Ecclesiastes 1:1
New International Version
The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem:

New Living Translation
These are the words of the Teacher, King David’s son, who ruled in Jerusalem.

English Standard Version
The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

Berean Standard Bible
These are the words of the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem:

King James Bible
The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

New King James Version
The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

New American Standard Bible
The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

NASB 1995
The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

NASB 1977
The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

Legacy Standard Bible
The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

Amplified Bible
The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

Christian Standard Bible
The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem.”

American Standard Version
The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Sayings of the Preacher the son of David, King of Jerusalem

Brenton Septuagint Translation
The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king of Israel in Jerusalem.

Contemporary English Version
When the son of David was king in Jerusalem, he was known to be very wise, and he said:

Douay-Rheims Bible
The words of Ecclesiastes, the son of David, king of Jerusalem.

English Revised Version
The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The words of the spokesman, the son of David and the king in Jerusalem.

Good News Translation
These are the words of the Philosopher, David's son, who was king in Jerusalem.

International Standard Version
The words of the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

JPS Tanakh 1917
THE WORDs OF the Koheleth, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

Literal Standard Version
Words of a preacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem:

Majority Standard Bible
These are the words of the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem:

New American Bible
The words of David’s son, Qoheleth, king in Jerusalem:

NET Bible
The words of the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem:

New Revised Standard Version
The words of the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

New Heart English Bible
The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem:

Webster's Bible Translation
The words of the preacher, the son of David, king of Jerusalem.

World English Bible
The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem:

Young's Literal Translation
Words of a preacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem:

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Everything is Futile
1These are the words of the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem: 2“Futility of futilities,” says the Teacher, “futility of futilities! Everything is futile!”…

Cross References
Proverbs 1:1
These are the proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel,

Proverbs 31:31
Give her the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her at the gates.

Ecclesiastes 1:12
I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.

Ecclesiastes 7:27
"Behold," says the Teacher, "I have discovered this by adding one thing to another to find an explanation.

Ecclesiastes 12:8
"Futility of futilities," says the Teacher. "Everything is futile!"


Treasury of Scripture

The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

the preacher

Ecclesiastes 1:12
I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.

Ecclesiastes 7:27
Behold, this have I found, saith the preacher, counting one by one, to find out the account:

Ecclesiastes 12:8-10
Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity…

king

Ecclesiastes 1:12
I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.

1 Kings 11:42,43
And the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years…

2 Chronicles 9:30
And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.

Jump to Previous
David Jerusalem Koheleth Preacher Teacher Words
Jump to Next
David Jerusalem Koheleth Preacher Teacher Words
Ecclesiastes 1
1. the preacher shows that all human courses are vain
4. because the creatures are restless in their courses
9. they bring forth nothing new, and all old things are forgotten
12. and because he has found it so in the studies of wisdom














(1) The words.--The Book of Nehemiah begins similarly; so do the prophecies of Jeremiah and Amos, and of Agur and Lemuel (Proverbs 30, 31)

The Preacher.--Rather, convener (see Introduction). This word (Koheleth) occurs in this book, Ecclesiastes 1:1-2; Ecclesiastes 1:12; Ecclesiastes 7:27, where, according to our present text, it is joined with a feminine, being elsewhere used with a masculine; and Ecclesiastes 12:8-10, having the article in the first of these passages, and there only, being elsewhere used as a proper name.

