In Greek, the word ecclesiastis (ἐκκλησιαστής) means one who preaches before people, an orator. But anyone who begins to read Ecclesiastes in the Old Testament immediately understands that this instructive book is different from the rest of the Bible and certainly contrasts with the New Testament, which, despite the terrible events it describes, ends on a high note of hope connecting a person with God and gaining eternal life.
The ending of Ecclesiastes is not so obvious and optimistic. Nevertheless, the book is a very important part of the Holy Scriptures.
Everything in life is “havel”
The book of Ecclesiastes immerses the reader in the gloomy, hopeless world of a man who was “successful” all his life, but in his declining years he realized that everything in life is vanity and there is nothing in him worth making an effort for. The word that appears in Ecclesiastes more than 30 times is the word “havel”, which is translated as “vanity”, but a more accurate translation is “steam”, “sigh”, that is, practically - “nothing”, “emptiness”, “air” "
For the hero of the book, all human life, all his works, everything that happens, has happened and will happen around him is all just “havel”. And even human wisdom also means nothing in the face of death, for “in much wisdom there is much sorrow; and whoever increases knowledge increases sorrow” (Eccl. 1:18). That is, in the language of modern times, “many knowledge brings many sorrows.”
Book of Ecclesiastes, or Preacher
Chapter 1
1 The words of Ecclesiastes, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2 Vanity of vanities, said Ecclesiastes, vanity of vanities, all is vanity!
3 What profit does a man get from all his labors that he toils under the sun?
4 A generation passes, and a generation comes, but the earth abides forever.
5 The sun rises, and the sun sets, and hastens to its place where it rises.
6 The wind goes to the south and goes to the north, whirling and whirling as it goes, and the wind returns to its circles.
7 All rivers flow into the sea, but the sea is not overflowing: to the place from which the rivers flow, they return to flow again.
8 All things are labor: a man cannot tell everything; The eye will not be satisfied with seeing, nor the ear will be filled with hearing.
9 What has been is what will be; and what has been done will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.
10 There are things about which they say: “Look, this is new”; but this
it was already in the centuries that came before us.
11 There is no memory of the former; and those who come after will have no memory of what will happen.
12 I, Ecclesiastes, was king over Israel in Jerusalem;
13 And I gave my heart to search and try with wisdom all that is done under heaven: this hard work God gave to the sons of men, that they might practice it.
14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun, and behold, they are all vanity and vexation of spirit!
15 What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is not cannot be counted.
16 I spoke to my heart like this: Behold, I have become exalted and gained wisdom more than all that were before me over Jerusalem, and my heart has seen much wisdom and knowledge.
17 And I gave my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and stupidity: I learned that this too is vexation of the spirit;
18 For in much wisdom there is much sorrow; and whoever increases knowledge increases sorrow.
Chapter 2
1 I said in my heart: “Let me test you with joy, and enjoy good things”; but even this is vanity!
2 About laughter I said: “stupidity!”, and about fun: “What does it do?”
3 I decided in my heart to delight my body with wine and, while my heart was guided by wisdom, to adhere to foolishness, until I saw what was good for the sons of men, what they should do under heaven in the few days of their lives.
4 I undertook great works: I built myself houses, I planted vineyards for myself,
5 He built himself gardens and groves and planted in them all kinds of fruitful trees;
6 He made himself cisterns to irrigate groves of trees;
7 I acquired servants and maidservants, and members of my household; I also had more large and small livestock than all those who were in Jerusalem before me;
8 He collected for himself silver and gold and treasures from kings and provinces; He brought in singers and singers and the delights of the sons of men - various musical instruments.
9 And I became great and rich more than all those who were in Jerusalem before me; and my wisdom remained with me.
10 Whatever my eyes desired, I did not refuse them, I did not forbid my heart any joy, because my heart rejoiced in all my labors, and this was my share from all my labors.
11 And I looked back at all my works that my hands had done, and at the labor that I labored in doing them:
and behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit, and there is no
from them
under the sun!
12 And I turned to look at wisdom and madness and foolishness: for what can anyone do
man after the king
beyond what
has already been done?
13 And I saw that the advantage of wisdom over foolishness is the same as the advantage of light over darkness:
14 A wise man has his eye in his head, but a fool walks in darkness; but I learned that one fate befalls them all.
15 And I said in my heart: “And the same fate will befall me as a fool: why then have I become very wise?” And I said in my heart that this too is vanity;
16 For a wise man will not be remembered forever, neither will a fool; in the days to come everything will be forgotten, and alas! the wise man dies equally with the foolish man.
17 And I hated life, because the works that were done under the sun became disgusting to me; for all is vanity and vexation of spirit!
18 And I hated all my labor that I worked under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who comes after me.
19 And who knows whether he will be wise or foolish? And he will manage all my labor, with which I labored and with which I showed myself wise under the sun. And this is vanity!
20 And I turned to persuade my heart to renounce all the labor that I had labored under the sun,
21 because another man labors wisely, with knowledge and success, and must give all to the man who has not labored, as it were, a part of him. And this is vanity and great evil!
22 For what will a man gain from all his labor and the care of his heart, because he toils under the sun?
23 For all his days are sorrow, and his labors are trouble; even at night his heart does not know peace. And this is vanity!
24 It is not in man’s power to eat and drink and to delight his soul from his labor. I saw that this too was from the hand of God;
25 For who can eat and who can enjoy without Him?
26 For to the man who is good before Him He gives wisdom and knowledge and joy; but gives the sinner the trouble of collecting and hoarding, so that later
give to the good before the face of God. And this is vanity and languor of spirit!
Chapter 3
1 For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:
2 a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
3 a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to destroy, and a time to build;
4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 a time to scatter stones, and a time to gather stones; a time to hug, and a time to avoid hugs;
6 a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to save, and a time to throw away;
7 A time to rend, and a time to sew together; a time to be silent and a time to speak;
8 a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.
9 What does the workman profit by what he works at?
10 I saw this care which God gave to the sons of men, that they might exercise themselves in this.
11 He made everything beautiful in its time, and put peace in their hearts, although man cannot comprehend the works that God does from beginning to end.
12 I learned that there is nothing better for them than to have fun and do good in their lives.
13 And if a man eats and drinks, and sees good in all his labor, then this is the gift of God.
14 I learned that everything that God does endures forever: there is nothing to add to it and nothing to take away from it, and God does it in such a way that they will fear his presence.
15 What was, is now, and what will be, has already been, and God will call back the past.
16 Again I saw under the sun: a place of judgment, and there was lawlessness; there is a place of truth, but there is untruth.
17 And I said in my heart, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked; because there is a time for everything and judgment
over every matter there."
18 I spoke in my heart about the sons of men, so that God might test them, and so that they would see that they are animals in themselves;
19 because the fate of the sons of men and the fate of animals is one fate: as they die, so these die, and they all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over cattle, because everything is vanity!
20 Everything goes to one place: everything came from dust and everything will return to dust.
21 Who knows whether the spirit of the sons of men ascends upward, or whether the spirit of animals descends down to the earth?
