Ecclesiastes 12 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

Ecclesiastes 12

Remember Your Creator in Your Youth

12:1 Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”; 2 before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened and the clouds return after the rain, 3 in the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men are bent, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those who look through the windows are dimmed, 4 and the doors on the street are shut—when the sound of the grinding is low, and one rises up at the sound of a bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low—5 they are afraid also of what is high, and terrors are in the way; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along,¹ and desire fails, because man is going to his eternal home, and the mourners go about the streets—6 before the silver cord is snapped, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern, 7 and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. 8 Vanity² of vanities, says the Preacher; all is vanity.

Fear God and Keep His Commandments

9 Besides being wise, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge, weighing and studying and arranging many proverbs with great care. 10 The Preacher sought to find words of delight, and uprightly he wrote words of truth.

11 The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings; they are given by one Shepherd. 12 My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

13 The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.³ 14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, with⁴ every secret thing, whether good or evil.

Footnotes

[1] 12:5 Or is a burden
[2] 12:8 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath” (three times in this verse); see note on 1:2
[3] 12:13 Or the duty of all mankind
[4] 12:14 Or into the judgment on

Commentary

v1: The wisdom of seeking God early. It is dangerous to put off our commitment to God. Change is easier when we are young; in later years the heart can grow cold, the spirit become unteachable, the mind distracted, desires perverted. We need God's strength to endure days of trouble.

This verse does not teach that the more mature cannot be converted to Christ; it is practical wisdom born of observation.

v2-5: Explaining v1, describing old age, its pains and frailties. Solomon, now an old man, looks back on his life with deep regret. He describes death and old age using a range of metaphors.

There is the gathering gloom (v2), sun, moon and stars becoming, to us, less bright. There is physical weakening, and loss of abilities and senses (v3). There is a reticence to take risks, and a tendency to stay safely at home, although sleep is disturbed, even by a bird song (v4). Burdens seem too great, pictured by the grasshopper dragging itself along (v5). Finally, death comes, man goes to an eternal home, and mourners mourn.

v6-7: One day it will be too late; these verses describe death, using more metaphors, in all its finality; we cannot return from death.

The Ganda people of Uganda have a belief that there is a rope for each person, each of a different length. One day the rope is cut, referring to the person's death.

v8: In such sorrow and regret it is no surprise that the teacher finds everything meaningless; he has nothing to bring to his people.

v9-10: The wise teacher teaches others. Diligent in study, having a commitment to truth, putting pen to paper, in writing his Proverbs; divine wisdom, but communicated in a memorable way.

v11-12: The benefit of such wise words, given by the one Shepherd. We should not neglect such, nor add to such. They are goads, well-driven nails, to hang truth on. Thus, godly learning requires discernment, and too much study is not helpful. We must learn to be effective.

v13-14: The conclusion of the whole matter. Our responsibility is to obey Him, for we are accountable to God. To fear God is to keep His commandments; godly fear leads to obedience, not to inaction.

God will judge "every deed" and "every hidden thing." All are alike to Him, who sees and knows all things. It is either a hypocrite or a simpleton who thinks he can hide himself from God. The glorious truth, found so clearly in the NT, is that Christ is our Advocate, and even before God we are clear of our sins, and acceptable before Him.