Ecclesiastes 1:9Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

There have been individuals before us, they dwell with us now, and they shall continue to exist after us, just as certain animals and trees do. Remarkable occurrences, though unique and differing in nature, may be recorded as having transpired only once; however, in essence, they have indeed occurred before and will arise again. Special occurrences under the sun are not new or unprecedented.

Some interpretations suggest that these remarks signify that all things exist by divine predestination, implying that nothing is truly new under the sun. Nevertheless, it is inconsistent with genuine faith to interpret Solomon’s words as indicative of a repetitive cycle where historical events occur in the same manner throughout the ages. For instance, one might imagine that in a distant era, the philosopher Plato taught his students in Athens at a place called the Academy, and this scenario would repeat endlessly through the centuries. Such a notion is alien to our faith. For Christ died once for our transgressions; upon His resurrection, He does not die again: death no longer has dominion over Him (Rom. 6:9). After our resurrection, we shall dwell forever with the Lord (1 Thess. 4:17), whom we confidently affirm in the sacred psalm: "Thou, O Lord, wilt preserve them; keep them from this generation forever" (Psalm 11:8), not because their lives will traverse the imagined cycles, but due to the fallacy of such a belief, which stems from erroneous doctrine.

If you wish to comprehend the past, reflect on the future, and through that reflection, you will gain insight into what has come before.

What this suggests is: consider, I implore you, human being, what you will become through virtue if you adorn your soul with righteous qualities in every respect, if you cleanse yourself from the blemishes of vice, if you remove from your character every trace of earthly impurities; what will you become in such a state of grace, what form will you embody? Should you delve into this with discernment, you will uncover what was originally fashioned in the image of God. I inquire of the Master: Where is that which once existed, and of which there is hope for its return in the future, yet is now absent? Undoubtedly, the one who imparts lofty teachings would respond using the same terminology; thus, the present is termed meaningless because it is not genuinely present.

Ecclesiastes claims, "that which was created is also created." Let none among you who hear this overlook the numerous and empty repetitions of expressions that differentiate between what was and what was made. Each of these terms delineates the difference between the soul and the body. The soul was (or rather: became), while the body was created. Not because the weight of these phrases indicates anything fundamentally different, but to allow us to draw conclusions about each of these aspects, the language distinguishes between the soul and the body. The soul was originally what it will be again after purification, and the body, shaped by God's hands, was created to reveal its true nature in resurrection. Just as you will perceive it post-resurrection, so too was it created in the beginning; for the resurrection is, without a doubt, a return to the original state. This is why Ecclesiastes also adds that nothing exists beyond the original. He states, "There is nothing new under the sun." In this, he seems to imply that if anything does not align with the original, it does not truly exist but is merely considered to have some form of being. When Ecclesiastes asserts, "nothing is new under the sun," he suggests that one might point to something occurring and declare, "This is new, and indeed has happened." This encapsulates the essence of the statement, which is read as follows: "And nothing is new under the sun; whoever shall speak and declare, 'Behold, this is new.'"

Since the beginning of creation, humanity has been born and has passed away, the earth has been suspended over the waters, and the sun has risen and set; not to mention the countless instances granted by the Creator whereby birds soar, fish swim, terrestrial creatures walk, and creeping beings crawl. A thought resembling this was voiced by a comedic poet: ‘Nothing is said that has not been said before.’ Therefore, my instructor Donatus offered this interpretation: ‘Let those perish who have claimed our words before us.’ If there can be no novel utterance in the realm of language, then certainly, there can be nothing new in the fabric of the world, which is so flawless from the onset that God rested from His labor on the seventh day. I have encountered a notion stating that if all that has been created under the sun existed in prior ages before being revealed now, and humanity was shaped only after the sun was created, it suggests humanity also existed before manifesting under the sun. However, this conclusion is not applicable as it could imply that livestock, insects, and all manner of creatures existed prior to the creation of the heavens. An objector might contend that it is clear from the subsequent assertions that Ecclesiastes speaks only of mankind, as he says, ‘There is nothing new under the sun, of which anyone has spoken and said, “This is new.”’ It is not animals that articulate such statements, but only humanity; if animals were to declare something new, the assertion that there is nothing new under the sun would be contradicted.