22 Therefore I saw that there is nothing better than for a man to enjoy his own affairs: for this is his portion; for who will bring him to see what will happen after him?
Chapter 4
1 And I turned and saw all kinds of oppression that are happening under the sun: and behold, the tears of the oppressed, but they had no comforter; and in the hand of those who oppress them is power, but they have no comforter.
2 And I have blessed the dead, who died long ago, more than the living, who live yet;
3 And more blessed than both of them is he who has not yet existed, who has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun.
Who is the author
But why does this happen, because it is believed that the book was written by the great King Solomon - a rich, “successful” man with undeniable authority. The speaker himself calls himself “the son of David” and “the king of Jerusalem,” but the name of the king is not mentioned anywhere. To be fair, it should be said that in the 16th century, faith in the authorship of Solomon was shaken by the Christian apologist, Protestant Hugo de Groot - so much so did its spirit fall out of the general biblical narrative.
It is not known exactly when Ecclesiastes was created - some theologians claim that the book was written between the 10th and 6th centuries BC. e., others - that this is the V-IV century BC. e., and still others believe that the book was written much later - during the reign of the “evil genius” of the Jews, Herod I the Great. The “Atheistic Dictionary,” edited by M. P. Novikov, indicates that the text contains clear signs of the influence of Greek philosophy, and in addition, it contains words in Persian and Aramaic, which are completely inconsistent with the time and spirit of King Solomon. It is known that the book was included in the Old Testament only after heated debates between the rabbinic schools of Shammai and Hillel.
Bible
Cm.:
stanza breakdown and subheadings by Yakov Krotov
Gyre
Vanity of vanities, said Ecclesiastes, vanity of vanities, all is vanity! A comment.
What profit does a man get from all the labors he toils under the sun?
A generation passes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever.
The sun rises, and the sun sets, and hastens to its place where it rises.
The wind goes south and goes north,
it spins and spins as it goes, and the wind returns to its circles.
All rivers flow into the sea, but the sea does not overflow:
to the place from which the rivers flow, they return to flow again.
All things are in labor: a person cannot retell everything;
The eye will not be satisfied with seeing, nor the ear will be filled with hearing.
What has been is what will be; and what has been done will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.
There is something about which they say: “look, this is new”; but this was already in the centuries that were before us.
There is no memory of the past; and those who come after will have no memory of what will happen.
I, Ecclesiastes, was king over Israel in Jerusalem;
and I gave my heart to search and test with wisdom all that is done under heaven:
God gave this difficult task to the sons of men so that they could practice it.
I have seen all the works that are done under the sun, and behold, everything is vanity and vexation of spirit!
What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is not there cannot be counted.
I spoke to my heart like this: Behold, I have become exalted
and I gained more wisdom than all those who were before me over Jerusalem,
and my heart saw much wisdom and knowledge. And I betrayed my heart
to know wisdom and to know madness and stupidity:
I learned that this too is a languor of the spirit; because in much wisdom there is much sorrow; and whoever increases knowledge increases sorrow.
Pleasure
I said in my heart: “Let me test you with joy, and enjoy good things”;
but even this is vanity!
About laughter I said: “stupidity!”, and about fun: “What does it do?”
I decided in my heart to delight my body with wine and, while my heart was guided by wisdom,
stick to stupidity until I see it,
what is good for the sons of men, what should they do under heaven in the few days of their lives.
I undertook great things: I built myself houses, planted vineyards for myself, built myself gardens and groves and planted all kinds of fruitful trees in them; made himself reservoirs to irrigate groves of trees from them; I acquired servants and maidservants, and I had household members; I also had more large and small livestock than all those who were in Jerusalem before me;
He collected for himself silver and gold and jewelry from kings and regions; He brought in singers and singers and the delights of the sons of men - various musical instruments.
And I became great and rich more than all those who were in Jerusalem before me;
and my wisdom remained with me. Whatever my eyes desired, I did not refuse them, I did not forbid my heart any joy, because my heart rejoiced in all my labors, and this was my share from all my labors.
And I looked back at all my works that my hands had done,
and for the labor that I labored in making them:
and behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit, and there is no benefit from them under the sun!
Wisdom
And I turned to look at wisdom and madness and stupidity:
for what can a man do after a king beyond what has already been done?
And I saw that the advantage of wisdom over stupidity is the same as the advantage of light over darkness:
a wise man's eyes are in his head, but a fool walks in darkness;
but I learned that one fate befalls them all.
And I said in my heart: “And the same fate will befall me as a fool: why then have I become very wise?”
And I said in my heart that this too is vanity; because the wise will not be remembered forever, nor will the fool; in the days to come everything will be forgotten, and alas! the wise man dies equally with the foolish man.
And I hated life, because the things that were done under the sun became disgusting to me; for all is vanity and vexation of spirit!
Disappointment
And I hated all my labor with which I worked under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who will come after me. And who knows: will he be wise or foolish? And he will manage all my labor, with which I labored and with which I showed myself wise under the sun. And this is vanity!
And I turned to inspire my heart to renounce all the labor that I have worked under the sun, because another person works wisely, with knowledge and success, and must give everything to a person who has not worked in that, as if a part of him. And this is vanity and great evil!
For what will a man have from all his labor and the care of his heart, that he labors under the sun? Because all his days are sorrows, and his labors are anxiety; even at night his heart does not know peace. And this is vanity!
God
It is not in man’s power to eat and drink and to delight his soul from his labor.
I saw that this too was from the hand of God;
for who can eat and who can enjoy without Him?
For to the man who is good before Him, He gives wisdom and knowledge and joy;
and he gives the sinner the trouble of collecting and hoarding, so that later he can give it to the good before the face of God. And this is vanity and vexation of spirit!
For everything there is a time, and a time for every purpose under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to destroy, and a time to build;
a time to cry, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to scatter stones, and a time to gather stones; a time to hug, and a time to avoid hugs;
time to seek, and time to lose; a time to save, and a time to throw away;
a time to rend, and a time to sew together; a time to be silent and a time to speak;
a time to love and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.
What benefit does the worker get from what he works on?
I saw this care that God gave to the sons of men, so that they would exercise themselves in this.
He made everything beautiful in its time, and He put peace in their hearts,
although man cannot comprehend the works that God does from beginning to end.
I learned that there is nothing better for them than to have fun and do good in their lives.
And if a person eats and drinks and sees good in all his work, then this is a gift from God.
I learned that everything God does lasts forever:
there is nothing to add to this and nothing to take away from it, -
and God makes them stand in awe before Him.
What was, is now, and what will be, has already happened, and God will call upon the past.
I also saw under the sun: a place of judgment, and there was lawlessness; there is a place of truth, but there is untruth.
And I said in my heart: “God will judge the righteous and the wicked;
for there is a time for every thing, and a judgment for every thing.”
Death
I spoke in my heart about the sons of men, so that God would test them, and so that they would see that they are animals in themselves;
because the fate of the sons of men and the fate of animals is the same fate:
as they die, so do these,
and everyone has the same breath, and man has no advantage over cattle, because everything is vanity!
Everything goes to one place: everything came from dust and everything will return to dust.
