does the author of ecclesiastes need prozac?

Does

the Author of

Ecclesiastes

Need Prozac?

The author of Ecclesiastes is

often labeled a depressed pessimist.

But a careful study reveals

the author to be an honest—and

hopeful!—realist about life, not a

candidate for Prozac.

By  M i l e s C u s t i s

It’s easy to understand why people think

Ecclesiastes is depressing, or think that

the conclusion of the book is that life is

meaningless. Verses like “And I declared

that the dead, who had already died, are

happier than the living, who are still alive”

(Eccl 4:2 niv) make the book seem less than

hopeful. Even its famous phrase “vanity of

vanities”—found at the beginning and the

end of the book (1:2; 12:8) makes the author

sound like a complete pessimist. I’ve found,

though, that if you give the book enough

serious attention, Ecclesiastes reveals that the

author is actually hopeful, and his message

can easily be applied to each of us.

The refrain “vanity of vanities” (1:2 and 12:8)

is where we find our first clue to the author’s

optimism. The translations “meaningless”

(niv) or “vanity” (nasb) come from the

Hebrew word hebel ( הבל ). This word occurs

in Ecclesiastes far more frequently than

in any other book of the Old Testament

(38 of 73 occurrences). Neither “meaningless”

nor “vanity” quite fits the way it is used in

Ecclesiastes. Sometimes hebel emphasizes the

brevity of life; at other times it speaks to the

futility of life. Most often, however, the author

uses hebel to judge situations as senseless,

absurd, unreasonable, or unfair. For example,

in 2:21 the fact that the author must leave

his fortune to someone who did not earn it

seems “unfair” to him (not just “worthless”

or “vain”). Likewise, in 8:14 it seems

“senseless” to the author that the outcomes

of a righteous or a wicked life are reversed.

Some Occurrences of Hebel ( הבל ) in

Ecclesiastes (esv) with Miles Custis’

Translations Inserted

Ecclesiastes 2:18–21

I hated all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing

that I must leave it to the man who will come after

me, 19 and who knows whether he will be wise or a

fool? Yet he will be master of all for which I toiled

and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is

absurd. 20 So I turned about and gave my heart up

to despair over all the toil of my labors under the

sun, 21 because sometimes a person who has toiled

with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave

everything to be enjoyed by someone who did not

toil for it. This also is unfair and a great evil.

Ecclesiastes 8:14–17

There is a senselessness that takes place on earth,

that there are righteous people to whom it happens

according to the deeds of the wicked, and there are

wicked people to whom it happens according to the

deeds of the righteous. I said that this also is absurd.

15 And I commend joy, for man has no good thing

under the sun but to eat and drink and be joyful, for

this will go with him in his toil through the days of his

life that God has given him under the sun. 16When I

applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the

business that is done on earth, how neither day nor

night do one’s eyes see sleep, 17then I saw all the

work of God, that man cannot find out the work that

is done under the sun. However much man may toil

in seeking, he will not find it out. Even though a wise

man claims to know, he cannot find it out.

The author’s main point in using hebel is to

show that life often does not make sense and

that neither he (being extremely wise; see

1:16 and 12:9) nor anyone else can explain

the senseless situations that life can bring.

Life is contradictory, and human ability to

understand life in all of its contradictions

is limited.

The limitation of human wisdom is

an important theme in Ecclesiastes.

The author’s goal was to understand life

(1:13), but it is a goal he was unable to reach.

In fact, it is a goal which no one can

reach (8:16–17).

But doesn’t this make the author a

pessimist? The answer can be found in

3:10–17. This passage affirms that God is the

One who controls “the times.” He has made

everything “beautiful” or “good” in its time

(3:11a). We are not able fully understand

everything He has done (3:11b; 8:17). It is

clear that He is the One in control (3:14a).

“God does [all this in mystery] so that man

will fear him” (3:14). The proper response to

living in a chaotic world, with situations that

are often beyond our control, is to put our

trust in the One who is in control—God.

Rather than a message of gloom, Ecclesiastes

gives us hope: while life might be full of

injustice and absurdity (3:16), we can trust

that God is in control and ultimately justice

will prevail (3:17).2 Ecclesiastes points

out life’s difficulties, but does not call for

despair. The book’s conclusion drives the

point home (12:13): “This is end of the

matter; all has been heard. Fear God and

keep his commandments, for this applies to

everyone.”

Miles Custis holds an ma in Biblical Studies, specializing in

Ecclesiastes, as well as four ancient languages. He is an

electronic book designer at Logos Bible Software.