The Analysed Bible, Volumes 1, 2, 3, by Rev. G. Campbell Morgan: The Book of Ecclesiastes - Analysed and Explained in Detail (Full Text and PDF).

A detailed analysis of the book of Ecclesiastes: The Vanity of Materialism.

To the best of our knowledge we are of the understanding that this book, being published in 1907, and freely available elsewhere on the internet is in the public domain.

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The Book of Ecclesiastes - Analysed and Explained in Summary - Volumes 1, 2, and 3 of "The Analysed Bible" by G. Campbell Morgan.

To the best of our knowledge we are of the understanding that this book, taken from Volumes 1, 2, & 3 of the "Analysed Bible" by G. Campbell Morgan published in 1907, and freely available elsewhere on the internet is in the public domain.

ECCLESIATES - THE VANITY OF MATERIALISM

PART A: THEME - Ecclesiastes 1:1-1:11

A1. Inclusive Statement - Eccl. 1:1-1:3

  1. Title - 1:1
  2. Vapour of Vapours - 1:2-1:3

A2. Elaboration - Eccl. 1:4-1:11

  1. Generation. Sun. Wind. Rivers. Man. The consciousness of the grind of material forces.

Part B: THE EVIDENCE - Ecclesiastes 1:12-8:17

B1. Personal - Eccl. 1:12-2:26

  1. Knowledge - 1:12-1:18
  2. Mirth - 2:1-2:3
  3. Wealth - 2:4-2:11
  4. Life - 2:12-2:26

B2. Relative - Eccl. 3:1-8:17

  1. The Mechanism of the Universe - 3:1-3:22
  2. Sociological Oppressions - 4:1-4:16
  3. Religion. This is also wholly of fear - 5:1-5:7
  4. Poverty and Prosperity - 5:8-6:12
  5. Indifference - 7:1-8:17

Part C: THE EFFECT - Ecclesiastes 9:1-11:8

C1. Worldly Wisdom Extolled - Eccl. 9:1-9:16

  1. One event to all - 9:1-9:6
  2. Enter into Life - 9:7-9:10
  3. Advantages are of little worth - 9:11-9:12
  4. Wisdom under the Sun - 9:13-9:16

C2. Worldly Wisdom Exemplified - Eccl. 9:17-11:8

  1. Discretion - 9:17-10:20
  2. Diligence - 11:1-11:7
  3. Darkness - 11:8

Part D: THE CORRECTION - Ecclesiastes 11:9-12:14

D1. Started - Eccl. 11:9-11:10

D2. Urged - Eccl. 12:1-12:12

D3. Summarized - Eccl. 12:13-12:14

Introduction

The word Ecclesiastes means preacher or teacher, and this book is, in matter of fact, one set and systematic discourse. The theme of the book is the "vanity" of everything "under the sun." This is first announced, then proved from the preacher's personal experience, and from his wide-reaching observation. Finally, by appeal and declaration, he shows that the whole of life is only found as there is recognition of things above the sun as well as of those under the sun - of things spiritual as well as material.

It is a living book because it still faithfully mirrors the experiences of such as dwell wholly in the material realm, and because it makes the one and only appeal which, being obeyed, issues in the correction of the despair. It may be thus divided: The Theme stated (1-1:11); the Evidence massed (1:12-8:17); the Effect revealed (9:1-11:8); the Correction declared (11:9-12:14).

A. The Theme stated - Ecclesiastes 1:1-1:11

In the statement of his theme the preacher employs phrases which recur through the whole of the book - "vanity," "what profit," "under the sun." The statement is a declaration of the emptiness of life when it is wholly conditioned in material things.

In this first division, beyond the preliminary declaration, there is a more particular statement in terms of general illustration. The generations come and go, while the earth abides. The sun rises and sets. The wind moves in a ceaseless circuit. Rivers run into the sea only to return to the places from which they came. Man comes to the scene with desires which are never satisfied, and passes away into a land of forgetfulness. The intention of the whole passage is to impress upon the mind the fact of the constant grind of the mechanism of the universe in the midst of which man lives his day briefly, and passes out to forget and to be forgotten. This is still the consciousness to which men come who have lost their vision of the spiritual realities which constitute the upper half of human life.

B. The Evidence massed - Ecclesiastes 1:12-8:17

The discourse now proceeds to state the ground upon which such conclusions have been arrived at. They are two-fold. First, the actual experiences of the king; and secondly, the widespread observation of other men, and of matters in general.

Commencing with his own experience, he states the vanity of knowledge, of mirth, of wealth. As to knowledge, he had applied his heart to seek and search out all works done under the sun, and had come to the conclusion that they were all vanity, and that knowledge of them was grief. Knowledge unilluminated by spiritual consciousness is utterly unsatisfying.

Turning from the pursuit of knowledge to the pathway of pleasure, the king had given himself up to mirth, seeking the false stimulus of wine. In this also he had been disappointed, finding that mirth was madness, and all pleasure incompetent to satisfy.