Who knows whether the spirit of the sons of men ascends upward, and whether the spirit of animals descends down to the earth?
So I saw that there is nothing better than for a man to enjoy his deeds: because this is his lot;
for who will bring him to see what will happen after him?
And I turned and saw all kinds of oppression that are happening under the sun:
and here are the tears of the oppressed, but they have no comforter;
and in the hand of those who oppress them is power, but they have no comforter.
And I blessed the dead, who died long ago, more than the living, who live to this day;
and more blessed than both of them is he who has not yet existed,
who has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun.
I also saw that every work and every success in business produces mutual envy between people. And this is vanity and vexation of spirit!
A fool sits with folded hands and eats his own flesh.
Better is a handful with peace than handfuls with labor and vexation of spirit.
Friendship
And I turned and saw still vanity under the sun;
a lonely person, and there is no other; he has neither a son nor a brother;
but there is no end to all his labors, and his eye is not satisfied with wealth.
“For whom am I toiling and depriving my soul of good?” And this is vanity and an evil deed!
Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labor:
for if one falls, the other will raise up his companion.
But woe to one when he falls, and there is no other to lift him up.
Also, if two people are lying down, then they are warm; How can one keep warm alone?
And if one begins to overcome one, then two will stand against him:
and the thread, twisted three times, will not soon break.
Better is a poor but intelligent young man than an old but foolish king who does not know how to take advice;
for he will come out of prison to reign, although he was born poor in his kingdom.
I saw all the living who walk under the sun with this other young man who would take his place.
There was no number for all the people who were before him, although those who came after them would not rejoice over them. And this is vanity and vexation of spirit!
Piety
Watch your feet when you go to the house of God, and be ready to listen rather than to sacrifice;
for they do not think that they are doing anything wrong.
Do not be hasty with your tongue, and let not your heart be in a hurry to utter a word before God;
because God is in heaven and you are on earth; therefore let your words be few.
For just as dreams come from many worries, so the voice of a fool is known from many words.
When you make a vow to God, do not hesitate to fulfill it, because He does not favor fools:
what you promised, fulfill it. It is better for you not to promise than to promise and not fulfill.
Do not allow your lips to lead your flesh into sin, and do not say before the Angel [of God]: “This is a mistake!”
Why should you do anything so that God would be angry at your word and destroy the work of your hands?
For in many dreams, as in many words, there is much vanity; but fear God.
If you see in any area oppression of the poor and violation of justice and truth, then do not be surprised at this:
because a higher one watches over the high, and a higher one above them;
the superiority of the country as a whole is the king who cares about the country.
Own
He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver, and he who loves wealth will not profit from it. And this is vanity!
As property multiplies, those who consume it also multiply;
and what good is it for the one who owns it, except to see with his own eyes?
Sweet is the sleep of a worker, you never know how much he eats; but the rich man's satiety does not allow him to sleep.
There is a painful illness that I have seen under the sun: wealth saved by its owner to his detriment.
And this wealth perishes from accidents: he gave birth to a son, and he has nothing in his hands.
Just as he came out naked from his mother’s womb, so he goes away as he came,
and he will take nothing from his labor that he could carry in his hand.
And this is a serious illness: as it came, so it goes away.
What good does it do him to work for nothing?
And all his days he ate in the dark, in great irritation, in grief and annoyance.
Here’s something else I found good and pleasant: to eat and drink and enjoy good things in all my labors,
by which one labors under the sun all the days of his life that God has given him; because this is his share.
And if to any man God gave wealth and property, and gave him the power to enjoy them
and take your share and enjoy from your labors, then this is a gift from God.
The days of his life will not be long in his memory; that is why God rewards him with the joy of his heart.
There is evil that I have seen under the sun, and it often happens between people:
God gives man wealth and property and glory, and his soul lacks nothing that he does not desire;
but God does not allow him to use it, but a stranger uses it: this is vanity and a serious illness!
If a man begat a hundred children and lived for many years,
and the days of his life were still multiplied, but his soul would not have enjoyed good things and there would have been no burial for him,
then I would say: a miscarriage is happier than it,
because he came in vain and went away into darkness, and his name is covered in darkness.
He didn’t even see or know the sun: he was calmer than the other.
And even if he lived two thousand years and did not enjoy good things, would not everything go to one place?
All a man’s labors are for his mouth, but his soul is not satisfied.
What is the advantage of the wise over the foolish, what is the advantage of the poor man who knows how to walk over the living?
It is better to see with your eyes than to wander with your soul.
And this is also vanity and vexation of spirit!
What exists has already been given a name,
and it is known that this is a man, and that he cannot argue with someone who is stronger than him.
There are many things that multiply vanity: what is best for a person?
For who knows what is good for a person in life, in all the days of his vain life that he spends as a shadow?
And who will tell a man what will happen after him under the sun?
Moderation
A good name is better than an expensive suit, and the day of death is better than the day of birth.
It is better to go to a house of mourning for the dead than to go to a house of feasting;
for this is the end of every man, and the living will apply it to his heart.
Lamentation is better than laughter; because with a sad face the heart becomes better.
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, and the heart of fools is in the house of joy.
It is better to listen to the reproof of a wise man than to listen to the songs of fools;
because the laughter of fools is the same as the crackling of thorn brush under a cauldron.
And this is vanity!
By oppressing others, the wise become foolish, and gifts spoil the heart.
The end of a thing is better than the beginning; patient is better than arrogant.
Do not be hasty in your spirit to anger, because anger nests in the hearts of fools.
Do not say: “Why were the former days better than these?” for it is not out of wisdom that you ask this.
Wisdom with inheritance is good, and especially for those who see the sun:
because under its shadow is the same as under the shadow of silver;
but the superiority of knowledge is that wisdom gives life to those who possess it.
Look at the working of God: for who can make straight what He has made crooked?
In days of prosperity, take advantage of the good, and in days of misfortune, reflect:
God did both so that man could not say anything against Him.
I have seen enough of everything in my vain days: the righteous perish in his righteousness; the wicked live long in his wickedness.
Don't be too strict, and don't pretend to be too wise; why would you ruin yourself?
Do not indulge in sin, and do not be mad: why should you die at the wrong time?
It’s good if you stick to one and don’t take your hands off the other;
because whoever fears God will escape all this.
Wisdom makes a wise man stronger than the ten rulers who are in the city.
There is no righteous man on earth who does good and does not sin;
therefore, do not pay attention to every word that is said,
lest you hear your servant when he curses you;
for your heart knows many cases when you yourself have slandered others.
I have experienced all this through wisdom; I said: “I will be wise”;
but wisdom is far from me. What was is far away
and deep - deep: who will comprehend it?
I have turned my heart to learn, to explore and seek wisdom and understanding, and to know the wickedness of stupidity, ignorance and madness, -
and I found that woman is more bitter than death, because she is a snare, and her heart is a snare, her hands are fetters;
the good before God will be saved from it, and the sinner will be caught by it.
This is what I found, said Ecclesiastes, testing one thing after another.
What else has my soul sought and I have not found? —
I found one man out of a thousand, but I did not find a woman among all of them.
