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Ecclesiastes 12

Eccl. 12:1 KJV (With Strong’s)

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1
Remember
zakar (Hebrew #2142)
properly, to mark (so as to be recognized), i.e. to remember; by implication, to mention; also (as denominative from 2145) to be male
KJV usage: X burn (incense), X earnestly, be male, (make) mention (of), be mindful, recount, record(-er), remember, make to be remembered, bring (call, come, keep, put) to (in) remembrance, X still, think on, X well.
Pronounce: zaw-kar'
Origin: a primitive root
p now thy Creator
bara' (Hebrew #1254)
(absolutely) to create; (qualified) to cut down (a wood), select, feed (as formative processes)
KJV usage: choose, create (creator), cut down, dispatch, do, make (fat).
Pronounce: baw-raw'
Origin: a primitive root
in the days
yowm (Hebrew #3117)
a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb)
KJV usage: age, + always, + chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), + elder, X end, + evening, + (for) ever(-lasting, -more), X full, life, as (so) long as (... live), (even) now, + old, + outlived, + perpetually, presently, + remaineth, X required, season, X since, space, then, (process of) time, + as at other times, + in trouble, weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), X whole (+ age), (full) year(-ly), + younger.
Pronounce: yome
Origin: from an unused root meaning to be hot
of thy youth
bchurowth (Hebrew #979)
feminine plural of 970; also (masculine plural) bchuriym {bekh-oo-reem'}; youth (collectively and abstractly)
KJV usage: young men, youth.
Pronounce: bekh-oo-rothe'
Origin: or bchuwrowth {bekh-oo-roth'}
, while the evil
ra` (Hebrew #7451)
bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral)
KJV usage: adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, + displease(-ure), distress, evil((- favouredness), man, thing), + exceedingly, X great, grief(-vous), harm, heavy, hurt(-ful), ill (favoured), + mark, mischief(-vous), misery, naught(-ty), noisome, + not please, sad(-ly), sore, sorrow, trouble, vex, wicked(-ly, -ness, one), worse(-st), wretchedness, wrong. (Incl. feminine raaah; as adjective or noun.).
Pronounce: rah
Origin: from 7489
days
yowm (Hebrew #3117)
a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb)
KJV usage: age, + always, + chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), + elder, X end, + evening, + (for) ever(-lasting, -more), X full, life, as (so) long as (... live), (even) now, + old, + outlived, + perpetually, presently, + remaineth, X required, season, X since, space, then, (process of) time, + as at other times, + in trouble, weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), X whole (+ age), (full) year(-ly), + younger.
Pronounce: yome
Origin: from an unused root meaning to be hot
come
bow' (Hebrew #935)
to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)
KJV usage: abide, apply, attain, X be, befall, + besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, X certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, X doubtless again, + eat, + employ, (cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be fallen, fetch, + follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war), grant, + have, X indeed, (in-)vade, lead, lift (up), mention, pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, X (well) stricken (in age), X surely, take (in), way.
Pronounce: bo
Origin: a primitive root
not, nor the years
shaneh (Hebrew #8141)
from 8138; a year (as a revolution of time)
KJV usage: + whole age, X long, + old, year(X -ly).
Pronounce: shaw-neh'
Origin: (in plura or (feminine) shanah {shaw-naw'}
draw nigh
naga` (Hebrew #5060)
properly, to touch, i.e. lay the hand upon (for any purpose; euphem., to lie with a woman); by implication, to reach (figuratively, to arrive, acquire); violently, to strike (punish, defeat, destroy, etc.)
KJV usage: beat, (X be able to) bring (down), cast, come (nigh), draw near (nigh), get up, happen, join, near, plague, reach (up), smite, strike, touch.
Pronounce: naw-gah'
Origin: a primitive root
, when thou shalt say
'amar (Hebrew #559)
to say (used with great latitude)
KJV usage: answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, + (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, X desire, determine, X expressly, X indeed, X intend, name, X plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), X still, X suppose, talk, tell, term, X that is, X think, use (speech), utter, X verily, X yet.
Pronounce: aw-mar'
Origin: a primitive root
, Iq have no pleasure
chephets (Hebrew #2656)
pleasure; hence (abstractly) desire; concretely, a valuable thing; hence (by extension) a matter (as something in mind)
KJV usage: acceptable, delight(-some), desire, things desired, matter, pleasant(-ure), purpose, willingly.
Pronounce: khay'-fets
Origin: from 2654
in them;
p
Isa. 26:8• 8Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O Lord, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee. (Isa. 26:8)
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2 Sam. 19:35• 35I am this day fourscore years old: and can I discern between good and evil? can thy servant taste what I eat or what I drink? can I hear any more the voice of singing men and singing women? wherefore then should thy servant be yet a burden unto my lord the king? (2 Sam. 19:35)

More on:

