Ecclesiastes 12

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ecclesiastes 12:6

Or ever the silver cord be loosed ,.... As the above are the symptoms and infirmities of old age; these in this verse are the immediate symptoms of death, or what attend it, or certainly issue in it. Some by "the silver cord" understand the string of the tongue; and to this purpose is the Targum, "before thy tongue is dumb from speaking;' and it is observed F17 Vid. Castel. Lexic. Hept. col. 3662. in favour of this sense, that the failing of the tongue is no fallacious sign of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ecclesiastes 12:7

Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was ,.... The body, which is made of dust, and is no other in its present state than dust refined and enlivened; and when the above things take place, mentioned in Ecclesiastes 12:6 , or at death, it returns to its original earth; it becomes immediately a clod of earth, a lifeless lump of clay, and is then buried in the earth, where it rots, corrupts, and turns into it; which shows the frailty of man, and may serve to humble his pride, as well... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ecclesiastes 12:8

Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher ,.... The wise man, or preacher, set out in the beginning of the book with this doctrine, or proposition, which he undertook to prove; and now having proved it by an induction of particulars, instanced in the wisdom, wealth, honours, pleasures, and profit of men, and shown the vanity of them, and that the happiness of men lies not in these things, but in the knowledge and fear of God; he repeats it, and most strongly asserts it, as an undoubted truth... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ecclesiastes 12:9

And moreover ,.... Or "besides" F26 ויתר "praeterea", Tigurine version, Vatablus, Schmidt. what has been said; or "as to what remains" F1 "Quod reliquum est", Piscator, Gejerus, Amama. ; or "but what is better", or "more excellent" F2 "Quamobrem potius", Junius & Tremeillius; "and this is a matter of excellency", Broughton, , is to "hear the conclusion of the whole matter", the sum and substance of the whole book in a few words, Ecclesiastes 12:13 ; to which ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ecclesiastes 12:10

The preacher sought to find out acceptable words ,.... Not mere words, fine and florid ones, the words which man's wisdom teacheth, an elegant style, or eloquent language; not but that it is proper for a preacher to seek out and use words suitable and apt to convey right ideas to the minds of men of what he says; but doctrines are rather here meant, "words of desire", "delight", and "pleasure" F4 דברי חפץ "verba complacentiae vel beneplaciti", Vatablus; "verba desiderii", Amama,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ecclesiastes 12:11

The words of the wise are as goads ,.... As the goad teacheth the ox; so the Targum. Not the words of the wise philosophers of that age, or of ages before, or since; but of the inspired penmen of the Scriptures, as Moses, David, Solomon, and of others since; and of all good men, whose doctrines are agreeably to them; these are like "goads" or "pricks", sharp pointed sticks or staves, with which men push and prick their cattle, when driving them from place to place, or ploughing with them:... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ecclesiastes 12:12

And further, by these, my son, be admonished ,.... Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, may be intended, for whose sake, more especially, this book might be written; though it may take in every hearer of this divine preacher, every disciple of this teacher, every subject of his kingdom, as well as every reader of this book, whom he thus addresses, and for whom he was affectionately concerned as a father for a son; that they might be enlightened with divine knowledge, warned of that which is evil,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ecclesiastes 12:13

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter ,.... Or "the end" F15 סוף דבר הכל "finis verbi omnis", Pagninus, Montanus, Mercerus; "finis universi negotii", Tigurine version, so Vatablus. of it. The sum and substance of it, what it all tends to and issues in; even the whole of what is contained in this book, and in all offer divinely inspired writings of Solomon or others; of all that were now written, or before, or since: this the preacher calls upon himself, as well as his... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ecclesiastes 12:14

For God shall bring every work into judgment ,.... Not in this life, but in the day of the great judgment, as the Targum explains it; that is, whatever has been done by men, from the beginning of the world, or will be to the end; all being observed and taken notice of by the omniscient God, who has registered them in the book of his remembrance, and, being Judge, will be able to bring them all into account at that awful day: which is here given as a reason why men should fear God, and keep... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ecclesiastes 12

Youth should remember their Creator, Ecclesiastes 12:1 . A description of old age and its infirmities, with the causes of death and dissolution, Ecclesiastes 12:2-9 . How the Preacher taught the people knowledge, Ecclesiastes 12:9-11 . General directions, and conclusion of the work, Ecclesiastes 12:12-14 . read more

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