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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)
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 כִּי-לְכֶלֶב חַי הוּא טוֹב מִן-הָאַרְיֵה הַמֵּת, literally "a live dog is good from ''[or better than]'' a dead lion." (Ecc 9:4)
[[George Orwell]], in his essay ''Politics and the English Language'', contrasted the beautiful language of the Bible with the way he says the same thing might be expressed today in "modern English":
[[George Orwell]], in his essay ''Politics and the English Language'', contrasted the beautiful language of the Bible with the way he says the same thing might be expressed today in "modern English":