The Book of Ecclesiastes begins with the proclamation that “all is futile.” Then, in Ecclesiastes 1:8, the author switches and proclaims that “all things are wearisome.”
Here’s the verse which introduces the concept of “wearisome”:
8. All things are wearisome, a man is not able to speak, the eye is not satisfied with seeing and the ear is not filled with hearing.
Notes on the Hebrew
Let’s start by clarifying some of the Hebrew words in this verse.
The first words of the verse are “kol hadevarim.” Metzudat Zion explains that “hadevarim” means “the matters.” Or, as I’ve translated it, “the things.”
It could mean “the words” but that’s not how most commentaries explain it.
Wearisome is the translation of y’gei’im. This is an masculine, plural adjective from the 3-letter root yud-gimmel-ayin.
A Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament suggests the translations “tired, weary; wearisome.”
In English, “weary” conveys the idea of “tiring until one is unable to endure more of the same thing.” As we will see, this matches how many commentators explain our verse.
Why does the verse say “the ear is not filled”? Rashbam writes that “filled” is used because the ear is hollow.
Ecclesiastes 1:8 in Context
In the first 7 verses of Ecclesiastes, the author, King Solomon, listed many aspects of the physical world that he labeled as futile:
- verse 3 – a person’s labor and toil
- verse 4 – the generations of mankind
- verse 4 – the earth
- verses 5-6 – the sun and it’s orbit
- verse 6 – the wind and it’s circulation
- verse 7 – the rivers and their flow
- verse 7 – the seas
Daat Mikra explains that Ecclesiastes 1:8 refers to those matters mentioned in the previous verses. A person does not have the power to:
- speak about everything,
- see everything, or
- hear everything.
Therefore, the opening verses of Ecclesiastes do not enumerate everything that is futile.
Now let’s look at how some of the classical commentators understand Ecclesiastes 1:8.
Rashi – Torah is Not Wearying
According to Rashi, Ecclesiastes 1:8 hearkens back to verse 3:
3. What gains a man from all his labor at which he labors under the sun?
Rashi explains that verse 3 means: what does it profit a man when he trades engaging in Torah for engaging in the world?
If a man trades engaging in Torah for speaking about futile things, they are wearying and a person cannot achieve all of them. If he’s engaged in what the eye sees, his eye will not be satisfied. If in what the ear hears, his ear will not be filled.
Now lets look at the approach of other commentators who view Ecclesiastes 1:8 as a metaphor for the relationship between a person and the world.
Rav Saadia Gaon – Too Many Things
All matters of the world are wearying. A man’s speech is not able to encompass their entirety. The eyes are not satisfied to see them and the ears are not filled with hearing them.
Since he explains that “all things” means “all matters of world” he may agree with Rashi.
Ralbag – Too Many Details
All of the details of things cause weariness to the point that a person cannot speak about them because they are so numerous.
According to Ralbag, it’s not that there are too many things. It’s that the things that exist have too many details to be fully grasped.
the eye is not satisfied with seeing – because they are very numerous and the eye is not able to grasp all of them.
He expresses a similar idea with the ear and hearing.
Rashbam – People Want New
All happenings of the world are wearying, because a person is not able to recount nor to speak of all of them.
the eye is not satisfied with seeing – because constantly a person sees and expects the new thing.
the ear is not filled with hearing – constantly the ear hears and desires to hear the events that happen in world.
Rabbi Yosef Kara – Too Many and They All Seem to be New
Rabbi Kara lived in France from about 1060 – 1130.
There are many things in the world that are not futile and if a person comes to mention them they are wearying because they are without number.
As an example of this he quotes:
12. And furthermore, by these, my son, be admonished; of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness [Hebrew: y’gi’at, root yud-gimmel-ayin] of the flesh.
Studying, especially Torah study, is a good thing, but it can still overwhelm a person’s physical abilities.
Rabbi Kara continues:
And if I come to mention them, “a man is not able to speak”.
the eye is not satisfied with seeing – because everything that he sees seems to him to be new.
and the ear is not filled with hearing – because everything that he hears seems to him as if he is hearing something new.
But it’s not true, because, as verse 9 states, there is nothing new under the sun.
Rabbi Yeshaya Datrani haZaken – A Person Wants More
Rabbi Datrani lived in Italy from about 1180 – 1250.
All matters that a person is involved with in this world, all of them are wearisome and troubling to those involved with them.
a man is not able to speak – due to the weariness and the trouble. This is a great evil because if a person does not strive and exert himself then nothing is achieved.
For example, based on Leviticus 26:20 and Rashi’s comment there, a person must toil in the field or his crops will not thrive.
the eye is not satisfied with seeing – if a person has all the gold and silver in the world, his eye is not satisfied, since he still seeks to work and obtain more.
If they say to him that he can be the ruler over all the kings of the world, “[his] ear is not filled with hearing” because still he wants to strive and conquer more, if he’s able.
In the end, what memory is there of him? Rather, “a generation goes and a generation comes” [verse 4] but his end is to die.
Summary and Conclusion
Some things are futile and not worth spending too much time on them.
Rashi makes a sharp distinction between Torah and other matters. Rashi would admit that a person may spend an appropriate amount of time on earning a living, family relationships, and supporting the local community.
The commentators suggest several ideas about what is “wearisome.”
Rav Saadia Gaon writes there are too many things. But Ralbag states it’s not that there are too many things, but things have too many details.
This implies that even worthwhile things can still be overwhelming.
I read a story once many years ago, but can’t give credit since I don’t recall the source.
A man heard his son asking his mother a question. The mother told the boy, “That’s a good question, I think you should ask your father.”
The son replied, “I don’t want to know that much.”
I think we’ve all had the experience of wanting a basic understanding of a subject but not being willing to devote the time needed to progress past the level of novice.
We find out from Rashbam that FOMO (fear of missing out) has existed for many centuries. He suggests what is wearisome is that people always want something new.
Rabbi Kara combines these ideas and says there are too many things in the world and they all seem like there are new.
Finally, Rabbi Datrani haZaken writes it’s wearisome because the more things a person hears about, the more things he wants.