the preacher shews that all human courses are vain,1-3; because the creatures are restless in their courses, 4-8 they bring forth nothing new, and all old things are forgotten, 9-11; and because he has found it so in the studies of wisdom,12-18

the preacher 1:12 7:27 12:8-10 Ne 6:7 Ps 40:9 Isa 61:1 Jon 3:2 2Pe 2:5

king 1:12 1ki 11:42,43 2ch 9:30 10:17-19

2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.

2:11,15,17,19,21,23,26 3:19 4:4,8,16 5:10 6:11, 11:8,10 12:8 Ps 39:5,6 62:9,10 144:4 Ro 8:20

3 What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?

2:22 3:9 5:16 Pr 23:4,5 Isa 55:2 Hab 2:13,18 Mt 16:26 Mr 8:36,37 Joh 6:27

under 2:11,19 4:3,7 5:18 6:12 7:11 8:15-17 9:3,6,13

4 One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.

one generation 6:12 Ge 5:3-31 11:20-32 36:9 47:9 Ex 1:6,7 6:16 Ps 89:47,48 90:9,10 Zec 1:5

but Ps 102:24-28 104:5 119:90,91 Mt 24:35 2Pe 3:10-13

5 The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.

sun Ge 8:22 Ps 19:4-6 89:36,37 104:19-23 Jer 33:20

hasteth Jos 10:13,14 Ps 42:1 Hab 3:11

6 The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.

the wind this verse should be connected with the preceding, and rendered, 'the sun also riseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose; going toward the south, and turning about unto the north. The wind whirleth about continually,' It alludes, in the front part to the apparent daily motion of the sun from east to west, and his annual course through the signs of the zodiac Job 3:8 Ac 27:13-15

7 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.

the rivers run Job 38:10,11 Ps 104:6-9

return again

8 All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.

full 2:11,26 Mt 11:28 Ro 8:22,23

man 4:1-4 7:24-26

the eye 4:8 5:10,11 Ps 63:5 Pr 27:20 30:15,16 Mt 5:6 Re 7:16,17

9 The 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.

that hath 3:15 7:10 2Pe 2:1

and there Isa 43:19 Jer 31:22 Re 21:1,5

10 Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.

it hath Mt 5:12 23:30-32 Lu 17:26-30 Ac 7:51 1Th 2:14-16 2Ti 3:8

11 There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.

there is 2:16 Ps 9:6 Isa 41:22-26 42:9

12 I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.

1Ki 4:1

13 And 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.

i gave 1:17 7:25 8:9,16,17 Ps 111:2 Pr 2:2-4 4:7 18:1,15 23:26 1Ti 4:15

this sore 3:10 4:4 12:12 Ge 3:19

to be exercised or to afflict them

14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

1:17,18 2:11,17,26 1Ki 4:30-32 Ps 39:5,6

15 That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.

crooked 3:14 7:12,13 Job 11:6 34:29 Isa 40:4 La 3:37 Da 4:35 Mt 6:27

wanting or a defect

16 I 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.

communed 2Ki 5:20 Ps 4:4 77:6 Isa 10:7-14 Jer 22:14 Eze 38:10,11 Da 4:30

lo 2:9 1Ki 3:12,13 4:30 10:7,23,24 2Ch 1:10-12 2:12 9:22,23

great experience of Heb 5:14

17 And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.

i gave 1:13 2:3,12 7:23-25 1Th 5:21

i perceived 2:10,11

18 For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.

for in 2:15 7:16 12:12,13 Job 28:28 1Co 3:18-20 Jas 3:13-17