Ecclesiastes 12

Ecclesiastes · Chapter 12

Ecclesiastes 12:2

1Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;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 house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened,4And the 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, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low;5Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:6Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.7Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.8Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity.9And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.10The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth.11The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.12And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.13Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.14For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
2While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:before the light of the sun, moon, and stars is darkened, and the clouds return after the rain,before the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars, are darkened, and the clouds return after the rain;

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
untilעַ֠ד'adH5704
till

עַד (ad) prep 1) as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as 1a) of space 1a1) as far as, up to, even to 1b) in combination 1b1) from...as far as, both...and (with 'min' -from) 1c) of time 1c1) even to, until, unto, till, during, end 1d) of degree 1d1) even to, to the degree of, even like conj 2) until, while, to the point that, so that even Aramaic equivalent: ad (עַד "till" H5705)

thatאֲשֶׁ֨ר'a-SHERH0834A
which

אֲשֶׁר (a.sher) A: 1) (relative part.) 1a) which, who 1b) that which 2) (conj) 2a) that (in obj clause) 2b) when 2c) since 2d) as 2e) conditional if B: Beth+ 1) in (that) which 2) (adv) 2a) where 3) (conj) 3a) in that, inasmuch as 3b) on account of C: Mem+ 1) from (or than) that which 2) from (the place) where 3) from (the fact) that, since D: Kaph+ 1) (conj.), according as, as, when 1a) according to that which, according as, as 1b) with a causal force: in so far as, since 1c) with a temporal force: when

notלֹֽא־lo'-H3808
not

לֹא (lo) 1) not, no 1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition) 1b) not (with modifier-negation) 1c) nothing (subst) 1d) without (with particle) 1e) before (of time) Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)

it will become darkתֶחְשַׁ֤ךְtech-SHAKHH2821
to darken

חָשַׁךְ (cha.shakh) 1) to be or become dark, grow dim, be darkened, be black, be hidden 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to be or grow dark 1a2) to have a dark colour 1a3) to grow dim 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to make dark, cause to be dark 1b2) to hide, conceal 1b3) to obscure, confuse (fig.)

the sunהַשֶּׁ֙מֶשׁ֙ha-SHE-meshH8121
to minister

שְׁמַשׁ (she.mash) (Pael) to minister, serve Aramaic of she.mesh (שֶׁ֫מֶשׁ "sun" H8121)

and the lightוְהָא֔וֹרve-ha-'ORH0216
light

אוֹר (or) 1) light 1a) light of day 1b) light of heavenly luminaries (moon, sun, stars) 1c) day-break, dawn, morning light 1d) daylight 1e) lightning 1f) light of lamp 1g) light of life 1h) light of prosperity 1i) light of instruction 1j) light of face (fig.) 1k) Jehovah as Israel's light

and the moonוְהַיָּרֵ֖חַve-hai-ya-RE-achH3394
moon

יָרֵחַ (ya.re.ach) moon

and the starsוְהַכּוֹכָבִ֑יםve-ha-ko-kha-VIMH3556
star

כּוֹכָב (ko.khav) 1) star 1a) of Messiah, brothers, youth, numerous progeny, personification, God's omniscience (fig.)

and they will returnוְשָׁ֥בוּve-SHA-vuH7725G
to return: return

שׁוּב (shuv) : return 1) to return, turn back 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to turn back, return 1a1a) to turn back 1a1b) to return, come or go back 1a1c) to return unto, go back, come back 1a1d) of dying 1a1e) of human relations (fig) 1a1f) of spiritual relations (fig) 1a1f1) to turn back (from God), apostatise 1a1f2) to turn away (of God) 1a1f3) to turn back (to God), repent 1a1f4) turn back (from evil) 1a1g) of inanimate things 1a1h) in repetition 1b) (Polel) 1b1) to bring back 1b2) to restore, refresh, repair (fig) 1b3) to lead away (enticingly) 1b4) to show turning, apostatise 1c) (Pual) restored (participle) …

the cloudsהֶעָבִ֖יםhe-'a-VIMH5645
cloud

עָב (av) 1) darkness, cloud, thicket 1a) dark cloud 1b) cloud mass 1c) thicket (as refuge)

afterאַחַ֥ר'a-CHARH0310A
after

אַחַר (a.char) 1) after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time) 1a) as an adverb 1a1) behind (of place) 1a2) afterwards (of time) 1b) as a preposition 1b1) behind, after (of place) 1b2) after (of time) 1b3) besides 1c) as a conjunction 1c) after that 1d) as a substantive 1d1) hinder part 1e) with other prepositions 1e1) from behind 1e2) from following after

the rainהַגָּֽשֶׁם׃ha-GA-shemH1653
rain

גֶּ֫שֶׁם (ge.shem) rain, shower

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.