This is the only thing I found
that God created man upright, and people indulged in many thoughts.
Justice and injustice
Who is the wise one, and who understands the meaning of things?
A man's wisdom brightens his face, and the severity of his face changes.
I say: keep the royal word, and this is for the sake of an oath before God.
Do not rush to leave his presence, and do not persist in evil deeds;
because he can do whatever he wants.
Where the word of the king is, there is power; and who will say to him: “What are you doing?”
He who keeps the commandment will not experience any evil: the heart of the wise knows both the time and the rule;
because for every thing there is a time and a rule;
and it is a great evil for man because he does not know what will happen;
and how it will be - who will tell him?
Man has no power over the spirit to hold the spirit, and he has no power over the day of death,
and there is no deliverance in this conflict, and the wickedness of the wicked will not save.
I saw all this, and turned my heart to every work that is done under the sun.
There is a time when a person rules over a person to his detriment.
I saw then that the wicked were buried, and they came and went from the holy place,
and they were forgotten in the city where they did this. And this is vanity!
Judgment for evil deeds does not come quickly; This is why the hearts of the sons of men are not afraid to do evil.
Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and remains stuck in it,
but I know that it will be good for those who fear God, who revere before Him;
But no good will come to the wicked, and like a shadow, he who does not revere God will not last long.
There is such a bustle on earth:
the righteous receive what the deeds of the wicked deserve,
But what happens to the wicked is what the deeds of the righteous would deserve.
And I said: and this is vanity! And I praised the fun;
because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat, drink and be merry:
this accompanies him in his labors during the days of his life, which God gave him under the sun.
When I turned my heart to comprehend wisdom and to survey the deeds that are being done on earth, and among which a person does not sleep either day or night, -
Then I saw all the works of God and found that man cannot comprehend the works that are done under the sun.
No matter how much a person labors in research, he still will not comprehend this;
and even if any wise man said that he knows, he cannot comprehend it.
To all this I turned my heart to investigate,
that the righteous and the wise and their deeds are in the hand of God,
and that man knows neither love nor hate in all that is before him.
There is one thing for everything and everyone: one fate for the righteous and the wicked,
good and [evil], pure and unclean,
the one who sacrifices and the one who does not;
both the virtuous and the sinner;
both the one who swears and the one who fears an oath.
This is what is bad in everything that is done under the sun,
that there is one fate for all, and the heart of the sons of men is filled with evil,
and madness is in their heart, in their life; and after that they go to the dead.
There is still hope for those who are among the living,
since it is better for a living dog than for a dead lion.
The living know they will die, but the dead know nothing,
and there is no longer any reward for them, because the memory of them is consigned to oblivion,
and their love and their hatred and their jealousy have already disappeared, and they no longer have a part forever in anything that is done under the sun.
Go therefore, eat thy bread with gladness, and drink thy wine with gladness of heart, when God delighteth in thy works.
May your garments be bright at all times, and may the oil on your head not fail.
Enjoy life with your wife
whom you love, all the days of your vain life,
and which God has given you under the sun for all your vain days;
because this is your portion in life and in your labors, as you labor under the sun.
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your strength;
because in the grave where you go there is no work, no reflection, no knowledge, no wisdom.
And I turned, and saw under the sun that it is not to the swift that the race is won, nor to the brave the victory, nor to the wise the bread, nor to the wise riches, nor to the skillful the favor, but time and chance for them all.
For man does not know his time.
As fish are caught in a destructive net, and as birds are entangled in a snare, so the sons of men are caught in times of trouble when it unexpectedly comes upon them.
Here is some other wisdom I saw under the sun, and it seemed important to me:
the city is small and there are few people in it;
the great king approached him and besieged him and carried out large siege works against him;
but a wise poor man was found in him, and with his wisdom he saved this city; and yet no one remembered this poor man.
And I said, Wisdom is better than strength, and yet the wisdom of the poor man is despised, and his words are not listened to.
The words of the wise, spoken calmly, are better heard than the cry of a ruler among fools.
Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner will destroy a lot of good things.
Dead flies spoil and make the incense ointment of the world brewer smelly:
the same thing does a little stupidity of a respected person with his wisdom and honor.
The heart of a wise man is on the right side, and the heart of a fool is on the left.
No matter what road a fool takes, he always lacks meaning,
and he will tell everyone that he is stupid.
If the boss’s anger flares up against you, then do not leave your place; because meekness covers even greater offenses.
There is evil that I have seen under the sun, it is like a mistake that comes from the ruler;
ignorance comes high and the rich sit low.
I saw slaves on horses, and princes walking like slaves.
Prudence
Whoever digs a hole will fall into it, and whoever destroys the fence will be bitten by a serpent.
He who moves stones can impale himself,
and whoever splits wood may be in danger from it.
If the ax becomes dull, and if its blade is not sharpened,
then you will need to strain your strength; wisdom can fix this.
If a snake bites without incantation, then the evil-tongued one is no better than him.
Words from the mouth of a wise man are grace, but the mouth of a fool destroys him:
the beginning of the words from his mouth is stupidity, and the end of the words from his mouth is madness.
A fool will say a lot, although a person does not know what will happen, and who will tell him what will happen after him?
The work of a fool tires him, because he does not even know the way to the city.
Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child, and when your princes eat early!
It is good for you, land, when your king is from a noble family, and your princes eat at the right time, for strengthening, and not for satiety!
The ceiling will sag from laziness, and when you give up, the house will leak.
Feasts are given for pleasure, and wine makes life merry; and silver is responsible for everything.
Even in your thoughts do not curse the king, and in your bedroom do not curse the rich;
for the bird of the air can carry thy word, and the bird with wings can retell thy speech.
Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again.
Give us part seven or even eight, because you don’t know what kind of trouble will happen on earth.
When the clouds are full, they will pour rain on the earth;
and if a tree falls to the south or north, then it will remain where it falls.
He who watches the wind must not sow; and whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.
How do you not know the ways of the wind and how bones are formed in the womb of a pregnant woman,
so you cannot know the work of God, who does everything.
In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening do not let your hand rest,
because you don’t know whether one or the other will be more successful, or whether both will be equally good.
Sweet is the light, and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun.
If a person lives many years, then let him have fun throughout all of them,
and let him remember the dark days, of which there will be many: all that will happen is vanity!
Death
Rejoice, young man, in your youth, and let your heart taste joy in the days of your youth,
and walk in the ways of your heart and in the vision of your eyes;
just know that for all this God will bring you to judgment.
And remove sorrow from your heart, and turn away evil from your body, because childhood and youth are vanity.
And remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before difficult days come
and the years have not come about which you will say: “I have no pleasure in them!”
until the sun and the light and the moon and the stars were darkened, and new clouds were found after the rain.
On that day when those who guard the house will tremble and the men of strength will bow down;
and the grinders will stop grinding, because there are few of them left;
and those looking out the window will be darkened; and the doors to the street will be locked;
when the sound of the millstone stops and a man rises at the cry of a rooster
and the daughters of singing will be silent; and the heights will be scary to them,
and there are horrors on the road; and the almond trees will bloom,
and the grasshopper will become heavy, and the caper will crumble.
