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.
1REMEMBER1 now 2thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while 3the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
1 That is, apply yourself to the fear of God and to the keeping of His commandments.
2 The Hebrew word is in the plural. Compare the annotation on Gen. 1 on verse 26.
3 That is, the days of old age, which bring along much pain and grief, for, old age is as a continual sickness.
24While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not 5darkened, nor 6the clouds return after the rain:
4 This verse and some more that follow contain a description of old age after the manner of the poets; and it is a continual allegory until the 7th verse.
5 Not that they are darkened indeed, but that they seem to be so unto those who are old, being half blind.
6 That is, one misery after the other, as one tempest follows after another.
3In the day when 7the keepers of the house shall tremble, and 8the strong men shall bow themselves, and 9the grinders 10cease because they are 11few, and 12those that look out of the windows be darkened,
7 That is, the arms with the hands, which preserve the body (wherein the soul dwells as in an house) serving to keep off evil and to accept the good.
8 That is, the legs or shanks, which bear the body as two strong men.
9 That is, the teeth, which (as it were) grinds the food, chewing and biting it in pieces.
10 Namely, from grinding, that is, from chewing. The sense is: when the teeth shall not be so nimble to chew food, as formerly.
11 Namely, less in number.
12 That is, the eyes, which see or look from between the eyelids.
4And 13the doors 14shall be shut 15in the streets, 16when the sound 17of the grinding is low, and 18he 19shall rise up 20at the voice of the bird, and all 21the daughters of musick shall be 22brought low;
13 That is, the two lips through which the food passes as between two doors. Compare Job 41:14. Others understand by the doors the throat or esophagus through which the food and drink do pass.
14 Namely, instead of opening them, when they should receive or take in hard food. Some understand this as such: When the doors, that is, the lips, shall be shut, because old persons have an impediment in their speech, not being able to frame and utter their words as well as young men do.
15 That is, which are seen outwardly on the body. There are also inward doors which are not seen, as the covering of the throat, and the covering of the bladder of the gall.
16 Or, because of, that is, while the teeth can hardly chew, so that a man can hear nothing crack or break between or under them, as is heard when young men chew and bite hard food in pieces, having good teeth, which old persons seldom or not have.
17 Namely, when the teeth grind the food in pieces.
18 Namely, the old man.
19 Namely, from his bed.
20 That is, early in the morning, when the birds begin to sing, for, he cannot sleep.
21 Hebr. the daughters of the song, that is, the singing women. Understand herewith also the singing men or musicians. Other, all the daughters of the song, that is, all the parts or members of the body which form or frame the voice.
22 Or, shall bow, that is, shall perish, decrease, lose their strength; or, shall be esteemed little and counted of no value, inasmuch as the elderly man regards it not, as taking no more any delight in music. See an example hereof in Barzillai, 2 Sam. 19:35.
5Also when 23they shall be afraid 24of that which is high, and 25fears shall be in the way, 26and the almond tree shall flourish, 27and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and 28desire shall fail: 29because man goeth 30to his long home, and 31the mourners go about the streets:
23 Namely, the elderly persons.
24 Or, for high places, that is, of high, exalted or uneven places, upon which old persons do not wish to walk by reason of the weakness of their legs, fearing to stumble at them or to fall down from them. Or, because it is troublesome and cumbersome for them to climb up high stairs or hills.
25 Or, fears or terrors, namely, great or many. Fearing that they might hit their feet or toes against something.
26 When there shall be gray or hoary hairs.
27 That is, the elderly man, who is grown as lean, crooked and withered as a grasshopper. Other, and he a grasshopper, that is, a thing as light as a grasshopper, be a burden.
28 Namely, of bodily pleasures and delights, also the appetite to eating, drinking, etc.
29 As if he said: When a person is sensible of all those infirmities, he may well imagine that he is nigh unto death, yea, that he has one foot in the grave already.
30 That is, to the grave; for a person shall abide there a long while.
31 That is, those persons who see the dead put into the grave, and do bewail and lament them, or mourn over them, for which purpose certain persons in former times were wont to be hired. See the annotations at Jer. 9 on verse 17.
632Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or 33the golden bowl be broken, or 34the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or 35the wheel broken at the cistern.
32 That is, before the marrow or pith in the backbone is loosed. This marrow is white as silver, and it is extended from the brain all along the backbone, like unto a cord or rope. Others understand hereby the silver cord the arteries. Other, removed; other, chained or bound, that is, dried and stiffened.
