Ecclesiastes is vanity of vanities and vexation of spirit. The book of Ecclesiastes as a quotation book from the book of the dead. Interpretation of the book of Ecclesiastes
The creation of poetic transcriptions of biblical books is an old tradition in both Russian and world literature. This is due, firstly, to the fact that a significant part of the Bible consists of poetic sections and entire books of poetry, and secondly, to the fact that the Bible raises eternal questions about a person and life that have always worried and will excite people. Just as art - iconography, sculpture, painting - has given its own interpretations of biblical themes over the centuries, so literature could not avoid these themes. And finally, the Bible was a widely circulated, popular book, which provided paraphrases with a wide range of readers.
The poetics of the Bible, which developed in the context of ancient Eastern culture, differed in many ways from ancient and classical poetry, and in order to bring it closer to Western audiences, many Latin and Greek poets created biblical paraphrases using hexameter and other types of classical versification. Subsequently, new experiences arose that responded to new forms of poetry and new ideological demands. In Russia, biblical paraphrases have been known since the times of Simeon of Polotsk and then Lomonosov.
A few words about the book itself. Ecclesiastes is one of the later parts of the Old Testament. The pseudonymity of the book is undeniable. Already in the 17th century, Hugo Grotius pointed out the features of the language of Ecclesiastes, which distinguished it from the language of the times of the ancient king Solomon (10th century BC). Currently, most scholars place the book around 300 BC. e. In the original it is called Kohelet, which can be translated as “a person who speaks in the congregation,” a preacher. This is exactly how the Greek translator conveyed the meaning of the title, calling the book Ecclesiastes (from the Greek ekklesia - collection).
Ecclesiastes has long attracted the attention of writers and historians, philosophers and poets. Its first paraphrase was created back in the 3rd century by Gregory of Neocaesarea. The book aroused surprise not only for its poetic power, but also for the deep pessimism that reigns in it, which sharply contrasts with the content of other books of the Bible. Attempts to find the influence of Hellenistic thought in Ecclesiastes were unsuccessful. The author is focused on the general for almost everything Ancient world picture of the Universe. It is static, hopeless, and the law of eternal return prevails in everything. Hope for the transformation of existence, which is imbued with
The Bible, Ecclesiastes is missing.
The question has been raised more than once: why did the compilers of the Bible include this melancholic poem, speaking about “vanity,” that is, the futility and ephemerality of all human affairs? Many interpreters believe that Ecclesiastes was accepted into the congregation scriptures as a kind of counterpoint, as a warning, as a dialectical moment in the development of the entire biblical worldview. Originally, this worldview saw earthly prosperity as a sign of heavenly blessing. Thus, the value of wealth, success, procreation in children, etc. was almost absolutized. But at some point it was discovered that these values were by no means absolute. It was necessary to look for another spiritual meaning human existence. And in the context of the entire Bible, Ecclesiastes marks the boundary milestone from which this search began. It captures worldly wisdom, the fruits of reflection, and the experience of a person who has seen and experienced a lot; but all this is dominated by a single attitude and a single thought: “all is vanity.” To soften the impression of such a pessimistic book, an unknown ancient writer provided it with an epilogue, which is already imbued with a different spirit.
Archpriest Alexander Men
BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES or PREACHER
Canonical Russian translation
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 was already in the centuries that were 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.
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.
Somehow they teach Egypt incorrectly. In the mind he stands apart: it was like this, long, long, and ended. And nothing remained except weathered pyramids and small trinkets in museum display cases. We don’t feel any cultural continuity.
Even when reading the Bible. It doesn’t matter that the Jews spent several centuries in Egypt: this is just a plot-forming element, no flavor is visible. They could have spent time in Libya, or in Ethiopia - the theatrical backdrop could have been anything. Even Sumerian-Akkadian mythology is somehow closer to a cultured person. Firstly, because, unlike the Egyptian one, he knows nothing about it at all. And therefore he is not afraid of alien carrion ( victorsolkin , sorry). Secondly, because about the active influence of the “Epic of Gilgamesh” on the story of Noah’s flood, etc. a cultured person still remembers. And Egypt is everything; sealed compartment of a submarine. Beautiful, elegant, but completely alien.
