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Commentary on Ecclesiastes 12 verses 1–7
Here is, I. A call to young people to think of God, and mind their duty to him, when they are young: Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth. This is, 1. The royal preacher's application of his sermon concerning the vanity of the world and every thing in it. "You that are young flatter yourselves with expectations of great things from it, but believe those that have tried it; it yields no solid satisfaction to a soul; therefore, that you may not be deceived by this vanity, nor too much disturbed by it, remember your Creator, and so guard yourselves against the mischiefs that arise from the vanity of the creature." 2. It is the royal physician's antidote against the particular diseases of youth, the love of mirth, and the indulgence of sensual pleasures, the vanity which childhood and youth are subject to; to prevent and cure this, remember thy Creator. Here is, (1.) A great duty pressed upon us, to remember God as our creator, not only to remember that God is our Creator, that he made us and not we ourselves, and is therefore our rightful Lord and owner, but we must engage ourselves to him with the considerations which his being our Creator lay us under, and pay him the honour and duty which we owe him as our Creator. Remember thy Creators; the word is plural, as it is Job 35:10, Where is God my Makers? For God said, Let us make man, us, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. (2.) The proper season for this duty - in the days of thy youth, the days of thy choice (so some), thy choice days, thy choosing days. "Begin in the beginning of thy days to remember him from whom thou hadst thy being, and go on according to that good beginning. Call him to mind when thou art young, and keep him in mind throughout all the days of thy youth, and never forget him. Guard thus against the temptations of youth, and thus improve the advantages of it."
II. A reason to enforce this command: While the evil days come not, and the years of which thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them.
1.Do it quickly, (1.) "Before sickness and death come. Do it while thou livest, for it will be too late to do it when death has removed thee from this state of trial and probation to that of recompence and retribution." The days of sickness and death are the days of evil, terrible to nature, evil days indeed to those that have forgotten their Creator. These evil days will come sooner or later; as yet they come not, for God is long-suffering to us-ward, and gives us space to repent; the continuing of life is but the deferring of death, and, while life is continued and death deferred, it concerns us to prepare, and get the property of death altered, that we may die comfortably. (2.) Before old age comes, which, if death prevent not, will come, and they will be years of which we shall say, We have no pleasure in them, - when we shall not relish the delights of sense, as Barzillai (Sa2 19:35), - when we shall be loaded with bodily infirmities, old and blind, or old and lame, - when we shall be taken off from our usefulness, and our strength shall be labour and sorrow, - when we shall either have parted with our relations, and all our old friends, or be afflicted in them and see them weary of us, - when we shall feel ourselves die by inches. These years draw nigh, when all that comes will be vanity, the remaining months all months of vanity, and there will be no pleasure but in the reflection of a good life on earth and the expectation of a better life in heaven.
2.These two arguments he enlarges upon in the following verses, only inverting the order, and shows,
(1.)How many are the calamities of old age, and that if we should live to be old, our days will be such as we shall have no pleasure in, which is a good reason why we should return to God, and make our peace with him, in the days of our youth, and not put it off till we come to be old; for it will be no thanks to us to leave the pleasures of sin when they have left us, nor to return to God when need forces us. It is the greatest absurdity and ingratitude imaginable to give the cream and flower of our days to the devil, and reserve the bran, and refuse, and dregs of them for God; this is offering the torn, and the lame, and the sick for sacrifice; and, besides, old age being thus clogged with infirmities, it is the greatest folly imaginable to put off that needful work till then, which requires the best of our strength, when our faculties are in their prime, and especially to make the work more difficult by a longer continuance in sin, and, laying up treasures of guilt in the conscience, to add to the burdens of age and make them much heavier. If the calamities of age will be such as are here represented, we shall have need of something to support and comfort us then, and nothing will be more effectual to do that than the testimony of our consciences for us that we begin betimes to remember our Creator and have not since laid aside the remembrance of him. How can we expect God should help us when we are old, if we will not serve him when we are young? See Psa 71:17, Psa 71:18.
