Ecclesiastes 1:5 kjv

The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.

Ecclesiastes 1:5 nkjv

The sun also rises, and the sun goes down, And hastens to the place where it arose.

Ecclesiastes 1:5 niv

The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises.

Ecclesiastes 1:5 esv

The sun rises, and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it rises.

Ecclesiastes 1:5 nlt

The sun rises and the sun sets, then hurries around to rise again.

Ecclesiastes 1 verses

Ecclesiastes 1 5 Meaning

Ecclesiastes 1:5 describes the relentless and unchanging cycle of the sun. It highlights the sun's predictable journey across the sky, from rising to setting, only to return to its original position to begin the process anew. This verse functions as an initial example within Ecclesiastes, illustrating the ceaseless, repetitive, and ultimately wearisome patterns found in the natural world, reinforcing the book's overarching theme of "vanity" or "futility" of life and labor "under the sun" when viewed from a purely human perspective that lacks eternal context or purpose beyond these cycles.

Ecclesiastes 1 5 Context

Ecclesiastes chapter 1 sets the philosophical stage for Koheleth’s (the Preacher’s) deep inquiry into the meaning of life. The recurring phrase "under the sun" encapsulates the sphere of his observations – human life and activity within the created world, devoid of explicit divine revelation or eternal perspective, focused only on what is observable on earth. Verse 5 follows the opening lament of "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity!" (v. 2) and the rhetorical question about human profit from labor (v. 3). The sun’s predictable cycle is presented as the first of several natural phenomena (along with generations, wind, and rivers) that demonstrate unchanging, self-repeating patterns that seemingly lead nowhere new and bring no lasting gain. Historically and culturally, the observation of astronomical cycles was central to ancient life for timekeeping and agriculture. However, Koheleth presents this reliable repetition not as comfort, but as an emblem of a futile existence where tireless effort results in mere recurrence rather than progress or ultimate fulfillment for humanity. This perspective implicitly contrasts with pagan polytheistic views that often deified the sun or associated it with generative, new powers; here, the sun is simply a worker trapped in its endless, unproductive task.

Ecclesiastes 1 5 Word analysis

• The sun: Hebrew: haš·še·meš (הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ). Literally refers to the sun, a visible and fundamental part of creation. It is presented as a neutral, factual observation.
• also rises: Hebrew: za·rāḥ (זָרַח). Meaning "to rise, shine, appear." It highlights the daily act of emerging or becoming visible above the horizon. The inclusion of "also" links it directly to the preceding observation about generations, reinforcing the idea of parallel, repetitive cycles.
• and the sun goes down: Hebrew: ū·ḇā (וּבָא). Literally "and comes (in)," implying going in, setting. This depicts the sun's disappearance below the horizon, completing the visible phase of its daily journey.
• and hastens: Hebrew: wə·šō·’êp (וְשֹׁאֵף). From the verb sha'af, meaning "to pant, gasp, strive, long for, hasten." This is a significant word. It implies a sense of eagerness, laboring, or strenuous effort in its return. It suggests a laborious cycle, a persistent, almost gasping effort to get back to its starting point, not rest or accomplishment. It’s a relentless, unceasing drive, reinforcing the idea of toil without rest or progress.
• to its place: Hebrew: ’el mə·qō·mōw (אֶל מְקֹמוֹ). "Place" refers to its position, station, or location. The phrase emphasizes the precise and unwavering destination the sun "strives" towards.
• where it rises: Hebrew: šām hū’ zō·rê·aḥ (שָׁם הוּא זוֹרֵחַ). Literally, "there it rises/shines." This clarifies the specific place to which it returns—the point from which its daily journey commences. It closes the perfect, unbreaking circle of its movement.

Words-group analysis:

• "The sun also rises, and the sun goes down": This initial phrase sets up the fundamental, universally observable cycle. The repetition of "the sun" underscores the unchanging nature of the entity performing this tireless activity. It is simple, factual, and unavoidable.
• "and hastens to its place where it rises": This final part emphasizes the inescapable completion of the cycle and the immediate start of a new one. The choice of "hastens" (or pants/strives) paints a picture not just of speed, but of an inherent, possibly burdensome, drive to repeat the entire journey, indicating no respite or true endpoint in its work. The "place where it rises" signifies a full, perfect circuit with no deviation, endlessly self-renewing and unchanging in its output.

Ecclesiastes 1 5 Bonus section

The specific use of sha'af (to pant, gasp, long for, hasten) for the sun's return is unusual and particularly poignant. While translated as "hastens" in many English versions, its root meaning suggests an almost desperate or ardent effort, as if the sun itself is "gasping" to get back to its place of rising. This anthropomorphic portrayal imbues the celestial object with a sense of ceaseless toil, highlighting the lack of respite in its relentless cycle. This vivid imagery effectively conveys the weariness Koheleth applies to all "work under the sun" – an existence where activity, no matter how grand (like the sun's course), leads only back to its beginning, producing no net gain or newness that satisfies the soul. This subtly challenges any pre-scientific notions that the sun's movement implies active divine intervention with unique outcomes daily, instead framing it as merely obeying an established, unvarying routine that, for humans, offers no lasting comfort or progress.

Ecclesiastes 1 5 Commentary

Ecclesiastes 1:5 masterfully captures the essence of life's mundane futility as observed "under the sun." It's not a theological statement about the sun itself, but rather a profound illustration of Koheleth's central theme: that without an eternal, transcendent perspective, all earthly activity appears as an endless, cyclical, and ultimately unproductive exercise. The sun, a mighty celestial body, performs its monumental task daily, only to return precisely to its origin to repeat it. This isn't progress; it's just motion.

The evocative verb "hastens" (Hebrew sha'af) lends a subtle, deeper layer. It implies not merely swift movement, but a vigorous, almost longing or laborious effort to return to its starting point. It portrays the sun as perpetually laboring, always on the verge of exhaustion yet driven to repeat its cycle. This mirrors human toil that seems to lead only to more toil, never achieving a definitive, lasting, or satisfying "gain" or "profit." The verse, therefore, uses a simple natural phenomenon to symbolize the wearisome, unfulfilling repetition of human endeavors when confined to the temporal realm, devoid of ultimate meaning or novelty. There is no true newness, just the ceaseless turning of the wheel, creating a profound sense of weariness in the human observer.

• Example 1: A factory worker performs the same repetitive task day in and day out, feeling no closer to a meaningful end, just more of the same.
• Example 2: Daily routines (waking, working, sleeping) can feel like a ceaseless loop without an overarching purpose or goal that transcends the repetition itself.