Ecclesiastes 1:9 · Bible study
Ecclesiastes 1:9 Commentary: Nothing New Under the Sun?
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Examine the Preacher's claim of endless repetition, its Hebrew grammar, and how this verse frames the search for meaning within creation.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Within the created order, all events and experiences are repetitive; nothing truly original or eternally satisfying arises from earthly life alone.
- Key words: Mah (whatever), hu (it, expressing identity), chadash (new), ein kol chadash (there is nothing new). The phrase “under the sun” limits the claim to human experience apart from divine action.
- Main debate: Whether the Preacher’s statement denies all possibility of divine newness or only describes the limits of human perspective. Cross-references like Isaiah 43:19 and 2 Corinthians 5:17 suggest the latter.
- Theological theme: The vanity of seeking ultimate meaning in a fallen, cyclical world; the need for transcendence and divine intervention to bring genuine newness.
- Best use: As a diagnostic tool to expose misplaced hope in progress, novelty, or human effort, and to open a longing for the new creation promised in Christ.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
What has been will be again, and what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.
WEB World English Bible 2000
That which has been is that which shall be, and that which has been done is that which shall be done; and there is no new thing under the sun.
KJV King James Version 1769
The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
What is that which hath been? it is that which is, and what is that which hath been done? it is that which is done, and there is not an entirely new thing under the sun.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which will be done: and there is nothing new under the sun.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
What is it that hath been? the same thing that shall be. What is it that hath been done? the same that shall be done.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
¿ Qué es lo que fué? Lo mismo que será. ¿ Qué es lo que ha sido hecho? Lo mismo que se hará: y nada hay nuevo debajo del sol.
O que foi, isso será; e o que se fez, isso será feito; de modo que nada há de novo abaixo do sol.
Ce qui a été, c’ est ce qui sera, et ce qui s’ est fait, c’ est ce qui se fera, il n’ y a rien de nouveau sous le soleil.
Was ist's, das geschehen ist? Eben das hernach geschehen wird. Was ist's, das man getan hat? Eben das man hernach tun wird; und geschieht nichts Neues unter der Sonne.
Hetgeen er geweest is, hetzelve zal er zijn, en hetgeen er gedaan is, hetzelve zal er gedaan worden; zodat er niets nieuws is onder de zon.
Quello ch’è stato è quel che sarà; quel che s’è fatto è quel che si farà; non v’è nulla di nuovo sotto il sole.
Co było, jest to, co być ma; a co się teraz dzieje, jest to, co się dziać będzie, a niemasz nic nowego pod słońcem.
Что было, то и будет; и что делалось, то и будет делаться, и нет ничего нового под солнцем.
已有的事 後必再有；已行的事 後必再行。日光 之下 並無 新事。
That which has been, is that which is to be, and that which has been done, is that which will be done, and there is no new thing under the sun.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Ecclesiastes 1:9
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators largely agree that Ecclesiastes 1:9 describes the cyclical pattern of nature and human activity, with no absolute novelty within the created order. The Hebrew structure, two parallel clauses using hu (it, expressing identity) and the verbs hayah (has been) and yiyeh (will be), reinforces that what occurs now is not essentially new. Barnes notes that “hath been” refers to events in nature, while “is done” refers to human actions. Gill points out that even supposed inventions like printing or the compass were known in earlier ages. Keil and Delitzsch observe that the phrase ein kol chadash (there is nothing new) uses kol for totality, making the statement comprehensive “under the sun.” This phrase limits the claim to earthly experience, not to divine intervention. The Cambridge Bible connects the passage to the Stoic idea of recurring cycles, as echoed in Virgil. Most agree that the Preacher is not denying God’s ability to create new things, but rather exposing the futility of expecting lasting satisfaction from the world’s repetitive rhythms. The verse sets up the need for something beyond “under the sun” to break the cycle, a need the rest of Scripture addresses.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Cyclical naturalism: The verse simply describes the repetitive patterns of nature and human activity, as seen in the earlier verses (sun, wind, rivers). Nothing within creation is genuinely new; all is recurrence.
- Human limitation perspective: The qualifying phrase 'under the sun' limits the claim to human observation. The verse does not deny that God can and does do new things (Isaiah 43:19, Revelation 21:1); it only states that from a worldly vantage point, novelty is an illusion.
- Pessimistic reading: Some readers take the verse as a fatalistic denial of any genuine change or hope, leading to the conclusion that all is vanity. This reading often sees Ecclesiastes as a book of despair without resolution.