He next turned to his great possessions, attempting to make such use of them as to bring satisfaction not found elsewhere. He surrounded himself with every kind of luxury, gathered large possessions, gave himself over to music and to women, allowing full rein to all his desires. All this he had found to be vanity, nothing but a striving after wind, and he had again been driven to the conclusion that there was no profit under the sun.

Once again he had tried a new pathway. He turned himself from the things that were almost exclusively physical to those of the mind. These were better, and he found that "wisdom excelleth folly." Yet he also perceived that "one event happeneth to all," both the fool and the wise pass on to death, so that this also ended in disappointment as keen as the others. He then summarizes the results of his own experience of life "under the sun" in the terrible words: "I hated life ... I hated all my labour ... under the sun." The very exercise of wisdom resulted in the gathering of results into which the toiler did not enter, but which he left to another. Everything was vanity. The ultimate conclusion of his own experience was that there was nothing better than to eat and drink. Materialism necessarily becomes fatalism.

Turning from his personal experience to the evidence gained by observation, he again, but in greater detail, describes the mechanism of the universe, referring to its ceaseless routine, deducing therefrom a conception of God as a Being Who is absolutely inexorable, and from Whom there is no escape. The issue of this is confusion rather than order. In the place of judgment and of righteousness, wickedness exists. After all man is no better than the beasts.

From this general survey the preacher returns to examine the condition of the beings whom he has described as being no better than the beasts. He sees everywhere the suffering of society, and even where men are successful enough to amass wealth, they find themselves in circumstances of pitiable loneliness. Kingship itself is empty and disappointing.

The observation of the religious life brings no truer satisfaction. The preacher expresses no contempt for religion; but there is in his outlook, no joy, no satisfaction. The recognition of God is irksome, and issues, at its best, in a caution based on fear. Turning again to a general survey of the conditions under which men live, the preacher appeals against surprise at oppression. Poverty is preferable to wealth. Wealth is disappointing. His advice, in view of his observations, may be summarized thus : Do not hoard anything, but enjoy it. It is the advice of utter selfishness.

Being experimentally far better acquainted with wealth than with poverty, he returns to a full declaration of the sorrows of the wealthy. His evident thought is that the more a man possesses under the sun, the more profoundly conscious does he become of the vanity and vexation of it all.

He then proceeds to the inculcation of indifference toward all the facts of life as the only attitude which is in the least likely to be satisfactory. He recommends that men should take things as they come. This general advice he emphasizes by particular illustrations. Righteousness does not always pay; wickedness sometimes does. Therefore morality is to be a thing of calculation. Men are urged to walk the middle way. The whole attitude of mind revealed is that of cynicism; but it is the attitude of a man who had lived his life "under the sun."

C. The Effect revealed

In view of the evidences of the truth of his affirmation, "vanity ... all is vanity," the preacher now turns to the effect of this fact on the mind of the man living "under the sun." He extols worldly wisdom. It is to be granted that all things are in the hand of God, and this being so, men do not know them, nor can they. The only certain thing is that there is one event to all — righteous and wicked, clean and unclean, the worshipper and the man who fails in worship, the good and the sinner, the swearer and the man who fears an oath. All these are really evil, with madness in their heart during life, and move toward death. Therefore there is nothing for it other than to enjoy the present life, to eat and drink, and to dress; to enter into the experiences of the life of vanity. Everything is to be done in the present moment, and that with might, because there is cessation beyond. Wisdom under the sun is granted to be of some relative value, but in the long issue it is of little worth. How, then, does worldly wisdom work? The preacher shows that its first manifestation is that of discretion based upon selfishness. It is, moreover, that of diligence in the midst of the things of this life. Almost weirdly, this setting forth of the value and method of worldly wisdom ends in the same wail of disappointment which has characterized the whole discourse. "If a man live many years, let him rejoice in them all ; but let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many. All that Cometh is vanity."

D. The Correction declared - Ecclesiastes 11:9-12:14

The first word of the last division of the book, like the first word of the Manifesto of the King in later days, indicates the true thought and desire of God for man: "Rejoice." A statement of life which includes all of truth recognized in the discourse, and yet which far transcends the whole of it, is first made. A man is to enter into life - his own life and his present life - with avidity; and he is constantly to do so in the sight of God, remembering his relationship to Him. Judgment here does not mean punishment, but verdict. Everything is to be tested first by the supremacy of God. To attempt to find Him through the medium of our self-pleasing use of life is utterly to fail. To enthrone Him first, and then to attempt to find life through Him, is to cancel for ever the word "vanity."

The preacher proceeds in language full of poetic beauty to urge the young to remember the Creator. We then reach the epilogue of the sermon. It first repeats the theme as announced at the beginning, and tells how the preacher, through study and diligence, still attempted to teach the people knowledge; and finally, in the concluding two verses, a great statement of truth is made, understanding and acting upon which, the pessimistic views of life resulting from materialism will never be known.

At the centre is this statement: "This is the whole of man." The word "duty" has no real place in the sentence. What is the whole of man? "To fear God and keep His commandments" To do this is to find life not merely under the sun, but over it as well, to pass from the imperfect hemisphere into the perfect sphere. To do this is to have light upon the facts and problems of life, which otherwise are dark and dismal.