Which term is a major recurring theme in Ecclesiastes?

• A. Wealth
• B. Wisdom
• C. Vanity
• D. Prophecy

Answer: (C)

The major recurring term in Ecclesiastes is vanity. The author uses the Hebrew word hevel, meaning breath or vapor, to express the sense that life, wealth, wisdom, and human toil are fleeting and insubstantial when viewed from a purely earthly, “under the sun” perspective. Throughout the book he surveys ordinary pursuits—money, status, knowledge, pleasure—and repeatedly presses the point that, apart from a relationship with God, these pursuits don’t yield lasting meaning. The repeated refrain, often articulated as “vanity of vanities, all is vanity,” frames the entire meditation and shows why this word best captures the book’s overarching mood. This doesn’t deny real value or wisdom, but it emphasizes that true significance comes from a perspective that honors God, rather than relying on human efforts alone.