Ecclesiastes 12

1 And remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the days of evil come, and the years overtake in which thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them.

2 While the sun and light are not darkened, nor the moon and the stars; nor the clouds return after the rain:

3 in the day wherein the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the mighty men shall become bent, and the grinding cease because they have become few, and the looking out at the windows be dark;

4 and they shall shut the doors in the market-place, because of the weakness of the voice of her that grinds ; and he shall rise up at the voice of the sparrow, and all the daughters of song shall be brought low;

5 and they shall look up, and fears in the way, and the almond tree shall blossom, and the locust shall increase, and the caper shall be scattered: because man has gone to his eternal home, and the mourners have gone about the market:

6 before the silver cord be , or the choice gold be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel run down to the cistern;

7 the dust also return to the earth as it was, and the spirit return to God who gave it.

8 Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher; all is vanity.

9 And because the Preacher was wise above that he taught man excellent knowledge, and the ear will trace out the parables.

10 The Preacher sought diligently to find out acceptable words, and a correct writing, words of truth.

11 The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails firmly fastened, which have been given from one shepherd by agreement.

12 And moreover, my son, guard thyself by means of them: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

13 Hear the end of the matter, the sun: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole man.

14 For God will bring every work into judgment, with everything that has been overlooked, whether good, or whether evil.

Ecclesiastes 12 Commentary

Chapter 12

A description of the infirmities of age. (1-7) All is vanity: also a warning of the judgment to come. (8-14)

Verses 1-7 We should remember our sins against our Creator, repent, and seek forgiveness. We should remember our duties, and set about them, looking to him for grace and strength. This should be done early, while the body is strong, and the spirits active. When a man has the pain of reviewing a misspent life, his not having given up sin and worldly vanities till he is forced to say, I have no pleasure in them, renders his sincerity very questionable. Then follows a figurative description of old age and its infirmities, which has some difficulties; but the meaning is plain, to show how uncomfortable, generally, the days of old age are. As the four verses, ( 2-5 ) , are a figurative description of the infirmities that usually accompany old age, ver. ( 6 ) notices the circumstances which take place in the hour of death. If sin had not entered into the world, these infirmities would not have been known. Surely then the aged should reflect on the evil of sin.

Verses 8-14 Solomon repeats his text, VANITY OF VANITIES, ALL IS VANITY. These are the words of one that could speak by dear-bought experience of the vanity of the world, which can do nothing to ease men of the burden of sin. As he considered the worth of souls, he gave good heed to what he spake and wrote; words of truth will always be acceptable words. The truths of God are as goads to such as are dull and draw back, and nails to such as are wandering and draw aside; means to establish the heart, that we may never sit loose to our duty, nor be taken from it. The Shepherd of Israel is the Giver of inspired wisdom. Teachers and guides all receive their communications from him. The title is applied in Scripture to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The prophets sought diligently, what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. To write many books was not suited to the shortness of human life, and would be weariness to the writer, and to the reader; and then was much more so to both than it is now. All things would be vanity and vexation, except they led to this conclusion, That to fear God, and keep his commandments, is the whole of man. The fear of God includes in it all the affections of the soul towards him, which are produced by the Holy Spirit. There may be terror where there is no love, nay, where there is hatred. But this is different from the gracious fear of God, as the feelings of an affectionate child. The fear of God, is often put for the whole of true religion in the heart, and includes its practical results in the life. Let us attend to the one thing needful, and now come to him as a merciful Saviour, who will soon come as an almighty Judge, when he will bring to light the things of darkness, and manifest the counsels of all hearts. Why does God record in his word, that ALL IS VANITY, but to keep us from deceiving ourselves to our ruin? He makes our duty to be our interest. May it be graven in all our hearts. Fear God, and keep his commandments, for this is all that concerns man.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO ECCLESIASTES 12

This chapter begins with advice to young men, which is continued from the preceding; and particularly to remember their Creator in the days of their youth; enforced from the consideration of the troubles and inconveniences of old age, Ec 12:1; which, in an allegorical way, is beautifully described, Ec 12:2-6; and from the certainty of death, when it would be too late, Ec 12:7. And then the wise man returns to his first proposition, and which he kept in view all along, that all is vanity in youth or old age, Ec 12:8; and recommends the reading of this book, from the diligence, pains and labour, he used in composing it; from the sententious matter in it; from the agreeable, acceptable, and well chosen words, in which he had expressed it; and from the wisdom, uprightness, truth, efficacy, and authority of the doctrines of it, Ec 12:9-11; and from its preference to other books, which were wearisome both to author and reader, Ec 12:12. And it is concluded with the scope and design, the sum and substance of the whole of it, reducible to these two heads; the fear of God, and obedience to him, Ec 12:13; and which are urged from the consideration of a future judgment, into which all things shall be brought, Ec 12:14.