HolyStudy
Bible IndexRead BibleNotesChurchesMissionPrivacyTermsContact
© 2026 HolyStudy
HomeRead BibleBible NotesChurchesSign in
HolyStudy
HomeRead BibleBible NotesChurches
Sign in

Ecclesiastes 1

1

The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

1
2

Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.

1
3

What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?

4

One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.

5

The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.

1
1
6

The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.

1
7

All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.

8

All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.

9

The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.

1
10

Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.

11

There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.

12

I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.

13

And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.

14

I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

15

That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.

16

I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.

2
17

And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.

18

For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.

← Previous ChapterNext Chapter →

Ecclesiastes 1:5

“The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.”

Study Summary

The imagery of the sun rising and setting in its weary circuit epitomizes natural repetition without progress, a perpetual return that mirrors the cycles of human effort and exhaustion. Qohelet observes nature not as a Psalmist might—celebrating divine handiwork—but as a phenomenologist marking the mechanical recurrence of phenomena that promise nothing new. The implication is that both cosmic and human spheres operate within cycles of futility, bound to patterns that offer no ultimate escape or novelty.

Community Reflections

1
Ruth Kim (test user)1d ago
The shepherd and the sheep — Ecclesiastes 1

God is faithful in every circumstance.. I notice the repetition here is deliberate — the author wants us to feel the emphasis, to let the truth sink deep into our hearts.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. This is one of those passages that reads differently in every season of life. Reading the Psalms alongside this gives a fuller picture of what the author was experiencing — both the anguish and the hope.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. When we read this alongside the surrounding chapters, the narrative arc becomes clear: God is always working redemption, even in the darkest moments.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. Following God is costly, but the reward is eternal.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. Following God is costly, but the reward is eternal..…

Read the note →

Ecclesiastes 1:5

“The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.”

Study Summary

The imagery of the sun rising and setting in its weary circuit epitomizes natural repetition without progress, a perpetual return that mirrors the cycles of human effort and exhaustion. Qohelet observes nature not as a Psalmist might—celebrating divine handiwork—but as a phenomenologist marking the mechanical recurrence of phenomena that promise nothing new. The implication is that both cosmic and human spheres operate within cycles of futility, bound to patterns that offer no ultimate escape or novelty.

Community Reflections

1
Ruth Kim (test user)1d ago
The shepherd and the sheep — Ecclesiastes 1

God is faithful in every circumstance.. I notice the repetition here is deliberate — the author wants us to feel the emphasis, to let the truth sink deep into our hearts.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. This is one of those passages that reads differently in every season of life. Reading the Psalms alongside this gives a fuller picture of what the author was experiencing — both the anguish and the hope.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. When we read this alongside the surrounding chapters, the narrative arc becomes clear: God is always working redemption, even in the darkest moments.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. Following God is costly, but the reward is eternal.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. Following God is costly, but the reward is eternal..…

Read the note →

Ecclesiastes 1:5

The imagery of the sun rising and setting in its weary circuit epitomizes natural repetition without progress, a perpetual return that mirrors the cycles of human effort and exhaustion. Qohelet observes nature not as a Psalmist might—celebrating divine handiwork—but as a phenomenologist marking the mechanical recurrence of phenomena that promise nothing new. The implication is that both cosmic and human spheres operate within cycles of futility, bound to patterns that offer no ultimate escape or novelty.