33 That is, the thin membrane or skin wherein the brains lie, or which is of a gold color. Others understand here by the golden bowl the skull, wherein the brains are contained; which likewise perishes at death, and is, as it were, broken asunder.
34 That is, the main blood artery at the liver.
35 That is, the lungs, which, by their continual motion, do at one time thrust out the breath from them and at another time draw it in again, resemble the wheel of a well, now drawing up the bucket towards itself and then letting it down again into the well.
7Thena shall 36the dust return to the earth as it was: and 37the spirit shall return 38unto God 39whob gave it.
a Gen. 3:19.
36 That is, the body, which in the beginning was taken out of, and made of earth, Gen. 3:19. See Job 7:5.
37 That is, the soul. See Num. 16:22; 27:16.
38 Namely, into heaven. It is to be understood that Solomon here only speaks to the people of God. Some understand it of the souls of believers and unbelievers, who are both sentenced by God as Supreme Judge, are immediately, when they die, sent each to their place, the souls of believers to heaven, of unbelievers to hell. Compare Luke 16:22.
39 See Gen. 2:7.
b Gen. 2:7; Num. 16:22.
8 ¶ 40Vanityc of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity.
40 See Eccl. 1:2.
c Psalm 62:9; 144:4; Eccl. 1:2.
9And moreover, because the preacher was wise, 41he still taught the people 42knowledge; yea, he 43gave good heed, and 44sought out, and 45set in order many proverbs.d
41 After he was converted, he did likewise convert and teach others.
42 That is, good doctrines.
43 Other, he has weighed, namely, with the scales of wisdom.
44 Other, examined.
45 Solomon spoke many proverbs, 1 Kings 4:32, of which only the book of the Proverbs (Proverbiorum), and this book called Ecclesiastes (in Hebrew, Koheleth) have come to us; and understand here, under the name of proverbs most excellent, wise sentences or sayings, treating of the life and manners of men, and of the course of the world. See the annotations at 1 Kings 4 on verse 32.
d 1 Kings 4:32.
10The preacher sought to find out acceptable 46words: and that which was written was 47upright, even words of truth.
46 Or, matters.
47 Or, lawful, that is, such, against which no man has justly anything to say.
1148The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails 49fastened by the masters of 50assemblies, 51which are given 52from one shepherd.
48 Intimating that as oxen are driven on, or made to plow by the pricking of the goads or sharp pins, so likewise men ought to be put on by sharp and earnest exhortations to the practice of virtue and piety, and to the loathing and abhorring of worldly vanity.
49 Hebr. implanted.
50 Or, of the congregation, that is, of the teachers of the congregation.
51That or which, namely, words of the wise, or, which, namely, nails.
52 Hebr. from the only shepherd, namely, from God, Who is the Shepherd and Keeper of His people, Psalm 23, and Who, sending forth His prophets and ministers, enlightens and enables them by His Spirit. See John 10:11; 1 Peter 2:25; 5:4. Other, by the first shepherd.
12And further, 53by these, my son, be admonished: 54of making many books there is no end; and 55much study 56is a weariness 57of the flesh.
53 Namely, the words of the wise and of the only Shepherd. Other, Moreover, my son, be by these admonished or exhorted. Hebr. properly, be enlightened, namely, by the proverbs which are contained in this book, and especially also in the book of my proverbs and other books besides. You have enough with these; observe these but well, and beware of receiving and entertaining what the philosophers or wise men of the world have written concerning the chief good and happiness of man, for, these (men) were not led by the Spirit of God, and therefore have stepped far aside from the right way.
54 Namely, as the philosophers, the wise men of the world, have done.
55 Or, too much reading. Other, too much study.
56 That is, it makes the head and the brains weary.
57 That is, of people.
13¶Let us 58hear the 59conclusion of the whole matter: Feare60God, and keep his commandments: for 61this is the whole duty of man.
58 That is, to which all things are directed in my sermon, concerning the supreme good.
59 That is, the end or sum.
e Deut. 6:2; 10:12; Prov. 3:7.
60Fear God, by Whom alone you can obtain the supreme good and salvation, but not by any earthly or transitory thing.
61 Other, for this is the whole work or duty of man, that is, he ought to make it his entire business; this is the most important end of man’s life; or, this is the whole of man, that is, absolute and perfect happiness; or, herein consists his welfare and salvation. Other, of the whole man.
14Forf God shall bring 62every work 63into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
f 1 Cor. 4:5; 2 Cor. 5:10.
62 Or, every action, that is, every person’s deeds and works.
63 For at the last day God will judge the very secret thoughts of men, Rom. 2:16; Heb. 13:4.