However, I accidentally came across a book by an associate professor at the Minsk Theological Academy. I open it at random and read:
An echo of Akhenaten's monotheistic era is preserved in Psalm 103, written under the significant influence of the Great Hymn to the Aten (p. 17)
I was perplexed. I urgently opened the Psalter. And now you too re-read the beginning of this psalm. Just with these pictures:
Oh my God! You are wonderfully great, You are clothed with glory and greatness;
You dress yourself in light, like a robe,
you stretch out the heavens like a tent;
You build Your palaces on high above the waters,
You make the clouds Your chariot, You ride on the wings of the wind.
You create Your angels as spirits, Your servants as blazing fire.
You have set the earth on firm foundations: it will not be shaken for ever and ever.
You covered it with the abyss like a garment, and there are waters on the mountains.
They flee from Your rebuke, they quickly leave from the voice of Your thunder;
They ascend the mountains, they descend into the valleys, to the place that You have appointed for them.
You have set a limit that they will not cross and will not return to cover the earth.
This is the beginning of the psalm. Then there are completely different details: "wild donkeys will quench their thirst; birds will make nests; high mountains are for deer, rocks are a refuge for hares." It seems to me that this is already something touchingly local; a worldview that contrasts with the imperial beginning of the psalm.
Further - more: about the Book of Proverbs and the “Wisdom of Amenemope”, as well as favorite essay of all misanthropes - Ecclesiastes, and its similarity with the texts of the "Harper's Song", which were carved on the walls of tombs.
(Yes, despite the title of my post, the “Book of the Dead” is not specifically quoted, this is so, a journalistic enticement, a headline to attract attention)
V.V. Akimov. Biblical book of Ecclesiastes and literary monuments ancient egypt. Minsk,
2012. Extracts
What does the Book of Proverbs quote?
Contains a selection of sayings from Ancient Egyptian "Wisdom of Amenemope". (p. 12) In the “Teaching of Amenemope” 30 chapters are addressed by the official to his youngest son. (115)
“The Instructions of Onkhsheshonkha” (c. 5th century BC) contains more than 500 sayings. Some sayings are reminiscent of the words of the Book of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes.
The third collection of the book of Proverbs (Prov. 22:17-24:22) begins with the words “Incline your ear and listen to the words of the wise.” An excerpt of this collection 22:17-23:11 is a translation of certain passages from the monument of ancient Egyptian literature “The Teachings of Amenemope”. (130)
Sometimes the retelling turns out to be very close:
- “Incline your ear and listen to the words of the wise, and turn your heart to my knowledge” (Prov. 22:17)<= “Incline your ear, listen to what is said, incline your heart to understand it.” (Teacher Am. 1:9).
- “Do not make friends with an angry person and do not associate with a hot-tempered person, lest you learn his ways and bring snares on your soul” (Prov. 22:24-25) => “Do not fraternize with someone who has a quick temper, do not approach him to talk... let him not entice you and throw a noose around you” (Teaching Am. 11:13,18).
- “When you sit down to eat food with the ruler, then carefully observe what is in front of you... Do not be enticed by his delicious dishes; it is deceptive food. Don't worry about acquiring wealth; leave such thoughts of yours. You will fix your eyes on it, and it will no longer be there, because it will make wings for itself and, like an eagle, will fly into the sky” (Prov. 22:1,3,5) => “Do not try to find profit to provide for your needs. If you have acquired wealth by robbery, they will not spend a night with you; at dawn they are already outside your house, their place can be seen, but they are no longer there... they have already made wings for themselves like geese and have flown away to heaven” (Teaching Am. 9:14-19; 10:4). (131)
and the theme of innocent sufferers.A little about the Sumerians again.
The oldest work about an innocent sufferer is the Sumerian poem “Man and His God,” written at the turn of 3-2 thousand BC. (p. 121).
The Middle Babylonian poem about the innocent sufferer “I want to praise the Lord of Wisdom” (circa 13th century BC) is a further development of the theme of the innocent sufferer. An influential nobleman, an innocent one, is subjected to numerous sufferings. Eventually Marduk appears to him and brings him forgiveness. (122)
There is an excerpt in the X tablet of the Epic of Gilgamesh (“On Who Has Seen Everything”). In search of immortality after the death of Enkidu, Gilgamesh finds Siduri, mistress of the gods. She tells him: “Where are you heading? You will not find the life you are looking for! The gods, when they created man, determined death for man and held life in their hands. You, Gilshamesh, fill your stomach, be merry day and night, celebrate the holiday every day, play and dance day and night!
