Abstract
The book of Qohelet is a collection of reflections on human beings and their abilities. But the book of Qohelet also deals with the world and its stability and persistence. Thus, Qohelet does not begin his reflections with considerations on the human being, but with a sketch on the permanence of the world. This sketch is preceded by Qohelet's main thesis : " Vanity of vanities, says Qohelet, vanity of vanities, all is vanity. " (Eccl 1,2). What follows, however, is not a reflection on the vanity of the world. Rather, Eccl 1:3-11 emphasizes that the world is stable and enduring. According to Qohelet, the world is made up of cycles and rhythms, as can be seen in the phenomena of nature : the sun, wind and rivers follow their endless readings and demonstrate great constancy in their dynamics. Against this constancy and permanence of the world, Qohelet, in his reflection at the beginning of the book, contrasts the image of the human being, whose constancy and permanence are nevertheless manifested in the permanent succession of generations. For the individual, this succession of generations signifies above all his own ephemerality and vanity. Where something new seems to be happening, it only appears so to the people of the generation concerned. The constancy and stability of the world means that there is nothing new under the sun.
