Changes

Many phrases and passages in it are famous: "to eat, and to drink, and to be merry," "there is no new thing under the sun," "the race is not to the swift." The titles of [[Ernest Hemingway]]'s ''The Sun Also Rises'', [[Edith Wharton]]'s ''The House of Mirth'', and [[George Stewart]]'s ''Earth Abides'' are all phrases from Ecclesiastes. Folksinger [[Pete Seeger]] made a passage from it into the song "Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season)" which, when recorded by The Byrds, was a #1 hit in the United States in 1965.

Many phrases and passages in it are famous: "to eat, and to drink, and to be merry," "there is no new thing under the sun," "the race is not to the swift." The titles of [[Ernest Hemingway]]'s ''The Sun Also Rises'', [[Edith Wharton]]'s ''The House of Mirth'', and [[George Stewart]]'s ''Earth Abides'' are all phrases from Ecclesiastes. Folksinger [[Pete Seeger]] made a passage from it into the song "Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season)" which, when recorded by The Byrds, was a #1 hit in the United States in 1965.

The speaker begins "Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity." (Ecc 1:2) Here, ''vanity'' means "empty" or "useless" or "in vain." The speaker says that everything that can be accomplished by human effort is empty, fleeting, and repetitious: "Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us." (Ecc 1:10) "I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit." (Ecc 1:14)

The speaker begins "Vanity of vanities(הבל הבלים), saith Qohelet, vanity of vanities; all is vanity." (Ecc 1:2) Here, ''vanity'' means "empty" or "useless" or "in vain." The speaker says that everything that can be accomplished by human effort is empty, fleeting, and repetitious: "Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us." (Ecc 1:10) "I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit." יֵשׁ דָּבָר שֶׁיֹּאמַר רְאֵה-זֶה, חָדָשׁ הוּא:  כְּבָר הָיָה לְעֹלָמִים, אֲשֶׁר הָיָה מִלְּפָנֵנוּ(Ecc 1:14)

Consequently, he advises living in the moment: "Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry." (Ecc 8:15) He praises life, saying "a living dog is better than a dead lion." (Ecc 9:4)

Consequently, he advises living in the moment: "Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry." (Ecc 8:15) He praises life, saying "a living dog is better than a dead lion." (Ecc 9:4)