Let your clothes be light, your hair clean, wash yourself with water, see how your child holds your hand, please your friend with your hugs - only this is the work of a person! These words are repeated in Eccl. 9:7-9. (124)
In Mesopotamian legends, there is often a plot about a suffering righteous man. The same plot formed the basis of the “Book of Job”. For example, the theme of the suffering of such a person is found in the Ugaritic epic of Daniel and Akhita. The hero of this epic is King Danniil (the name translates as “El is my judge” or “El judges me”), a just and pious ruler who was not given an heir. After pious sacrifices, his son Akhita is born, whom he later kills
warrior goddess Anatu. The suffering king does not come to terms with the loss of his son. At the end of the story, the gods resurrect their son. The book of the prophet Ezekiel mentions a certain righteous man Daniel, and after the discoveries in Ugarit, most biblical scholars believe that we are not talking about the famous prophet, but about the king. (p. 139)
A real Assyrian is a guest at an Old Testament wedding
“The Book of Ahiachar the Wise” contains a collection of wise sayings of Ahiachar, the keeper of the seals of the Assyrian kings Sennacherib and Assur-Addin, addressed to his nephew Nadav, adopted by him. These two characters, invited on the occasion of the healing of Tobit and the marriage of Tobias, are mentioned in the book of Tobit (Tob. 11:17) (126)
Now about it. Let me remind you a little of the Old Testament text:
Vanity of vanities, said Ecclesiastes, vanity of vanities, all is vanity!
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 to the south, and goes to the north, spins, 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: this difficult task God gave to the sons of men so that they would practice in 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 gained wisdom more than all who were before me over Jerusalem, and my heart has seen much wisdom and knowledge.
And I gave my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and stupidity: I learned that this too is languor of the spirit;
because in much wisdom there is much sorrow; and whoever increases knowledge increases sorrow.
(...)
There is one thing for everything and everyone: one fate for the righteous and the wicked, the good and the [evil], the pure and the 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 everyone, and the heart of the sons of men is filled with evil, and madness is in their hearts, in their lives; and after that they [go] to the dead.
Whoever is among the living still has hope, since a living dog is better off than a dead lion.
The living know that 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.
[So] go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with joy in your heart, since God is pleased with your deeds.
May your garments be bright at all times, and may the oil on your head not fail.
Enjoy life with the wife you love all the days of your vain life, and whom 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 so on...)
Harper songs - a genre of Egyptian texts and their similarities to Ecclesiastes
“The Song of the Harper” is a general name for a number of Egyptian texts dating back to. probably by Wed. Kingdom, but survived in the monuments of the N. Kingdom. These texts adorned tombs next to images of harp singers. There is even a translation by Akhmatova.
"Harper's Song" from the Harris 500 papyrus:
“...bodies disappear and pass away, others come to replace them, since the time of our ancestors. The gods (i.e. kings) who came before us rest in their pyramids, just as mummies and spirits are buried in their tombs. There is not even room left for house builders.
I heard the words of Imhotep and Hardidif, whose sayings are on everyone’s lips, and as for their places - their walls are destroyed, these places - as if no, they did not exist. No one comes from them to talk about them, to tell about their stay, to
strengthen our hearts until you come close to the place where they have gone.
Be sound in heart, to make your heart forget about it, may it be best for you to follow your heart while you live. Place myrrh on your head, let your robe be of fine linen, anoint yourself with the wondrous, true ointments of the gods. Be cheerful, do not let your heart droop, follow its attraction and your good; arrange your affairs on earth according to the dictates of your heart, and do not lament until the day of lamentation (for you) comes. The one whose heart does not beat (Osiris) does not listen to complaints, and tears do not save anyone from the grave. So, celebrate, do not be discouraged, for you cannot take your property with you, and none of those who left have returned yet” (Turaev. B.A. History of the Ancient East. P. 239). (p. 145-8)
"Harper's Song" from the Tomb of Neferhotep:
“Since the time of God, bodies pass, and generations come to take their place. Ra rises in the morning, Atum enters Manu, men impregnate, women conceive, all noses inhale air, but in the morning their children go to their places (die)!