For a man departs to his eternal home, and mourners are ready to surround him in the street; —
until the silver chain was broken and the golden band was torn,
and the pitcher at the spring did not break, and the wheel over the well did not collapse.
And the dust will return to the earth as it was; and the spirit returned to God, who gave it.
Vanity of vanities, said Ecclesiastes, everything is vanity!
Epilogue
In addition to the fact that Ecclesiastes was wise, he also taught the people knowledge.
He tested everything, examined everything, and composed many parables.
Ecclesiastes tried to find elegant sayings, and the words of truth were written by him correctly.
The words of the wise are like needles and like driven nails, and their compilers are from one shepherd.
And above all this, my son, beware of this:
compiling a lot of books will never end, and reading a lot is tiring for the body.
Let us hear the essence of everything: fear God and keep His commandments, because this is everything for man;
For God will bring every deed into judgment, even every secret thing, whether it is good or evil.
And yet this is Solomon
At the same time, the book was highly valued by such Orthodox saints as Basil the Great, Gregory of Nyssa, Blessed. Jerome, who did not doubt the authorship of Solomon and believed that Ecclesiastes was the farewell speech of a king who had achieved everything that a person could dream of, but suddenly realized that his life was vanity of vanities. “And I looked back at the works that my hands have done, and at the labor that I have labored... all is vanity... and there is no profit from them under the sun!” (Eccl. 2:11).
Therefore, his speech is imbued with the bitterness of the realization that the human mind cannot comprehend the wisdom of the world - a person tries to recognize it, but it moves away from him. “What does a man profit by all his labors that he toils under the sun?” (Eccl. 1:3), he asks.
The influence of Greek philosophy on the text is undeniable: the author constantly talks about the cyclical nature of the world, that the same events occur on earth from century to century, but there is no novelty among them. Everything is the same everywhere - the same human vices, the same feelings, the same relationships, everything is unchanged: “A generation passes, and a generation comes, but the earth abides forever” (Eccl. 1:4).
Chapter 1
1–3. The main idea of the book. 4–11. The circulation of the world's elements. 12–15. Personal experience of Ecclesiastes. 16–18. Vanity of wisdom.
Eccl.1:1. Words of Ecclesiastes, son of David, king in Jerusalem.
Comparing the inscription of the book of Proverbs and the book of Ecclesiastes, some interpreters, not without reason, find in the latter signs of non-Solomonic origin. It is not entirely clear why Solomon is not called here by his own name, as he is in the book of Proverbs, if he really was the writer of the book of Ecclesiastes. Is not the historical Solomon here a mere symbol, like the very name Kohelet? The expression “king in Jerusalem” is also little understood. In historical books, Solomon is usually called the king of Israel (for example, 2 Kings 23.13; 1 Kings 4.1, etc.), but never simply a king in Jerusalem. The last expression apparently indicates the time when Israel ceased to constitute an independent kingdom and no longer had its own king in Jerusalem.
Eccl.1:2. Vanity of vanities, said Ecclesiastes, vanity of vanities - all is vanity!
"Vanity". Heb. hebel (from the Chaldean habal - to smoke, evaporate) means: smoke, steam, breath, in a figurative sense: insignificance, useless thing, perishability, vanity. This name is used to describe pagan gods (Deut. 32.21; Jer. 14.22), as not bringing any benefit to man (Jer. 16.19), every useless thing, vain, vain action (Is. 30.7, 49.4), fantastic thoughts (Ps. 93.11), joyless, sorrowful life (Job 7.16). The expression “vanity of vanities” indicates the highest degree of insignificance and uselessness. According to Ecclesiastes, everything is insignificant. But in Eccl. 1ff. In verses, this “everything” is limited to what exists and happens “under the sun,” that is, within the limits of earthly, finite existence. And even in this case, the concept of vanity in Ecclesiastes needs some limitation. All things and phenomena, according to the plans of Providence, have their own purposes, the implementation of which they cannot be considered useless, insignificant (cf. (Eccl. 3.11): He made everything beautiful in its time). They are insignificant, in the minds of Ecclesiastes, only in relation to the goal of human aspirations, which is to achieve perfect, absolute happiness - Ithron.
In relation to this goal, everything in the world is insignificant, useless, vain. Nothing can give a person lasting happiness.
Eccl.1:3. What profit does a man get from all the labors he toils under the sun?
“What good is it to a man?” The Hebrew word Ithron never appears in the Bible. According to the Hebraists, it means: remaining, imperishable. Blessed Jerome conveys the question of verse 3 with the words: quid superest, i.e. what remains? Gregory of Nyssa expresses it even more clearly: “Which of the visible goods always remains the same?” The word Ithron, thus, denotes constant, stable, eternal happiness - in contrast to temporary, fleeting, illusory happiness. Ecclesiastes leaves his question, whether all the efforts of people lead to any lasting happiness, here unanswered. But this answer has already been given in the most decisive manner in the second verse, in the recognition of the vanity of everything.
Eccl.1:4. A generation passes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever.
The impossibility of lasting human happiness is already expressed in the instability and constant change of human generations, with the immutability and strength of inanimate nature. “What is more vanity than this vanity,” says Blessed Jerome, “that the earth, created for people, remains, but man himself, the lord of the earth, instantly disintegrates into dust?”
Eccl.1:5. The sun rises, and the sun sets, and hastens to its place where it rises.
But in the life of nature, as well as in the life of humanity, there is constant change. And here everything moves, everything flows, but not forward, but around, therefore, always along the same path, forever according to the same pattern. This is, first of all, the movement of the sun. “He hastens to his place,” more precisely from the Hebrew: “out of breath, he hastens to his place.” The expression indicates fatigue from the eternally monotonous movement.
Eccl.1:6. The wind goes to the south, and goes to the north, spins, spins as it goes, and the wind returns to its circles.
Apparently the freest of the elements - air, in fact, eternally repeats the same movement, movement along the same circle. It should be noted that the monotony in the movement of the wind was especially noticeable for a resident of Palestine. There, from the autumn equinox until November, the north-west wind prevails; from November to February - western and southwestern winds, from February to June - eastern, from July - northern, interspersed with others.
Eccl.1:7. All rivers flow into the sea, but the sea does not overflow: to the place from which the rivers flow, they return to flow again.
Rivers are also subject to constant and monotonous movement, and this movement does not produce any extraordinary changes in the world. No matter how many rivers flow into the sea, the sea will never overflow and flood the land. “To the place from which rivers flow, they return to flow again.” This translation is not accurate, although it successfully expresses the idea of gyration. ט means: “where”, not: “from”. In the same way, בט means: “there”, “there”, and not: “from there”. The correct translation of this passage should be: “to the place where rivers flow, there they always flow again.” The sacred writer speaks only about the flow of rivers always in the same direction, and not about the circular movement of the water element, although even at that time they already knew that water, evaporating and forming clouds, falls again to the earth (Job 36.27 etc. ).
Eccl.1:8. All things are in labor: a person cannot retell everything; The eye will not be satisfied with seeing, nor the ear will be filled with hearing.