[1.]The decays and infirmities of old age are here elegantly described in figurative expressions, which have some difficulty in them to us now, who are not acquainted with the common phrases and metaphors used in Solomon's age and language; but the general scope is plain - to show how uncomfortable, generally, the days of old age are. First, Then the sun and the light of it, the moon and the stars, and the light which they borrow from it, will be darkened. They look dim to old people, in consequence of the decay of their sight; their countenance is clouded, and the beauty and lustre of it are eclipsed; their intellectual powers and faculties, which are as lights in the soul, are weakened; their understanding and memory fail them, and their apprehension is not so quick nor their fancy so lively as it has been; the days of their mirth are over (light is often put for joy and prosperity) and they have not the pleasure either of the converse of the day or the repose of the night, for both the sun and the moon are darkened to them. Secondly, Then the clouds return after the rain; as, when the weather is disposed to wet, no sooner has one cloud blown over than another succeeds it, so it is with old people, when they have got free from one pain or ailment, they are seized with another, so that their distempers are like a continual dropping in a very rainy day. The end of one trouble is, in this world, but the beginning of another, and deep calls unto deep. Old people are often afflicted with defluxions of rheum, like soaking rain, after which still more clouds return, feeding the humour, so that it is continually grievous, and therein the body, as it were, melts away. Thirdly, Then the keepers of the house tremble. The head, which is as the watch-tower, shakes, and the arms and hands, which are ready for the preservation of the body, shake too, and grow feeble, upon every sudden approach and attack of danger. That vigour of the animal spirits which used to be exerted for self-defence fails and cannot do its office; old people are easily dispirited and discouraged. Fourthly, Then the strong men shall bow themselves; the legs and thighs, which used to support the body, and bear its weight, bend, and cannot serve for travelling as they have done, but are soon tired. Old men that have been in their time strong men become weak and stoop for age, Zac 8:4. God takes no pleasure in the legs of a man (Psa 147:10), for their strength will soon fail; but in the Lord Jehovah there is everlasting strength; he has everlasting arms. Fifthly, Then the grinders cease because they are few; the teeth, with which we grind our meat and prepare it for concoction, cease to do their part, because they are few. They are rotted and broken, and perhaps have been drawn because they ached. Some old people have lost all their teeth, and others have but few left; and this infirmity is the more considerable because the meat, not being well chewed, for want of teeth, is not well digested, which has as much influence as any thing upon the other decays of age. Sixthly, Those that look out of the windows are darkened; the eyes wax dim, as Isaac's (Gen 27:1), and Ahijah's, Kg1 14:4. Moses was a rare instance of one who, when 120 years old, had good eye-sight, but ordinarily the sight decays in old people as soon as any thing, and it is a mercy to them that art helps nature with spectacles. We have need to improve our sight well while we have it, because the light of the eyes may be gone before the light of life. Seventhly, The doors are shut in the streets. Old people keep within doors, and care not for going abroad to entertainments. The lips, the doors of the mouth, are shut in eating, because the teeth are gone and the sound of the grinding with them is low, so that they have not that command of their meat in their mouths which they used to have; they cannot digest their meat, and therefore little grist is brought to the mill. Eightly, Old people rise up at the voice of the bird. They have no sound sleep as young people have, but a little thing disturbs them, even the chirping of a bird; they cannot rest for coughing, and therefore rise up at cock-crowing, as soon as any body is stirring; or they are apt to be jealous, and timorous, and full of care, which breaks their sleep and makes them rise early; or they are apt to be superstitious, and rise up as in a fright, at those voices of birds, as of ravens, or screech-owls, which soothsayers call ominous. Ninthly, With them all the daughters of music are brought low. They have neither voice nor ear, can neither sing themselves nor take any pleasure, as Solomon had done in the days of his youth, in singing men, and singing women, and musical instruments, Ecc 2:8. Old