This new section of the book of Ecclesiastes is clearly divided into two parts: a poem about time (1-8) and a prose section (9-15).
The poem is built around contrasting ideas without a clear structure. Thus, the first verse makes a general statement; the second verse discusses “being born” and “dying”; verses 3-5 focus on social life; verses 6-7 describe everyday actions; and the eighth verse talks about “love” and “hate.” What connects these verses is “time”—a word that appears 28 times—and the idea that human beings cannot do anything in the face of it.
Regarding the prose section, the main theme is God—whose name appears six times—and it serves as a deep theological reflection. Some verses connect to themes discussed earlier; verse 10 responds to 2:9, verse 11 seems to reflect 2:24, and verses 14 and following recall 1:4-11. Others are somewhat problematic; for example, verse 11 does not align well with what is said in verse 10, and not all Bibles translate it the same way.
In summary, the theological themes discussed here are: the origin of everything is in God (10ff; cf. Ex 7:3; 10:1, 20, 27; 2 Sm 24:1); all things are beautiful (11; cf. Gn 1:7, 16, 25, 31); and God has dominion over the past, present, and future (15). In each case, they are examined from two perspectives: 1. The inability of humans to understand God’s ways (11-14). 2. Enjoying work as a gift from God that we can strive for.
But aren’t all these ideas contradictory? Yes, from a logical perspective. But to understand Ecclesiastes, we must start with its initial premise—remember what was stated at the beginning—: contrary to the traditional view that everything has its time (Prov 15:23) and that negativity and death are the results of sin, Qohelet asserts that they are simply consequences of human weakness, having nothing to do with virtue and justice.
The traditional wisdom of the Old Testament claimed that the true wise person is the one who knows what to do in every situation, including the right moment. However, life shows that not all situations can be solved logically; for the author, it is clear that human beings should not try to find the deeper meaning of these situations but should instead seek God’s gift in everyday moments.