Ecclesiastes 1

Ecclesiastes · Chapter 1

Ecclesiastes 1:9

1The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.2Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.3What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?4One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.5The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.6The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.7All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.8All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.9The 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.10Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.11There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.12I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.13And 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.14I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.15That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.16I 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.17And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.18For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
9The 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.What has been will be again, and what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
whateverמַה־mah-H4100
what

מָא (ma) 1) what, whatever 1a) what? 1b) whatever, what, whatsoever 1c) how?, why?, wherefore? (with prefixes)

that it has beenשֶּֽׁהָיָה֙she-ha-YAHH1961
to be

הָיָה (ha.yah) 1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out 1a) (Qal) 1a1) --- 1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass 1a1b) to come about, come to pass 1a2) to come into being, become 1a2a) to arise, appear, come 1a2b) to become 1a2b1) to become 1a2b2) to become like 1a2b3) to be instituted, be established 1a3) to be 1a3a) to exist, be in existence 1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time) 1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality) 1a3d) to accompany, be with 1b) (Niphal) …

itה֣וּאhu'H1931
he/she/it

הוּא (hu) pron 3p s 1) he, she, it 1a) himself (with emphasis) 1b) resuming subj with emphasis 1c) (with minimum emphasis following predicate) 1d) (anticipating subj) 1e) (emphasising predicate) 1f) that, it (neuter) demons pron 2) that (with article)

[is] which it will beשֶׁיִּהְיֶ֔הshei-yih-YEHH1961
to be

הָיָה (ha.yah) 1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out 1a) (Qal) 1a1) --- 1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass 1a1b) to come about, come to pass 1a2) to come into being, become 1a2a) to arise, appear, come 1a2b) to become 1a2b1) to become 1a2b2) to become like 1a2b3) to be instituted, be established 1a3) to be 1a3a) to exist, be in existence 1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time) 1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality) 1a3d) to accompany, be with 1b) (Niphal) …

and whateverוּמַה־u-mah-H4100
what

מָא (ma) 1) what, whatever 1a) what? 1b) whatever, what, whatsoever 1c) how?, why?, wherefore? (with prefixes)

which it has been doneשֶׁנַּֽעֲשָׂ֔הshe-na-'a-SAHH6213A
to make: do

עָשָׂה (a.sah) : do/perform 1) to do, fashion, accomplish, make 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to do, work, make, produce 1a1a) to do 1a1b) to work 1a1c) to deal (with) 1a1d) to act, act with effect, effect 1a2) to make 1a2a) to make 1a2b) to produce 1a2c) to prepare 1a2d) to make (an offering) 1a2e) to attend to, put in order 1a2f) to observe, celebrate 1a2g) to acquire (property) 1a2h) to appoint, ordain, institute 1a2i) to bring about 1a2j) to use 1a2k) to spend, pass 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be done 1b2) to be made 1b3) to be produced 1b4) to be offered 1b5) to be observed 1b6) to be used 1c) (Pual) to be made

itה֖וּאhu'H1931
he/she/it

הוּא (hu) pron 3p s 1) he, she, it 1a) himself (with emphasis) 1b) resuming subj with emphasis 1c) (with minimum emphasis following predicate) 1d) (anticipating subj) 1e) (emphasising predicate) 1f) that, it (neuter) demons pron 2) that (with article)

[is] which it will be doneשֶׁיֵּעָשֶׂ֑הshei-ye-'a-SEHH6213A
to make: do

עָשָׂה (a.sah) : do/perform 1) to do, fashion, accomplish, make 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to do, work, make, produce 1a1a) to do 1a1b) to work 1a1c) to deal (with) 1a1d) to act, act with effect, effect 1a2) to make 1a2a) to make 1a2b) to produce 1a2c) to prepare 1a2d) to make (an offering) 1a2e) to attend to, put in order 1a2f) to observe, celebrate 1a2g) to acquire (property) 1a2h) to appoint, ordain, institute 1a2i) to bring about 1a2j) to use 1a2k) to spend, pass 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be done 1b2) to be made 1b3) to be produced 1b4) to be offered 1b5) to be observed 1b6) to be used 1c) (Pual) to be made

and there notוְאֵ֥יןve-'EINH0369
nothing

אַ֫יִן (a.yin) 1) nothing, not, nought n 1a) nothing, nought neg 1b) not 1c) to have not (of possession) adv 1d) without w/prep 1e) for lack of

[is] anyכָּל־kol-H3605
all

כֹּל (kol) 1) all, the whole 1a) all, the whole of 1b) any, each, every, anything 1c) totality, everything Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)

new [thing]חָדָ֖שׁcha-DASHH2319H
new

חָדָשׁ (cha.dash) new, new thing, fresh Aramaic equivalent: cha.dat (חֲדַ֑ת "new" H2323)

underתַּ֥חַתTA-chatH8478G
under

תְּחוֹת (te.chot) under Aramaic of ta.chat (תַּחַת ": under" H8478)

the sunהַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ha-SHA-meshH8121
to minister

שְׁמַשׁ (she.mash) (Pael) to minister, serve Aramaic of she.mesh (שֶׁ֫מֶשׁ "sun" H8121)

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.