people grow hard of hearing, and unapt to distinguish sounds and voices. Tenthly, They are afraid of that which is high, afraid to go to the top of any high place, either because, for want of breath, they cannot reach it, or, their heads being giddy or their legs failing them, they dare not venture to it, or they frighten themselves with fancying that that which is high will fall upon them. Fear is in the way; they can neither ride nor walk with their former boldness, but are afraid of every thing that lies in their way, lest it throw them down. Eleventhly, The almond-tree flourishes. The old man's hair has grown white, so that his head looks like an almond-tree in the blossom. The almond-tree blossoms before any other tree, and therefore fitly shows what haste old age makes in seizing upon men; it prevents their expectations and comes faster upon them than they thought of. Gray hairs are here and there upon them, and they perceive it not. Twelfthly, The grasshopper is a burden and desire fails. Old men can bear nothing; the lightest thing sits heavily upon them, both on their bodies and on their minds, a little thing sinks and breaks them. Perhaps the grasshopper was some food that was looked upon to be very light of digestion (John Baptist's meat was locusts), but even that lies heavily upon an old man's stomach, and therefore desire fails, he has no appetite to his meat, neither shall he regard the desire of woman, as that king, Dan 11:37. Old men become mindless and listless, and the pleasures of sense are to them tasteless and sapless.
[2.]It is probable that Solomon wrote this when he was himself old, and could speak feelingly of the infirmities of age, which perhaps grew the faster upon him for the indulgence he had given himself in sensual pleasures. Some old people bear up better than others under the decays of age, but, more or less, the days of old age are and will be evil days and of little pleasure. Great care therefore should be taken to pay respect and honour to old people, that they may have something to balance these grievances and nothing may be done to add to them. And all this, put together, makes up a good reason why we should remember our Creator in the days of our youth, that he may remember us with favour when these evil days come, and his comforts may delight our souls when the delights of sense are in a manner worn off.
(2.)He shows how great a change death will make with us, which will be either the prevention or the period of the miseries of old age. Nothing else will keep them off, nor any thing else cure them. "Therefore remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth, because death is certainly before thee, perhaps it is very near thee, and it is a serious thing to die, and thou shouldst feel concerned with the utmost care and diligence to prepare for it." [1.] Death will fix us in an unchangeable state: Man shall then go to his long home, and all these infirmities and decays of age are harbingers of and advances towards that awful remove. At death man goes from this world and all the employments and enjoyments of it. He has gone for good and all, as to his present state. He has gone home, for here he was a stranger and pilgrim; both soul and body go to the place whence they came, Ecc 12:7. He has gone to his rest, to the place where he is to fix. He has gone to his home, to the house of his world (so some), for this world is not his. He has gone to his long home, for the days of his lying in the grave will be many. He has gone to his house of eternity, not only to his house whence he shall never return to this world, but to the house where he must be for ever. This should make us willing to die, that, at death, we must go home; and why should we not long to go to our Father's house? And this should quicken us to get ready to die, that we must then go to our long home, to an everlasting habitation. [2.] Death will be an occasion of sorrow to our friends that love us. When man goes to his long home the mourners go about the streets - the real mourners, and those, as now with us, distinguished by their habits as they go along the streets, - the mourners for ceremony, that were hired to weep for the dead, both to express and to excite the real mourning. When we die we not only remove to a melancholy house before us, but we leave a melancholy house behind us. Tears are a tribute due to the dead, and this, among other circumstances, makes it a serious thing to die. But in vain do we go to the house of mourning, and see the mourners go about the streets, if it do not help to make us serious and pious mourners in the closet. [3.] Death will dissolve the frame of nature and take down the earthly house of this tabernacle, which is elegantly