The Meaning of Ecclesiastes 12:5 Explained

Ecclesiastes 12:5

KJV: Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:

YLT: Also of that which is high they are afraid, And of the low places in the way, And the almond-tree is despised, And the grasshopper is become a burden, And want is increased, For man is going unto his home age-during, And the mourners have gone round through the street.

Darby: they are also afraid of what is high, and terrors are in the way, and the almond is despised, and the grasshopper is a burden, and the caper-berry is without effect; (for man goeth to his age-long home, and the mourners go about the streets;)

ASV: yea, they shall be afraid of that which is high, and terrors'shall be in the way; and the almond-tree shall blossom, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail; because man goeth to his everlasting home, and the mourners go about the streets:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Also [when] they shall be afraid  of [that which is] high,  and fears  [shall be] in the way,  and the almond tree  shall flourish,  and the grasshopper  shall be a burden,  and desire  shall fail:  because man  goeth  to his long  home,  and the mourners  go about  the streets: 

What does Ecclesiastes 12:5 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Aged individuals become more fearful of heights, traffic, and travel. The "almond tree" blossoms white like the hair of an old person. An elderly person is less sprightly in his or her movements. The "caperberry," apparently an appetite stimulant, not an aphrodisiac, [1] is a poor translation that the Septuagint introduced. The text should read "and desire fails," which gives the same meaning. Man"s "dark house" (rather than "eternal home") is a reference to the grave-Sheol. [2]

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 12:5 mean?

Also of height they are afraid and of terrors in the way and when blossoms the almond tree and is a burden the grasshopper and fails Desire for goes man to home his eternal and go about the streets the mourners
גַּ֣ם מִגָּבֹ֤הַּ יִרָ֙אוּ֙ וְחַתְחַתִּ֣ים בַּדֶּ֔רֶךְ וְיָנֵ֤אץ הַשָּׁקֵד֙ וְיִסְתַּבֵּ֣ל הֶֽחָגָ֔ב וְתָפֵ֖ר הָֽאֲבִיּוֹנָ֑ה כִּֽי־ הֹלֵ֤ךְ הָאָדָם֙ אֶל־ בֵּ֣ית עוֹלָמ֔וֹ וְסָבְב֥וּ בָשּׁ֖וּק‪‬‪‬‪‬ הַסֹּפְדִֽים

גַּ֣ם  Also 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
מִגָּבֹ֤הַּ  of  height 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular
Root: גָּבֹהַּ  
Sense: high, exalted.
יִרָ֙אוּ֙  they  are  afraid 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יָרֵא 
Sense: to fear, revere, be afraid.
וְחַתְחַתִּ֣ים  and  of  terrors 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural
Root: חַתְחַת  
Sense: terror.
בַּדֶּ֔רֶךְ  in  the  way 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, common singular
Root: דֶּרֶךְ  
Sense: way, road, distance, journey, manner.
וְיָנֵ֤אץ  and  when  blossoms 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָאַץ  
Sense: to spurn, contemn, despise, abhor.
הַשָּׁקֵד֙  the  almond  tree 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁקֵד  
Sense: almond tree, almonds.
וְיִסְתַּבֵּ֣ל  and  is  a  burden 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hitpael, Conjunctive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: סָבַל  
Sense: to bear, bear a load, drag oneself along.
הֶֽחָגָ֔ב  the  grasshopper 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: חָגָב  
Sense: locust, grasshopper.
וְתָפֵ֖ר  and  fails 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: פָּרַר 
Sense: to break, frustrate.
הָֽאֲבִיּוֹנָ֑ה  Desire 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֲבִיּׄונָה  
Sense: caper-berry—of stimulating desire.
הֹלֵ֤ךְ  goes 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
הָאָדָם֙  man 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
בֵּ֣ית  home 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
עוֹלָמ֔וֹ  his  eternal 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עֹולָם  
Sense: long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world.
וְסָבְב֥וּ  and  go 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: סָבַב  
Sense: to turn, turn about or around or aside or back or towards, go about or arou nd, surround, encircle, change direction.
בָשּׁ֖וּק‪‬‪‬‪‬  about  the  streets 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שׁוּק  
Sense: street.
הַסֹּפְדִֽים  the  mourners 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: סָפַד  
Sense: to wail, lament, mourn.