Fathers

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What the Fathers say

Ecclesiastes 1:10

Western Saints

Jerome

"Is there anything whereof it may be said, see this is new? It has already been for ages, which were before us. "Symmachus translated this more clearly: "Do you think there is a man who is able to say: look this is new, it has already been done before because it was before us." But he agrees with his predecessors that there is nothing new in the world, and that there is none that is able to live and say: 'look this is new', since everything that he thought he had shown to be new, already existed in former times. …

Commentary on Ecclesiastes ↗

Bonaventure

He shows that nothing remains in newness, neither with respect to being nor with respect to becoming. Therefore he says: "What is it that has been?" He asks and he himself responds: "The same that shall be." Similarly it follows: "What is it that has been done?" He responds: "The same that is to be done." And from this he concludes: "Nothing is new under the sun, nor can anyone say: Behold this is recent"; therefore neither to say nor to hear anything new. …

Commentary on Ecclesiastes, Chapter 1 ↗