Verse 1. - The words of the Preacher, the son of David, King in Jerusalem; Septuagint, "King of Israel in Jerusalem" (comp. ver. 12). The word rendered "Preacher" is Koheleth, a feminine noun formed from a verb kalal, "to call" (see Introduction, § 1), and perhaps better rendered" Convener" or "Debater." It is found nowhere else but in this book, where it occurs three times in this chapter (vers. 1, 2, 12), three times in Ecclesiastes 12:8, 9, 10, and once in Ecclesiastes 7:27. In all but one instance (viz. Ecclesiastes 12:8) it is used without the article, as a proper name. Jerome, in his commentary, translates it, 'Continuator,' in his version 'Ecclesiastes.' It would seem to denote one who gathered around him a congregation in order to instruct them in Divine lore. The feminine form is explained in various ways. Either it is used abstractedly, as the designation of an office, which it seems not to be; or it is formed as some other words which are found with a feminine termination, though denoting the names of men, indicating, as Gesenius notes (§ 107, 3. 100.), a high degree of activity in the possessor of the particular quality signified by the stem; e.g. Alemeth, Azmaveth (1 Chronicles 8:36; 1 Chronicles 9:42), Pochereth (Ezra 2:57), Sophereth (Nehemiah 7:57); or, as is most probable, the writer desired to identify Koheleth with Wisdom, though it must be observed that the personality of the author often appears, as in Ecclesiastes 1:16-18; Ecclesiastes 7:23, etc.; the role of Wisdom being for the nonce forgotten. The word "king" in the title is shown by the accentuation to be in apposition to "Koheleth" not to "David;" and there can be no doubt that the description is intended to denote Solomon, though his name is nowhere actually given, as it is in the two other works ascribed to him (Proverbs 1:1; Song of Solomon 1:1). Other intimations of the assumption of Solomon's personality are found in Ecclesiastes 1:12, "I Koheleth was king," etc.; so in describing his consummate wisdom (Ecclesiastes 1:13, 16; Ecclesiastes 2:15; comp. 1 Kings 3:12; 1 Kings 5:12), and in his being the author of many proverbs (Ecclesiastes 12:9; comp. 1 Kings 4:32) - accomplishments which are not noted in the case of any other of David's descendants. Also the picture of luxury and magnificence presented in Ecclesiastes 2. suits no Jewish monarch but Solomon. The origin of the name applied to him may probably be traced to the historical fact mentioned in 1 Kings 8:55, etc., where Solomon gathers all Israel together to the dedication of the temple, and utters the remarkable prayer which contained blessing and teaching and exhortation. As we have shown in the Introduction (§ 2), the assumption of the name is a mere literary device to give weight and importance to the treatise to which it appertains. The term, "King in Jerusalem," or, as in ver. 12, "King over Israel in Jerusalem," is unique, and occurs nowhere else in Scripture. David is said to have reigned in Jerusalem, when this seat of government is spoken of in contrast with that at Hebron (2 Samuel 5:5), and the same expression is used of Solomon, Rehoboam, and others (1 Kings 11:42; 1 Kings 14:21; 1 Kings 15:2, 10); and the phrase probably denotes a time when the government had become divided, and Israel had a different capital from Judah.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
The words
דִּבְרֵי֙ (diḇ·rê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause

of the Teacher,
קֹהֶ֣לֶת (qō·he·leṯ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6953: Preacher -- 'a collector (of sentences)', 'a preacher', a son of David

the son
בֶּן־ (ben-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1121: A son

of David,
דָּוִ֔ד (dā·wiḏ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1732: David -- perhaps 'beloved one', a son of Jesse

king
מֶ֖לֶךְ (me·leḵ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4428: A king

in Jerusalem:
בִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם׃ (bî·rū·šā·lim)
Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 3389: Jerusalem -- probably 'foundation of peace', capital city of all Israel


Links
Ecclesiastes 1:1 NIV
Ecclesiastes 1:1 NLT
Ecclesiastes 1:1 ESV
Ecclesiastes 1:1 NASB
Ecclesiastes 1:1 KJV

Ecclesiastes 1:1 BibleApps.com
Ecclesiastes 1:1 Biblia Paralela
Ecclesiastes 1:1 Chinese Bible
Ecclesiastes 1:1 French Bible
Ecclesiastes 1:1 Catholic Bible

OT Poetry: Ecclesiastes 1:1 The words of the Preacher the son (Ecclesiast. Ec Ecc Eccles.)
Proverbs 31:31
Top of Page
Top of Page