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Creator,
Year

Cross References

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Ministry on This Verse

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1-7:  The Creator is to be remembered in due time.
8-12:  The preacher's care to edify.
13-14:  The fear of God is the chief antidote of vanity.
Remember.
Eccl. 11:10• 10Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity. (Eccl. 11:10)
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Gen. 39:2,8‑9,23• 2And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.
 8But he refused, and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand;
 9There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?
 23The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing that was under his hand; because the Lord was with him, and that which he did, the Lord made it to prosper. (Gen. 39:2,8‑9,23)
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1 Sam. 1:28• 28Therefore also I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the Lord. And he worshipped the Lord there. (1 Sam. 1:28)
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1 Sam. 2:18,26• 18But Samuel ministered before the Lord, being a child, girded with a linen ephod.
 26And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favor both with the Lord, and also with men. (1 Sam. 2:18,26)
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1 Sam. 3:19‑21• 19And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.
 20And all Israel from Dan even to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the Lord.
 21And the Lord appeared again in Shiloh: for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord. (1 Sam. 3:19‑21)
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1 Sam. 16:7,12‑13• 7But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.
 12And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the Lord said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he.
 13Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah. (1 Sam. 16:7,12‑13)
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1 Sam. 17:36‑37• 36Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.
 37David said moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with thee. (1 Sam. 17:36‑37)
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1 Kings 3:6‑12• 6And Solomon said, Thou hast showed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.
 7And now, O Lord my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in.
 8And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.
 9Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?
 10And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.
 11And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment;
 12Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. (1 Kings 3:6‑12)
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1 Kings 14:13• 13And all Israel shall mourn for him, and bury him: for he only of Jeroboam shall come to the grave, because in him there is found some good thing toward the Lord God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam. (1 Kings 14:13)
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1 Kings 18:12• 12And it shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from thee, that the Spirit of the Lord shall carry thee whither I know not; and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he cannot find thee, he shall slay me: but I thy servant fear the Lord from my youth. (1 Kings 18:12)
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2 Chron. 34:2‑3• 2And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the ways of David his father, and declined neither to the right hand, nor to the left.
 3For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father: and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images. (2 Chron. 34:2‑3)
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Psa. 22:9‑10• 9But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts.
 10I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother's belly. (Psa. 22:9‑10)
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Psa. 34:11• 11Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord. (Psa. 34:11)
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Psa. 71:17‑18• 17O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works.
 18Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have showed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come. (Psa. 71:17‑18)
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Prov. 8:17• 17I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. (Prov. 8:17)
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Prov. 22:6• 6Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. (Prov. 22:6)
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Isa. 26:8• 8Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O Lord, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee. (Isa. 26:8)
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Lam. 3:27• 27It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. (Lam. 3:27)
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Dan. 1:8‑9,17• 8But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.
 9Now God had brought Daniel into favor and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs.
 17As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. (Dan. 1:8‑9,17)
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Luke 1:15• 15For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. (Luke 1:15)
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Luke 2:40‑52• 40And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.
 41Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover.
 42And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast.
 43And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it.
 44But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day's journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance.
 45And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him.
 46And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.
 47And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.
 48And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.
 49And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?
 50And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them.
 51And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.
 52And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. (Luke 2:40‑52)
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Luke 18:16• 16But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. (Luke 18:16)
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Eph. 6:4• 4And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. (Eph. 6:4)
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2 Tim. 3:15• 15And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. (2 Tim. 3:15)
while.
Eccl. 11:8• 8But if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity. (Eccl. 11:8)
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Job 30:2• 2Yea, whereto might the strength of their hands profit me, in whom old age was perished? (Job 30:2)
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Psa. 90:10• 10The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. (Psa. 90:10)
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Hos. 7:9• 9Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth it not: yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knoweth not. (Hos. 7:9)
when.
2 Sam. 19:35• 35I am this day fourscore years old: and can I discern between good and evil? can thy servant taste what I eat or what I drink? can I hear any more the voice of singing men and singing women? wherefore then should thy servant be yet a burden unto my lord the king? (2 Sam. 19:35)
• This counsel must not be separated from the context. It is based absolutely and altogether on what has now been discerned: for not only is our writer a man of the acutest intelligence, but he evidently possesses the highest qualities of moral courage. He shirks no question, closes his eyes to no fact, and least of all to that awful fact of man’s compulsory departure from this scene which is called “death.” But following on, he has found that even this cannot possibly be all; there must be a judgment that shall follow this present life. It is in view of this he counsels “Remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth,” whilst the effect of time is to mature, and not destroy, the powers He has given thee: for not forever will life’s enjoyment last; old age comes surely, and He who made thee, holds thy spirit in His hand, so that whilst the body may return to dust, the spirit must return to Him who gave it. (“Ecclesiastes 12” by F.C. Jennings)

J. N. Darby Translation

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1
And remember thy Creatorb in the days of thy youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw nigh, of which thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;

JND Translation Notes

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b
"Creator" is in the plural.