**commentary from the Orthodox Study Bible<\/p>\n
Sunday<\/p>\n
Ecclesiastes 1:<\/p>\n
The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.<\/span><\/p>\n 2\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cVanity[a<\/a>]<\/sup> of vanities,\u201d says the Preacher;<\/span> 3\u00a0<\/sup>What profit has a man from all his labor<\/span> 9\u00a0<\/sup>That which has been is<\/i> what will be,<\/span> 1:1 Words can be best understood as \u201ccollected sayings\u201d (see 12:9\u201311). The word ecclesiastes comes from the Greek root word ecclesia, meaning \u201cassembly,\u201d which is also used to refer to the gathering of Christians in the New Testament. Thus, ecclesia is translated \u201cchurch\u201d in the English language, and is used to refer to both the gathering and the building where the people gather. 1:2 All, that is, everything in life that is apart from the purpose for which God created us, is vanity (see Rom 8:20). 1:3\u20137 We labor that we may profit, but labor loses its meaning (see Mt 16:26) when it has no eternal purpose. From generation to generation, we inherit death (Job 14:10). But Christ, the Sun of Righteousness (Mal 4:2), gives meaning to our labor and raises us up from death to life. 1:8\u201311 Even the human quest for knowledge and wisdom proves fruitless, because man cannot remember what he learned. Nothing new (v. 9)<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Prayer: Monday \u00a0<\/sup>I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. <\/span> 13\u00a0<\/sup>And I set my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven; this burdensome task God has given to the sons of man, by which they may be [e<\/a>]<\/sup>exercised. <\/span> 14\u00a0<\/sup>I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and indeed, all is<\/i> vanity and grasping for the wind.<\/span><\/p>\n 15\u00a0<\/sup>What is<\/i> crooked cannot be made straight,<\/span> 16\u00a0<\/sup>I communed with my heart, saying, \u201cLook, I have attained greatness, and have gained more wisdom than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My heart has [f<\/a>]<\/sup>understood great wisdom and knowledge.\u201d <\/span> 17\u00a0<\/sup>And I set my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is grasping for the wind.<\/span><\/p>\n 18\u00a0<\/sup>For in much wisdom is<\/i> much grief,<\/span> 1:14 The choice of one\u2019s spirit means that we freely choose vanity or evil deeds as opposed to doing God\u2019s will. This tells us that man is not sinful by nature, but rather sinful by choice. This same phrase is also used in 2:11, 17, 26; 4:4, 6, 16; 6:9. 1:15 Despite his pessimism, the Preacher knows that God is indeed at work in the world, and only He can make the crooked\u00a0.\u00a0.\u00a0.\u00a0straight (Is 40:4). 1:17, 18 True wisdom is Christ, whose mysteries are far beyond our understanding.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Prayer: <\/p>\n Tuesday I said in my heart, \u201cCome now, I will test you with mirth; [a<\/a>]<\/sup>therefore enjoy pleasure\u201d; but surely, this also was<\/i> vanity. <\/span> 2\u00a0<\/sup>I said of laughter\u2014\u201cMadness!\u201d; and of mirth, \u201cWhat does it accomplish?\u201d <\/span> 3\u00a0<\/sup>I searched in my heart how<\/i> [b<\/a>]<\/sup>to gratify my flesh with wine, while guiding my heart with wisdom, and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was<\/i> good for the sons of men to do under heaven all the days of their lives.<\/span><\/p>\n 4\u00a0<\/sup>I made my works great, I built myself houses, and planted myself vineyards. <\/span> 5\u00a0<\/sup>I made myself gardens and orchards, and I planted all kinds<\/i> of fruit trees in them. <\/span> 6\u00a0<\/sup>I made myself water pools from which to [c<\/a>]<\/sup>water the growing trees of the grove. <\/span> 7\u00a0<\/sup>I acquired male and female servants, and had [d<\/a>]<\/sup>servants born in my house. Yes, I had greater possessions of herds and flocks than all who were in Jerusalem before me. <\/span> 8\u00a0<\/sup>I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the special treasures of kings and of the provinces. I acquired male and female singers, the delights of the sons of men, and<\/i> [e<\/a>]<\/sup>musical instruments of all kinds.<\/span><\/p>\n 9\u00a0<\/sup>So I became great and [f<\/a>]<\/sup>excelled more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me.<\/span><\/p>\n 10\u00a0<\/sup>Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them.<\/span> 12\u00a0<\/sup>Then I turned myself to consider wisdom and madness and folly;<\/span> <\/p>\n 2:1\u20133 The Preacher spoke in his heart because the heart is the center of our true self. It is the center of good or vanity, affection and coldness, mercy and hardness, wisdom and folly, reason and confusion. 2:13 Man can choose wisdom or foolishness, light or darkness, good or evil.<\/p>\n Nelson, Thomas. NKJV, The Orthodox Study Bible, eBook: Ancient Christianity Speaks to Today’s World . Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.<\/p>\n Prayer: <\/p>\n Wednesday The wise man\u2019s eyes are<\/i> in his head,<\/span> 15\u00a0<\/sup>So I said in my heart,<\/span> 17\u00a0<\/sup>Therefore I hated life because the work that was done under the sun was<\/i> distressing to me, for all is<\/i> vanity and grasping for the wind.