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Ecclesiastes |
Ecclesiastes is a book of the Hebrew Bible. The English name derives from the Greek
translation of the Hebrew title.
Ecclesiastes The main speaker in the book, identified by the name or title
Qohelet, introduces himself as "son of David, and king in Jerusalem." The work
consists of personal or autobiographic matter, at times expressed in aphorisms
and maxims illuminated in terse paragraphs with reflections on the meaning of
life and the best way of life. The work emphatically proclaims all the actions
of man to be inherently "vain", "futile", "empty", "meaningless", "temporary",
"transitory", or "fleeting," depending on translation, as the lives of both wise
and foolish men end in death. While Qohelet clearly endorses wisdom as a means
for a well-lived earthly life, he is unable to ascribe eternal meaning to it. In
light of this perceived senselessness, he suggests that one should enjoy the
simple pleasures of daily life, such as eating, drinking, and taking enjoyment
in one's wife and work, which are gifts from the hand of God.
According to Talmud however, the point of Qohelet is to state that all is futile
under the Sun. One should therefore ignore physical pleasures and put all one's
efforts towards that which is above the Sun. This is summed up in the second to
last verse: "The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God, and keep his
commandments; for that is the whole duty of everyone" (12:13).
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View the Chapters Of Ecclesiastes:
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