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Ecclesiastes 1:12-14
New Catholic Bible
Ecclesiastes 1:12-14
New Catholic Bible
The Impossible Happiness[a]
12 Much Wisdom, Much Anguish.[b] When I, Qoheleth, ruled as king over Israel in Jerusalem, 13 I applied the wisdom I possessed to study and explore everything that is done under the sun, a thankless task that God has given to men to keep us occupied. 14 I have seen everything that has been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a chase after the wind.[c]
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 1:12 Here is a very unusual interpretation of the success of the great King Solomon. It shows that the current wisdom has been surpassed, namely the wisdom that appeases the torment of people while they await success as a reward for virtue. The ancient ideas about recompense no longer hold, which was a dramatic discovery for Job.
- Ecclesiastes 1:12 Using the first person and speaking as Solomon (use of the third person returns only in the conclusion: Eccl 12:9-14), the author shows that both human endeavor (vv. 12-15; see 2:1-11) and the quest for human wisdom (vv. 16-18; see 2:12-17) are vanity.
- Ecclesiastes 1:14 A chase after the wind: an image of futility, useless effort, and waste of time (see Hos 12:2). The author uses the phrase eight more times in the first half of the Book: v. 17; 2:11, 17, 26; 4:4, 6, 16; 6:9.