Have a happy day, O priest! May there always be incense and fragrances for your nose, garlands and lotuses for the shoulders and chest of your beloved sister who sits next to you! Let there be song and music before you, throw away all grief, think only about joy, until the day comes when you must land on the land that loves silence... Have a happy day, wise priest with clean hands! I've heard about everything. what happened to the ancestors: their (walls)
destroyed, their places do not exist, they are like those who have never been since the time of God. (But your walls are strong, you have planted trees) on the banks of your pond, your soul rests on them and drinks the water. Follow your heart boldly!.. Give bread to the needy so that there will be leftovers. your name beautiful forever! Have a happy day!... Think about the day when you are taken to a country where people are taken. There is no man there who would take his wealth with him. And there's no return
from there" (translated by M.A. Mathieu. // Monte P.. Egypt Ramses. // P. Monte. Smolensk. 2000. P. 117-8)
“The Song of the Harper” clearly echoes the “Epic of Gilgamesh”: in Tablet X, the mistress of the gods Siduri says to Gilshamesh: “Where are you heading? You will not find the life you are looking for! The gods, when they created man, determined death for man and held life in their hands. You, Gilgamesh, fill your stomach, be merry day and night, celebrate the holiday every day, play and dance day and night! Let your clothes be light, your hair clean, and wash yourself with water. look how your child holds your hand, make your friend happy with your hugs - only this is a human thing!” These words
not only echo “P. Arf.”, but are actually retold in Eccl. 9:7-9 (167)
It was from the end of Dr. Kingdom, the idea of afterlife retribution begins to take shape. Fate began to be determined not only by the correct observance of rituals and magic, but by the moral principle - not to offend widows, not to rape the daughters of commoners, not to starve servants. (157)
“The Tales of Satni-Hemuas” are reminiscent of gospel parable about the rich man and Lazarus (158)
Translation by I.S. Katsnelson and F.L. Mendelssohn: “A day of sorrow and crying will come to you, but you will not hear crying and you will not be resurrected from sobs, and your heart will not beat” (166)
The Heart as a Constant Interlocutor of Ecclesiastes
“In “Hakhepersenebo’s Reflections with His Heart,” the priest of Heliopolis talks with his heart, complaining about the injustice that surrounds him.” (167)
“Conversation of a disappointed person with his Ba” (soul) - First transition period, or the Beginning of the Middle Kingdom.
Text of Eccl. characterized by contradictory statements. Therefore, when compared with ancient Egypt. monuments, a version arises that it was built in the form of a dialogue. (199)
Such an interlocutor may be the author’s heart. (204) Similarly, in “Conversation with Ba” constantly: “I opened my mouth to my Ba”, “my Ba told me”, “my Ba opened my mouth to my Ba” => “I spoke - I am with my heart” , "I let my heart investigate" (205)
"Hakhaperraseneb's Reflections with His Heart" (Middle Kingdom or 2nd Intermediate Period)
“What has been said has already been said, and subsequent generations have nothing to boast about the sayings of their ancestors. The speaker has not yet uttered anything new, but he will say it. And the other will not add anything of his own to the words of his ancestors and will only say: “This is what the ancestors once said,” and no one will know what he himself intended to say. He who does this seeks his own destruction, for this is all a lie, and others will not remember his name” (Hah recto 3-6).
“The tears of the oppressed, and there is no one to console them, and in the hand of those who oppress them is power, and there is no one to console them” (Eccl. 4:1) => “The unfortunate person has no strength to save himself from something stronger than himself” (Hah. verso 4)
“There is no one who does not do evil - everyone does it” (hah. verso 1-2) => “There is no righteous man on this earth who will do good and not sin” (Ec. 7:20)
Ecclesiastes seems to borrow from “Hah.” personalized image of a heart (248)
“He turned to his heart. Come to me, my heart, so that I can talk to you.” (v1)
The Book of Ecclesiastes as a typical example of the genre of “wisdom literature” widespread in the Ancient East
The concept of wisdom in the Bible has several levels of meaning. in its primary meaning, this concept is far from abstract theorizing. It is closely related to action, practice, practical skills, abilities, and human behavior. In this sense, the Hebrew “Hochma” fully corresponds to the Ancient Greek “Sophia”. Like “khochma”, “sophia” (in the original usage) is a practical skill, skill, dexterity (cunning), creative activity. Erich Zenger very accurately defines the cross-cultural phenomenon of wisdom as practical knowledge of life or as everyday knowledge acquired through practice, or aimed at achieving practical goals. (104-5).
