Ecclesiastes

Part One: Introduction to Ecclesiastes

The Name

The Hebrew title is Qoheleth, usually translated "the Preacher" (1:1). The word describes one who gathers or addresses an assembly. The English title comes from the Greek Ekklesiastes, "one who speaks in the assembly," related to ekklesia, the New Testament word for "church." Ecclesiastes is the record of a wise man's search for meaning in life, and his conclusion.

Author and Date

The book introduces its author as "the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem" (1:1), who "was king over Israel in Jerusalem" (1:12), had more wisdom than all before him in Jerusalem (1:16), and possessed great wealth, servants, building projects, gardens, singers and many wives and concubines (2:4-9). Jewish and Christian tradition has identified him as Solomon, writing in his later years, perhaps looking back after his fall into idolatry (1 Kings 11). Some scholars argue from the book's language that it was written later by someone speaking in Solomon's voice, but the details match Solomon's life closely, and many conservative scholars hold to Solomonic authorship, around 935 BC.

Key Words

• "Vanity" (Hebrew hebel) appears about 38 times. It literally means "vapour" or "breath": something fleeting, insubstantial, impossible to grasp. "Vanity of vanities" (1:2; 12:8) is a Hebrew way of saying "utterly meaningless" or "completely fleeting." The same word is the name of Abel (Genesis 4:2), whose brief life vanished like a breath.
• "Under the sun" appears about 29 times. It describes life viewed from a purely earthly perspective, as if there were nothing above the sun.
• "Vexation of spirit" means "striving after wind" or "chasing the wind" (1:14; 2:11).
• "Labour" and "profit": "What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?" (1:3).
• "God" appears about 40 times, always as Elohim, the Creator, never as "the LORD."

Purpose and Theme

Ecclesiastes is a sermon on the emptiness of life without God. The Preacher tested every path to satisfaction: wisdom, pleasure, achievement, wealth and fame. All proved to be "vanity and vexation of spirit." Death comes to wise and foolish alike, and nothing "under the sun" can satisfy the human heart, because God "hath set the world [eternity] in their heart" (3:11). Yet the book is not hopeless. Running through it is a second theme: life and its simple joys are gifts from God to be received with gratitude (2:24; 3:12-13; 5:18-20; 9:7-10). And its conclusion is clear:

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

How to Read Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes records the Preacher's search, including his observations and frustrations along the way. Not every statement is his final conclusion. When he says that man has no advantage over a beast (3:19), or that "the dead know not any thing" (9:5), he is describing how things appear "under the sun," from a purely earthly viewpoint. The book itself corrects these impressions: "the spirit shall return unto God who gave it" (12:7), and "God shall bring every work into judgment" (12:14). Individual verses should be read in light of the whole book and the rest of Scripture. Ecclesiastes is like a doctor's diagnosis: it shows the disease of life without God so clearly that the reader longs for the cure.

Outline of Ecclesiastes

Part Two: Chapter-by-Chapter Analysis

Section I: Prologue — All Is Vanity (Chapter 1:1-11)

Chapter 1:1-11 — The Endless Cycles

Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?

Ecclesiastes 1:2-3

"One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever" (1:4). The Preacher looks at nature and sees endless repetition: the sun rises and sets and hurries back to its place (1:5); the wind goes round and round (1:6); "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" (1:7), an accurate description of the water cycle. Human life is just as wearisome: "the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing" (1:8). "There is no new thing under the sun" (1:9). And everything is forgotten: "There is no remembrance of former things" (1:11). Without God, life is a treadmill going nowhere.

Section II: The Preacher's Experiments (Chapters 1:12-2:26)

Chapter 1:12-18 — The Search Through Wisdom

"I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem. And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven" (1:12-13). His verdict: "all is vanity and vexation of spirit" (1:14). Some things cannot be fixed: "That which is crooked cannot be made straight" (1:15). He gained more wisdom than anyone before him (1:16), but "in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow" (1:18). Knowledge without God only shows more clearly how broken the world is.

Chapter 2 — The Search Through Pleasure, Works and Wealth

Pleasure (2:1-3). "I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity" (2:1). Laughter was "mad" and mirth accomplished nothing (2:2). He tried wine while keeping his wisdom (2:3).

Great works (2:4-6). "I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards: I made me gardens and orchards... I made me pools of water" (2:4-6; compare 1 Kings 7; 9:15-19).

Possessions and luxury (2:7-8). Servants, herds, silver, gold, the treasures of kings, singers, and "the delights of the sons of men" (2:7-8).

Total indulgence (2:9-10). "And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy" (2:10).

Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 2:11

The man who had everything the world can offer found it empty. Jesus asked, "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" (Matthew 16:26).

Wisdom versus folly (2:12-17). Wisdom is better than folly, "as far as light excelleth darkness" (2:13). Yet "one event happeneth to them all": both the wise and the fool die and are forgotten (2:14-16). "Therefore I hated life" (2:17).

The futility of labour (2:18-23). He hated his labour, because he must leave it to someone who might be a fool (2:18-19). Jesus told the parable of the rich fool who stored up goods and died that night: "then whose shall those things be?" (Luke 12:16-21).

The gift of God (2:24-26). Then the first ray of light:

There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.

Ecclesiastes 2:24

Simple joys cannot give ultimate meaning, but received as God's gifts they can be enjoyed. "For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy" (2:26). The difference is whether life is lived with God or without Him (1 Timothy 6:17).

Section III: Observations on Life (Chapters 3-6)

Chapter 3 — A Time for Everything; Eternity in the Heart

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven

Ecclesiastes 3:1

Fourteen pairs of opposites describe the whole range of human experience: a time to be born and to die, to plant and to pluck up, to kill and to heal, to break down and to build up, to weep and to laugh, to mourn and to dance, to cast away stones and to gather them, to embrace and to refrain, to get and to lose, to keep and to cast away, to tear and to sew, to keep silence and to speak, to love and to hate, a time of war and a time of peace (3:2-8). Life is governed by times and seasons that God appoints, not that we control.

He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.

Ecclesiastes 3:11

The Hebrew word translated "world" here is olam, usually "eternity." God has placed a longing for eternity in every human heart. That is why nothing temporal can satisfy us. We sense there is more than "under the sun," yet we cannot see the whole of God's plan.

The Preacher again concludes that enjoying life is God's gift (3:12-13). "Whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him" (3:14). He sees injustice where there should be justice (3:16), but trusts that "God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose" (3:17). Then, viewing man "under the sun," he notes that man and beast both die and return to dust (3:18-20), and asks, "Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?" (3:21). The book later answers: "the spirit shall return unto God who gave it" (12:7).

Chapter 4 — Oppression, Envy and Companionship

"So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter" (4:1). Much human labour is driven by envy (4:4). "Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit" (4:6). He describes a lonely man who works endlessly with no one to share it with: "neither is his eye satisfied with riches" (4:7-8). Then he praises companionship:

Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up... and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Many apply the "threefold cord" to a marriage bound together with God. Popularity also fades: "Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished" (4:13), yet even the new leader's popularity passes (4:14-16).

Chapter 5 — Worship, Vows and Wealth

Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools... Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.

Ecclesiastes 5:1-2

Worship requires reverence and listening, not empty words (Matthew 6:7; James 1:19). "When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it... Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay" (5:4-5; Deuteronomy 23:21-23). "Fear thou God" (5:7). Oppression by officials should not surprise us, for there are higher authorities over them (5:8).

On wealth: "He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase" (5:10; 1 Timothy 6:9-10). More wealth means more people to consume it (5:11). "The sleep of a labouring man is sweet... but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep" (5:12). Riches can be kept to their owners' hurt and lost in an instant (5:13-14). "As he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand" (5:15; Job 1:21; 1 Timothy 6:7). Yet when God gives riches and the power to enjoy them, "this is the gift of God" (5:18-20).