described, Ecc 12:6. Then shall the silver cord, by which soul and body were wonderfully fastened together, be loosed, that sacred knot untied, and those old friends be forced to part; then shall the golden bowl, which held the waters of life for us, be broken; then shall the pitcher with which we used to fetch up water, for the constant support of life and the repair of its decays, be broken, even at the fountain, so that it can fetch up no more; and the wheel (all those organs that serve for the collecting and distributing of nourishment) shall be broken, and disabled to do their office any more. The body shall become like a watch when the spring is broken, the motion of all the wheels is stopped and they all stand still; the machine is taken to pieces; the heart beats no more, nor does the blood circulate. Some apply this to the ornaments and utensils of life; rich people must, at death, leave behind them their clothing and furniture of silver and gold, and poor people their earthen pitchers, and the drawers of water will have their wheel broken. [4.] Death will resolve us into our first principles, Ecc 12:7. Man is a strange sort of creature, a ray of heaven united to a clod of earth; at death these are separated, and each goes to the place whence it came. First, The body, that clod of clay, returns to its own earth. It is made of the earth; Adam's body was so, and we are of the same mould; it is a house of clay. At death it is laid in the earth, and in a little time will be resolved into earth, not to be distinguished from common earth, according to the sentence (Gen 3:19), Dust thou art and therefore to dust thou shalt return. Let us not therefore indulge the appetites of the body, nor pamper it (it will be worms' meat shortly), nor let sin reign in our mortal bodies, for they are mortal, Rom 6:12. Secondly, The soul, that beam of light, returns to that God who, when he made man of the dust of the ground, breathed into him the breath of life, to make him a living soul (Gen 2:7), and forms the spirit of every man within him. When the fire consumes the wood the flame ascends, and the ashes return to the earth out of which the wood grew. The soul does not die with the body; it is redeemed from the power of the grave (Psa 49:15); it can subsist without it and will in a state of separation from it, as the candle burns, and burns brighter, when it is taken out of the dark lantern. It removes to the world of spirits, to which it is allied. It goes to God as a Judge, to give account of itself, and to be lodged either with the spirits in prison (Pe1 3:19) or with the spirits in paradise (Luk 23:43), according to what was done in the body. This makes death terrible to the wicked, whose souls go to God as an avenger, and comfortable to the godly, whose souls go to God as a Father, into whose hands they cheerfully commit them, through a Mediator, out of whom sinners may justly dread to think of going to God.
Neither stored silver nor tested gold will be of any further use. A mighty blow will strike everything, right down to a water pot standing next to a well, and to a carriage wheel which happens to have been left in the ditch, its time of revolving ceased, and to the life that, by water, has passed through the age of washing.
By “gold” in Scripture one has to understand the spirit; but if one understands by “silver” the spoken word, we have to understand here by “gold” the thought and by bowl the sphere of reason, since it is the bowl and storage place for gold. When Scripture describes the spoken word and the written word as silver, this means a weaving of the words that fit to each other and a linking of the meaning of the different words among each other.
One can understand the “cistern” accordingly: Inasmuch as it is possible to scoop water from a fountain with a pitcher, it is also possible to pull up water from a cistern with a water wheel. When there is no need any more to pull up water in this way, then the “[water] wheel will break at the cistern.”
Some are able to drink from the fountain without the pitcher. Rebecca, which means steadfastness in the good, stepped down to the fountain and scooped the water with the pitcher in order to give the thirsty servant [of Abraham] to drink; but she herself drank from the fountain without the pitcher.…The imperfect knowledge and the imperfect prophecy are the pitcher filled from the fountain. When the imperfect will pass away, the pitcher is broken. Its content, however, is not lost.… When one does not need to drink from the pitcher anymore because the Savior has given to drink and prepared in the person who drinks a spring of living water, then the pitcher is not needed for the person who has the fountain of living water inside.
