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NASB | Ecclesiastes 1:2 "Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher, "Vanity of vanities! All is vanity." |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Ecclesiastes 1:2 "Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher. "Vanity of vanities! All [that is done without God's guidance] is vanity [futile, meaningless--a wisp of smoke, a vapor that vanishes, merely chasing the wind]." [Rom 8:20] |
Bible Question: What events in Solomon's life may have led him to begin the book of Ecclestiastes with the gloomy words, Vanity of vanities! All is vanity"? --Hank |
Bible Answer: Vanity is defined as conceit, self-praise, immodesty, boasting.. Solomon was a very young man (1 Kings 3:7 when he not only became a leader of a nation, but the leader of God's chosen people! Correct me if I am wrong, but Solomon does not strike me as a person who was ever 'needy' or in want.. He prayed for wisdom, which showed that his heart was in the right place to start with (and he used this wisdom to judge Israel, become world famous and write three books of the Bible!). But his heart turned from the Lord (1 Kings 11:4-13). I believe that a man's beginnings tell a lot about the character of a man. David, his father, had humble beginnings (2 Sam. 7:8- as opposed to Solomon) and became the 2nd greatest King the Israelites ever had (Jesus being the Supreme King!). After building God's temple and fulfilling his destiny, there wasn't a whole lot for him to do since Israel enjoyed peace on all sides.. When you are the richest, wisest, most powerful, most respected, and have more wives than anyone else could ever imagine, then I can see where Solomon would view everything as vanity! But he could not resist the temptation to indulge in it (since that was constantly all around him), and that eventually led his heart away from God, who was the Source of all his blessings. |
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Questions and/or Subjects for Eccl 1:2 | Author | ||
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Hank | ||
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Makarios | ||
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Hank | ||
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melchizedekau | ||
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Zachariah | ||
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ibchick | ||
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sid |