Eclesiastes 1

Eclesiastes 1

MacDonald - He speaks in the style of an aged man, who had had large experience of the world, and made trial of all its sources of happiness, and had occasion bitterly to lament many follies..... Koheleth (qoheleth) seems to combine the two ideas of the Penitent and the Preacher; that is, he presents himself to those whom he addresses, as one who, having departed from the Lord, and having been brought to him again, penitently seeks to counteract his pernicious example, and to gather other wanderers to the same gracious, forgiving God. (Ecclesiastes 1:1-11 - Vanity of the Material Creation and of Man) Michael Eaton notes that Solomon "makes no mention of Yahweh, the Lord, the name of the God of Israel’s covenant faith. It scarcely refers to the law of God, the only possible reference being in 12:13. It scarcely refers to the nation of Israel (only in 1:12). Why these omissions? The answer seems to be that the Preacher’s argument stands on its own feet and does not depend on Israel’s covenant faith to be valid. He is appealing to universally observable facts.” (Borrow Ecclesiastes : an introduction and commentary page 46) Alexander Maclaren on Solomon in this book - He does believe in ‘God,’ but, very significantly, he never uses the sacred name ‘Lord.’ He has shaken himself free, or wishes to represent a character who has shaken himself free from Revelation, and is fighting the problem of life, its meaning and worth, without any help from Law, or Prophet, or Psalm.” Preacher (06953) qoheleth (from qahal = to gather or assemble, convocation - 116v frequently in context of assembling people for worship, war or teaching) refers to a collector (of sentences or of wisdom), preacher, public speaker, speaker in an assembly, Qoheleth. Qōhelet̠ only occurs in Ecclesiastes and is the Hebrew name for the book. The English title Ecclesiastes is a transliteration of the Greek (Lxx) word ekklesiastes, which is one who speaks to the assembly or a preacher/public speaker in an assembly and is derived from ekklesia/ecclesia which means assembly or congregation. In sum, the Greek ekklesiastes is one who addresses the congregation or the assembly. Complete Biblical Library The Hebrew word qōheleth occurs seven times in the Book of Ecclesiastes and is the name of the Book in Hebrew. It functions as a Qal active participle, feminine, singular absolute from the verb qāhal, meaning "to gather together." It is translated as "Teacher" (NIV, NLT), "Preacher," (KJV) or is transliterated into English from Hebrew as "Koheleth" (Ecc. 1:1; 12:9). The word is masculine despite its seemingly feminine form. (It is traditionally held that Koheleth was Solomon.) All of the uses of qōheleth are treated as masculine in the Book; that is, it is modified by masculine adjectives or used with a masculine form of the verb that accompanies it. The speaker sought out wisdom and even composed proverbs to serve as goads to encourage his hearers to listen and learn (Ecc. 12:9). Some scholars think that the object of his "gathering" or "collecting" were the proverbs and sayings of the wise which he then delivered to his hearers or readers. He was evidently both the convener of the people and the one who delivered his words to them (Ecc. 1:1f, 12; 7:27; 12:8ff). He was a king over Israel who had the wealth and influence to live the "good life" and report his findings to the assembly. TWOT (PAGE 790) - qōhelet. Preacher, speaker in assemblies. qōhelet is a Qal feminine participle from qāhal which in the Niphal means "to come together" and in the Hiphil "to bring together." The Qal form is used only here. The word is related to the noun qāhal (assembly). The LXX chose ecclesiastes (a member of an assembly) as a translation due to the alleged relation of qāhāl to ecclēsia (assembly, see above). The English rendering "Preacher" follows Jerome's Latin concionatur ("speaker before an assembly"), however the meaning of the Hebrew name is by no means clear. The content of the book fits the wisdom literature category rather than the sermonic category. A second conjecture contends that the Qal form qōhelet is used as though it were a Hiph 1 and means "one who convenes an assembly." The word has the definite article in Eccles. 12:8 which lends credence to the claim that the word is intended to be a description, not a personal name. qōhelet occurs seven times in the book of Ecclesiastes (Eccles. 1:1-2, 12; Eccles. 7:27; Eccles. 12:8-10) and nowhere else in biblical literature. As a noun designating the speaker, it also gives the Hebrew name Qōhelet to the book itself. The noun is ordinarily construed with masculine forms of verbs. The exception in Eccles. 