What is clear: The Preacher asserts that within the bounds of human experience and the natural order (‘under the sun’), there are no genuinely new events; all is repetition of what has been before.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Scope of 'nothing new' | The verse refers to the natural world and human history as observed by the Preacher. The phrase 'under the sun' indicates this is a limited, earthly perspective. | Some traditions (e.g., certain Reformed interpreters) read this as an absolute statement about the fixed order of nature, while others (including many modern commentators) see it as a description of fallen human experience that cannot produce genuine newness, but does not limit God's redemptive work. |
| Relationship to God's new acts | The verse does not explicitly mention God; it describes what the Preacher sees. All traditions agree that God can act in ways that break the cycle. | Catholic and Orthodox readers often emphasize that God's newness comes through grace and the sacraments, while Protestant and Evangelical interpreters stress the new birth and the coming of Christ as the unprecedented new thing. Both affirm that the newness is from God, not from 'under the sun.' |
| The Preacher's tone and intent | The tone is realistic and diagnostic, not cynical in a modern sense. The Preacher wants to show the limits of human wisdom and effort. | Some see the statement as leading to despair (a 'vanity of vanities' pessimism), while others see it as part of a larger argument that drives the reader to fear God and keep His commandments (Eccl 12:13). The debate is whether the book’s overall message is ultimately hopeful or unresolved. |
| Historical parallels | Many commentators note similarities to Stoic and other cyclical views of history in the ancient world. | The Cambridge Bible and Keil & Delitzsch see a direct engagement with Hellenistic ideas. Others, like Gill, treat the observation as rooted in biblical wisdom and natural observation, not dependent on Greek philosophy. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Ecclesiastes calls itself the words of Qoheleth, the Preacher, traditionally identified as Solomon in his old age. The book belongs to the wisdom tradition of Israel, yet it stands apart by its raw questioning of life’s meaning “under the sun.” This phrase occurs twenty-nine times in Ecclesiastes and defines the perspective of the book: life as observed by human reason alone, apart from special revelation. The earlier verses (1:4, 8) describe the endless cycles of nature, the sun rising and setting, the wind returning, rivers flowing to the sea, and v9 applies that pattern to all human experience.
Scholars often note similarities between Ecclesiastes and Hellenistic philosophy, especially Stoicism, which taught that the universe undergoes eternal recurrence. The Cambridge Bible cites Virgil’s Fourth Eclogue as a parallel: “Magnus ab integro saeclorum nascitur ordo.” But Qoheleth’s outlook is not merely philosophical. He is testing the worth of wisdom, pleasure, and toil, and concluding that without a transcendent reference point, everything is hebel (vapor, vanity). The claim that there is nothing new is not a cosmic law but a diagnosis. It challenges the human hunger for novelty and progress as solutions to futility. The ancient audience, living under the sun’s inescapable routine, would have recognized this weariness. The verse functions as a mirror, forcing readers to ask whether meaning can be found within the system or only from outside it.
Textual Notes
The supplied commentaries and lexical sources note no significant textual variants for Ecclesiastes 1:9. The Hebrew text is well preserved across manuscripts, and the few variations in wording (e.g., the Young’s Literal Translation rendering the interrogative form) do not affect the meaning. The verse’s structure and content are stable in all major textual traditions.
Reception History
Early Christian writers, such as Origen and Augustine, read Ecclesiastes 1:9 as describing the monotony of the fallen world, but not as a denial of Christ’s new work. They used it to argue against pagan notions of eternal cycles and to affirm God’s unique act in the incarnation. In the Middle Ages, the verse was often cited by monastic writers to counsel detachment from worldly novelties. Thomas Aquinas referenced it in discussions of providence, noting that within nature there is no new species, but God can work miracles. The Reformation saw Luther and Calvin using the verse to expose human futility and to point to faith as the only escape from the treadmill of vanity. Modern interpreters, from the Enlightenment to the present, have debated whether the Preacher’s claim is pessimistic or realistic. Some have seen it as a caution against utopian progress; others have used it to highlight the need for divine revelation beyond natural observation. The verse remains a touchstone for discussions on the meaning of history and the hope of new creation.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The rhythm of repetition, The Preacher observes that nature and history move in circles. The sun rises and sets; the same kind of events happen again. This is not cynicism; it is a sober assessment of life “under the sun.”
- The illusion of novelty, Humans crave the new, but v9 insists that within creation there is no truly new thing. This challenges our trust in progress, technology, or novelty to give lasting satisfaction. Gill and JFB note that even discoveries are often rediscoveries.
- The doorway to hope, By showing that everything under the sun repeats, the Preacher pushes us to look above the sun. If there is no new thing within the cycle, then genuine newness must come from the Creator who stands outside it. This prepares for the hope of resurrection and new creation.
Five-point outline
- The Preacher’s claim is based on observation of natural cycles (vv5, 7).
- He extends the pattern to human activity, what has been done will be done again.
- The Hebrew word chadash (new) is emphatically negated: there is absolutely no new thing under the sun.
