1 Remember H2142 now thy Creator H1254 in the days H3117 of thy youth, H979 while the evil H7451 days H3117 come H935 not, nor the years H8141 draw nigh, H5060 when thou shalt say, H559 I have no pleasure H2656 in them;
O God, H430 thou hast taught H3925 me from my youth: H5271 and hitherto have I declared H5046 thy wondrous works. H6381 Now also when H5704 I am old H2209 and grayheaded, H7872 O God, H430 forsake H5800 me not; until I have shewed H5046 thy strength H2220 unto this generation, H1755 and thy power H1369 to every one that is to come. H935
But thou art he that took H1518 me out of the womb: H990 thou didst make me hope H982 when I was upon my mother's H517 breasts. H7699 I was cast H7993 upon thee from the womb: H7358 thou art my God H410 from my mother's H517 belly. H990
And G1161 the child G3813 grew, G837 and G2532 waxed strong G2901 in spirit, G4151 filled G4137 with wisdom: G4678 and G2532 the grace G5485 of God G2316 was G2258 upon G1909 him. G846 Now G2532 his G846 parents G1118 went G4198 to G1519 Jerusalem G2419 every G2596 year G2094 at the feast G1859 of the passover. G3957 And G2532 when G3753 he was G1096 twelve G1427 years old, G2094 they G846 went up G305 to G1519 Jerusalem G2414 after G2596 the custom G1485 of the feast. G1859 And G2532 when they had fulfilled G5048 the days, G2250 as G1722 they G846 returned, G5290 the child G3816 Jesus G2424 tarried behind G5278 in G1722 Jerusalem; G2419 and G2532 Joseph G2501 and G2532 his G846 mother G3384 knew G1097 not G3756 of it. But G1161 they, supposing G3543 him G846 to have been G1511 in G1722 the company, G4923 went G2064 a day's G2250 journey; G3598 and G2532 they sought G327 him G846 among G1722 their kinsfolk G4773 and G2532 G1722 acquaintance. G1110 And G2532 when they found G2147 him G846 not, G3361 they turned back again G5290 to G1519 Jerusalem, G2419 seeking G2212 him. G846 And G2532 it came to pass, G1096 that after G3326 three G5140 days G2250 they found G2147 him G846 in G1722 the temple, G2411 sitting G2516 in G1722 the midst G3319 of the doctors, G1320 both G2532 hearing G191 them, G846 and G2532 asking G1905 them G846 questions. G1905 And G1161 all G3956 that heard G191 him G846 were astonished G1839 at G1909 his G846 understanding G4907 and G2532 answers. G612 And G2532 when they saw G1492 him, G846 they were amazed: G1605 and G2532 his G846 mother G3384 said G2036 unto G4314 him, G846 Son, G5043 why G5101 hast thou G4160 thus G3779 dealt G4160 with us? G2254 behold, G2400 thy G4675 father G3962 and I G2504 have sought G2212 thee G4571 sorrowing. G3600 And G2532 he said G2036 unto G4314 them, G846 How G5101 is it that G3754 ye sought G2212 me? G3165 wist ye G1492 not G3756 that G3754 I G3165 must G1163 be G1511 about G1722 my G3450 Father's business? G3962 And G2532 they G846 understood G4920 not G3756 the saying G4487 which G3739 he spake G2980 unto them. G846 And G2532 he went down G2597 with G3326 them, G846 and G2532 came G2064 to G1519 Nazareth, G3478 and G2532 was G2258 subject G5293 unto them: G846 but G2532 his G846 mother G3384 kept G1301 all G3956 these G5023 sayings G4487 in G1722 her G846 heart. G2588 And G2532 Jesus G2424 increased G4298 in wisdom G4678 and G2532 stature, G2244 and G2532 in favour G5485 with G3844 God G2316 and G2532 man. G444
But he refused, H3985 and said H559 unto his master's H113 wife, H802 Behold, my master H113 wotteth H3045 not what is with me in the house, H1004 and he hath committed H5414 all that he hath H3426 to my hand; H3027 There is none greater H1419 in this house H1004 than I; neither H3808 hath he kept back H2820 any thing H3972 from me but thee, because H834 thou H859 art his wife: H802 how then can I do H6213 this great H1419 wickedness, H7451 and sin H2398 against God? H430
And Samuel H8050 grew, H1431 and the LORD H3068 was with him, and did let none of his words H1697 fall H5307 to the ground. H776 And all Israel H3478 from Dan H1835 even to Beersheba H884 knew H3045 that Samuel H8050 was established H539 to be a prophet H5030 of the LORD. H3068 And the LORD H3068 appeared H7200 again H3254 in Shiloh: H7887 for the LORD H3068 revealed H1540 himself to Samuel H8050 in Shiloh H7887 by the word H1697 of the LORD. H3068
And he sent, H7971 and brought him in. H935 Now he was ruddy, H132 and withal H5973 of a beautiful H3303 countenance, H5869 and goodly H2896 to look to. H7210 And the LORD H3068 said, H559 Arise, H6965 anoint H4886 him: for this is he. Then Samuel H8050 took H3947 the horn H7161 of oil, H8081 and anointed H4886 him in the midst H7130 of his brethren: H251 and the Spirit H7307 of the LORD H3068 came H6743 upon David H1732 from that day H3117 forward. H4605 So Samuel H8050 rose up, H6965 and went H3212 to Ramah. H7414
Thy servant H5650 slew H5221 both the lion H738 and the bear: H1677 and this uncircumcised H6189 Philistine H6430 shall be as one H259 of them, seeing he hath defied H2778 the armies H4634 of the living H2416 God. H430 David H1732 said H559 moreover, The LORD H3068 that delivered H5337 me out of the paw H3027 of the lion, H738 and out of the paw H3027 of the bear, H1677 he will deliver H5337 me out of the hand H3027 of this Philistine. H6430 And Saul H7586 said H559 unto David, H1732 Go, H3212 and the LORD H3068 be with thee.
