1The Creator to be remembered in due time. 8The Preacher's care to edify. 13The general conclusion, that man's chief concern is to fear God, and obey his laws.
1aREMEMBER now thy 1Creator in the days of thy youth, while bthe evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
1Heb. Creators, Job 35.10. Ps. 149.2. Is. 54.5.
a Is. 26.8. Pr. 22.6. Job 22.21. 2Ch. 34.2,3. 2Ti. 3.15. La. 3.26-29. Le. 2.14. b Ho. 9.7. ch. 11.8. Ps. 90.10. 2Sa. 19.35.
2While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:
3In the day when the keepers of the chouse shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and 2the grinders cease because they are few, dand those that look out of the windows be darkened,
2Or, the teeth, or, grinders fail, because they grind little.
c Job 4.19. 2Co. 5.1. d Ge. 27.1.
4And ethe doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, fand all the daughters of musick shall be brought low;
e Ps. 141.3. Mi. 7.5. f 2Sa. 19.36.
5Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and gthe almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to hhis long home, and the mourners go about the streets:
g Je. 1.11,12. Pr. 16.31. Le. 19.32. h Job 30.23; 17.13. Ps. 89.48; 49.7-10. He. 9.27. Ge. 50.3,10. Je. 9.17-20.
6Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden ibowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.
i Zec. 4.2,3.
7jThen shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and kthe spirit shall return unto God lwho gave it.
j Ge. 3.19; 18.27. Job 4.19; 30.19; 34.15. Ps. 90.3; 103.14; 146.4. He. 9.27. Is. 57.2. Phi. 1.23. 2Co. 5.8. Jn. 14.2. ch. 7.1. k ch. 3.21. l Ge. 2.7. Is. 57.16. Nu. 16.22; 27.16. Job 34.14. Zec. 12.1. He. 12.9.
8¶mVanity of vanities, saith nthe preacher; all is vanity.
m ch. 1.2,14,17; 2.1,11,15,17,23,26; 4.4,8,16; 5.7,10; 6.2,9; 8.10,14. Ps. 62.9. n ch. 1.1.
9And 3moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and oset in order many proverbs.
3Or, the more wise the preacher was. ch. 1-12.
o 1Ki. 4.32. Pr. 1.1; 10.1; 25.1.
10The preacher sought to find pout 4acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth.
4Heb. words of delight.
p Pr. 1.1-6; 8.6; 22.22. 1Ti. 1.15.
11qThe words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from rone shepherd.
q Je. 23.28. Mat. 3.7. Ac. 2.37. Jn. 6.63. 1Co. 2.4,13. 2Co. 10.4. He. 4.12. r Jn. 10.18. 1Pe. 2.25; 5.4. Mat. 28.20. He. 13.20.
12And further, by sthese, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much 5study is a weariness of the flesh.
5Or, reading. ch. 1.18.
s v.11. Jn. 5.39. 2Pe. 1.19,21. Lu. 16.29.
13¶6Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: tFear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
6Or, The end of the matter, even all that hath been heard, is.
t De. 6.2; 10.12. 1Jn. 3.22,23. Pr. 1.7,33; 23.17. ch. 5.7.
14For uGod shall bring every work into vjudgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
u Ro. 2.16; 14.10. 1Co. 4.5. 2Co. 5.10. Jn. 5.29. Lu. 12.2. Mat. 25.31. Ac. 17.31. Re. 20.12. ch. 3.15,17; 11.9. v ch. 8.5,6.