The Meaning of Ecclesiastes 12:4 Explained

Ecclesiastes 12:4

KJV: And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low;

YLT: And doors have been shut in the street. When the noise of the grinding is low, And one riseth at the voice of the bird, And all daughters of song are bowed down.

Darby: and the doors are shut toward the street; when the sound of the grinding is subdued, and they rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low;

ASV: and the doors shall be shut in the street; when the sound of the grinding is low, and one shall rise up at the voice of a bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the doors  shall be shut  in the streets,  when the sound  of the grinding  is low,  and he shall rise up  at the voice  of the bird,  and all the daughters  of musick  shall be brought low; 

What does Ecclesiastes 12:4 Mean?

Verse Meaning

"The doors to the street" are probably the lips that are shut because of the absence of teeth in the mouth, "the grinding mill." Another view is that they are the ears. [1] The writer alluded to the inability of old people to sleep soundly, as well as to their loss of hearing.

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 12:4 mean?

And when are shut the doors in the streets and is low the sound of grinding and when one rises up at the sound of a bird and are brought low all the daughters of music
וְסֻגְּר֤וּ דְלָתַ֙יִם֙ בַּשּׁ֔וּק בִּשְׁפַ֖ל ק֣וֹל הַֽטַּחֲנָ֑ה וְיָקוּם֙ לְק֣וֹל הַצִּפּ֔וֹר וְיִשַּׁ֖חוּ כָּל־ בְּנ֥וֹת הַשִּֽׁיר

וְסֻגְּר֤וּ  And  when  are  shut 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: סָגוּר 
Sense: to shut, close.
דְלָתַ֙יִם֙  the  doors 
Parse: Noun, fd
Root: דַּל 
Sense: door, gate.
בַּשּׁ֔וּק  in  the  streets 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שׁוּק  
Sense: street.
בִּשְׁפַ֖ל  and  is  low 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: שָׁפָל  
Sense: low, humble.
ק֣וֹל  the  sound 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: קֹול 
Sense: voice, sound, noise.
הַֽטַּחֲנָ֑ה  of  grinding 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: טַחֲנָה  
Sense: mill.
וְיָקוּם֙  and  when  one  rises  up 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קוּם 
Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.
לְק֣וֹל  at  the  sound 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: קֹול 
Sense: voice, sound, noise.
הַצִּפּ֔וֹר  of  a  bird 
Parse: Article, Noun, common singular
Root: צִפֹּור  
Sense: bird, fowl.
וְיִשַּׁ֖חוּ  and  are  brought  low 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Conjunctive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׁחַח 
Sense: to bow, crouch, bow down, be bowed down.
בְּנ֥וֹת  the  daughters 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.
הַשִּֽׁיר  of  music 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שִׁיר 
Sense: song.

What are the major concepts related to Ecclesiastes 12:4?

Loading Information...