose into our new identity. We can rest in Christ’s finished work and express His life, and what flows from Him through us is eternally significant.
3:14 Remember Christ's finished work and His eternal life in us.
3:19-21 On our own, we die just as dead as the animals. Only God can resurrect us. Solomon already mentioned “eternity” in our hearts and speaks repeatedly of God’s judgment of human behavior, which distinguishes us from the animals (Ecclesiastes 3:11, Ecclesiastes 3:17, and Ecclesiastes 12:14.)
4:1 “oppression” See Exodus 3:9 note for a refresher if needed. Rehoboam raising Solomon’s already high taxes and workload split the kingdom.
4:2 Solomon deemed Abel’s life superior to Cain’s. Compare Ecclesiastes 9:4 in light of Ecclesiastes 12:12-14.
4:3 Abel’s seed.
4:4 like Genesis 4:5.
4:11 Solomon seemingly later espoused the misogynist position of Proverbs (Ecclesiastes 7:28), so did he advocate here making a life together (like he did hundreds of times over) with someone he perceived as unworthy? Perhaps not; see Ecclesiastes 7:26-29 and notes.
4:14-15 “prison” like Joseph; “poverty” and “youth…successor” like David.
4:16 This is translated a few ways. Whether it says this or not, the rest of the text agrees with the sentiment that even if a king rules over a bunch of people, later generations won’t care about him.
5:1 like Genesis 4:3. Verses 1 through 6 paint a picture of some of the “many words” or “vain repetitions” Jesus spoke against (Matthew 6:7) along with babbling and invocations to control a deity.
5:7 “much” as in all the time instead of working. Your aspirations are fine; Joseph’s prison-to-palace promotion, Psalm 37:4, and Romans 8:32 show that nothing’s “too good” for you.
5:17 “eat in darkness” because they work through all the available daylight.
5:19 Be sure to thank Him.
6:9 Wanting is fine, but also meaningless like most of the topics of Ecclesiastes. Coveting is different. Coveting is between desire and stealing. Coveting carries an implied plot to deprive an owner of their property, so it’s like “covet and take” and is even phrased this way elsewhere (Joshua 6:18, etc.).
6:12 See Ecclesiastes 3:11 and Ecclesiastes 12:12-14.
7:1 Death reveals what it all meant, and birth is just a start. The verses in this section could all include "in order to learn the truth of Psalm 90:12".
7:3-4 “fools” Remember, these are the godless (Psalm 14:1). All this “sad is better than happy” stuff is meant to get you to acknowledge your own mortality and to then turn your eyes skyward. If you are in Christ, you have been comforted, and you are free to enjoy the ride (Matthew 5:4).
7:10 Solomon says this because there were no old days, just more of the same days (Ecclesiastes 3:15). The outfits change, but “humans gonna human” and “humans be humaning”.
7:13 Find the flow and go with it.
7:15 Abel vs Cain. Compare (the more generally applicable?) Proverbs 2:7-8.
7:16 No one is righteous, but plenty of proud Pharisees wore themselves out trying to climb higher. See Deuteronomy 4:2 and Deuteronomy 12:32.
7:17 “die before your time” There are tales of notorious sinners dying early like Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5), but there is also Luke 13:4.
7:20 See Psalm 14:2-3 and Romans 3:23.
7:24 more head scratching like Proverbs 20:24.
7:26 This adulteress (Proverbs 22:14) is known as Folly.
7:28-29 All these dudes who left uprightness for Folly’s schemes lack Lady Wisdom (as characterized in Proverbs). Lady Wisdom is the missing upright woman among mankind (Job 28:13). Most everyone knows a good-natured but “simple” person (to use the nomenclature of Proverbs) who still fails verse 20 but is generally trustworthy to round out Solomon’s headcount. Or, the Iron Age text is being misogynist again. I’m trying here, ladies.
8:2-4 This is still in the advice-for-courtiers category as some of Proverbs. See Ecclesiastes 10:4.
