Ecclesiastes 12:1
in Ecclesiastes 12Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of adversity come and the years approach of which you will say, “I find no pleasure in them,”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
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
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;
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This verse in Ecclesiastes 12
Commentary
13 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Remember now - Rather, And remember. The connection between this verse and the preceding one is unfortunately interrupted by our division of chapters. Creator - Gratitude to God as Creator is here inculcated, as just previously Ecc 11:9 fear of God as Judge. Godliness, acquired as a habit in youth, is recommended as the proper compensation for that natural cessation of youthful happiness which makes the days of old age more or less evil; more evil in proportion since there is less of godliness in the heart, and less evil where there is more godliness.
This site's exposition
Remember your Creator in the days of your youth
on Ecclesiastes 12:1-2
The book's last counsel is aimed at its youngest reader: Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of adversity come. In the poem of old age, the clouds return after the rain: as Delitzsch puts it, one trouble follows another like rain returning on rain.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
When the punishing evil comes, the years arrive in which you have no pleasure. Nobody has pleasure in being punished. When the years of promise arrive, the good have pleasure in them. They have pleasure in enjoying the promises, since they have acted exactly in …
Ecclesiastes knew of the Lord's coming at the end of the world when he said, "Rejoice, O young man, while you are young." Subsequently [he said], "Ward off grief from your heart, and put away trouble from your presence. Remember your Creator, before the evil days come, before the sun is darkened, and the light, and the moon, and the stars; and they who look through the windows go blind" (this signifies the power of sight). [Remember] "before the silver cord is snapped" (he means the cluster of the stars, silvery in appearance). [Remember before] "the golden fillet shrinks back" (here is indicated the sun with its golden aspect, for the fillet-like flower is a well-known plant, with ray-like shoots of foliage circling it), "and they shall rise up at the voice of the sparrow, and they shall see from the height, and terrors shall be in the way." What shall they see? "Then they will see the Son of man coming upon clouds of heaven," and they will mourn, tribe by tribe. What happens when the Lord comes? "The almond tree will bloom, and the locust will grow sluggish, and the caper berry will be scattered abroad." According to the interpreters the blooming of the almond tree signifies the passing of winter; our bodies, after the winter, then, are to flourish with a heavenly bloom.
"Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when you shall say, I have no pleasure in them; "In this chapter there were many explanations of all things and almost as many opinions as men themselves. It would take too long however to recount all the opinions of everyone and their arguments in which they want to prove their opinions, the matter would require a volume to itself.
A commentator
Gregory of NeocaesareaA Metaphrase of the Book of Ecclesiastes · Written before 270.
proposed
Moreover, it is fight that you should fear God while you are yet young, before you give yourself over to evil things, and before the great and terrible day of God comes, when the sun shall no longer shine, neither the moon, nor the rest …
The Medieval Church1 voice
"The wheel of our life": The ceaseless advance of our earthly life by which we are continuously moved from the day of our birth right up to death as if by the always turning wheel of a carriage. [Thus] Solomon, when he said well, "Remember …
6 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
A commentator
BonaventureCommentary on Ecclesiastes, Chapter 12 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
He describes punishment in general with respect to three things: first, with respect to the presence of what is harmful; second, with respect to the absence of what is pleasant; third, with respect to the lack of remedy; from the consideration of which he exhorts …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
The conclusion, All is vanity, ver. 8. The preacher's end in this book, ver. 9-12. The sum of all, to fear God and keep his commandments, in consideration of the judgment to come, ver. 13, 14.
quarantine:anchor (2026-07-29) — cites-ver-13-anchored-1-7
Evil days - The time of old age, which is evil; burdensome in itself, and far more grievous when it is loaded with the sad remembrance of youthful follies, and with the dreadful prospect of approaching death and judgment. No pleasure - My life Is now bitter and burdensome to me: which is frequently the condition of old age.
Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
The Hebrew is "Creators," plural, implying the plurality of persons, as in Ge 1:26; so Hebrew, "Makers" (Isa 54:5). while . . . not--that is, before that (Pr 8:26) the evil days come; namely, calamity and old age, when one can no longer serve God, as in youth (Ec 11:2, 8). no pleasure--of a sensual kind (2Sa 19:35;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
Remember thy Creator - בוראיך Boreeycha, thy Creators. The word is most certainly in the plural number in all our common Hebrew Bibles; but it is in the singular number, בוראך Borecha, in one hundred and seventy-six of Dr. Kennicott’s MSS., and ninety-six of De Rossi’s; in many ancient editions; and in all the ancient versions. There is no dependence on the plural form in most of the modern editions; though there are some editions of great worth which exhibit the word in this form, and among them the Complutensian, Antwerp, Paris, and London polyglots. The evidence, therefore, that this text is supposed to give to the doctrine of the ever blessed Trinity, is but precarious, and on it little stress can be laid; and no man who loves truth would wish to support it by dubious witnesses. Injudicious men, by laying stress on texts dubious in themselves, and which may be interpreted a different way, greatly injure the true faith. Though such in their hearts may be friends to the orthodox faith, they are in fact its worst friends, and their assistance is such as helps their adversaries. But what does the text say? It addresses the youth of both sexes throughout the creation; and says in effect: - I. You are not your own, you have no right to yourselves. God made you; he is your Creator: he made you that you might be happy; but you can be happy only in him. And as he created you, so he preserves you; he feeds, clothes, upholds you. He has made you capable of knowing, loving, and serving him in this world, and of enjoying him in his own glory for ever. And when you had undone yourselves by sin, he sent his Son to redeem you by his blood; and he sends his Spirit to enlighten, convince, and draw you away from childishness, from vain and trifling, as well as from sinful, pursuits. II. Remember him; consider that he is your Creator, your loving and affectionate Father. […]
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
So remember your Creator. There. Mishnayos Avos:1. we learned, Akavya the son of Mahalalel says, reflect upon three things, etc.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 1 further source is cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
19 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וּזְכֹר֙ | uzekhor | and remember | H2142 → | 230 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בּ֣וֹרְאֶ֔יךָ | boreikha | creator<s> your | H1254 → | |
| בִּימֵ֖י | bimei | in [the] days of | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| בְּחוּרֹתֶ֑יךָ | bechuroteikha | youth<s> your | H979 → | |
| עַ֣ד | ʾad | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֤ר | ʾasher | that | H834 → | 5497 times |
| לֹא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יָבֹ֙אוּ֙ | yavou | they will come | H935 → | 2568 times |
| יְמֵ֣י | yemei | [the] days of | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| הָֽרָעָ֔ה | haraah | <the> evil | H7451 → | 662 times |
| וְהִגִּ֣יעוּ | vehigiu | and they will arrive | H5060 → | 150 times |
| שָׁנִ֔ים | shanim | years | H8141 → | 877 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| תֹּאמַ֔ר | tomar | you will say | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֵֽין־ | ʾein- | not | H369 → | 789 times |
| לִ֥י | li | [belongs] to <the> me | ||
| בָהֶ֖ם | vahem | in <the> them | ||
| חֵֽפֶץ׃ | chefetz | pleasure | H2656 → | 39 times |
וּזְכֹר֙and remember
uzekhorH2142 →230 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
בּ֣וֹרְאֶ֔יךָcreator<s> your
boreikhaH1254 →
בִּימֵ֖יin [the] days of
bimeiH3117 →2304 times
בְּחוּרֹתֶ֑יךָyouth<s> your
bechuroteikhaH979 →
עַ֣דuntil
ʾadH5704 →1261 times
אֲשֶׁ֤רthat
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
לֹא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
יָבֹ֙אוּ֙they will come
yavouH935 →2568 times
יְמֵ֣י[the] days of
yemeiH3117 →2304 times
הָֽרָעָ֔ה<the> evil
haraahH7451 →662 times
וְהִגִּ֣יעוּand they will arrive
vehigiuH5060 →150 times
שָׁנִ֔יםyears
shanimH8141 →877 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
תֹּאמַ֔רyou will say
tomarH559 →5305 times
אֵֽין־not
ʾein-H369 →789 times
לִ֥י[belongs] to <the> me
li
בָהֶ֖םin <the> them
vahem
חֵֽפֶץ׃pleasure
chefetzH2656 →39 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Proverbs 22:6Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.
it leads to
- Ephesians 6:4
Fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath; instead, bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
- Deuteronomy 6:7
And you shall teach them diligently to your children and speak of them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
- 2 Timothy 3:15
From infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
- Genesis 18:19
For I have chosen him, so that he will command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, in order that…
- Deuteronomy 4:9
Only be on your guard and diligently watch yourselves, so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen, and so that they do not slip from your heart as long as…
- Ephesians 6:4
Through
Lamentations 3:27It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is still young.
it leads to
- Matthew 11:29–30
Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
- Psalms 119:71
It was good for me to be afflicted, that I might learn Your statutes.
- Psalms 94:12
Blessed is the man You discipline, O LORD, and teach from Your law,
- Matthew 11:29–30
Where this verse is studied
About Ecclesiastes
This page draws on 13 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Commentary on the Catholic Epistles, James 3:6; Bonaventure, Commentary on Ecclesiastes, Chapter 12; Charles Bridges, An Exposition of the Book of Ecclesiastes; Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lecture 15:20; Didymus the Blind, COMMENTARY ON ECCLESIASTES 340:9; Franz Delitzsch, Commentary on the Song of Songs and Ecclesiastes; Gregory of Neocaesarea, A Metaphrase of the Book of Ecclesiastes; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Ecclesiastes; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament.