Ecclesiastes 12

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Ecclesiastes 12:1

‘Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth, and walk in the ways of your heart and in the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment. Therefore remove causes of sorrow from your heart, and put away evil from your flesh. For youth and the prime of life are vanity. Remember also your creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw near when you will say I have no... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Ecclesiastes 12:1-14

Chapters Ecclesiastes 11:9 to Ecclesiastes 12:14 The Venturing Of The Young, The Trials Of The Old and Man’s Final Destiny. As we come to the end of the writer’s musings we are rewarded with the final conclusions that he has reached. He calls on the young man to arise out of life’s vainness and look to his Creator, recognising that God will bring him into judgment in whatever he does. Interestingly he no longer appears to see life as meaningless, but as something to be treated very... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Ecclesiastes 12:2-3

‘Before the sun and the light and the moon are darkened, and the clouds return after the rain. In the day when the keepers of the house will tremble, and the strong men will bend themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those who look out of the windows are darkened.’ They are to make the most of their lives before they become old and feeble, as described here. For the vivid description that now follows is of old age. The first sentence refers to a heavy enduring storm, when... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Ecclesiastes 12:4

‘And the doors will be shut in the street, when the sound of the grinding is low, and one will rise up at the voice of a bird, and all the daughters of music will be laid low.’ This may refer to the fact that the doors will be shut because the aged man no longer goes out into the street. He also eats with difficulty with little use of the decayed teeth, so that there is little sound of grinding. Or the closed doors may be the man’s lips as he grows weaker, seen along with the non-use of the... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Ecclesiastes 12:5

‘Yes they will be afraid of what is high, and terrors are in the way, and the almond tree will blossom, and the grasshopper will be a burden, and the desire will fail, because man goes to his everlasting home, and the mourners go about the streets.’ As people age heights can become a problem, especially as their sense of balance worsens and they, and others, become afraid that they will misjudge distances and fall over the edge. Travelling becomes a nightmare, both because of stumbling... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Ecclesiastes 12:6

‘Before the silver cord is snapped, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.’ There seems to be here a twofold thought. The golden bowl, holding the lighted oil to give light in the house, and held by a silver chord, breaks when the cord snaps with age. And the pitcher at the fountain is broken when the wheel which draws it up from the water is broken, again with age. (Although some see both as portraying the one event). Thus... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Ecclesiastes 12:7

‘And the dust return to the earth as it was, and the spirit return to God who gave it.’ There is a clear reference here to the idea behind Genesis 2:7, although ‘spirit’ (ruach = spirit, wind, breath) replaces ‘breath’ (neshumah), possibly to suggest more permanence. In view of his earlier reference to the mystery of the everlastingness of God set in man’s heart (Ecclesiastes 3:11), and the contrast between the certainty in this verse and his uncertainty in Ecclesiastes 3:21, and the reference... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Ecclesiastes 12:8

‘Vanity of vanities,’ says the Preacher, ‘all is vanity.’ This is a reference to the whole of man’s existence on earth. It signals the completion of what was commenced in Ecclesiastes 1:2, and the sum total of what the human mind can achieve. All that is done, or happens, on earth has been seen to be finally meaningless, temporary and transient. All hope of meaning and worth therefore depends on living before God and the final event just described, that the spirit returns to the God Who gave... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Ecclesiastes 12:9-14

Conclusion (Ecclesiastes 12:9-14 ). Having given his final verdict on his musings the writer changes into the third person. This was in order to stress the solemnity of what he was saying. Moving into the third person in this way occurs regularly in Scripture, and there is no reason for seeing it as indicating the work of another writer. It stresses that this is his solemn conclusion. Ecclesiastes 12:9-10 ‘And further, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge. Yes,... read more

Arthur Peake

Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible - Ecclesiastes 12:1-8

Ecclesiastes 11:1 to Ecclesiastes 12:8 . Closing Counsels.— It is well to do and to get all one can, in the way of industry and pleasure, before old age draws on. Ecclesiastes 11:1 and Ecclesiastes 11:2 are best taken as referring either to merchandise or generosity, though “ bread” has also been interpreted as seed sown on irrigated land ( cf. Ecclesiastes 11:4 and Ecclesiastes 11:6) or even as human semen, and Ecclesiastes 11:2 and Ecclesiastes 11:6 forced into line. The trader’ s venture... read more

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Ecclesiastes 12:1

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Ecclesiastes 12:1-14

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Ecclesiastes 12:2-3

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Ecclesiastes 12:4

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Ecclesiastes 12:5

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Ecclesiastes 12:6

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Ecclesiastes 12:7

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Ecclesiastes 12:8

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Ecclesiastes 12:9-14

Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible - Ecclesiastes 12:1-8

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