Chapter 6 — Wealth Without Enjoyment

The Preacher describes a tragic evil: a man to whom God gives riches and honour, "yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it" (6:2). Even a man with a hundred children and a long life, if his soul is not satisfied, is worse off than a stillborn child (6:3-6). "All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled" (6:7). Human desire can never be satisfied by earthly things. The section ends with two questions: "For who knoweth what is good for man in this life... and who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?" (6:12). Only God can answer them.

Section IV: Counsel for Living (Chapters 7:1-12:7)

Chapter 7 — Wisdom in Adversity

The Preacher now offers a series of "better than" proverbs:

A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth. It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart.

Ecclesiastes 7:1-2

Facing death makes us wise about life (Psalm 90:12). "Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better" (7:3). "It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools" (7:5). "Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools" (7:8-9). "Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this" (7:10).

"Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked? In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other" (7:13-14). God is sovereign over both good times and bad. "Be not righteous over much... Be not over much wicked" (7:16-17) warns against both self-righteous extremes and reckless sin; "he that feareth God shall come forth of them all" (7:18).

For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.

Ecclesiastes 7:20

This is the universal sinfulness that Paul also declares (Romans 3:10, 23). "Also take no heed unto all words that are spoken... For oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others" (7:21-22). The Preacher, who had a thousand wives and concubines (1 Kings 11:3), reflects bitterly on his search: "one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found" (7:28). His conclusion: "Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions" (7:29). God created humanity good; sin is man's doing (Genesis 1:31; 3).

Chapter 8 — Authority, Injustice and the Fear of God

"A man's wisdom maketh his face to shine" (8:1). Respect the king's command "in regard of the oath of God" (8:2; Romans 13:1). "Where the word of a king is, there is power" (8:4). No one controls the day of death: "There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death" (8:8).

Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God... But it shall not be well with the wicked

Ecclesiastes 8:11-13

God's delay in judgment is patience, not approval (2 Peter 3:9). Even though life under the sun seems unfair, the Preacher trusts that the fear of God will prove right in the end. "Then I commended mirth," he says again, enjoying God's gifts in the midst of labour (8:15). But "a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun" (8:17): God's ways are beyond human discovery (Romans 11:33).

Chapter 9 — Death and the Joy of Life

"The righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God" (9:1). Yet "All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked" (9:2): death comes to everyone. "For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion" (9:4). "For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten" (9:5). From the viewpoint "under the sun," the dead no longer share in anything done on earth (9:6). This is not a full teaching on the afterlife, which other Scriptures give (Luke 16:19-31; 2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23).

Therefore, enjoy life while you have it, as God's gift: "Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works" (9:7). "Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity" (9:9).

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

Ecclesiastes 9:10

Opportunities for work and service end at death; use them now (John 9:4; Colossians 3:23). "The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise... but time and chance happeneth to them all" (9:11): human ability does not guarantee success. A poor wise man saved a besieged city, "yet no man remembered that same poor man" (9:14-15). "Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised" (9:16). "One sinner destroyeth much good" (9:18).

Chapter 10 — The Value of Wisdom, the Danger of Folly

Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour.

Ecclesiastes 10:1

A small act of foolishness can ruin a good reputation. The Preacher observes folly in high places, with servants on horses and princes walking (10:5-7). Every task has risks: "He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him" (10:8). "If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct" (10:10): sharpen the axe before you swing harder. "The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself" (10:12). "By much slothfulness the building decayeth" (10:18). "A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things" (10:19), an observation of how the world works, not an endorsement. "Curse not the king, no not in thy thought... for a bird of the air shall carry the voice" (10:20).

Chapter 11 — Generosity, Diligence and Youth

Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days. Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.

