THEOSISGregory of Nyssa
Ecclesiastes acknowledges a disdain for everything to which he used to cling, once finding value in vanity. He expresses that he loathes the life he leads, for he perceives it as a burden, emphasizing that it’s filled with futility and the fleeting desires of the spirit. He detests all the efforts exerted in this life, as he anticipates leaving the fruits of his labor to someone who follows, of whom he is uncertain whether they will be wise or foolish. He questions whether the successor will benefit from the work he has accomplished or squander it in folly.
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Indeed, he realizes that much of what he sought was but illusion and caprice, declaring ‘All vanity and striving after wind.’ He further notes that the cares of this world merit contempt, as labor serves not oneself but those who come after.
No matter the efforts made—be it constructing harbors, monumental buildings, or beautifully cultivated fields—those achievements will ultimately be bequeathed to another, who may misuse such abundance. Ecclesiastes reflects on his quest for knowledge, having temporarily indulged the base desires akin to a young horse let loose, only to regain control through reason. He ponders whether his successor will withstand the allure of pleasure or become ensnared by it. This is why he states: ‘I hate all my toil, my labor under the sun, for it is destined for the one who comes after me. And who knows if he will be wise or foolish, or if he will inherit the results of my labor and the wisdom I sought under the sun?’
In essence, he suggests that he did not surrender to a life of pleasure impulsively, but rather engaged with it under the counsel of wisdom. He enjoyed this existence without being its slave. Thus, he wonders if the one who follows will possess what he acquired not through mere desire but through insight. It becomes clear that he equates pleasure with toil, permitting himself to indulge in it as though it were a necessary trial. Therefore, Ecclesiastes concludes that such considerations should be numbered among the vanities of life.