Ecclesiastes 1:4 One generation passes away, and another generation comes; But the earth abides forever.
There are a few sayings in our day and age that catch a little of the spirit of what the preacher relates. One is, “All things old are new again.” The other is, “all news is old news happening to new people.” Rest assured, the preacher deals with the concept of a new generation supplanting the former, and the thoughts and feelings attached to such a cyclical ceremony.
Ecclesiastes 1:3 “What profit has a man from all his labor in which he toils under the sun?
Take note that “vanity,” or, “all is vanity,” is intrinsically linked to the next phrase revealed by the preacher in verse 3, “under the sun.” If I may be so bold as to paraphrase the saying, I would render it akin to, “from man’s perspective, “ or, “if man is the measure of all things.” Neither flow nearly as well, but we may easily concede the point the preacher is making with his phrase.