Ecclesiastes 11:1-2

Be generous and venture boldly, spreading your giving and investments widely, because the future is uncertain (2 Corinthians 9:6; Luke 6:38). "He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap" (11:4): if you wait for perfect conditions you will never act. "As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all" (11:5; compare John 3:8; Psalm 139:13-16). "In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that" (11:6; Galatians 6:9).

"Truly the light is sweet" (11:7). "Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth... but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment" (11:9). Enjoy youth, but responsibly, remembering accountability to God. "Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity" (11:10), fleeting like a breath (2 Timothy 2:22).

Chapter 12:1-7 — Remember Thy Creator

Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them

Ecclesiastes 12:1

The Preacher's great appeal is to turn to God while young, before old age and death. He then paints a poetic picture of growing old (12:2-7), commonly understood as follows:

Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

Ecclesiastes 12:7

This answers the question of 3:21. The body returns to dust (Genesis 3:19), but the human spirit returns to God, its Creator and Judge (Luke 23:46; Acts 7:59; Hebrews 12:23).

Section V: The Conclusion (Chapter 12:8-14)

Chapter 12:8-14 — The Whole Duty of Man

"Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity" (12:8). The book closes as it began. Then an epilogue describes the Preacher: he was wise, taught the people knowledge, carefully arranged many proverbs, and "sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth" (12:9-10).

The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.

Ecclesiastes 12:11

Wise words prod us forward like goads and hold firm like nails, and they come from "one shepherd," God Himself, the source of all true wisdom (Psalm 23:1; John 10:11). "And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh" (12:12). Endless human study cannot answer life's deepest questions. God's Word does:

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

After examining everything under the sun, the Preacher points above it. The meaning of life is found in a right relationship with God: fearing Him, obeying Him, and living in light of His coming judgment (Romans 2:16; 2 Corinthians 5:10).

Part Three: Christ in Ecclesiastes

Christ, the Answer to Vanity

Ecclesiastes diagnoses the emptiness of life "under the sun." The New Testament reveals Jesus Christ as the One who came from above the sun to give life meaning, purpose and eternal hope. Paul uses the same Greek word that translates "vanity" in Ecclesiastes (mataiotes) when he writes: "For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God" (Romans 8:20-21). The vanity of Ecclesiastes is the result of the fall, and Christ is the hope of its reversal.

A Greater Than Solomon

Solomon had every resource for the search: wisdom, wealth, power and pleasure, and found them all empty. Jesus said, "behold, a greater than Solomon is here" (Matthew 12:42). What Solomon could not find under the sun, Christ brings from heaven: "in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Colossians 2:3). Paul, who like Solomon had many advantages, counted them all "but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord" (Philippians 3:7-8).

Life Above the Sun

The cure for life "under the sun" is life lived in relationship with the One above it: "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth" (Colossians 3:1-2).

Part Four: The Preacher's Search Summarised

Part Five: Key Passages in Depth

Ecclesiastes 1:2 — Vanity of Vanities

"Vanity" is breath, vapour: real but fleeting and impossible to hold. James uses the same idea: "For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away" (James 4:14). The Preacher is not saying life has no value, but that nothing in this life can bear the weight of ultimate meaning. Trying to make created things into God leaves us chasing the wind.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-11 — Time and Eternity

God has appointed the seasons of life, and He makes "every thing beautiful in his time." We live in time, but God has placed eternity in our hearts. This explains the restless longing in every person, which Augustine famously expressed: "Thou hast made us for thyself, and our heart is restless until it rests in thee." Only the eternal God can fill a heart made for eternity.

Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 — Reverent Worship

Before God, listen more than you speak, keep your promises, and remember who He is: "God is in heaven, and thou upon earth." Worship is not a performance but a humble approach to a holy God (Hebrews 12:28-29).

Ecclesiastes 7:1-4 — The House of Mourning

Funerals teach what feasts cannot: life is short, and we must prepare to meet God. "So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom" (Psalm 90:12). "It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment" (Hebrews 9:27).