7:27 may be due to an erroneous word division since qōhelet identifies himself as a son of David, king in Jerusalem (Eccles. 1:1, 12). QOHELETH - 7V - Preacher(7). Eccl. 1:1; Eccl. 1:2; Eccl. 1:12; Eccl. 7:27; Eccl. 12:8; Eccl. 12:9; Eccl. 12:10 ILLUSTRATION - In the movie "City Slickers" Billy Crystal plays the part of a man who is going through his mid-life crisis. He has passed the summit of a lackluster career and his work is no longer satisfying. He realizes that his vacations of late have been a vain attempt to retain his youth and he notices that there are hairs beginning to grow out of his ears. One day he has been asked to address his son's fourth grade class as part of a job learning program. He stumbles about and then says to them, "Value this time in your life, kids. This is the time in your life when you have choices. It goes by so fast. When you are a teenager, you think that you can do anything, and you do. Your twenties are a blur. In your thirties you make a little money, raise a family, and wonder, what happened to my twenties?' In your forties, you grow a pot belly and another chin. The music starts to get too loud and one of your old girlfriends becomes a grandmother. In your fifties, you have a minor surgery - you call it a procedure.' In your sixties, you have a major surgery and the music is still loud but that doesn't matter because you can no longer hear it. In your seventies, you and the wife move to Florida and you start having dinner at 2 in the afternoon, lunch at 10 in the morning, and breakfast the night before. You spend most of your time wandering around malls looking for the ultimate low-fat yogurt and muttering, "How come the kids don't call?' In your eighties you have a major stroke and end up babbling to a Jamaican nurse whom your wife can't stand, but who you end up calling, "Momma.'" It is this kind of empty and futile existence that we see displayed in the book of Ecclesiastes. This theme is introduced in the first two verses of the book. (John Stevenson) Walter Kaiser addresses this question on Ecclesiastes - Is “The Teacher” Solomon? from Hard Sayings of the Bible Even though the heading for this book of Ecclesiastes does not name the author of this book, can we assume from the fact that he is the “son of David” and a “king in Jerusalem” that he is Solomon? Or is there a certain genre of writing that allows for such attributions without intending them to be taken literally? The main speaker in this book of Ecclesiastes is called qōheleṯ, meaning “teacher” or “preacher,” a feminine participle from a verbal root meaning “to assemble.” But at that point the agreement ceases. The well-known conservative scholar of the nineteenth century, Franz Delitzsch, declared in a much-quoted opinion, “If the book of Koheleth were of old Solomonic origin, then there is no history to the Hebrew language.”1 However, Fredericks devoted a careful inspection of all the linguistic arguments for dating the book late and concluded that they were unpersuasive.2 The other approach to show that the book is late is to try to show affinities in thought between Hellenistic thought and Ecclesiastes. This would mean that the book originated in the Greek period, but this method also has been beset by problems. These so-called affinities can be shown to be just as easily related to far earlier thought and literary forms than the late Greek period. So this leaves us with deciding if indeed the text could have come from Solomon. Evangelical scholars such as Moses Stuart, Hengstenberg, Delitzsch, Young and Kidner have all challenged the view that Solomon wrote the book. But much of that was on the strength of the allegedly late language and concepts. Now that that obstacle has fallen, at least since Fredericks’s study in 1988, it is worth looking at the idea of Solomonic authorship one more time. The only immediate son of David who was also king over Israel in Jerusalem would be Solomon. But against his authorship it is argued that in Ecclesiastes 1:12 the king is represented as saying, “I … was king over Israel in Jerusalem.” But far from declaring that he was no longer king, Solomon is saying “I have been king,” for the action of the Hebrew verb begins in the past and continues up to the present. The argument shifts to Ecclesiastes 1:16, where the writer compares himself advantageously to “anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me.” Since David was the only Hebrew ruler to precede him in Jerusalem, the words hardly seem appropriate in Solomon’s mouth. The reference could very well be to the line of Canaanite kings