Gerhard von Rad in his book “Wisdom in Israel” saw in the works of wisdom literature such literary forms as parable, number saying, autobiography, didactic poem, dialogue, fable and allegory, didactic narrative, prayer. (106) von Rad, Gerhard. Wisdom in Israel, 24-49
E. Zenger identifies four literary forms that are used in the books that interest us: saying, instructive speech, instructive poem and cautionary tale. (106) Zenger E. Books of Wisdom // E. Zenger. Introduction to Old Testament. Ed. E. Zenger. pp. 435-7
___________________
Further, the monograph examines other Egyptian texts that, according to the author’s argument, are close in spirit to the Old Testament. But there is no such literal coincidence as in the quoted one, so I did not write out more, because too large amounts of text.
So it turned out that the Egyptian texts are actually firmly in our subcortex.
There is much debate about the title of this book and why Solomon called himself by the name in the title of the book. The Hebrew word "kohelet" is translated "convener of an assembly." The Greek word ekklesiastes, found in the Septuagint, means “member of the assembly,” ekklesia.
But no matter what Solomon is called - Qoheleth or Ecclesiastes, one thing is clear: in this collection Solomon shared his life human experience who received wisdom from God. Therefore, no one, having lived even the brightest life, will be able to come to more correct conclusions - in comparison with Solomon.
If a person wants to live his life wisely, then it is better, of course, for him to take advantage of Solomon’s ready-made advice and learn from his mistakes recorded in the book.
And if a person doesn’t care how to live his life, he can completely neglect this book. It has just been noticed that, especially in old age, many people come to similar conclusions.
What is this observation for?
Moreover, it is better to become as wise as Solomon from a young age: why does a person need wisdom in old age, when he no longer has the opportunity to use it?
1:1
Words of Ecclesiastes, son of David, king in Jerusalem.
Solomon begins his narrative by introducing himself, so that no reader will ever have doubts about the identity of the author-writer. So, the son of David, the king of Jerusalem, is the author of divinely inspired lines. Solomon, who figuratively gathers the assembly of God's people, gathers it not for empty gatherings and not for frivolous pastime, but so that those "present" at the meeting (reading this book) have the opportunity to first learn from Solomon - God's wisdom. And then - and apply it in your life.
1:2
Vanity of vanities, said Ecclesiastes, vanity of vanities - all is vanity!
It seems that Solomon’s view of life is pessimistic: after such a beginning, the conclusion suggests itself that all subsequent words of Solomon will carry information about the complete meaninglessness of human existence.
However, if you have patience and understand that the wise Solomon has something to learn and therefore it makes sense to listen to him to the end, then you will be able to learn about what is NOT vanity.
1:3
What profit does a man get from all the labors he toils under the sun?
About the dubious benefits of incessant work: it neither lengthens life, nor adds happiness, nor health, and not every person even receives satisfaction from their labors.
What conclusion should we come to when sitting at the meeting with Solomon - after these words of his?
To the simple human: there is no need to make work the meaning of your entire life, since it does not bring tangible benefits to a person because no one has ever been able to enjoy the fruits of their labors longer than it lasts own life. The benefits of work are like a mirage in a hot desert: there it is, as it were, but it’s not there.
1:4,5
A generation passes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever.
5 The sun rises, and the sun sets, and hastens to its place where it rises.
Solomon's observations: The earth, with or without man, has existed for a long time, observes God's statutes, and therefore its structure is stable forever. But man on earth is a transitory substance. No matter what the human race is, no matter how high and proud it walks along it, conquering and conquering everything that is under the sun, in the end it will return to the land that temporarily bears it. This is an immutable truth that encourages reasonable people Don't think too highly of yourself. The long-lived earth shows man his true place in the present system of God’s existence: for now, in this century, man is short-lived and weak.
Eternity for any creation in God’s universe, including man, is possible only if it remains constant in obedience to God.
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.
The cyclical and ordered wind rose, practicing constancy from day to day, is also a clear example of endless eternity: there cannot be eternity in chaos, the Almighty is the God of order and stability, none of His creations, destined for eternity, has the right to live according to its own own laws and violate God's statutes.
Why? Because all His creations are connected by “collective responsibility” and depend on each other: if the sun does not rise, the earth and everything on it will die, if the wind stops, the water cycle in nature, the earth and everything on it will stop. will die of thirst. Etc.
And until a person understands that he is not in himself the “crown of creation” and the “king of nature,” but is connected by collective responsibility with the entire universe of God, he will not be with God in eternity.
