Ecclesiastes 12

Ecclesiastes · Chapter 12

Ecclesiastes 12:3

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
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,on the day the keepers of the house tremble and the strong men stoop, when those grinding cease because they are few and those watching through windows see dimly,in 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 shall be darkened,

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
in the dayבַּיּ֗וֹםbai-YOMH3117G
day

יוֹם (yom) : day/when/time/period 1) day, time, year 1a) day (as opposed to night) 1b) day (24 hour period) 1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1 1b2) as a division of time 1b2a) a working day, a day's journey 1c) days, lifetime (pl.) 1d) time, period (general) 1e) year 1f) temporal references 1f1) today 1f2) yesterday 1f3) tomorrow

when they will trembleשֶׁיָּזֻ֙עוּ֙shei-ya-ZU-'uH2111
to tremble

זוּעַ (zu.a) 1) to tremble, quiver, quake, be in terror 1a) (Qal) to tremble, quake 1b) (Pilpel) 1b1) to shake violently 1b2) to cause to tremble Aramaic equivalent: zu.a (זוּעַ "to tremble" H2112)

[the] keepers ofשֹׁמְרֵ֣יsho-me-REIH8104H
to keep: obey

שָׁמַר (sha.mar) : obey/observe 1) to keep, guard, observe, give heed 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to keep, have charge of 1a2) to keep, guard, keep watch and ward, protect, save life 1a2a) watch, watchman (participle) 1a3) to watch for, wait for 1a4) to watch, observe 1a5) to keep, retain, treasure up (in memory) 1a6) to keep (within bounds), restrain 1a7) to observe, celebrate, keep (sabbath or covenant or commands), perform (vow) 1a8) to keep, preserve, protect 1a9) to keep, reserve 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be on one's guard, take heed, take care, beware 1b2) to keep oneself, refrain, abstain 1b3) to be kept, be guarded …

the houseהַבַּ֔יִתha-BA-yitH1004B
to lodge

בִּית (but) (P'al) to pass the night, lodge Aramaic of ba.yit (בַּ֫יִת ": home" H1004B)

and they will bend themselvesוְהִֽתְעַוְּת֖וּve-hit-'a-ve-TUH5791
to pervert

עָוַת (a.vat) 1) to be bent, be crooked, bend, make crooked, pervert 1a)(Piel) 1a1) to make crooked, falsify, pervert, subvert 1a2) to bend, make crooked 1b) (Pual) thing bent (participle) 1c) (Hithpael) to bend oneself

[the] people ofאַנְשֵׁ֣י'an-SHEIH0582
human

אֱנוֹשׁ (e.nosh) 1) man, mortal man, person, mankind 1a) of an individual 1b) men (collective) 1c) man, mankind Aramaic equivalent: e.nash (אֱנָשׁ "man" H0606)

the strengthהֶחָ֑יִלhe-CHA-yilH2428G
strength: soldiers

חַ֫יִל (cha.yil) : soldiers/army 1) strength, might, efficiency, wealth, army 1a) strength 1b) ability, efficiency 1c) wealth 1d) force, army

and they will ceaseוּבָטְל֤וּu-va-te-LUH0988
to cease

בָּטַל (ba.tel) 1) to cease 1a) (Qal) to cease Aramaic equivalent: be.tel (בְּטֵל "to cease" H0989)

the [female] grindersהַטֹּֽחֲנוֹת֙ha-to-cha-nOtH2912
to grind

טָחַן (ta.chan) (Qal) to grind, crush

forכִּ֣יkiH3588A
for

כִּי (ki) 1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since 1a) that 1a1) yea, indeed 1b) when (of time) 1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force) 1c) because, since (causal connection) 1d) but (after negative) 1e) that if, for if, indeed if, for though, but if 1f) but rather, but 1g) except that 1h) only, nevertheless 1i) surely 1j) that is 1k) but if 1l) for though 1m) forasmuch as, for therefore

they have become fewמִעֵ֔טוּmi-'E-tuH4591
to diminish

מָעַט (ma.at) 1) to be or become small, be few, be diminished 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to diminish 1a2) to be too small 1b) (Piel) to become few 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to make small, make few, diminish 1c2) to give less

and they will grow dimוְחָשְׁכ֥וּve-cha-she-KHUH2821
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 [women who] lookהָרֹא֖וֹתha-ro-'otH7200G
to see: see

רָאָה (ra.ah) : see/show 1) to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to see 1a2) to see, perceive 1a3) to see, have vision 1a4) to look at, see, regard, look after, see after, learn about, observe, watch, look upon, look out, find out 1a5) to see, observe, consider, look at, give attention to, discern, distinguish 1a6) to look at, gaze at 1a7) to provide, choose 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to appear, present oneself 1b2) to be seen 1b3) to be visible 1c) (Pual) to be seen 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to cause to see, show 1d2) to cause to look intently at, behold, cause to gaze at 1e) (Hophal) …

in the windowsבָּאֲרֻבּֽוֹת׃ba-'a-ru-BOTH0699
window

אֲרֻבָּה (a.rub.bah) 1) lattice, window, sluice 2) (CLBL) chimney (lattice opening where smoke escapes)

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