who preceded Solomon in Jerusalem, such as Melchizedek (Gen 14:18) and Adonizedek (Josh 10:1). But the most convincing telltale signs that Solomon is “the Teacher” are the allusions to circumstances that fit only Solomon’s life and experience: (1) his unrivaled wisdom (Eccles 1:16; compare 1 Kings 3:12); (2) his unsurpassed wealth (Eccles 2:4–10, compare 1 Kings 7:1–8); (3) his huge retinue of servants (Eccles 2:7–8, compare 1 Kings 9:17–19); (4) “there is no man that does not sin” (Eccles 7:20, compare 1 Kings 8:46); (5) not a god-fearing woman in a thousand (Eccles 7:28, compare 1 Kings 11:1–8); and (6) his weighing, studying and arranging proverbs (Eccles 12:9, compare 1 Kings 4:32). This forms a very convincing case that Solomon is “the Teacher.” NET NOTE adds - Solomon would fit the description of the author of this book, who is characterized by great wisdom (1:13, 16), great wealth (2:8), numerous servants (2:7), great projects (2:4–6), and the collection, editing and writings of many proverbs (12:9–10). All of this generally suggests Solomonic authorship. However, many scholars deny Solomonic authorship on the basis of linguistic and historical arguments. Ray Pritchard - Something New Under the Sun SCOTT’S STORY The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem: "Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless." Ecclesiastes 1:1-2NIV Scott was only twenty-six years old when he died. Although he grew up in a Christian home, during his teens and early twenties he went through a period of rebellion and spiritual searching. His life changed when the doctors discovered a brain tumor. Surgery brought a brief remission, but then the cancer returned. As the months passed, his faith increased even as his physical condition worsened. He began to seek the Lord as never before. The Word of God became sweet to him. He became bold in his witness, especially to his many friends. He asked God to use him to reach others so that he could point people to Christ no matter how long he lived. God answered the request. But several months later Scott died. During the funeral, his younger sister talked about how much she loved him, how as a young girl she wanted to be like him, and how exasperating he could be at times. Then the cancer came. And she saw a difference so profound that it changed everything. Her brother, she said, had figured out what life is all about. Then she said this: "Life is nothing without God." Scott had shown her that it doesn't matter how long you live or how much money you have or even how well you do in your career. His faith at the end spoke one simple message: Life is nothing without God. When I stood up to deliver the message a few minutes later, I didn't have to say very much. I simply repeated what she said one more time: Life is nothing without God. I then made this simple application. If you live for eighty years but don't discover that truth, you've missed the very reason for your own existence. If you should earn a million dollars—ten million dollars—and have hundreds of friends and the praise of your contemporaries, if you have all that but don't figure out this basic truth, you're still in spiritual kindergarten. Have you discovered what life is all about? Life is nothing without God. Everything else is just details. Life is nothing without God. Everything else is just details. Your career, your education, your degrees, your money, your fame, your accomplishments, your long-range goals, your dreams, your possessions, your friendships—they're all just details. If you don't figure out that God is the central truth of the universe, you will spend your days mired in details, drifting along with no clear purpose. That's the ultimate "vanity" that causes life to be meaningless Have you discovered what life is all about? Life is nothing without God. Everything else is just details. O God, show me what life is all about so that I won’t waste m y years on things that don’t really matter. Amen. SHINING THE LIGHT Was Solomon a pessimist, an optimist, or a realist? Which of those three words describes you best? * Do you agree that "life is nothing without God"? Norman Geisler - ECCLESIASTES 1:1—If this book is inspired, why isn’t it quoted in the NT? - When Critics Ask PROBLEM: The NT writers quote the vast majority of the OT from Genesis to Malachi. There are literally hundreds of citations from every major section of the OT. Yet, the Book of Ecclesiastes is not quoted once. If it was inspired, then why isn’t it cited at least one time? SOLUTION: There are several OT books that are not directly quoted in the NT, including Ruth, 1 and 2 Chronicles, Esther, Song