"Or 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. Then shall the
dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who
gave it. Vanity of vanities says Ecclesiastes;
all is vanity. "He returns to former matter and after a
rather large exaggeration, -which he interposes in this place, in which he
says, "and remember your Creator, in the day of your youth; before the
days of wickedness come, and before the sun, moon grow dark" and so on,
"in the day in which the keepers of the house are renewed". - now he
finishes the point he had begun in a similar way, saying, "before the
silver cord is broken", and this or that happens. But he shows the silver cord to be this white
band, and the space that divides us from heaven. It also means the gold band, which returns to
the place whence it came down. more
precisely the two that follow, the wearing of the jug on the fountain, and the
breaking of the wheel by the pond, are metaphorical images of death. For death is just like the jug, which is worn
down, stops to fill, and the wheel by which water is carried from a well or
pond, if it has been broken. Thus the
interpretation of the Septuagint has it that the usage of water is twisted in
this rope; thus when the silver cord is broken, and the river of the spirit
flows back to the fountain, the man will die.
He goes on more clearly: "the dust will return to the earth, whence
it was taken, and the spirit is returned to God, who gave it". From which there is enough to smile at in
those who think that spirits are produced with bodies, not from God, but are
made from the parent's body. For when
the flesh is returned to the earth, and the spirit goes back to God, who gave
it; it is obvious that God is the parent of all spirits, not man. Then after the description of man's death, he
goes back to the beginning of his book, saying, "vanity of vanities, says
Ecclesiastes, all is vanity" [Eccl. 1,2.]. For all toil of mortal men, which is argued
all through the books, is pertinent here, so that dust returns to the earth,
and the spirit returns to the place, whence it was taken, it is a great vanity
in this world to toil and obtain nothing for the future from it.
The silver cord indicates a pure life and the inspiration that is given to us from heaven. The return again of the golden band signifies the soul that returns to the place from which it descended. Moreover, there are two remaining [figures] which follow. The shattered pitcher at the spring and the broken wheel at the well, through the use of metaphor, are allegories for death. For if a pitcher is worn through it ceases to draw water, and when a wheel at the well is broken the water it would have drawn is left to become putrid.
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SUMMARY
Ecclesiastes 12:6 is a profoundly poetic and somber verse that continues the Preacher's vivid depiction of the aging process and the inevitable approach of death. Through a series of poignant and evocative metaphors drawn from daily life, it illustrates the cessation of vital bodily functions and the ultimate dissolution of physical life, serving as a stark reminder to consider one's mortality and to "remember your Creator" before the final, irreversible decline.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Ecclesiastes 12:6 is rich in Symbolism and Metaphor, which are the primary literary devices employed to convey its profound message. Each physical object—the silver cord, golden bowl, pitcher, fountain, wheel, and cistern—serves as a symbolic representation of a vital part or function of the human body and its life-sustaining systems. The entire verse functions as an extended Metaphor for the process of dying, where the failure of these common, yet essential, objects vividly illustrates the irreversible breakdown of the human organism. The verse also exhibits strong Parallelism, particularly in its structure of repeated "or" clauses, which creates a rhythmic, almost elegiac tone, emphasizing the multiple facets of life's cessation. The use of precious metals ("silver," "golden") adds a layer of Irony, highlighting the inherent value and fragility of human life, which, despite its preciousness, is ultimately subject to decay and dissolution. The vivid and concrete Imagery of familiar objects being broken or rendered useless makes the abstract concept of death tangible and universally relatable, evoking a sense of solemnity and finality.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Ecclesiastes 12:6 stands as a powerful theological statement on the universal reality of human mortality, a theme woven throughout Scripture. It underscores that life, no matter how vibrant or prosperous, is finite and ultimately returns to its Creator. This perspective challenges the human tendency to build security and meaning solely on earthly achievements or material possessions, echoing the Preacher's consistent declaration of "vanity" concerning all things "under the sun." The physical breakdown described in the verse is a stark reminder of the curse of sin and the return to dust prophesied in Genesis 3:19. However, it also implicitly points to the divine design of life, where every breath and beat is sustained by God's hand, and its cessation is also part of His sovereign plan. The verse thus compels a theological response: to acknowledge God's ultimate authority over life and death, and to live in light of eternity rather than temporal concerns.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Ecclesiastes 12:6 offers a profound "memento mori," a reminder of death, that should not lead to despair but to sober reflection and purposeful living. In a world often preoccupied with fleeting pleasures and material accumulation, this verse serves as a stark counter-narrative, compelling us to confront the brevity of our earthly existence. It calls us to live with an eternal perspective, understanding that our physical bodies are temporary vessels, and that true wisdom lies in prioritizing spiritual realities over temporal ones. The Preacher's ultimate conclusion in Ecclesiastes 12:13-14—to "Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man" and that God will bring every work into judgment—gains immense weight when viewed through the lens of this verse. Acknowledging the inevitable breaking of our "silver cord" and "golden bowl" should motivate us to seek reconciliation with our Creator, to live justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God, ensuring that our lives are built on an enduring foundation rather than the shifting sands of worldly pursuits. It is an urgent call to embrace spiritual wisdom and purpose before the final curtain falls.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is the "silver cord" and "golden bowl" generally understood to represent?
