"Meaningless! Meaningless! Everything is meaningless!"

That's how most English Bibles translate the opening of Ecclesiastes. And it sets the tone for how we read the entire book: life is pointless, nothing matters, we're all going to die anyway.

But that's not what Solomon said.

The Hebrew word is hevel. And it doesn't mean meaningless. It means vapor. Mist. Breath. Something fleeting, transient, elusive.

That's a very different message.

What Hevel Actually Means

Hevel appears 38 times in Ecclesiastes. It's the book's central theme. But translating it as "meaningless" or "vanity" misses the nuance.

Hevel is what you see when you breathe on a cold morning. It's there, it's real, but it doesn't last. You can't hold it. You can't control it.

Solomon isn't saying life is meaningless. He's saying life is fleeting. Temporary. Elusive.

And that changes everything.

How the Translation Changes the Reading

Read it with "meaningless":

"Meaningless! Meaningless! Everything is meaningless! What do people gain from all their labors?" (Ecclesiastes 1:2-3)

That sounds like nihilism. Like nothing you do matters. Like life is pointless.

Now read it with "fleeting":

"Fleeting! Fleeting! Everything is fleeting! What do people gain from all their labors?"

Completely different tone. It's not saying your work doesn't matter. It's saying your work won't last forever. So what are you really gaining if you can't keep it?

Another example. With "meaningless":

"I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind." (Ecclesiastes 1:14)

Sounds depressing. Everything is pointless.

With "fleeting":

"I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are fleeting, like chasing after the wind."

Now it's poetic. It's saying you can't catch the wind. You can't hold onto these things. They slip away. But that doesn't mean they weren't real or valuable while you had them.

The mistranslation turns wisdom into despair. It turns realism into nihilism. It makes Solomon sound like he's saying "nothing matters" when he's actually saying "nothing lasts."

Those are very different messages.

The Book's Actual Message

Ecclesiastes isn't nihilism. It's realism.

Solomon, the wisest and wealthiest king in history, tried everything. He pursued wisdom, pleasure, work, wealth, legacy. He built gardens, accumulated gold, had hundreds of wives, wrote thousands of proverbs.

And his conclusion? It's all hevel. Not meaningless, but fleeting. You can't hold onto it. You can't take it with you. It slips through your fingers like mist.

But here's the twist: that doesn't make it worthless. It makes it precious.

The Permission to Enjoy

This is where most people miss the point. They read Ecclesiastes as a depressing book about the futility of life. But Solomon actually gives us permission to enjoy life. Repeatedly.

Ecclesiastes 2:24: "A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God."

Ecclesiastes 3:12-13: "I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil-this is the gift of God."

Ecclesiastes 5:18-19: "This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them-for this is their lot. Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil-this is a gift of God."

Ecclesiastes 9:7-9: "Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do. Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil. Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun."

Notice the pattern? Enjoy your food. Enjoy your work. Enjoy your wealth. Enjoy your spouse. Enjoy your life.

This isn't hedonism. It's gratitude. It's recognizing that life is fleeting, so savor it while you have it.

The Trap We Fall Into

We think that because life is temporary, it's not worth enjoying. We think that because we can't keep it forever, we shouldn't appreciate it now.

But that's backwards.

A sunset is beautiful because it doesn't last. A meal is satisfying because you'll be hungry again. A moment with someone you love is precious because time is limited.

Hevel doesn't mean worthless. It means you can't hold onto it. So enjoy it while it's here.

The Balance Solomon Strikes

Ecclesiastes isn't saying "eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die." That's nihilism.

And it's not saying "deny yourself everything because it's all meaningless." That's asceticism.

It's saying: life is fleeting, so don't waste it chasing things you can't keep. But also, don't waste it refusing to enjoy the things God gives you.

Work hard. Enjoy the fruit of your labor. Build things. Create beauty. Love people. Eat good food. Drink good wine. Wear nice clothes. Take care of yourself.

And remember: it's all hevel. It won't last forever. But that's okay. It was never supposed to.

What About "Fear God"?

The book ends with this: "Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil." (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)

This is the anchor. Life is fleeting, but God is eternal. Enjoy your life, but remember who gave it to you. Work hard, but remember who you're accountable to.

The fear of God isn't terror. It's reverence. It's recognizing that while life is temporary, your relationship with God is not.

So enjoy the mist. But don't worship it. Don't build your identity on it. Don't think it will last forever.

The Modern Application

We live in a culture obsessed with permanence. We want to build legacies, leave marks, be remembered. We want our work to matter forever. Our achievements to last. Our names to endure.

Ecclesiastes says: they won't. And that's okay.

Your career is hevel. Your wealth is hevel. Your reputation is hevel. Even your legacy is hevel.

But that doesn't mean they're meaningless. It means they're temporary. So enjoy them. Work hard. Build things. Make money. Create beauty. Leave a mark.

Just don't expect it to last forever. And don't sacrifice what's eternal for what's fleeting.

Permission to Enjoy Your Wins

This is the part we need to hear: it's okay to enjoy your life.

It's okay to enjoy your nice things. Your comfortable home. Your good food. Your successful career. Your financial wins.

You don't have to feel guilty for having them. You don't have to apologize for enjoying them.

Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, says: enjoy them. They're gifts from God. Receive them with gratitude. Savor them while you have them.

Just don't worship them. Don't think they'll satisfy you forever. Don't build your identity on them.

They're hevel. Mist. Breath. Fleeting.

But they're also good. And God gave them to you. So enjoy them.

The Freedom in Hevel

When you understand that everything is hevel, you're free.

Free to enjoy without clinging. Free to work without anxiety. Free to build without needing it to last forever. Free to lose without being destroyed.

Because it was always temporary. You knew that going in.

The sunset ends. The meal is finished. The moment passes. The person leaves. The career ends. The wealth is spent. The legacy fades.

And that's okay. Because it was never meant to be permanent.

What's permanent is God. What's eternal is your relationship with Him. What lasts is what you do in light of eternity.

Everything else? Enjoy it. Work for it. Build it. Savor it.

And then let it go.

Conclusion: Ecclesiastes Got It Right

Life is hevel. Fleeting. Elusive. Temporary.

But that doesn't make it meaningless. It makes it precious.

So eat your food with gladness. Drink your wine with a joyful heart. Enjoy your work. Appreciate your wins. Love your people. Wear your nice clothes. Live in your nice house.

And remember: it's all mist. It won't last forever.

But it was never supposed to.

Fear God. Keep His commandments. Enjoy the life He gave you.

That's the message of Ecclesiastes. And it's more liberating than we realized.