Ecclesiastes 1:9 says that human life and human activity repeat themselves, so that nothing is truly new under the sun. The Preacher is pointing out that the patterns of history, work and desire keep cycling back, and that the things people chase have been chased before. The verse is spoken by the Preacher, the teacher traditionally identified as Solomon, who is reflecting on the meaning of life to a general audience of readers who want to understand whether their striving amounts to anything lasting.
That which has been is that which shall be; and that which has been done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
Ecclesiastes 1:9 (WEB)
What Ecclesiastes 1:9 Means
The first phrase, “That which has been is that which shall be,” observes that the past keeps reappearing in the future. Seasons return, families rise and fall, and the same human hopes and failures appear in every generation. The second phrase, “that which has been done is that which shall be done,” widens the observation from events to actions. What people have built, broken, planned and repaired is being built, broken, planned and repaired again.
The closing phrase, “there is no new thing under the sun,” is the heart of the verse. The word “new” here means something truly unprecedented, not merely something we have not personally seen. The Preacher is describing life “under the sun,” meaning life viewed only from the earthly vantage point, without reference to God’s larger purposes. The verse does not promise that nothing good will ever surprise you. It warns that novelty alone will not give lasting satisfaction.
The Context of Ecclesiastes 1:9
Ecclesiastes is a wisdom book that searches for meaning in ordinary life, and it repeatedly describes things as “vanity” or “a chasing after wind.” Verse 9 belongs to a passage about natural cycles: the wind circling back, rivers flowing into a sea that never fills, and the eye and ear never fully satisfied. The surrounding verses use these physical patterns as a picture of human experience, so that verse 9 reads as the conclusion of that observation.
The verses that follow in verses 10 and 11 deepen the thought. The Preacher says that nothing can be called new because it existed long ago, and that even the memory of earlier generations fades. Read in that setting, verse 9 is not a cynical slogan but a sober reminder that human attempts to outrun time and forgetting are limited. The book as a whole is written to help readers find their footing in God’s world rather than in the endless loop of their own efforts.
Key Phrases in Ecclesiastes 1:9
Ecclesiastes 3:1
For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven…
(WEB)
This verse opens the famous passage on seasons and reminds readers that the rhythms of life are part of God’s design. It shows that the cycles Ecclesiastes 1:9 describes are not random but ordered by a purpose the Preacher later explores.
Lamentations 3:22-23
22 It is because of the LORD’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassion doesn’t fail. 23 They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness.
(WEB)
These verses speak of God’s mercies being new every morning, offering a hopeful counterpoint to the sense of endless repetition. They show that the same God who ordered the cycles also brings fresh grace into them.
A Short Prayer From Ecclesiastes 1:9
Lord, I see how much of my life feels like a repeat of what I have already lived through. I get tired of trying the same things and expecting different results, and I confess that I often look for newness in places that cannot hold it. Teach me to receive the ordinary days you give me with gratitude, and help me find my rest in you rather than in the next exciting thing. Where I am stuck in old patterns, show me the way out and give me courage to take the next faithful step. Amen.