“All things are in labor.” The Hebrew dabar has two meanings: thing and word. Both meanings are found in the book of Ecclesiastes. This gives grounds for many translators and interpreters to translate the beginning of the eighth verse: all words are weak, powerless (to convey the monotonous movement of things). This is how the Greek and Slavic translation conveys: “All words are difficult, a man will not be able to speak: and the eye of seeing will not be satisfied, and the ear of hearing will not be filled.” It is difficult to choose between these two understandings, since both of them are quite consistent with the context. The constant, monotonous movement of things is so great that it could provide endless material for the human ability to speak, see and hear.
Eccl.1:9. What has been is what will be; and what has been done will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.
The constant, monotonous movement of things in the same direction, movement in its own circle, of course, cannot produce anything new. Its results are always the same.
Eccl.1:10. There is something about which they say: “look, this is new”; but this was already in the centuries that were before us.
If sometimes they think that something new has happened, a step forward has been taken, then, in fact, here too we are dealing with a repetition of the old.
Eccl.1:11. There is no memory of the past; and those who come after will have no memory of what will happen.
The error, in this case, comes from a lack of historical memory, from the fact that subsequent generations are forgotten about previous generations. Instead of “about the former and about what will be,” it should be translated: “about the former” and “about the later,” since the masculine plural in the Hebrew text obviously indicates people. In Slavic - “There is no memory of the first, and the last past will not be their memory with the future for last.”
Eccl.1:12. I, Ecclesiastes, was king over Israel in Jerusalem;
The aimless circulation of the world's elements, in itself, does not yet prove that the highest happiness for man is impossible. Human life is more complex than the life of nature, it follows its own independent path and, therefore, perhaps, contains special inclinations to satisfy the human desire for eternal happiness. Therefore, the writer considers it necessary to turn from observing external nature to psychological experience. Solomon, in whom, apparently, all the gifts of happiness were combined with wisdom, more than anyone else had reason to answer the question about the possibility of personal happiness; in his rich life experience, all goods were assessed from the point of view of perfect happiness; in fact, what the writer of the book decides theoretically was verified. It is clear how useful it was for him to benefit from Solomon’s experience.
However, having passed through the divinely enlightened consciousness of the sacred writer, this experience should have received some new features that were not characteristic of the historical personality of Solomon; it naturally had to take on the character of philosophical quests, philosophical experiments: if the historical Solomon, in search of happiness, acted at the behest of his heart, according to natural passion, like other people, then the ideal Solomon - Ecclesiastes was guided in this case by ideal motives, “wisdom” (Eccl. 1 :13, 2:3), the desire to explore experimentally the greatest question for humanity: what is good for the sons of men and what they should do under heaven in the days of their vain life.
Eccl.1:13. and I gave my heart to search and test with wisdom all that is done under heaven: this difficult task God gave to the sons of men so that they would practice in it.
The purpose of the experiment of Ecclesiastes was to examine everything that is done under heaven from the point of view of the question of happiness. The first result that Ecclesiastes came to in his studies was the realization that the very desire of people to know and appreciate human affairs constitutes a difficult, painful task, which, having been implanted by God Himself in the nature of man, takes possession of him, as if against his will. Some interpreters refer to the expression “hard work” not to the study of human affairs, but to the affairs themselves. But it hardly corresponds to the expression: “everything that is done under heaven.” The study of human affairs is a difficult, painful task due to the extreme disappointment of its results.
Eccl.1:14. I have seen all the works that are done under the sun, and behold, everything is vanity and vexation of spirit!
The conclusion that Ecclesiastes came to in his studies was that all is vanity and vexation of the spirit. Ecclesiastes adds a new one to his favorite expression hebel - reuth ruach. This expression is translated differently. Some (trans. Chaldean, Syriac, Vulgate), deriving the word reuth, found only in Ecclesiastes, from raah - to rage, to break, translate: excitement, languor of spirit (like Russian). Others (Aquila, Theodotion and Symmachus), deriving from raah - to graze, translate: herding the wind. Still others, deriving from the same verb with the meaning to covet, translate: the desire of the wind, windy undertaking (LXX - προαίρεσις πνεύμαίος) or chasing the wind. The last two understandings are more consistent with the context and have a very close parallel place in the book of St. Hosea (Hosea 12.1), in the words: “Ephraim feeds the wind (raah ruach) and chases the east wind.” Having called all human affairs “grazing the wind” or “chasing the wind,” Ecclesiastes points to the insignificance and illusory nature of their results in the sense of achieving lasting happiness.
Eccl.1:15. What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is not there cannot be counted.
This verse explains the reason for the futility of human activity. The latter is not able to change the existing order, correct all the shortcomings and imperfections in external nature and in human nature, or recreate both.
Eccl.1:16. I spoke to my heart like this: Behold, I have become exalted and gained wisdom more than all who were before me over Jerusalem, and my heart has seen much wisdom and knowledge.
If all human deeds and aspirations are insignificant and fruitless, like smoke, like chasing the wind, due to the irremovable shortcomings and imperfections of the world, then, of course, it is clear that the study of them by wisdom and wisdom itself cannot give moral satisfaction to a person. By the expression “more than all who were before me over Jerusalem,” some interpreters do not mean kings, since before Solomon there was only one king in Jerusalem - David, but, in general, the Israelites. However, the preposition “above” (al) contains the concept of domination and can, therefore, only indicate the kings of Jerusalem. Ecclesiastes ascribes to himself the possession of wisdom, as religious and moral-practical knowledge, and, in general, knowledge, as theoretical, scientific comprehension of things.
Eccl.1:17. And I gave my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and stupidity: I learned that this too is languor of the spirit;
Eccl.1:18. because in much wisdom there is much sorrow; and whoever increases knowledge increases sorrow.
Ecclesiastes was convinced from his own experience that the acquisition of wisdom and knowledge turned out to be the same vanity, the same chasing after the wind, like everything else in human life. It not only did not bring him happiness, but, on the contrary, increased his suffering, showing all the illusory nature of human hopes, all the futility of human aspirations, exposing the insignificance of everything earthly.
What's worth living for?
But if everything has already happened and everything is exactly like this, then what is the meaning of human existence? The answer to this question is the meaning of this gloomy book.
Hieromonk from Sretensky Monastery Job Gumerov points out that the author of the book goes through several stages, discussing the meaning of life: he tests himself with work, which does not bring him comfort, then with knowledge of the world and the achievement of wisdom, which also does not bring relief, but only aggravates sadness. Finally he experiences joy, but it also seems meaningless to him in light of the fact that human life is short, it is only a moment in the face of eternity.
But gradually Ecclesiastes comes to the conclusion that even a person’s earthly blessings depend not on his labors, but on God’s mercy. And even the thirst for universal happiness, the highest good, is inherent in man by the Creator himself. Without God, life has no meaning, is empty, and people fall into despondency and sadness. And only in God can one find meaning and consolation, standing on the threshold of non-existence: “The dust will return to the ground, what it was; and the spirit will return to God who gave it (Eccl. 12:7).