And he did H6213 that which was right H3477 in the sight H5869 of the LORD, H3068 and walked H3212 in the ways H1870 of David H1732 his father, H1 and declined H5493 neither to the right hand, H3225 nor to the left. H8040 For in the eighth H8083 year H8141 of his reign, H4427 while he was yet young, H5288 he began H2490 to seek H1875 after the God H430 of David H1732 his father: H1 and in the twelfth H8147 H6240 year H8141 he began H2490 to purge H2891 Judah H3063 and Jerusalem H3389 from the high places, H1116 and the groves, H842 and the carved images, H6456 and the molten images. H4541
But Daniel H1840 purposed H7760 in his heart H3820 that he would not defile H1351 himself with the portion H6598 of the king's H4428 meat, H6598 nor with the wine H3196 which he drank: H4960 therefore he requested H1245 of the prince H8269 of the eunuchs H5631 that he might not defile H1351 himself. Now God H430 had brought H5414 Daniel H1840 into favour H2617 and tender love H7356 with H6440 the prince H8269 of the eunuchs. H5631
And Solomon H8010 said, H559 Thou hast shewed H6213 unto thy servant H5650 David H1732 my father H1 great H1419 mercy, H2617 according as he walked H1980 before H6440 thee in truth, H571 and in righteousness, H6666 and in uprightness H3483 of heart H3824 with thee; and thou hast kept H8104 for him this great H1419 kindness, H2617 that thou hast given H5414 him a son H1121 to sit H3427 on his throne, H3678 as it is this day. H3117 And now, O LORD H3068 my God, H430 thou hast made thy servant H5650 king H4427 instead of David H1732 my father: H1 and I am but a little H6996 child: H5288 I know H3045 not how to go out H3318 or come in. H935 And thy servant H5650 is in the midst H8432 of thy people H5971 which thou hast chosen, H977 a great H7227 people, H5971 that cannot be numbered H4487 nor counted H5608 for multitude. H7230 Give H5414 therefore thy servant H5650 an understanding H8085 heart H3820 to judge H8199 thy people, H5971 that I may discern H995 between good H2896 and bad: H7451 for who is able H3201 to judge H8199 this thy so great H3515 a people? H5971 And the speech H1697 pleased H3190 H5869 the Lord, H136 that Solomon H8010 had asked H7592 this thing. H1697 And God H430 said H559 unto him, Because thou hast asked H7592 this thing, H1697 and hast not asked H7592 for thyself long H7227 life; H3117 neither hast asked H7592 riches H6239 for thyself, nor hast asked H7592 the life H5315 of thine enemies; H341 but hast asked H7592 for thyself understanding H995 to discern H8085 judgment; H4941 Behold, I have done H6213 according to thy words: H1697 lo, I have given H5414 thee a wise H2450 and an understanding H995 heart; H3820 so that there was none like thee before H6440 thee, neither after H310 thee shall any arise H6965 like unto thee.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Ecclesiastes 12
Commentary on Ecclesiastes 12 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 12
The wise and penitent preacher is here closing his sermon; and he closes it, not only like a good orator, but like a good preacher, with that which was likely to make the best impressions and which he wished might be powerful and lasting upon his hearers. Here is,
Ecc 12:1-7
Here is,
Ecc 12:8-12
Solomon is here drawing towards a close, and is loth to part till he has gained his point, and prevailed with his hearers, with his readers, to seek for that satisfaction in God only and in their duty to him which they can never find in the creature.
Ecc 12:13-14
The great enquiry which Solomon prosecutes in this book is, What is that good which the sons of men should do? ch. 2:3. What is the true way to true happiness, the certain means to attain our great end? He had in vain sought it among those things which most men are eager in pursuit of, but here, at length, he has found it, by the help of that discovery which God anciently made to man (Job 28:28), that serious godliness is the only way to true happiness: Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter, the return entered upon the writ of enquiry, the result of this diligent search; you shall have all I have been driving at in two words. He does not say, Do you hear it, but Let us hear it; for preachers must themselves be hearers of that word which they preach to others, must hear it as from God; those are teachers by the halves who teach others and not themselves, Rom. 2:21. Every word of God is pure and precious, but some words are worthy of more special remark, as this; the Masorites begin it with a capital letter, as that Deu. 6:4. Solomon himself puts a nota bene before it, demanding attention in these words, Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter. Observe here,