Answer: While interpretations vary, the "silver cord" is most commonly understood to symbolize the spinal cord, which is vital for bodily function and connection, or more broadly, the "thread of life" that binds the soul to the body. Its loosening signifies the severing of this vital connection, leading to death. The "golden bowl" is widely interpreted as a metaphor for the skull, which contains the brain—the seat of consciousness, intellect, and memory. Its breaking represents the cessation of mental activity and life itself. Both images convey the preciousness and fragility of human life and its vital systems.
Does this verse suggest a specific medical cause of death?
Answer: No, Ecclesiastes 12:6 is not a medical treatise but a profoundly poetic and symbolic description of the general process of physical decay and the ultimate cessation of life. The metaphors of the "silver cord," "golden bowl," "pitcher," and "wheel" are drawn from common, relatable objects and systems of the ancient world to illustrate the comprehensive failure of the body's vital functions. They speak to the irreversible breakdown of the entire organism, rather than pointing to a singular medical cause of death. The Preacher is concerned with the existential reality of mortality, not its biological mechanisms.
How does this verse relate to the overall message of Ecclesiastes?
Answer: This verse is a crucial component of Ecclesiastes' overarching message about the "vanity" (or futility) of life "under the sun" when lived apart from God. By vividly portraying the inevitability and finality of death, it reinforces the Preacher's argument that worldly pursuits, wealth, wisdom, and pleasure are ultimately fleeting and cannot provide lasting satisfaction or escape from mortality. The stark reality of Ecclesiastes 12:6 serves as a powerful impetus for the book's ultimate conclusion in Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, urging the reader to "Fear God, and keep his commandments" as the only enduring and meaningful response to life's transient nature.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
While Ecclesiastes 12:6 starkly portrays the finality of physical death, its message finds profound transformation and ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ. The Preacher's lament over the "silver cord" being loosed and the "golden bowl" being broken, signifying the irreversible end of earthly life, is met with the triumphant declaration of Christ's victory over death. Jesus proclaimed Himself to be "the resurrection and the life," assuring that "whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live" (John 11:25). The physical body, destined to return to dust as described in Ecclesiastes 12:7, is promised resurrection and transformation into a spiritual, imperishable body for those in Christ, as detailed in 1 Corinthians 15:42-44. Where the "pitcher" and "wheel" break, signifying the cessation of life's flow, Christ offers Himself as the "living water," the ultimate "fountain of life" (Psalm 36:9), from whom believers will never thirst again (John 4:14). Through His own death and resurrection, Christ has "destroyed him who has the power of death, that is, the devil," and delivered "all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery" (Hebrews 2:14-15). Thus, while Ecclesiastes 12:6 reminds us of the certainty of physical death, Christ provides the glorious hope of eternal life and resurrection, transforming the Preacher's somber conclusion into a prelude to everlasting joy.