A king who has achieved human greatness understands: everything he has was given to him by the Creator. And that the deeds of people are truly “havel”, and what was created by the Creator “endures forever.” In order for a person to find the meaning of existence, he should live in such a way as to appear before the court of God in the hope of His mercy and forgiveness.
This awareness lifts the speaker from the depths of philosophical sadness and elevates him to a completely different level: “Let us hear the essence of everything,” he writes in the last verses of the book, “fear God and keep His commandments, because this is all for man (Eccl. 12:13 -14). Thus, the darkest story in the Bible lifts the reader above existence and leads him to hope, which will still be revealed to him in the events of the coming Gospel.
Book of Ecclesiastes, or Preacher, Chapter 1, verses 13-18
The book of Ecclesiastes, as can be seen from its beginning, contains the words of Ecclesiastes, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. Since only one son of David was king, namely Solomon, it is obvious that this last one is called Ecclesiastes here. At all times in Jewish history, Solomon was considered the greatest sage and, as the creator of many edifying parables, a teacher of the people. He appears with this character in our book. He “himself was wise and taught the people knowledge,” notes the book’s writer in Ecc 12:9
.
According to this trait, Solomon was given the Hebrew name Kohelet. It comes from the root kahal, which in verbal form means: to convene, to gather (= Greek ἐκκαλέω) cf. Lev 8:3
;
Numbers 1:18
;
Deuteronomy 4:10,
etc., in the form of a noun name (like Greek ἐκκλησία
1 Greek ἐκκλησία and Latin concilium have a common root with Hebrew kahal.); congregation in general, religious congregation in particular, e.g. Numbers 10:7
;
Psalm 21:23
;
Psalm 34:18
;
Nehemiah 5:7
etc. Hence Heb.
koheleth, like the Greek. ἐκκλησαιστής means: convener of a meeting, speaker in a meeting, church speaker, preacher. This name for Solomon could have been given a particular reason for the highly significant fact described in 3 Kings 8
(cf.
2 Chronicles 5-6
), when Solomon, at the consecration of his temple, having called (jakhel) the Israelites, uttered his most remarkable prayer for the sending of God’s mercy to everyone who came to the temple, both the Jewish people and foreigners, then, blessing the meeting (kehal), he addressed him with a speech in which he prayed to God that He would direct the hearts of the people to preserve the statutes and keep the commandments. Here, in this way, in a visual, tactile form, Solomon appeared what he was for his people in all subsequent times, that is, a kohelet, a preacher. Female form of Hebrew The name indicates either the implied noun chokma (wisdom) or, more likely, the official mission of Solomon as a people's teacher, since names denoting office often took the feminine form among the Jews. Probably, in this way the symbolic name of Solomon - Kohelet - (Ecclesiastes) formed gave the name to the book itself.
The entire content of the book of Ecclesiastes serves as an answer to the question: what is happiness on earth, is complete, perfect happiness possible for a person ( Ecc 1:3
;
Ecc 3:9
;
Ecc 5:15
;
Ecc 6:11
)?
To this question Ecclesiastes gives the most emphatic answer in the negative. Ithron - this is what he calls perfect happiness - in contrast to temporary and fleeting joys - is impossible for humans. Nothing in the world and in a person’s life can give such happiness. Hence everything is vain, everything is insignificant, everything is useless. Vanity of vanities, all is vanity. This is the conclusion that Ecclesiastes came to through long and difficult searches and which he expresses equally decisively both at the beginning and at the end of the book ( Ecc 1:2
;
Ecc 12:8
).
But why is absolute happiness unattainable, why does everything in this sense turn out to be useless and vain? The reason for this is that everything in the world is subject to unchanging and at the same time uniform laws and, as a result, is in constant rotation, giving nothing new, nothing that could even in the future ensure the achievement of Ithron ( Ecc 1:4-11
).
Movement not forward, but around, a non-progressive circulation is observed not only in external nature, but also in human life, where mental phenomena alternate with the same sequence as natural phenomena, depend just as little on the will of man, where there is also a time for everything ( Ecc 3:1-8
).
This inevitability of the natural course of things, the powerlessness of the human will to change its direction, to subjugate it, makes the happiness available to man fragile, fickle, accidental, and fleeting. A person cannot guarantee for one minute that happiness will not betray him. Of course, such happiness is not Ithron. Then examining particular cases from his own life and the lives of people, Ecclesiastes becomes even more convinced that nothing can give a person true happiness. Wisdom? But it brings torment to people, revealing both in the world and in man the ugliness and insignificance, hiding behind visible beauty and expediency, giving birth in man to a heavy consciousness of the limitations of his mind and the incomprehensibility of everything that exists ( Ecc 1:13-18
).
Carefree fun, enjoying all sorts of pleasures and entertainment? But it leaves a painful feeling of emptiness and meaninglessness in a person’s soul ( Ecc 2:1-2
).
The joy of work, varied activities? But they fade from the consciousness of the insignificance and randomness of the results of labor ( Ecc 2:3-11
).
The latter depend not so much on the person himself, his talents and energy, but on time and chance ( Ecc 9:11
).
The good of eating and drinking does not depend on man ( Eccl 2:24
).
Wealth? But it belongs, in fact, not to man, but to life. Upon the death of the owner, it passes to the heir, who may turn out to be stupid and abuse the inheritance ( Ecc 2:18-19
).
And during their lifetime, the rich often feel lonely, tormented by envy, strife, greed ( Ecc 4:4-8
;
Ecc 6:1-6
) or suddenly lose wealth (
Ecc 5:10-16
).
But over all these human sorrows and vicissitudes reigns the greatest evil - death, which equally strikes both the wise and the foolish ( Ecc 2:14-16
), and the righteous and the wicked (
Ecc 9:1-3
), thus destroying all differences between people and making their happiness illusory.
And what follows death, the state in Sheol, is life without knowledge, reflection, without love, hope and hatred, a life in comparison with which even a sad earthly existence is good, since a living dog is better than a dead lion ( Ecc 9:4-6.10
).
Where death reigns, there can be no lasting happiness. But what follows from this? Should a person come to gloomy despondency, to a conscious disgust for a life that so mercilessly crushes all dreams of happiness? No. Where, apparently, extreme pessimism should have hung like a hopeless fog, Ecclesiastes saw a living hope for the possibility of some happiness, a belief in some value of life. Ithron - perfect happiness for Ecclesiastes still remained unattainable, but he found in life comparative good, relative happiness, something that we can confidently say is something better. In place of the unattainable Ithron is the possible for man Tob. What is this Tob? To understand and be able to achieve this Tob, for this it is necessary to look at the world and human life from a completely new point of view, from a religious point of view, it is necessary to replace world consciousness with God-consciousness, the living consciousness of the Divine force operating in the world. Everything in the world is subject to known immutable laws, but these laws are nothing more than an expression of the Divine will. Man depends not on blind fate, but on Divine Providence. Everything is from the hand of God. Without it, a person cannot even eat and drink ( Ecc 2:24-26
).
Man is not able to argue with God ( Ecc 6:10
), change what God does (
Ecc 3:14
; cf.
