Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
The theme proposed of the first part of his discourse.
Vanity of vanities - Hebraism for the most utter vanity. So "holy of holies," Exodus 26:33-34; "servant of servants,'' Genesis 9:25. The repetition increases the force. Compare Jacob's testimony, Genesis 47:9; Moses' Psalms 90:10; David's, Psalms 39:4-6. In grand contrast to "vanity" stands the name "Yahweh," or Jahve, the self-existing, unchanging God, with whom frail man may have a sure refuge.
All - Hebrew, 'the all,' all without exception; namely, earthly things.
Vanity - not in themselves, because God maketh nothing in vain (1 Timothy 4:4-5), but vain when put in the place of God, and made the end instead of the means (Psalms 39:5-6; Psalms 62:9), when made the 'first' object, instead of the secondary. (Matthew 6:33); vain, also, because of the "vanity" to which they are 'subjected' by the fall (Romans 8:20). The word vanity х hªbeel (H1892)] occurs in Ecclesiastes 37 times, and in all the rest of Scripture only 33 times, which shows that one great end of the book is to teach the unsatisfactoriness of all earthly things, and that on all sides here there abound wants, sorrows, and fears, that so we may learn to make the all-satisfying God our portion and so have the true enjoyment even of the goods of the present life (cf. James 4:14).