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Matthew Henry

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

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

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

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ecclesiastes 12:11

The words of the wise - Doctrines of faith, illustrated by suitable language, are as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, אספות בעלי baaley asuphoth , the masters of collections, those who had made the best collections of this kind, the matter of which was of the most excellent nature; every saying sinking as deeply into the mind, by the force of the truth contained in it, as a nail well pointed does into a board, when impelled by the hammer's force. These masters of collections... 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

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Ecclesiastes 12:11

The words of the wise are as goads . The connection of this verse with the preceding is maintained by the fact that the "acceptable words," etc; are words of the wise, emanate from the same persons. Herewith he proceeds to characterize them, with especial reference to his own work. The goad was a rod with an iron spike, or sharpened at the end, used in driving oxen (see 3:31 ; 1 Samuel 13:21 ; Ecclesiasticus 38:25; Acts 9:5 ). Words of wisdom are called goads because they rouse to... 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

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