of Solomon, and Ecclesiastes. However, all these books were considered inspired by both Judaism and Christianity. Several points should be kept in mind. First, being quoted in the NT was not a test for the inspiration of an OT book. Rather, the question was whether it was written by a spokesperson accredited by God and accepted by His people. Ecclesiastes meets this test. Second, while no text of Ecclesiastes is cited as such in the NT, many of its truths are. For example: What we sow we reap Ecc. 11:1, cf. Gal 6:7 Avoid lust of youth Ecc. 11:10, cf. 2 Tim. 2:22 Death is divinely appointed Ecc. 3:2, cf. Heb. 9:2 Love of money is evil Ecc. 5:10, cf. 1 Tim. 6:10 Don’t be wordy in prayer Ecc. 5:2, cf. Matt. 6:7 Third, the NT writers had no occasion to quote from every book in the OT. Few Christians have quoted recently from 1 Kings, yet the NT did (Rom. 11:4). Indeed, few believers ever cite 2 or 3 John, and yet they are part of the inspired Word of God. Whether, or even how often, a book is quoted does not determine whether it is inspired. Charles Swindoll - If I were to speak to an audience of unbelievers using a book of the Bible, I would use Ecclesiastes. It hits people right where they live. I know of no more realistic piece of writing than this book, because it rips off our masks. Even Christians find that it pulls no punches and hides no secrets. It tells it like it is. Solomon stops at nothing as he explores life in the raw. He makes a full investigation of all we can see from the human perspective. In reading his words, we feel the full weight of a life lived "under the sun" (Eccl 1:14)-that is, apart from God's perspective....If you're beginning to wonder if life might be better without God, pay attention to Ecclesiastes. You'll see what that life is like! It can make you appreciate the presence of the Lord. (The Swindoll Study Bible NLT - Page 779) Ecclesiastes 1 Temporary Success Temporary success may often crown the efforts of the godless, but even their greatest achievements cannot bring complete satisfaction. That was Solomon’s theme when he said, “...the expectation of the wicked shall perish.” If unrepentant sinners should view their most brilliant accomplishments in the light of eternity, they would find them to be as lasting and as valuable as bursting bubbles. Excerpt from Adrian Rogers' sermon What to Do When Nothing Makes Sense Main Scripture Text: Ecclesiastes 1:1–2 - click here for full sermon on page 29 - RECOMMENDED -- this will give you a reasonably good overview of Ecclesiastes. Outline Introduction I. The Perplexing Riddles of Life 1. It’s Not in Nature 2. It’s Not in History 3. It’s Not in Science 4. It’s Not in Philosophy 5. It’s Not in Wisdom 6. It’s Not in Wealth 7. It’s Not in Work II. The Pleasant Rewards of Life III. The Profound Responsibilities of Life 1. God Is Good, so Live Life Joyfully 2. God Is Sovereign, so Live Life Confidently 3. God Is Great, so Live Life Humbly 4. God Is Just, so Live Life Reverently Conclusion The time is many years ago. The scene is the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. The University of California and Georgia Tech are in a titanic battle. It’s late in the second quarter. The first half is about to come to a conclusion. Georgia Tech has the ball, and Georgia Tech is pressing hard on the 33-yard line. Thomason is carrying the ball for Georgia Tech. And he is hit, and he fumbles the ball. And the center for California picks it up, lifts up his head, and starts with that ball toward the goal line. He is running brilliantly. His legs are apart. He is alert. He goes this way and that way, and he’s headed toward the goal line. Only one thing is wrong: He’s gotten confused, and he’s headed toward the wrong goal. And the opposing team figures out what has happened—that, in his confusion, Roy Regals has headed toward the wrong goal, and his opponents are leading interference for him, and his teammates are trying to tackle him. And he’s going down the field, and he runs 67 yards toward the wrong goal with his teammates trying to tackle him and his opponents leading interference for him. Finally, he is stopped on the one-yard line, tackled by one of his own teammates. Can you imagine—I say, can you imagine—the humiliation of this man—the cat calls, the hoots, the boos, the confusion, the jeers that were his, as he is running with the ball toward the wrong goal? He just got confused, spun around. What he thought was his moment of glory was something that would put him in the annals of football history, never to be forgotten. Wrong Way Roy—headed toward the wrong goal. And I think there are a lot of folks