1 Remember also the [great] Creator (or, a reference to the Trinity) in the days of your youth,
u3 w -1. Evil days. Approach. [Fig.]
x y1 2-4. Figures. Luminaries,&c.
z1 5-. Literal. Fear.
y2 -5-. Figures. Almond tree,&.
z2 -5. Literal. Failure.
y3 6. Figures. Silver cord,&c.
w 7. Evil days. [Literal.]
while the days of misfortune (i.e. affliction and death, the days described in the following verses) come not, nor the years draw near, when you shall say, 'I have no pleasure in them;'
2 While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:
3 In the day when the keepers of the house (i.e. the arms of the body) shall tremble (the human body is ofter compared to a house [Isa. 38:12. Job 4:19. 2 Cor. 5;1,2. 2 Pet. 1:13]), and the strong men (i.e. in the legs) shall bow themselves, and the grinders (i.e. the teeth) fail (or become unfit for use) because they are few, and eyes that look out of the eyelids are dimmed,
4 And the openings (i.e. the mouth and ears) shall be shut in the street, when the sound of the grinding is low (i.e. the mastication with gums instead of teeth is low), and he shall start (referring to insomnia) at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of music (i.e. songs, &c., the product of music) shall be brought low;
5 Also when they shall be afraid of that which is lofty (i.e afraid of heights), and fears shall be in the way, (i.e. apprehensions of danger in journeying)
and the almond tree shall flourish (i.e. gray hairs shall grow scanty, or drop off, not "almond nuts be rejected"; for the teeth and eating have already been dealt with), and the grasshopper (or locust) shall become burdensome, (See Rev. 9:3, the locust army.)
and desire shall fail (desire = the caperberry, put for the condiment made from it and then [2] the condiment is put for the appetite produced by it. And further, since, because of its shape, as well as from the notion that it was suppose to create sexual desire, all that is intended by the figure is included in the rendering "desire shall fail"): because man goes to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:
6 Or (referring to the arrival of death new figures now introduced) ever the silver cord (i.e. the spinal cord) be loosed, or the golden bowl (i.e. the head, or skull) be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain (the failure of the heart), or the wheel broken at the cistern. (on which the bucket is brought up by a rope from the cistern, or well)
7 Then shall the dust (put for the body which is made of dust. Gen. 2:7; 3:19. Ps. 104:29. Job 34:15,16]) return to the earth as it was (note the reference to Adam's creation): and the spirit shall return to the [true] God who gave it. (Hence He is said to be the God of the spirits of all flesh [Num. 16:22; 27:16. Cp. Luke 23;46. Acts 7:59]; "the Father of spirits" [Heb. 12:9]. It states very clearly that instantly, when the silver chord parts, meaning when you die, your spirit, which is your spirit, not Holy Spirit, not the evil spirit, your spirit as an individual and everyone has one… it is best described as your intellect, your thinking process. Your “soul” is better thought of as your “self”, whether it resides in a spiritual body or flesh body. But your spirit is the intellect of your soul. And it states very clearly in Ecclesiastes 12:7 that instantly when this death of the flesh occurs that happens. That’s why the dead flesh doesn’t know anything, it will never know anything, and nobody will remember it. Because it is that beautiful spiritual body that returns to the Father that gave it. That will be you whether you fail, whether you succeed, into eternity, or you end up in this thing called “hell”… question mark… Now who is in hell at this time and where is hell? Satan. It is written of him in Ezekiel chapter 28:18 that he will GO to hell. There, it is written that Satan has already been judged, and he was, at his overthrow in the 1st Earth Age, “Katabole” in the Greek, and that he would “turn to ashes from within” which is a Hebrew idiom which means fine’, that’s all she wrote. He is the ONLY entity judged so at this time.)
8 "Vanity of vanities," says the preacher; "all is vanity."
P5 K a 9-. And moreover.
b -9,10-. The efforts of Koheleth.
L -10. What has been written by one writer.
M c 11-. The words of the wise. "The words of the wise".
d -11-. like goads. well planted, "
d -11. like nails. " "
c -11. [are] rulers of assemblies. "
L -11. What has been furnished by one Giver.
K a 12-. And further.
b -12. The efforts of others.
9 And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yes, he gave good heed, and sought out,
and set in order many proverbs.
10 The preacher sought to find out acceptable words:
and that which was written was upright, even words of truth.
11 The words of the wise
are as goads,
and as nails planted (These were built into a wall, because Eastern walls were too hard or too soft for them to be hammered in.)
[are] the lords (or rulers) of assemblies,
which are given from one shepherd. (The Inspirer. See Gen. 48;15; 49:24. Ps. 23:1)
12 Beyond these,
by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.
13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Revere the [true and only] God (the great Creator, who throughout this book is put in contrast with man the creature), and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.