the Preacher. Solomon calls himself “the Preacher” no less than seven times in this book, using a word (Kehleth) used nowhere else in the Old Testament. He seems here to assume the role of a pastor over his flock rather than as a king over his subjects.

Vanity. The words “vanity,” “vanities,” and “vain” (all the same Hebrew word) occur no less than thirty-eight times in Ecclesiastes, almost as much as in all the rest of the Bible put together.

under the sun. This phrase, “under the sun” occurs twenty-nine times in Ecclesiastes. If one's thoughts and motives are all “under the sun,” then indeed everything is vanity. Each believer is exhorted to “set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:2).

earth abideth for ever. This is one of many biblical affirmations that God created the earth to last forever. Like our mortal bodies, it must be made new again, but once renewed, it will abide forever.

sun goeth down. Just as modern astronomers, in their everyday speech, talk of the sun rising and sun setting, so the Biblical writers, following the principle of relative motion, use similar terminology. This is scientifically pragmatic, not “unscientific.”

whirleth about continually. This is a remarkable anticipation of the modern discovery of the world's great wind circuits, in the global circulation of the atmosphere.

thither they return. Similarly, this is an excellent summary of the earth's amazing hydrologic cycle, as confirmed scientifically only in modern times.

from whence they come. For a long time it was believed that rain waters came by evaporation from local lakes and rivers. Meteorologists have now proved by extensive upper-air research that they come from oceanic evaporation, just as this passage indicates.

no new thing. There is no new thing under the sun, since God has completed His creation (Genesis 2:1-3). But God is above the sun, and He can still create “new things” by miracles (e.g., Numbers 16:30; Jeremiah 31:22).

all the works. King Solomon, the Preacher, had the greatest wealth, the greatest wisdom, the greatest power, and the greatest sensual pleasures and comforts of just about any man who ever lived. Yet when these works were done only “under the sun” (and this is the recurring theme of Ecclesiastes), it was soon found by him all to be done in vain, and merely vexed his spirit, rather than satisfying it.

all is vanity. “Vanity” in this book, does not mean foolish pride, of course (although Solomon surely had much he could boast about), but rather the emptiness of life when lived outside the will of God.

is much grief. In the book of Proverbs, Solomon extolled wisdom and knowledge; in Ecclesiastes, he says it only brings trouble. The difference is that in the one he is speaking of true wisdom and knowledge, as founded on “the fear of the Lord” (Proverbs 1:7; 9:10). In the other, he is lamenting the futility of the pseudo-wisdom and knowledge falsely so called of those who build on humanistic or pantheistic foundations.