1:7
All rivers flow to the sea,
But Solomon, without the help of God, could not have known this law for the waters of the earth: he did not have the opportunity to check the flow of ALL the rivers of the earth and understand that the direction of each of them is towards the sea.
but the sea is not overflowing: This miracle would also have been difficult for Solomon to notice without God’s help: he had no opportunity to check the water level in the seas and oceans.
to the place from which the rivers flow, they return to flow again. And here is the law of the water cycle in nature: how could Solomon know how the rivers return “backwards” if their flow is directed strictly towards the sea?
This simple text proves the inspiration of Solomon's words: without the knowledge received from God, Solomon could not have determined the rules for the life of the waters of the earth. He would not have lived long enough to know this fact - even if he had devoted his entire life to the study of rivers and seas.
But even without knowing the multitude of everyone complex processes in the water cycle in nature, a person can draw the correct conclusion about a very thoughtful and well-functioning organization of all systems of life. Everything that a person pays his attention to indicates to him that in everything visible there is order, organization, cyclicality, stability and reliability.
1:8
All things are in labor:
Even the most ordinary and simple thing that a person uses came into being thanks to human labor. Man is a little creator and creates from elements environment for himself various products that make his life easier or make it more enjoyable. And this is also a gift from God to people.
a person cannot tell everything
There is an enormous amount of what can be talked about, what can be described in words, and even eternity is not enough to describe everything that exists, visible in our material Universe, and even more so - invisible.
Also, a person will never get tired of looking at this world with his own eyes and listening to what is happening with his ears:
The eye will not be satisfied with seeing, nor the ear will be filled with hearing.
We are wonderfully designed: our eyes and ears can pass through millions of terabytes of information and there will never be too much of it. Our senses can easily cope with such a load.
Analyzing even these qualities, it is not difficult to come to the conclusion that, in essence, a person, even in this century, can “see” himself in the eternity of God, because eternity is when NOTHING of what a person is endowed with at creation is boring or tiring.
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.
Many natural phenomena Once started, they continue their cyclical movement from century to century. And man himself is unchanged in his essence, only the things around him can change, the “scenery” and the names of the socio-political formations in which he lives. But there are still certain frameworks, “set parameters”, within which everything happens to a person.
Solomon teaches a person to have a balanced point of view on that “novelty that every person encounters when experiencing life in this world: no person should rise above others and think that his experience, knowledge and discoveries in life are the only and unique in his own.” kind.
1:10
There is something about which they say: “look, this is new”; but [this] was already in the centuries that were before us.
We are not talking about the achievements of the scientific and technical process. The point is that everything that has happened and that a person encounters has always been like this, even that “new” that seems to someone to be a unique novelty - if you look in the history of mankind, you will certainly - at least in prototypes - be revealed . Those new to this world repeat the works of their predecessors, without even knowing it.
Whatever phenomenon occurs in a person’s life, once it has begun, it is also subject to the law of repeated repetition. This is how God designed the human world: the essence of man, put into him by God at creation, is the same for everyone, it does not become obsolete and does not fall into disrepair even after millennia. Both the first person and the modern one have the same needs (desires to eat, sleep, etc.), aspirations (to improve living conditions and enjoy it), properties (the structure of a person is the same for everyone) and opportunities (the ability to work and achieve your goals - everyone has it).
Everything taken together makes the life process of each person very predictable and repetitive: only the “scenery” on the stage of historical eras living in different times, but the essence of man, as well as his actions to realize human essence- are unchangeable, because they too were created for eternity.
1:11
There is no memory of the past; and those who come after will have no memory of what will happen.
Attempts to retain important events in your life in memory - each time again a coming person- are also surprisingly constant, although completely meaningless: death and time inevitably erase even the highest quality human traces left on earth.
However, a person’s desire to forever remember some important milestones in his life or people with whom he had to cross in space and time also speaks of the desire to live forever and never lose his valuable acquisitions.
1:12
I, Ecclesiastes, was king over Israel in Jerusalem;
Solomon, leaving the science of God's wisdom to those who listen to him, does not boast of his high position king among men, but prepares the minds of listeners to understand simple things. Moreover, for example, what if a king, who has every opportunity to live his life spectacularly, happily, beautifully, meaningfully, usefully, etc., which, as a rule, all people strive for, came to the conclusion that all these aspirations are empty and not bring satisfaction with life, then even more so, it is not worth spending your life on acquiring all this - for those who have neither royal capabilities nor royal abilities.
1:13
The meaning of human life is completely different. Whoever listens to this king to the end will find out exactly what it is.
and I gave my heart to search and test with wisdom all that is done under heaven: P
Before determining what the meaning of life is for a person, Solomon decided to explore many different meanings, in turn trying to achieve ALL goals that a living person can set for himself. God gave this difficult task to the sons of men so that they could practice it.
