On Ecclesiastes
In Ecclesiasten
The Spirit, the Soul, and the Vanity of Life§1
1The Spirit calls the soul by name; for what kind of movement of the mind is choice? And David said: 'Into your hands I commit my spirit' (Psalm 31:5); 'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit' (Luke 23:46); and in the kingdoms: 'it did not grieve,' he says, 'David, the spirit of Amnon his son.'
Because one end of all such things is vanity (Ecclesiastes 1:2), from which to overflow endlessly is not found; for when the activity ceases, even the enjoyment is taken away, and nothing is stored up endlessly.
Nor is anything left to those enjoying, a trace of joy or a remnant of the passing activity according to pleasure.
Greek · §1
In Ecclesiasten (fragmenta e catenis) 79 Πνεῦμα τὴν ψυχὴν ὀνομάζει· προαίρεσις γάρ ἐστι ποία νοῦ κίνησις· καὶ ὁ ∆αυῒδ· εἰς χεῖράς σου παρατίθημι τὸ πνεῦμά μου· Κύριε Ἰησοῦ, δέξαι τὸ πνεῦμά μου· καὶ ἐν ταῖς Βασιλείαις· οὐκ ἐλύπησε, φησὶ, ∆αυῒδ τὸ πνεῦμα Ἀμνὼν τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ. 80 Ὅτι ἓν τέλος τῶν τοιούτων πάντων ἡ ματαιότης ἐστίν· ἧς περισσεύειν εἰς τὸ ἐφεξῆς οὐχ εὑρίσκεται· παυσαμένης γὰρ τῆς ἐνεργείας, ἐξηλείφθη καὶ ἡ ἀπόλαυσις, καὶ οὐδὲν εἰς τὸ ἐφεξῆς ταμιεύεται. Οὐδὲ ὑπολείπεταί τι τοῖς ἡδομένοις ἴχνος εὐφροσύνης ἢ λείψανον παρελθούσης τῆς κατὰ τὴν ἡδονὴν ἐνεργείας.
Spirit and Soul§2
2The Spirit names the soul; for what kind of movement of the mind is choice? And David says: 'Into your hands I commit my spirit' (Psalm 31:5). Lord Jesus, receive my spirit (Luke 23:46).
Greek · §2
In Ecclesiasten (fragmenta e catenis) 79 Πνεῦμα τὴν ψυχὴν ὀνομάζει· προαίρεσις γάρ ἐστι ποία νοῦ κίνησις· καὶ ὁ ∆αυῒδ· εἰς χεῖράς σου παρατίθημι τὸ πνεῦμά μου· Κύριε Ἰησοῦ, δέξαι τὸ πνεῦμά μου·
David and the Vanity of Kingdoms§3
3And in the kingdoms; he says, the spirit of Amnon, his son, did not grieve David.
For one end of all such things is vanity (Eccl 1:2); of which to abound endlessly is not found; for when the activity ceases, even the enjoyment is wiped away.
Greek · §3
καὶ ἐν ταῖς Βασιλείαις· οὐκ ἐλύπησε, φησὶ, ∆αυῒδ τὸ πνεῦμα Ἀμνὼν τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ. 80 Ὅτι ἓν τέλος τῶν τοιούτων πάντων ἡ ματαιότης ἐστίν· ἧς περισσεύειν εἰς τὸ ἐφεξῆς οὐχ εὑρίσκεται· παυσαμένης γὰρ τῆς ἐνεργείας, ἐξηλείφθη καὶ ἡ ἀπόλαυσις,
The futility of hoarding pleasure§4
4And nothing is stored up for the future. Nor is anything left to those enjoying it, not even a trace of joy or a remnant after the activity according to pleasure has passed.
Greek · §4
καὶ οὐδὲν εἰς τὸ ἐφεξῆς ταμιεύεται. Οὐδὲ ὑπολείπεταί τι τοῖς ἡδομένοις ἴχνος εὐφροσύνης ἢ λείψανον παρελθούσης τῆς κατὰ τὴν ἡδονὴν ἐνεργείας.