Ecclesiastes 12:10

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ecclesiastes 12:8-12

Solomon is here drawing towards a close, and is loth to part till he has gained his point, and prevailed with his hearers, with his readers, to seek for that satisfaction in God only and in their duty to him which they can never find in the creature. I. He repeats his text (Eccl. 12:8), 1. As that which he had fully demonstrated the truth of, and so made good his undertaking in this sermon, wherein he had kept closely to his text, and both his reasons and his application were to the purpose.... 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

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ecclesiastes 12:10

He sought to find out acceptable words - חפץ דברי dibrey chephets , words of desire, words of will; the best, the most suitable words; those which the people could best understand. But these words were not such as might merely please the people; they were words of truth; such as came from God, and might lead them to him. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Ecclesiastes 12:9-11

Koheleth as teacher of wisdom. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Ecclesiastes 12:9-14

THE EPILOGUE . This contains some observations commendatory of the author, explaining his standpoint and the object of the book, the great conclusion to which it leads. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Ecclesiastes 12:10

The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words ; literally, words of delight ; λόγους θελήματος ; verba utilia (Vulgate); so Aquila, λόγους χρείας . The word chephets, "pleasure," occurs in Ecclesiastes 5:4 ; Ecclesiastes 12:1 . Thus we have "stones of pleasure" ( Isaiah 54:12 ). He added the grace of refined diction to the solid sense of his utterances. Plumptre reminds us of the "gracious words" ( λόγοις τῆς χάριτος , Luke 4:22 ) which proceeded from the... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Ecclesiastes 12:8-14

This passage is properly regarded as the Epilogue of the whole book; a kind of apology for the obscurity of many of its sayings. The passage serves therefore to make the book more intelligible and more acceptable.Here, as in the beginning of the book Ecclesiastes 1:1-2, the Preacher speaks of himself Ecclesiastes 12:8-10 in the third person. He first repeats Ecclesiastes 12:8 the mournful, perplexing theme with which his musings began Ecclesiastes 1:2; and then states the encouraging practical... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Ecclesiastes 12:9-12

Ecclesiastes 12:9-12. He still taught the people knowledge As God gave him this wisdom, that he might be a teacher of others, so he used it to that end. Gave heed He did not utter whatever came into his mind, but seriously pondered both his matter and his words. Therefore despise not his counsel. The preacher sought to find out acceptable words Hebrew, רבי חפצ , words of desire, or, of delight: worthy of all acceptation, such as would minister comfort or profit to the hearers or... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Ecclesiastes 12:9-14

Final comments (12:9-14)Those whom the writer taught were not only the sons of the rich who attended the wisdom schools, but also ordinary people around the city. His method of study was to consider all the wise teachings relevant to his subject, select the most suitable, then arrange them in a way that was interesting and helpful to his audience. However, he never twisted the truth to suit his own purposes (9-10). True wisdom teaching, such as that which the writer speaks of here, comes from... read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Ecclesiastes 12:10

"The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words, and that which was written uprightly, even words of truth."We reject all notions that the third person used in these verses is any indication whatever of "another writer,"[37] as suggested by Fleming. "There is no change in the style and vocabulary of Ecclesiastes as we come to this epilogue,"[38] which would most certainly have been the case if any other writer had taken over here. Besides that, as pointed out above, the words "Vanity of... read more

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