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"Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher,...Vanity of vanities....all
is vanity." Twice the author of Ecclesiastes employs this now famous saying (1:2 Vanity of vanities, saith
the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. He is Koheleth, which comes from a word which signifies
to gather; but it is of a feminine termination, by which perhaps Solomon intends to upbraid himself with his effeminacy,
which contributed more than any thing to his apostasy; for it was to please his wives that he set up idols. This is the proposition
he lays down and undertakes to prove: Vanity of vanities, all is vanity. It was no new text; his father David had more
than once spoken to the same purport. The truth itself here asserted is, that all is vanity, all besides God and considered
as abstract from him, the all of this world, all worldly employments and enjoyments, the all that is in the
world, all that which is agreeable to our senses and to our fancies in this present state, which gains pleasure to ourselves
or reputation with others. It is all vanity, not only in the abuse of it, when it is perverted by the sin of man, but
even in the use of it. Man, considered with reference to these things, is vanity, and, if there were not another life after
this, were made in vain; and those things, considered in reference to man (whatever they are in themselves), are vanity.;
12:8 Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity. As that which he had fully demonstrated the truth
of, and so made good his undertaking in this sermon, wherein he had kept closely to his text, and both his reasons and his
application were to the purpose). The NKJV now gives "futility" as an alternative rendering.
Breath, vapor (hebel)
is the literal meaning of the word translated "vanity." Hebel occurs seventy-one times in the Hebrew Bible, mostly
with metaphorical meanings. Speaking of idols, Isaiah 57:13 uses the word literally. (When thou criest,
let thy companies deliver thee; but the wind shall carry them all away; vanity shall take them: but he that putteth his trust
in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain;) "Vanity [hebel, lit, breath] shall take them."
In the New Testament, James wrote that our life is "a vapour", that apears for a little time, and then vanishes away" (James
4:14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth
for a little time, and then vanisheth away. How much of worldly happiness lies in the promises men make to themselves
beforehand. Their heads are full of fine visions, as to what they shall do, and be, and enjoy, in some future time, when they
can neither be sure of time nor of any of the advantages they promise themselves). The second person born into the world
was named Abel, which in the Hebrew is the same spelling as Hebel. This may be coincidental, but if his name
was "Vapor" or "Breath" in Hebrew it does fit with his life being cut short by murder.
Hebel in Ecclesiastes
Hebel occurs thirty-six times
in Ecclesiastes, only chapter 10 does not use the word. The appaarent futility of life "under the sun" is certainly
one of the main themes of "The Preacher."
Solomon was a great builder, skillful, creative,
and wise. Yet he was frustrated by the emptiness of it all--including his gardens and building projects: "Then I looken
on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labor that I had labored to do: and, behold, all was vanity
and vexation of spirit" (Ecclesiastes 2:11 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. When
the Creator had made his great works he reviewed them, and behold, all was very good; every thing pleased him. But
when Solomon reviewed all his works that his hands had wrought with the utmost cost and care, and the labour
that he had laboured to do in order to make himself easy and happy, nothing answered his expectation; behold, all
was vanity and vexation of spirit; he had no satisfaction in it, no advantage by it; there was no profit under the
sun, neither by the employments nor by the enjoyments of this world.; vv.19 And who knoweth whether he shall be a
wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise
under the sun. This is also vanity. It was labour wherein he showed himself wise, which as much excels the
labour wherein men only show themselves strong as the endowments of the mind, by which we are allied to angels, do those of
the body, which we have in common with the brutes. That which many people have in their eye more than any thing else, in the
prosecution of their worldly business, is to show themselves wise, to get the reputation of ingenious men and men of
sense and application., 21 For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man
that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil. It is a great
affront to God and a great injury to themselves, therefore a great evil; it is a vain thing to rise up early and
sit up late in pursuit of this world's goods, which were never designed to be our chief good., 23 For all his
days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity. There is no
true happiness to be found in these things. They are vanity, and, if happiness be expected from them, the disappointment
will be vexation of spirit. But he will put us in a way to make the best of them, and to avoid the inconveniences he
had observed. We must neither over-toil ourselves, so as, in pursuit of more, to rob ourselves of the comfort of what we have,
nor must we over-hoard for hereafter, nor lose our own enjoyment of what we have to lay it up for those that shall come after
us, but serve ourselves out of it first.; 4:4 Again, I considered all travail, and every right work, that for this
a man is envied of his neighbour. This is also vanity and vexation of spirit. What little conscience most men have, that
they will bear a grudge to a neighbour, give him an ill word and do him an ill turn, only because he is more ingenious and
industrious than themselves, and has more of the blessing of heaven. Cain envied Abel, Esau Jacob, and Saul David, and all
for their right works. 8 There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet
is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave
my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail. He makes himself a mere slave to his business.