1:14
Finding by trial and error what the meaning of life is and what a person should really strive for in order to have satisfaction from living himself is not an easy task. But it did not arise on its own: God placed in man the need to look for “his place in the sun” and try to understand why he came into this world and what he should have time to do. Trying himself in different “roles”, on different “stages” and fields, in different fields of activity and at different ages - sooner or later a person is still able to determine WHERE and WHO is he himself, and WHAT in him was imposed on him life circumstances or inexperience.
But even a person who has found himself, even one who is lucky and has been able to determine what he should really do in life, will sooner or later understand that for this age there is no point in finding oneself: well, let’s say , having acquired rich life experience, Solomon determined who he is and what he is, what he should do and what not to be happy man. Well, what is the point of this if death is already looming on his doorstep by this time? And what if he, having finally found himself, can no longer even use his acquisition?
Dissatisfaction (languor of spirit) from everything that a person undertakes and whatever he achieves is the result of every undertakingUltimately: there is nothing that can give a person lasting happiness and satisfaction with life.
That is why Solomon said that all human efforts are meaningless and do not bring complete satisfaction, for death destroys any meaning of life, even the most found, even the most outstanding.
Later Ecclesiastes showed the only way to find lasting happiness is to devote your life to serving God, Ec.12:13.
1:15
What is crooked cannot become straight
If God has deigned to make something crooked, then man will not be able to straighten what God has crooked.
Here we are talking about the pointlessness of man’s attempts to improve or correct what God has created: not a single person can, by interfering at his own discretion in God’s plan, benefit either himself, his neighbor, or God’s universe.
and what is not there cannot be counted. It is also pointless and even stupid to rely on versions of “possibly” or “probably”, making plans on the basis of “maybe it will appear... or... maybe it will grow.” It cannot and will not appear and will not grow if it has not been planted: if what you are counting on is not there, then do not count on it to appear simply because of your desire or even because of your efforts. Be realistic: skin in unkilled bear
1:16
although they share, and sometimes even fight over it, this activity is meaningless and stupid.
Always proceed only from what you ALREADY have.
So, Solomon, having the opportunity and ability to try ALL types of human aspirations and achieve what he wanted, nevertheless, was not happy about this, but realized that all his efforts, knowledge, and acquisitions ultimately did not bring him any benefit and any satisfaction . Complete “languor of spirit” is a vain expectation of benefit and long-term satisfaction from one’s labors and efforts.
King Solomon did not receive satisfaction in his life from his many deeds and knowledge. This means that there is no point in them. This means that you and I have no need to start striving for all the royal acquisitions of Solomon: thanks to the wisdom of Solomon, we know in advance that all this is a pointless exercise
1:18
because in much wisdom there is much sorrow; and whoever increases knowledge increases sorrow.
Why is it that the more acquisitions, knowledge about life and life experience, the more sadness and sorrow each person has?
Because as soon as a person finally acquires something valuable, he eventually begins to understand that sooner or later he will lose everything he values so much. Old age and death will take away everything from him: the results of his work, health, family, neighbors, life - EVERYTHING that a person can be happy with in this century.
Total: by increasing knowledge from life experience, a person begins to understand that for all time and chance, that he cannot plan anything due to the fact that a fatal accident may interfere with his plans. In addition, his life is so fleeting and small that, having started a global undertaking, he cannot bring it to completion himself, but he also cannot ensure that subsequent generations continue it wisely and in accordance with the will of the one who started it. And this results in sorrow.
Starting with conclusions about wasted efforts, Solomon then decided to tell what exactly he spent his efforts on, “tasting” earthly delights in the hope of finding out what he would like most in life.
Book of Ecclesiastes, or Preacher
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.
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. their: and behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit, and no from them benefits under the sun!
12 And I turned to look at wisdom and madness and foolishness: for what can do man after the king more than that, 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 after give to the good before the face of God. And this is vanity and languor of spirit!
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 profit does the workman get from 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.
Ecclesiastes (Ecclesiastes) is the name of one of the books of the Old Testament. Ecclesiastes is included in the cycle of educational books following the Proverbs of Solomon. The title of the book comes from the Hebrew “kohelet” - preacher in the congregation. At that time, an assembly was a meeting of all full-fledged citizens.
Read Ecclesiastes.
The book of Ecclesiastes consists of 12 chapters.
