This verse is important to the writer and thus to the translator also. There are two reasons for this:

First, it serves as the opening inclusio for the entire book; the closing one is in 12.8. All the material in between these is intended to demonstrate what this summary verse says.

Second, this verse contains five occurrences of the Hebrew word hevel, the meaning of which is discussed in “Translating Ecclesiastes.” How we translate it will determine the reader’s immediate impression of the book’s message.

The section heading should be placed at the beginning of this verse.

Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher: in view of the discussion in “Translating Ecclesiastes” of the meaning of the word hevel, page 2, it is recommended that the translator find a term which will convey clearly that life is full of unresolved questions, that it is puzzling and full of irony. In Hebrew grammar Vanity of vanities is a superlative form meaning “the most vain thing” (as “king of kings” in Jer 3.19 means “the greatest king”). The mood of the saying is that of a strong exclamation. Some languages will have a construction that parallels the Hebrew expression, but where this is not present, an alternative will have to be found. We can say “It is far beyond our understanding” or “It is the most incomprehensible thing in the world.” Another suggestion is “It is puzzling beyond all else.”

Some translation possibilities that combine these features are “What a profound puzzle!” “What a vast mystery!” or “It is far beyond our understanding!”

The so-called “vanity” saying is repeated in the second half of the verse. This is for the purpose of adding emphasis. That emphasis is made even stronger by the addition of the final phrase, All is vanity. Part of the dramatic effect of this saying is achieved by using the same word hevel five times. Translators should aim for a similar effect in translation, even if it is not possible to copy the form and repeat the keyword so often. The addition of a particle or adverb may have the same effect: “It is completely incomprehensible.” While Hebrew enjoys repetition of the same term, other languages need to vary the expression; so we may say “What a vast mystery! Everything defies our understanding!”

Says the Preacher: for a clearer style, this phrase can be moved either to the front or to the end of the quotation. For example, “Qoheleth says, ‘What a great mystery…!’ ” Alternatively, if the repetition of “Qoheleth” so soon after verse 1 seems awkward, then we can simply say “He said.”

All is vanity: what exactly is included in the term All in this phrase? Does Qoheleth literally mean that every single thing is vain? Or is the term used in a general way to refer to lots of things, or to those many things he personally thought and wrote about? New American Bible uses “All things are vanity!” This can give the idea that material things are without value. We discover as we read further that Qoheleth is concerned mainly about human social and theological problems, the impact of death, and so on. Our problem is that this “vanity” phrase comes at the beginning of the book, when we have not yet been introduced to the matters that concerned Qoheleth. It is important to avoid giving the impression that every conceivable object, person, or deed is useless. This is an important point, because we shall discover in places such as 2.10 and 3.11 that, even in a life full of profound questions, it is always possible to gain something. God does give some reward, some enjoyment in life and in work, and this is both good and of real value. With this in mind we may best continue the mood of the opening saying with a translation like “There is so much that is beyond our understanding!” or “It seems as though so much is beyond our grasp!”

To produce the dramatic effect of this verse, it can be typeset in the following manner, perhaps with a blank line separating it from the text before and after it:

• What a vast mystery! says Qoheleth.
What a vast mystery!
It seems as though everything defies our understanding!

Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Zogbo, Lynell. A Handbook on the Book of Ecclesiates. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .