“The poem alerts us to two key issues that Qohelet will struggle with as he explores the benefit of labor and thus the meaning of life: the repetitiveness of history and the fact that people are not remembered...if on the basis of observation one concludes that history is endlessly repetitive, then it is indeed hard to see the value of labor and of life. One might find meaning in the fact that one’s hard work and achievements will be remembered, but as the poem notes, no matter what one’s achievements, people are quickly forgotten, so that meaning cannot be grounded in remembrance. Theologically, the poem therefore raises the issue of how we view history and of where we locate our identity or meaning in life. Scripture and the Christian tradition rightly recognize, with this poem, that a cyclical view of history is hope-less, and also alert us to the fact that we cannot root our identity in others and their remembrance of us.” - Craig Bartholomew