- Line " I... was king... in Jerusalem". As you know, Solomon remained king until his death, therefore, he would not have been able to formulate the thought in this way.
- Line “I have become exalted and gained wisdom more than all those who were before me over Jerusalem.”. It is known that a hundred years before Solomon there was only one king in Jerusalem, therefore, the plural in relation to the word king does not favor the authorship of Solomon.
- Ecclesiastes warns several times against reading too much. This would be strange to hear from Solomon, who valued wisdom above all good things.
- The mood of sadness and disappointment that pervades the book was uncharacteristic of the period of Solomon's reign; it is rather a sign of the post-exilic era.
Solomon's authorship is also questioned due to the fact that many researchers believe that the writing of Ecclesiastes does not coincide in time with the years of Solomon's life. There are several versions of the time when the book was created:
- Nachtigall's version - 975-588 BC. e.,
- Schmidt and Jan's version - 699-588 BC. e.,
- Vesia Delic - 464-332 BC e.,
- Gitzig's version - 204 BC e.,
- Graetz's version is the time of the reign of Herod the Great.
Thus, the time difference reaches 800 years.
Interpretation of the book of Ecclesiastes
The book of Ecclesiastes is unique in the Old Testament. It is a deep philosophical treatise. Ecclesiastes describes the cycle in the fate of man and the entire universe. Based on the text, the entire existence of man is a meaningless vanity. All this has already happened and will happen more than once in the universe.
The text of Ecclesiastes is replete with contradictory ideas.
It is very likely that Ecclesiastes was written in the post-exilic era with the goal of supporting the people, comforting them, and showing all the vanity and frailty of existence. Ecclesiastes called to perceive life as a gift from God and not to reflect on hardships and injustice, but, on the contrary, to try to take the best from life.
The author calls all human affairs vanity, as well as such concepts as righteousness, joy, wisdom, youth, wealth, strength and even life itself. Labor is vain, since the results of any work are not eternal. Wealth is vain, since it comes and goes, you cannot take it to another world. Wisdom is vain, since it cannot guarantee a person’s success and prosperity. However, the author is still convinced that wisdom is better than stupidity, and also preferable to physical strength and wealth. But the wise, the foolish, and the rich will die and be forgotten. Righteousness is vain, since the author does not believe in the pattern of righteousness -> reward, sinfulness -> punishment. The author explains his point of view by saying that he witnessed a lot of injustice. The author does not deny the idea that everything happens according to the will of God and that God acts correctly, but he does say that it is impossible for mortals to understand the powers of Providence, and therefore it is not worth trying.
An interesting fact is that the author does not want to talk about life after death, after God’s judgment. However, he does not deny that God will bring everyone to judgment at the end of his days. The reluctance of Ecclesiastes to think about life after death is explained by the manner of the book as a whole - the author speaks only about what he felt and learned from experience. And experience convinced him of the futility of human efforts.
The author of Ecclesiastes explains the frailty and vanity of the reality around him
- The fall of people
- The incomprehensibility of the ways of the Lord,
- The inevitability of death
- Uncertainties about what life after death is.
Ecclesiastes should not be misinterpreted as a hymn to human selfhood and independence from God. The author of the book trusts in God.
Chapter 1. Reflections on the futility of human efforts, on the cycle of things in nature.
Chapter 2. Reflections on the futility of pleasure, wisdom and labor.
Chapter 3. Human labor does not affect the course of events in the world, which is controlled by God.
Chapter 4. Labor for evil, the futility of the fruits of labor.
Chapter 5. Discussions about empty promises. The futility of labor. Joy from the wealth given by God.
Chapter 6. The idea that everything is predetermined. The limitations of human wisdom.
Chapter 7. The meaning of existence and the meaning of righteousness are unknown to man.
Chapter 8. God's reward may be incomprehensible to man
Chapter 9 A person does not know what awaits him, but death awaits everyone equally. Wisdom is not the key to success.
Chapter 10. Wisdom is better than stupidity.
Chapter 11. The call is to work, to live joyfully, honoring His God. Dark days will follow this life.
Chapter 12. A call for responsibility in youth. Return to the thought of the vanity of existence.
The book ends with advice:
Fear God and keep His commandments.
The book of Ecclesiastes is one of those books whose understanding does not come immediately. It requires a certain maturity of spirit. The thoughts and ideas of Ecclesiastes are grandiose in their meaning and influence on all subsequent history and human culture.