8:6 This continues from verse 2. The oppressed (Ecclesiastes 4:1-3) are encouraged to loyally bide their time until the proper time comes around for wrongs to be righted rather than to rebel and/or be grumpy. See Ecclesiastes 3:1 and Nehemiah 2:2 and its note. For us, we have the encouragement of 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.
8:8 No one, save for outliers like Enoch (Genesis 5:24), is discharged from “that” war (as some translations get right) with death, since it is the wages of sin (Proverbs 10:16, Ecclesiastes 7:20). Deuteronomy 20:1-8 and Deuteronomy 24:5 exist.
8:11 See Genesis 4:10 and Genesis 4:23 for this escalation.
8:14 Therefore, God had to actually make us righteous at salvation (2 Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 10:10, and Hebrews 10:14),
8:15 Remember Ecclesiastes 8:12-13 while doing this, unlike the people in Isaiah 22:8-13. These things aren't the point; they're gifts from God along the way.
9:4 Compare Ecclesiastes 4:2 in light of Ecclesiastes 12:12.
9:7 This is starting to sound like life under the New Covenant. The deuterocanonical Sirach 14 examines the Law in light of the Wisdom tradition and basically says to treat yourself well according to your means, present worthy alms and offerings (as it is an Old Covenant book), do good, and give with the “good eye” because you can’t take it with you while not skipping enjoyment of the good things in life. After all, some partying is mandatory (Deuteronomy 16:14).
9:9 “wife, whom you love” is an important distinction, since odds are some of Solomon’s wives were the bane of his existence. See Ecclesiastes 7:28, Proverbs 19:13, Proverbs 21:9, Proverbs 21:19, Proverbs 25:24, and Proverbs 27:15-16.
9:10 See Colossians 3:23.
9:11-12 We call it “blessed”, and the world calls it “lucky”.
9:15 If you’re expecting me to identify an Old Testament character here, I can’t because the book explicitly says that he was forgotten.
10:7 This is either a war captive scenario or Solomon sees people ill-fitted to their roles according to their natural aptitude, temperament, etc.
10:10-11 Take time to sharpen the blade. Get an education, develop your financial literacy, etc. However, don't delay too long on some problems if their effects will make your preparations useless.
10:16 Mismanagement and rampant exploitation to support those habits are assured.
11:1-6 Diversify Your Investments.
11:5 Jesus referenced this in John 3 in his chat with Nicodemus.
11:7-8 This just means life is short, and death is long (Solomon didn’t write from a New Covenant perspective). Christians already have eternal life in Christ, even now.
11:9 “judgment” Christians already took the plea bargain (John 5:24, 1 John 2:1, and Hebrews 7:25).
12:2 While there are plenty of references in the prophets to darkening the heavenly bodies, in context this seems to be a blindness metaphor. Solomon speaks in generalities, and it doesn’t have to be this way. Christians get all the blessings of the righteous like Deuteronomy 34:7 and Psalm 103:5, whether in this world or the next.
12:3-5 The same goes for these hints at problems with limbs, teeth, eyes, deafness, impotency, etc.
12:6 Lamp and well parts are perhaps a pumping heart metaphor.
12:13 This is what Abel did (Hebrews 11:4). He was the first to die and perhaps inspired this philosophical exploration of meaninglessness, but Abel’s brief span mattered. Again, “fear” is more “be in awe of”. Don’t miss the important thing (John 6:28-29, Mark 8:36).
12:14 like Ecclesiastes 11:9. This implies an afterlife (Ecclesiastes 3:11). See John 5:24.
In summary, be in awe of God, live like the righteous new creation that you are, obey and respect your betters, be diligent and enjoy your work, enjoy your home life, don’t act like a godless fool, remember to sharpen the saw, diversify your investments, eat, drink, and be merry. No one is perfect but Jesus and those He makes perfect (Hebrews 10:14); you need Jesus. Christians, remember that you died, you were cleansed, you are now an eternal being, and you are free to act like it. Believe in the one God, His Son, and the Holy Spirit living in you; love God, love God’s Image in those around you, and let Christ love others through you.
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