About Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes is the twenty-first book of the Bible, attributed to the Teacher -- widely identified as King Solomon -- written around 935 BC and spanning 12 chapters. It is one of the most philosophically challenging books in all of scripture, consisting of a sustained and honest inquiry into the meaning of life under the sun. The Teacher exhaustively pursues meaning through wisdom, pleasure, work, wealth, and achievement, only to repeatedly conclude -- Vanity of vanities, all is vanity -- when divorced from God. Yet this is not nihilism: the book arrives at a positive conclusion that life, properly received as gift from God and lived in reverence before Him, is good and meaningful. Major themes include the limits of human wisdom, the brevity of life, the sovereignty of God over all human striving, the importance of fearing God and keeping His commandments, and the proper enjoyment of God's good gifts. Key chapters include Ecclesiastes 1 (the opening declaration of vanity), Ecclesiastes 3 (to everything there is a season), and Ecclesiastes 12 (the conclusion of the whole matter). Famous verses include Ecclesiastes 3:1 -- There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens -- and Ecclesiastes 12:13 -- Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. Ecclesiastes KJV Bible study rewards patient, reflective reading. Read the Book of Ecclesiastes online here in full.