Ecclesiastes 1:10 Meaning and Explanation
“Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Whatever seems brand new has in fact appeared before; our sense of novelty is mostly short memory.
What Does Ecclesiastes 1:10 Mean?
The Preacher anticipates the objection: surely something here is new. He answers that whatever looks fresh has already existed in ages past, before our own time. What we hail as unprecedented usually only feels that way because we did not see what came before.
The verse humbles our pride in progress and our hunger for the latest thing. If lasting newness cannot be found within the repeating round of history, then the heart must look elsewhere for it. It readies the reader to receive true newness as a gift from God rather than an achievement wrung from a world that keeps circling back on itself.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ecclesiastes 1:10
What does Ecclesiastes 1:10 mean?
Whatever seems brand new has in fact appeared before; our sense of novelty is mostly short memory.