Vol. 06 · Misquoted ·Book ·296 of 348
"There is nothing new under the sun."
They never said that.
What people say
"There is nothing new under the sun."
What was actually said
"The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun." Qoheleth ("the Preacher") — Ecclesiastes 1:9 (King James Version, 1611)
Why it stuck
The modern tag strips the parallel first half. The full line has a cyclic, almost despairing rhythm — "that which is done" mirroring "that which shall be."
Know another line by heart?
Play the duel and see how many you can spot. Or browse the whole shelf.