The Meaning of Ecclesiastes 12:1 Explained

Ecclesiastes 12:1

KJV: Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;

YLT: Remember also thy Creators in days of thy youth, While that the evil days come not, Nor the years have arrived, that thou sayest, 'I have no pleasure in them.'

Darby: And remember thy Creator 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;

ASV: Remember also thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Remember  now thy Creator  in the days  of thy youth,  while the evil  days  come  not, nor the years  draw nigh,  when thou shalt say,  I have no pleasure  in them; 

What does Ecclesiastes 12:1 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 12:1 mean?

And Remember - your Creator in the days of your youth while Before not come days the difficult and draw near the years when you say have no I in them pleasure
וּזְכֹר֙ אֶת־ בּ֣וֹרְאֶ֔יךָ בִּימֵ֖י בְּחוּרֹתֶ֑יךָ עַ֣ד אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹא־ יָבֹ֙אוּ֙ יְמֵ֣י הָֽרָעָ֔ה וְהִגִּ֣יעוּ שָׁנִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר תֹּאמַ֔ר אֵֽין־ לִ֥י בָהֶ֖ם חֵֽפֶץ

וּזְכֹר֙  And  Remember 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: זָכַר 
Sense: to remember, recall, call to mind.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
בּ֣וֹרְאֶ֔יךָ  your  Creator 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: בָּרָא 
Sense: to create, shape, form.
בִּימֵ֖י  in  the  days 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
בְּחוּרֹתֶ֑יךָ  of  your  youth 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: בְּחוּרֹות  
Sense: youth.
עַ֣ד  while 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
אֲשֶׁ֤ר  Before 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
יָבֹ֙אוּ֙  come 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
יְמֵ֣י  days 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הָֽרָעָ֔ה  the  difficult 
Parse: Article, Adjective, feminine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
וְהִגִּ֣יעוּ  and  draw  near 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: נָגַע  
Sense: to touch, reach, strike.
שָׁנִ֔ים  the  years 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: שָׁנָה  
Sense: year.
תֹּאמַ֔ר  you  say 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֵֽין־  have  no 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אַיִן 
Sense: nothing, not, nought n.
בָהֶ֖ם  in  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
חֵֽפֶץ  pleasure 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֵפֶץ  
Sense: delight, pleasure.