“Vanity of vanities,” saith the Preacher, “all is vanity.” (Ecclesiastes 1:2) Every once in awhile, we will read or hear a good story describing the vain. One of the best happened in real life to me. It is the story of the ‘toupees:’ “Years ago, I was attending a meeting in St. George, Utah with another administrator from the University I served at. The meeting included administrators who have similar responsibilities from all of the institutions of higher education in Utah. Around the table were about 12 people, three with toupees on. Driving back home, I asked the person riding with me, who had never met this group before, if he could pick out the three, at that table, who proudly wore their toupees. He thought for a minute, and without naming them (for he did not know their names), he identified all three based on where they were seated. All three of them had asked me why I never wore a toupee (I, too, was bald on top). I always declined because I felt a toupee would present a person that is not me. ‘Take me as I am or do not take me,’ was the feeling I had about putting a rag (as they are sometimes referred to) on my head. I was not as vain as they!
After researching the word ‘vanity,’ I realize that the way I had been reading its meaning in the Old Testament was incorrect. I’ve long been drawn to the book of Ecclesiastes, but the real meaning of all the references to vanity has long been elusive. For example, the King James version of Ecclesiastes 1:2 says: “Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.”
In our everyday English usage, the word vanity conveys an image of excessive pride in oneself or in one’s appearance, a picture of conceit and perhaps even arrogance. But what did the author of the book of Ecclesiastes actually have in mind?
When Jerome translated the Hebrew word ‘hebel,’ he chose the Latin word vanitas. And consequently, many bible translators have used the closest English word, which is vanity. Some recent translators have used words such as “it is meaningless or futile to translate the Hebrew word ‘hebel,’” but it seems that perhaps they have missed the point. Translation is a very imprecise art, so in order to learn more about the original intent, it is often helpful for translators to look at the text written in the author’s original language. Here, for example, is Ecclesiastes 1:2 in Hebrew from the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia:
The key feature in this verse, according to one translator, wahiduddin, and the entire book of Ecclesiastes, is the repeated use of variations of the word hebel. So, rather than looking at how Jerome translated that word, they looked at the ancient Semitic roots of the word hebel. The roots of the word hebel indicate vapor, fog, steam, breeze or breath.
Note that there is a common thread running through all of these roots of the word hebel, they all describe something that is transitory, impermanent, something which may at first appear to be quite substantial, but which (upon further examination) is really without enduring substance. We often try to cling to things, and attempt to resist changes, but that is wasted effort, like trying to chase and capture the wind.
This, I believe, is the intent of the author of the book of Ecclesiastes…not to make everything seem hopeless, but rather to point out that we can choose to chase after the ephemeral ways of this impermanent world, or we can choose to follow the eternal ways of God, living with unbounded love for God and for one-another.
We are each free to choose which path to follow…and the harvest which we reap will be according to our choice.
Chasing after the ephemeral and insubstantial ways of this world leads only to, confusion, and disappointment, while realizing the truth of our worldly situation and living a life of joyful loving, kindness, the things that bring eternal peace.
As we can see vanity based on the correct translation is hardly an image of excessive pride in oneself or in one’s appearance, a picture of conceit and perhaps even arrogance. Rather it is a warning not to become too worldly, chasing after things without real substance or eternal value, such as smoke or steam. ‘Hebel,’ that’s a good word, it might be a valuable word to add to our everyday vocabulary. In doing so we might be reminded more often not to chase the wind, by placing too much value on worldly things. Things that have no substance in the eternal scheme of life—eternal life.
For some reason, I am not very confident that the Father of us all would have us who are bald, to wear some kind of raggedy hair mop on our heads. He might just say “Hebel.”