in this congregation who are kind of like that—spun around in the game of life. And you think you’re doing so good, but you’re heading toward the wrong goal, and the devil is leading interference. Solomon was like that. Solomon had the ball of life thrust into his hands, and he was running with the ball; and, it dawned on him that he was confused. He was running toward the wrong goal. Take this book, and look, if you will, in chapter 1, verse 1: “The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.” Now let’s just stop right there and say this man who wrote this book had great privileges. As a matter of fact, God had given him a special gift of wisdom, and his father was King David, Israel’s greatest king—Solomon—probably Israel’s most glorious king. And he was a man who had the ability to try and to do everything, and he did try to do almost everything; but, the end of it all—this king, King Solomon—the end of it all for him was confusion, and disillusionment, and frustration. And he gives this right here, in the next verse: “Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 1:1–2). Now you know what the word vanity means? It means “emptiness”; it means “futility”; it means “confusion”; it means “it doesn’t make sense”—“nothing, nothing, nothing makes sense.” “Vanity of vanities.” Why does he say, “Vanity of vanities?” Why doesn’t he just say, “Vanity?” Well, this is emphasis: When the Bible wants to emphasize something, it just repeats it. When Jesus wants you to listen, He says, “Verily, verily, I say unto you.” Or, when the Bible wants to speak of the holiness of God, it says, “Holy, holy is the Lord.” And so he’s just saying this for emphasis. Solomon wrote a song—the most beautiful song—so he calls it “The Song of Songs.” And now he’s just saying, “Vanity of vanities.” He’s saying this for emphasis. Now what I want to tell you today is there’s going to come a time in your life when you’re going to throw up your hands like Solomon, and just say, “Vanity of vanities; all is vanity.” “All my life I thought I was doing well, and I found out I’ve been running toward the wrong goal.” Now I want us to have three thoughts today, and I pray God that you’ll get these three thoughts down in your heart and in your life, because we’re going to take the entire 12 chapters of this book and look at them. So we’re going to have to pick and choose, and we’re going to have to go in a hurry. And it would behoove you to take a Bible, if you have one, and keep it open in your lap, because, friend, I am going to tell you, as surely as I’m standing here, the time is coming when you’re going to say, “Vanity of vanities; nothing makes sense.” And all that you thought was right and good is going to seem to cave in on your head. Ecclesiastes 1 What’s the Point? Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. —Ecclesiastes 12:13 Scientists once thought that the vertebrate with the shortest life-span was the turquoise killifish. This small fish lives in seasonal rain pools in equatorial Africa and must complete its life cycle in 12 weeks before the pools disappear. But researchers from James Cook University in Australia have now found that the pygmy goby has an even shorter lifespan. It lives fast and dies young. This tiny fish lives in coral reefs for an average of 56 days. Its rapid reproductive cycle is designed to help it avoid extinction. God gives to us the gift of time To use as best we can, To live each moment in His will According to His plan. —Sper Life is short. Live for God. Ecclesiastes in Review Where is Meaning? 1. Not in Wisdom 2. Not in Withdrawal 3. Not in Weeping 4. Not in Wine 5. Not in Wind 6. Not in Works 7. Not in Words 8. Not in Worship without Obedience 9. Not in Wickedness 10. Not in Weapons of War 11. Not in Writing 12. But Walk Uprightly Conclusion: Eccl 12:13-14+ 1. Fear God 2. Keep His Commandments - Source unknown A Time Sensitive Outline of Ecclesiastes • Ec 1:1–6:9 Can’t change the past. • Ec 6:10–11 Don’t know the future. • Therefore, enjoy life one day at a time. Ec 2:24-26 ECCLESIASTES 1-2 A SUMMARY Attempts to Find Significance through... Frustration of... Conclusion Wisdom Pleasure Accomplishments Death Life Conclusion Man trying to find significance without God God's Gift Ecclesiastes 1:2 “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.” KJV Ecclesiastes 1:2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. BGT Ecclesiastes 1:2 ματαιότης ματαιοτήτων εἶπεν ὁ Ἐκκλησιαστής ματαιότης ματαιοτήτων τὰ πάντα ματαιότης LXE Ecclesiastes 1:2 Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. NET Ecclesiastes 1:2 "Futile! Futile!" laments the