The Meaning of Ecclesiastes 12:3 Explained

Ecclesiastes 12:3

KJV: 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 be darkened,

YLT: In the day that keepers of the house tremble, And men of strength have bowed themselves, And grinders have ceased, because they have become few. And those looking out at the windows have become dim,

Darby: in the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows are darkened,

ASV: 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,

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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  be darkened, 

What does Ecclesiastes 12:3 Mean?

Context Summary

Ecclesiastes 12:1-14 - "the End Of The Matter"
This comparison of the human body to a house is extremely beautiful. The inference is obvious that our bodies are not ourselves, but only our tenement. Our sojourn in this world is on a lodger's tenure. The keepers of the house are, of course, the arms and hands. The grinding is low as in advancing life we lose our teeth. The door is the month, for in age we talk and laugh less, and our lips become compressed. The voice pipes and mutters. The almond tree, with its white blossoms, is, of course, an appropriate symbol of old age. The lamp of life finally falls with a crash on the floor, and the wheel is broken.
What, then, is the conclusion of the whole matter? This: that earthly delights are transient; that all this world can offer is an inn for a lodging-it is not our home; that the soul must go forth on its great quest at the hour of death; and that then the one all-important consideration will be, What has been its attitude toward God? Let us love God with the loving fear of grieving Him that casts out the fear which has torment. This is the whole matter; that is the one matter of overshadowing importance [source]

Chapter Summary: Ecclesiastes 12

1  the Creator is to be remembered in due time
8  The preacher's care to edify
13  the fear of God is the chief antidote for vanity

What do the individual words in Ecclesiastes 12:3 mean?

in the day when tremble the keepers of the house and bow down men the strong and when cease the grinders because they are few and grow dim those that look through the windows
בַּיּ֗וֹם שֶׁיָּזֻ֙עוּ֙ שֹׁמְרֵ֣י הַבַּ֔יִת וְהִֽתְעַוְּת֖וּ אַנְשֵׁ֣י הֶחָ֑יִל וּבָטְל֤וּ הַטֹּֽחֲנוֹת֙ כִּ֣י מִעֵ֔טוּ וְחָשְׁכ֥וּ הָרֹא֖וֹת בָּאֲרֻבּֽוֹת

בַּיּ֗וֹם  in  the  day 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
שֶׁיָּזֻ֙עוּ֙  when  tremble 
Parse: Pronoun, relative, Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: זוּעַ 
Sense: to tremble, quiver, quake, be in terror.
שֹׁמְרֵ֣י  the  keepers 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: שָׁמַר  
Sense: to keep, guard, observe, give heed.
הַבַּ֔יִת  of  the  house 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
וְהִֽתְעַוְּת֖וּ  and  bow  down 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hitpael, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: עָוַת  
Sense: to be bent, be crooked, bend, make crooked, pervert.
אַנְשֵׁ֣י  men 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
הֶחָ֑יִל  the  strong 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: חַיִל 
Sense: strength, might, efficiency, wealth, army.
וּבָטְל֤וּ  and  when  cease 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: בָּטַל  
Sense: to cease.
הַטֹּֽחֲנוֹת֙  the  grinders 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, feminine plural
Root: טָחַן 
Sense: (Qal) to grind, crush.
כִּ֣י  because 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
מִעֵ֔טוּ  they  are  few 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: מְעַט  
Sense: littleness, few, a little, fewness.
וְחָשְׁכ֥וּ  and  grow  dim 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: חָשַׁךְ 
Sense: to be or become dark, grow dim, be darkened, be black, be hidden.
הָרֹא֖וֹת  those  that  look 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, feminine plural
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
בָּאֲרֻבּֽוֹת  through  the  windows 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: אֲרֻבָּה  
Sense: lattice, window, sluice.