<\/span><\/p>\n 18\u00a0<\/sup>Then I hated all my labor in which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who will come after me. <\/span> 19\u00a0<\/sup>And who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will rule over all my labor in which I toiled and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is<\/i> vanity. <\/span> 20\u00a0<\/sup>Therefore I turned my heart and despaired of all the labor in which I had toiled under the sun. <\/span> 21\u00a0<\/sup>For there is a man whose labor is<\/i> with wisdom, knowledge, and skill; yet he must leave his [h<\/a>]<\/sup>heritage to a man who has not labored for it. This also is<\/i> vanity and a great evil. <\/span> 22\u00a0<\/sup>For what has man for all his labor, and for the striving of his heart with which he has toiled under the sun? <\/span> 23\u00a0<\/sup>For all his days are<\/i> sorrowful, and his work burdensome; even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity.<\/span><\/p>\n 24\u00a0<\/sup>Nothing is<\/i> better for a man than<\/i> that he should eat and drink, and that<\/i> his soul should enjoy good in his labor. This also, I saw, was from the hand of God. <\/span> 25\u00a0<\/sup>For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, [i<\/a>]<\/sup>more than I? <\/span> 26\u00a0<\/sup>For God<\/i> gives wisdom and knowledge and joy to a man who is<\/i> good in His sight; but to the sinner He gives the work of gathering and collecting, that he may give to him who is<\/i> good before God. This also is<\/i> vanity and grasping for the wind.<\/span><\/p>\n 2:16 No matter whether we walk in the light of wisdom or in the darkness of folly, everyone suffers and dies without remembrance. It is for this reason that Christ has come to trample down death by dying that we might live eternally in Him. Thus, we are bold to sing, \u201cMemory eternal!\u201d 2:24\u201326 Earthly food and drink still ends in death, but the eternal food of the Eucharist (Jn 6:55) imparts good\u2014that is, wisdom, knowledge, and gladness (v. 26)\u2014to those who labor for God.<\/p>\n Prayer: Thursday To everything there is<\/i> a season,<\/span><\/span>
\n\u201cVanity of vanities, all is<\/i> vanity.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\nIn which he [b<\/a>]<\/sup>toils under the sun?<\/span>
\n4\u00a0<\/sup>One<\/i> generation passes away, and another<\/i> generation comes;<\/span>
\nBut the earth abides forever.<\/span>
\n5\u00a0<\/sup>The sun also rises, and the sun goes down,<\/span>
\nAnd [c<\/a>]<\/sup>hastens to the place where it arose.<\/span>
\n6\u00a0<\/sup>The wind goes toward the south,<\/span>
\nAnd turns around to the north;<\/span>
\nThe wind whirls about continually,<\/span>
\nAnd comes again on its circuit.<\/span>
\n7\u00a0<\/sup>All the rivers run into the sea,<\/span>
\nYet the sea is<\/i> not full;<\/span>
\nTo the place from which the rivers come,<\/span>
\nThere they return again.<\/span>
\n8\u00a0<\/sup>All things are<\/i> [d<\/a>]<\/sup>full of labor;<\/span>
\nMan cannot express it.<\/i><\/span>
\nThe eye is not satisfied with seeing,<\/span>
\nNor the ear filled with hearing.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\nThat which is<\/i> done is what will be done,<\/span>
\nAnd there is<\/i> nothing new under the sun.<\/span>
\n10\u00a0<\/sup>Is there anything of which it may be said,<\/span>
\n\u201cSee, this is<\/i> new\u201d?<\/span>
\nIt has already been in ancient times before us.<\/span>
\n11\u00a0<\/sup>There is<\/i> no remembrance of former things,<\/i><\/span>
\nNor will there be any remembrance of things<\/i> that are to come<\/span>
\nBy those<\/i> who will come after.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\nThis is the day which the Lord has made.\u00a0 Let us rejoice and be glad therein.<\/p>\n
\nEcclesiastes 1:12<\/p>\n
\nAnd what is lacking cannot be numbered.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\nAnd he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nBlessed by the name of the Lord from henceforth and forever more.<\/p>\n
\nEcclesiastes 2:<\/p>\n
\nI did not withhold my heart from any pleasure,<\/span>
\nFor my heart rejoiced in all my labor;<\/span>
\nAnd this was my [g<\/a>]<\/sup>reward from all my labor.<\/span>
\n11\u00a0<\/sup>Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done<\/span>
\nAnd on the labor in which I had toiled;<\/span>
\nAnd indeed all was<\/i> vanity and grasping for the wind.<\/span>
\nThere was<\/i> no profit under the sun.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\nFor what can<\/i> the man do<\/i> who succeeds the king?\u2014<\/span>
\nOnly<\/i> what he has already done.<\/span>
\n13\u00a0<\/sup>Then I saw that wisdom excels folly<\/span>
\nAs light excels darkness.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\nGlory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost.\u00a0 As it was in the beginning it is now and ever shall be, world without end.\u00a0 Amen.<\/p>\n
\nEcclesiastes 2:<\/p>\n
\nBut the fool walks in darkness.<\/span>
\nYet I myself perceived<\/span>
\nThat the same event happens to them all.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n\u201cAs it happens to the fool,<\/span>
\nIt also happens to me,<\/span>
\nAnd why was I then more wise?\u201d<\/span>
\nThen I said in my heart,<\/span>
\n\u201cThis also is<\/i> vanity.\u201d<\/span>
\n16\u00a0<\/sup>For there is<\/i> no more remembrance of the wise than of the fool forever,<\/span>
\nSince all that now is<\/i> will be forgotten in the days to come.<\/span>
\nAnd how does a wise man<\/i> die?<\/span>
\nAs the fool!<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\nCreate in me a clean heart of God and renew a right spirit within me.\u00a0 Cast me not from thy presence nor take thy Holy Spirit from me.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation and by thy governing spirit establish me.<\/p>\n
\nEcclesiastes<\/p>\n
\nA time for every purpose under heaven:<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n