- The qualifying phrase “under the sun” limits the scope to earthly life without God’s direct intervention.
- The verse sets up the gospel: where human effort ends in repetition, God promises a new heart (Jer 31:22), a new way (Isa 43:19), and a new creation (Rev 21:1).
Illustration hooks
- The feeling of déjà vu in daily routines: waking up, working, sleeping, repeating. A parent washing the same dishes, driving the same roads, feeling like nothing ever changes. That is the weariness the Preacher names.
- News cycles that seem to repeat old stories under new headlines, scandals, wars, fashions. The verse explains why novelty fades so quickly.
- A new smartphone or gadget that promises to change everything, but a year later feels ordinary. The “new” under the sun is always temporary.
Questions your congregation is asking
- If everything is just repetition, what is the point of trying to improve or innovate?
- Does this verse mean God never does anything new? How do we reconcile it with prophecies of new things in Isaiah and Revelation?
- How can I find meaning when my life feels stuck in a monotonous cycle?
Leading a Discussion
Ecclesiastes 1:9 confronts us with a hard truth: left to itself, the world runs in circles. But the Preacher is not the final word. This verse can lead us to a deeper hunger for what only God can bring. Use these questions to explore how the cycle of life points us beyond itself.
Discussion questions
- Read Ecclesiastes 1:4, 9 together. What patterns in nature and human life does the Preacher describe? How do these patterns make you feel?
- The phrase “under the sun” appears often in Ecclesiastes. What does it mean to examine life from this limited perspective? How is that different from looking at life with faith?
- Verse 9 says “there is no new thing under the sun.” In what ways have you experienced this truth? When have you seen something that seemed new but turned out to be a repeat?
- Does this verse make you feel hopeless, relieved, or something else? Why might the Preacher state this so bluntly?
- Read Isaiah 43:19 and Revelation 21:1. How do these passages speak of newness? Are they contradicting Ecclesiastes or fulfilling a deeper need?
- How can recognizing the repetition of life “under the sun” lead us to trust more in God’s work “above the sun”?
- What is one area of your life where you have been seeking novelty or change from the world? How might you instead look to God for genuine renewal?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Ecclesiastes 2:12 | I turned myself to consider wisdom, madness, and folly; for what can the king’s successor do? Just that which has been done long ago. |
| Ecclesiastes 3:15 | That which is has been long ago, and that which is to be has been long ago. God seeks again that which is passed away. |
| Ecclesiastes 6:10 | Whatever has been, its name was given long ago; and it is known what man is; neither can he contend with him who is mightier than he. |
| Ecclesiastes 7:10 | Don’t say, “Why were the former days better than these?” For you do not ask wisely about this. |
| Isaiah 43:19 | Behold, I will do a new thing. It springs out now. Don’t you know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. |
| Jeremiah 31:22 | How long will you go here and there, you backsliding daughter? For Yahweh has created a new thing in the earth: a woman will encompass a man.” |
| II Peter 2:1 | But false prophets also arose among the people, as false teachers will also be among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master who bought them, bringing on themselves swift destruction. |
| Revelation of John 21:1 | I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth have passed away, and the sea is no more. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that everything in nature repeats its cycles (summer winter heat cold rain drought seedtime autumn) so that what has existed will exist again. He adds that this pattern also applies to the movements of the stars.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes draws a sharp distinction between two different kinds of events: those that happen through natural processes and those that are accomplished by human action.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Christians who hold this view see human life as part of a repeating cycle just like natural events. They believe new stories of heroes wars and triumphs will happen again in the future.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Geneva Bible Notes points out that whatever already exists will continue to exist and whatever will happen will simply happen. There is nothing truly new under the sun.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill argues that nothing genuinely new appears under the sun; what humans call new is usually just forgotten or unrecorded. He gives examples like printing and the compass to show that earlier ages knew such things. Only miracles and spiritual grace stand as exceptions, and even those have parallels in earlier times.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
Jamieson Fausset Brown notes there is no new source of happiness that can be created. The same cycle of daily tasks troubles and conflicts repeats endlessly.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch note that the phrase repeats what has already existed in both nature and human history. They say there is nothing truly new under the sun.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange stresses that the word translated "vanity" primarily means transitoriness, a swift passing away, rather than worthlessness or nothingness. He insists the declaration "all is vanity" applies to the entire natural world and temporal existence, not only to human actions, contrasting all earthly things with the eternal.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that people often boast about their new inventions and discoveries as if they were unique. He says these things are not really new because what exists now has existed before.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley stresses that the world offers nothing but a wearying repetition of the same patterns. Human nature, events, and pursuits never change, and since no one has ever found lasting satisfaction in worldly things, it is futile for anyone to expect it now. No new discovery can alter this.