Though he has no charge, neither child nor brother, none to take care of but himself, none to hang upon him,
or draw from him, no poor relations, nor dares he marry, for fear of the expense of a family, yet is there no end of his
labour; he is at it night and day, early and late, and will scarcely allow necessary rest to himself and those he employs.
He does not confine himself within the bounds of his own calling, but is for having a hand in any thing that he can get by.;
6:2 A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honour, so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that
he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it: this is vanity, and it is an evil disease. Riches
and wealth commonly gain people honour among men. Though it be but an image, if it be a golden image,
all people, nations, and languages, will fall down and worship it).
King Solomon also found the apparent unfairness
of life to be vanity. Actually, we might wonder what he had to complain about. God had granted him wisdom and
wealth; his life was filled with plenty of "wine, wmen, and song," and yet he was not satisfied. His verdict:
"There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there be just men, to whom it happened according to the work of the
righteous: I said that this also is vanity: (Ecclesiastes 8:14 There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that
there be just men, unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there be wicked men, to whom it happeneth
according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity. He saw wicked men to whom it happened
according to the work of the righteous, who prospered as remarkably as if they had been rewarded for some good deed, and
that from themselves, from God, from men. We see the just troubled and perplexed in their own minds, the wicked easy, fearless,
and secure,--the just crossed and afflicted by the divine Providence, the wicked prosperous, successful, and smiled upon,--the
just, censured, reproached, and run down, by the higher powers, the wicked applauded and preferred.; vv. 10-13And so I
saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of the holy, and they were forgotten in the city where they had
so done: this is also vanity. 11 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. 12 Though a sinner do evil a hundred times, and his days be prolonged,
yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him: 13 But it shall not be well
with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God. ; 2:15
Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I
said in my heart, that this also is vanity. Solomon applies this mortifying observation to himself, that though he was
a wise man, he might not glory in his wisdom; I said to my heart, when it began to be proud or secure, As it happens
to the fool, so it happens to me, even to me; for thus emphatically it is expressed in the original: "So, as for me,
it happens to me. Am I rich? So is many a Nabal that fares as sumptuously as I do. Is a foolish man sick, does he get a fall?
So do I, even I; and neither my wealth nor my wisdom will be my security. And why was I then more wise? Why
should I take so much pains to get wisdom, when, as to this life, it will stand me in so little stead? Then I said in my
heart that this also is vanity." Some make this a correction of what was said before, like that, "I said, This is my
infirmity; it is my folly to think that wise men and fools are upon a level;" but really they seem to be so, in respect
of the event, and therefore it is rather a confirmation of what he had before said, That a man may be a profound philosopher
and politician and yet not be a happy man. ; 6:7-9). It all seemed senseless.
This king, who had everything to live for materially,
and in many other ways, was sad that life was so short. He wrote: "But if a man live many years, and rejoice in them
all; yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that comes is vanity" (Ecclesiastes
11:8; see also v. 10; 3:19; 6:12).
Hebel as Idols
Since the Old Testament spares no expense in
unmasking the absurdity of worshiping lifeless idols, we should not be surprised that they are called foolish idols in the Song
of Moses (Deuteronomy 32:21). Jeremiah concurs: He calls images "vanity, and the work of errors" (Jeremiah 10:15).
Many people would not think of worshipping literal
images, yet have idols eqally vain. The most common is "mammon," or money. To get really rich in a corrupt
society nearly always involves some questionable dealings or "cutting corners." But Proverbs 13:11 warns us that "wealth
gotten by vanity [hebel , fraud]" rather than by hard work "shall be diminished."
Hebel as an Adverbial Accusative
Sometimes the word hebel is used adverbially
with the idea of "no purpose" or "no result": "For the Egyptians shall help in vain, and to no purpose" (Is. 30:7).
Job laments, "If I be wicked, why then labour
I in vain [for no good purpose]?" (Job 9:29).
Elihu sums up Job's many speeches in a Solomon's
style: "Therefore does Job open his mouth in vain; he multiplies words without knowledge" (Job 35:16).
Many people face times in their lives when negatives
and pessimistic thoughts such as those we find in Job and Ecclesiastes are all that can be entertained. But Chrsitians
should rejoice in the positive promise of the apostle Paul; "Therefore, my beloved bretheren, be you stedfast, unmovable,
always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord" (1 Corinthians
15:58).
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