Chapter 1

Clearly claims to be written by Solomon while he was King.

2021 - The Hebrew word transliterated hebel is used five times in vs. 2.  Hebel hebel says the preacher.  Hebel hebel all is hebel.  In fact, after hearing the pronunciation guide, let me write it all out phonetically:

Hevel, hevel, amer koheleth.  Hevel hevel coal hevel.

The introduction is about the ephemeral nature of our lives.  Of our world really.  The sun goes up and down.  Has and always will.  It is never "finished" with rising.  Streams flow to the ocean, but they never fill it.  The wind goes round and round.  There is nothing new under the sun.  We have forgotten those who came before us.  Those who come after us will not remember us.  Life is mist, vapor, passing.

2021-The streams flow to the ocean, but the ocean doesn't fill up.  Sound goes into our ears, but our ears do not fill up.  Things of nature endure - the sun rising and setting, streams flowing, wind blowing, sounds, vision.  They continue but they never finish.  These things just continue.  The things of man are the same  We think we do new things, have new thoughts, invent what was never invented.  Solomon says we don't.  Man also continues to cycle, never "finishing", just repeating what was, to be forgotten by future people, and so repeated again.  We get so full of ourselves, so sure we are new and unique.  We are not.

2024 - Look at this verse:

[13] And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom concerning all that has been done under heaven. It is a grievous task which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.  Ecc 1:13.

Does Solomon mean he is going to try and learn all there is to know?  Like science claims it can do today?  If that's what this is about it is an affliction, not a noble undertaking, to be obsessed with learning.  Here is the ESV version.  Seems even more clear:

13 And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. 

Pretty much all the translations agree here.  So...is this saying we ought not worry so much about it...because we'll just weary ourselves anyway?

Chapter 1 concludes this way, according to the wisest man who ever lived:

18 For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow. [Ecc 1:18 ESV

[18] Because in much wisdom there is much grief, and increasing knowledge results in increasing pain.  Ecclesiastes 1:18 NASB1995

Not very promising so far...