Teacher, "Absolutely futile! Everything is futile!" CSB Ecclesiastes 1:2 "Absolute futility," says the Teacher. "Absolute futility. Everything is futile." ESV Ecclesiastes 1:2 Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity. NIV Ecclesiastes 1:2 "Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless." NLT Ecclesiastes 1:2 "Everything is meaningless," says the Teacher, "completely meaningless!" YLT Ecclesiastes 1:2 Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher, Vanity of vanities: the whole is vanity. NJB Ecclesiastes 1:2 Sheer futility, Qoheleth says. Sheer futility: everything is futile! NRS Ecclesiastes 1:2 Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity. NAB Ecclesiastes 1:2 Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth, vanity of vanities! All things are vanity! GWN Ecclesiastes 1:2 "Absolutely pointless!" says the spokesman. "Absolutely pointless! Everything is pointless." BBE Ecclesiastes 1:2 All is to no purpose, said the Preacher, all the ways of man are to no purpose. Ec 2:11,15,17,19,21,23,26 Ec 3:19 Ec 4:4,8,16 Ec 5:10 Ec 6:11 Ec 11:8,10 Ec 12:8 Ps 39:5,6 62:9,10 Ps 144:4 Ro 8:20 Related Passage: Jeremiah 2:5 Thus says the LORD, “What injustice did your fathers find in Me, That they went far from Me And walked after emptiness (hebel) and became empty? 2 Kings 17:15 They rejected His statutes and His covenant which He made with their fathers and His warnings with which He warned them. And they followed vanity and became vain, and went after the nations which surrounded them, concerning which the LORD had commanded them not to do like them. SOLOMON'S FRUSTRATION EXPRESSED Vanity (hebel; Lxx - mataiotes) of vanities (hebel) says the Preacher (qoheleth; Lxx - ekklesiastes) - When you wanted to emphasize a point in Hebrew, you repeated it. "Vanity of vanities" is a Hebrew superlative ("Utterly Meaningless"), analogous to the Hebrew idiom “Holy of Holies” or “Song of Songs”. The idea is “The most utter vanity” or “complete emptiness.” The idea here is that there is an emptiness which is above all other emptinesses. The Preacher wants to emphasize and underline and boldface this point. ALL IS EMPTY!!!!! The Preacher (Qohelet) is declaring that everything under the sun — all human efforts, wisdom, pleasures, and toil — are ultimately temporary, unsatisfying, and elusive apart from God. The phrase captures the existential frustration of life “under the sun” of life without eternal perspective, and specifically life without the Son! Vanity is translated in the Septuagint with mataiotes, which describes the state of being without use or value, emptiness, futility, purposelessness, transitoriness. See Michael Eaton's note on use of Hebel in Ecclesiastes. The optimist says that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. But Solomon suggests that light is probably only the headlamp of an oncoming train. John Stevenson The word "vanity" is the Hebrew word that literally refers to a small breath of wind, a breeze. This is seen in Isaiah 57:13 where we read: But the wind will carry all of them up,And a breath will take them away. When used figuratively, refers to that which is "worthless, vain or empty." This was also the name of Adam's son, Abel....Don't take it from me. Take it from Solomon. Take it from the wisest man who ever lived. Take it from the man who tried everything there was to try, who did everything there was to do. Take it from the King of the Upper Class. It is all empty. If you are looking at life only "under the sun," it will be empty. The optimist says that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. But Solomon suggests that light is probably only the headlamp of an oncoming train. The word vanity (hebel; Lxx - mataiotes) challenges us to: (1) See the limits of earthly pursuits. (2) Acknowledge the brevity and fragility of life. (3)Find lasting meaning not “under the sun,” but in the fear of God (Eccl. 12:13) Hebel is not just pessimism — it’s a poetic and prophetic call to seek substance beyond the smoke. Hebel doesn’t mean "pointless" so much as “transitory, elusive, or without lasting substance.” Vanity (hebel; Lxx - mataiotes) of vanities (hebel; Lxx - mataiotes). All is vanity (hebel; Lxx - mataiotes) (also Ec 1:14, 3:19, 12:8) - Solomon uses the adjective "all" which usually means "all without exception!" All is used in Eccl 1:14; 2:11, 17; 3:1, 19; 12:8. Solomon is saying everything (without God) is without real substance, value, permanence, significance, or meaning! Most all of Ecclesiastes is written from this perspective, through the eyes of a man who thinks and lives as if God doesn’t matter. David