Vanity of Vanities

Ecclesiastes 1 opens with the frame narrator's identification of the speaker — Qoheleth, son of David, king in Jerusalem — and then immediately with Qoheleth's thesis: hevel havelim, vanity of vanities, all is vanity. The opening poem (1:2–11) makes the case cosmologically: one generation passes, another comes, the earth abides. The sun rises and sets and hurries to its place. The wind goes south, turns north, and returns again. The rivers run to the sea, and the sea is not full. There is nothing new under the sun. Whatever has been is what will be; whatever has been done is what will be done.

The second half of the chapter turns to wisdom: Qoheleth has given his heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things done under heaven. This travail has God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith. He has seen all the works that are done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit. That which is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is wanting cannot be numbered. In much wisdom is much grief, and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow. The first project is tried. It fails.