Ecclesiastes 12:1 — Remember Thy Creator in Youth

Youth is the best time to turn to God, before habits harden, opportunities pass and the body fails. "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation" (2 Corinthians 6:2). Remembering God means not merely recalling Him, but committing one's life to Him.

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 — The Conclusion of the Whole Matter

The book's final answer has three parts: fear God (reverence and trust), keep his commandments (obedience), and remember that God shall bring every work into judgment (accountability). Under the sun life is vanity; lived before God, it has eternal significance.

Part Six: The Major Teachings of Ecclesiastes

1. Life Without God Is Empty

Wisdom, pleasure, achievement and wealth cannot satisfy when pursued apart from God (1:2; 2:11).

2. God Has Placed Eternity in the Heart

Human beings are made for more than this world (3:11), which explains our restlessness.

3. God Is Sovereign Over Time and Events

There is a time for everything (3:1-8), and God's works stand for ever (3:14; 7:13-14).

4. Death Comes to All

Wise and foolish, rich and poor, all die (2:14-16; 9:2-3). Facing death brings wisdom (7:2).

5. Life's Joys Are God's Gifts

Food, drink, work, marriage and youth are to be enjoyed with gratitude as gifts from God (2:24; 3:12-13; 5:18-19; 9:7-9; 11:9).

6. All Have Sinned

"There is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not" (7:20). God made man upright, but man has sought out many inventions (7:29).

7. The Limits of Human Wisdom

No one can fully understand God's work (3:11; 8:17; 11:5). Human study is endless and wearying (12:12).

8. Reverence in Worship

Approach God with reverence, few words and kept promises (5:1-7).

9. Wise Living in a Broken World

Patience, contentment, diligence, generosity and companionship are wise ways to live in a fallen world (4:6, 9-12; 7:8-9; 9:10; 11:1-6).

10. Coming Judgment

God will judge every work, including every secret thing (3:17; 11:9; 12:14).

11. The Whole Duty of Man

To fear God and keep His commandments (12:13).

Part Seven: Connections — How Ecclesiastes Links to the Rest of the Bible

Ecclesiastes and the New Testament

Ecclesiastes in the Old Testament

Themes That Run from Ecclesiastes Through Scripture

Part Eight: Practical Lessons

• Don't look for ultimate meaning in things under the sun (1:2; 2:11).
• Recognise the longing for eternity in your heart (3:11).
• Trust God's timing (3:1, 11).
• Value companionship; don't live alone (4:9-12).
• Be content with a handful and quietness (4:6).
• Listen more than you speak in worship (5:1-2).
• Keep your promises to God (5:4-5).
• Don't love money (5:10).
• Receive life's joys as gifts from God (2:24; 5:18-19).
• Let death teach you wisdom (7:2).
• Be patient, not proud or quick-tempered (7:8-9).
• Don't idealise the past (7:10).
• Remember that everyone sins, including you (7:20-22).
• Do what your hand finds to do with all your might (9:10).
• Guard your reputation from small follies (10:1).
• Sharpen your axe; work wisely (10:10).
• Be generous and don't wait for perfect conditions (11:1-6).
• Enjoy youth, remembering God will judge (11:9).
• Turn to your Creator while you are young (12:1).
• Fear God and keep His commandments (12:13).

Part Nine: Key Verses to Memorize

Conclusion

Ecclesiastes is the honest testimony of a man who had everything and found it empty. Solomon tested wisdom, pleasure, achievement and wealth, and pronounced them all "vanity," fleeting as breath, because death comes to all and nothing under the sun can fill a heart that God has made for eternity. Yet the book is not despair. It teaches us to receive life's simple joys as gifts from God's hand, to live wisely and generously in a broken world, to remember our Creator while we are young, and finally to fear God and keep His commandments, knowing that He will judge every work. In doing so, it points beyond itself to Jesus Christ, greater than Solomon, who came from above the sun to give abundant life, whose resurrection guarantees that labour in Him is never in vain, and who will one day make all things new.

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

Ecclesiastes 12:13