Ecc 7:13
).
He does not know the ways of God ( Ecc 3:16-17
), does not know the future or the goals of the present (
Ecc 3:11
;
Ecc 11:5
;
Ecc 7:14
).
But even if the ways of God are incomprehensible, then, in any case, they cannot be unjust. God will reward everyone according to their deserts, reward those who fear Him and punish the wicked ( Ecc 8:12-13
).
As soon as a person begins to look at the world from a religious point of view, his mood changes radically. Convinced that the fate of man is in the hands of God ( Ecc 9:1
), he leaves behind all restless worries and fearful expectations of the future, all irritation, grief and annoyance (
Ecc 5:16
), which, leading nowhere, spoil the present, poison all joys, and sees the surest means of securing the future in acquiring God’s mercy through heartfelt prayer, reverent performance of rituals, and observance of commandments and vows (
Ecc 4:17-5:4
).
Calm for the future, he serenely enjoys the joys that God sends him ( Ecc 7:14
).
He eats his bread with joy, drinks his wine with joy, counting both as the gift of God ( Ecc 9:7
;
Ecc 3:13
).
He enjoys life with his wife, whom God has given him for all the vain days under the sun ( Ecc 9:9
).
At all times his clothes are light, and the oil on his head does not fail ( Ecc 9:8
).
The light is sweet to him and the sun is pleasant to him ( Ecc 11:7
).
If God sends him misfortune, he reflects ( Ecc 7:14
) and reconciles with it, fully convinced of the expediency and justice of Divine providence, in the educational and cleansing power of suffering.
Knowing that when the face is sad, the heart is pleased ( Ecc 7:3
), he deliberately seeks what causes sadness.
He prefers the day of death to the day of birth, the house of mourning to the feast, mourning to laughter, the reproof of the wise to the songs of fools ( Ecc 7:1-6
).
In his attitude towards people, he is imbued with a feeling of gentleness, condescension, and goodwill. He seeks moral unity with people, knowing that two are better than one ( Ecc 4:9-10
).
Confident that his fate also depends on the fate of other people, he contributes in every possible way to their well-being, generously distributing his property ( Ecc 11:1-2
).
This state of mind, when a person, having completely surrendered himself to Divine Providence, serenely enjoys life, calmly and safely enduring all the trials sent to him, is the only happiness possible for him, his Tob. But this happiness is not complete; it cannot fully satisfy the desire for eternal happiness invested in a person ( Eccl 3:10-11
). Itron is unattainable. All is vanity and vexation of spirit. This is the result that Ecclesiastes arrived at. With his teaching about Sheol, with his vague idea of \u200b\u200bthe judgment of God, with his complete ignorance of the resurrection of the dead, Ecclesiastes could not come to a different conclusion. He sought perfect happiness “under the sun,” that is, within the confines of earthly existence, but it could not be there.
The book of Ecclesiastes in its inscription ( Ecc 1:1
) is adopted by Solomon.
But the inscription of a book in itself does not finally and unconditionally resolve the question of its writer. In ancient times it was the custom to reproduce the thoughts and feelings of remarkable historical figures in colloquial or poetic form. This was a kind of literary device, a special literary form in which the author, caring about the identity of the spirit and not the identity of the letter, took only a general thought from history, subjecting it to independent development. An example of such a unique presentation of prophetic speeches can be found in the books of Kings and Chronicles. Some features of the book of Ecclesiastes convince us that in it we are dealing with a similar literary device. First of all, the language of the book shows beyond doubt that it appeared after the Babylonian captivity, when the Hebrew language lost its purity and received a strong Aramaic coloring. The book of Ecclesiastes is replete with Aramaisms, even more so than the books of Ezra and Nehemiah and other post-exilic works, contains many abstract and philosophical expressions, and even has something in common with Talmudic usage (see features of language in Keil, Bibl. comment ьb. d. poet. V. A. T. IV V; pp. 197-206 and M. Olesnitsky. Book of Ecclesiastes. pp. 156-157. One researcher was right when he said that if Solomon had written the book of Ecclesiastes, there would not have been no history of the Hebrew language. In any case, then it would be impossible for Solomon to assimilate the book of Proverbs. And in the very content of the book we will find many signs of its later origin. Ecclesiastes says about himself: I was king over Israel in Jerusalem ( Ecc 1:12
). Solomon himself could not use the past tense here, since he remained king until the end of his life. Thus, the person who lived after him could say about him. The same should be said about the expression: I became exalted and gained wisdom more than all those who were before me over Jerusalem (
Ecc 1:16
).
Before Solomon, only one David was king in Jerusalem, therefore, during Solomon’s life it was impossible to talk about all the former kings in Jerusalem. According to Ecc 2:3.9
, it appears that Solomon indulged in sensual pleasures for the sake of philosophical experiments, for ideal reasons.
The historical Solomon could not say this about himself. Speaking about the religious shortcomings of modern society, our book is completely silent about idolatry, so widespread during the times of the kings, and notes the Pharisee, soulless performance of rituals ( Ecc 4:17
;
Ecc 5:1-19
), which the prophet Malachi often speaks of.
The warning against compiling and reading many books was also unclear for Solomon’s time ( Ecc 12:12
). The very content of the book, complaints about the vanity of everything, a general feeling of dissatisfaction, an exhortation not to succumb to gloomy despondency, to be content with little in life - does not fit well with the glorious and brilliant era of Solomon, when the Jewish people experienced the time of their youth, full of strength and hope, proud of their successes, who had not yet known disappointment. This was more likely due to the general discontent of the post-captivity period, the general fatigue in the constant struggle with difficult political and socio-economic living conditions. Do not say why the former days were better than these, Ecclesiastes instructs. In no other era has this been said so often as after the captivity. All this prompts us to admit that the book of Ecclesiastes was written not by Solomon, but by a person who lived in the post-exilic period. M. Philaret already admitted some doubt about her belonging to Solomon. “Unfortunately,” he wrote, “Solomon’s conversion is not as reliable as his error. The book of Ecclesiastes, apparently, is a monument to his repentance” (Outline of church-biblical history. Ed. 9. pp. 230, 231).
As can be seen from the contents of the book and from the historical circumstances of its appearance, the goal that its writer set for himself was to console his contemporaries who were falling into despondency, on the one hand, clarifying the vanity and perishability of everything earthly, on the other hand, indicating a remedy for existing difficult situations. conditions to create a more or less tolerable existence. This means consisted in living, working, enjoying all available joys, every minute, so to speak, feeling one’s dependence on Divine Providence and in it drawing for oneself a source of moral courage and peace of mind. This purpose of the book, as well as all its contents, which are completely consistent with the revealed Old Testament teaching, do not give any reason to doubt the canonical dignity of the book. If some ancient rabbis, and after them Christian writers (for example, Justin, Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Origen) are completely silent about the book of Ecclesiastes and doubt the canonical dignity of the book, this is explained by the fact that they took and interpreted some passages that tempted them fragmentarily, without connection with the general content of the book, and as a result they found in them signs of epicureanism, fatalism and pessimism. Nothing like this appears in the book if it is understood correctly.
