Ecclesiastes 12

Ecclesiastes 12:1

Bede: “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 your Creator in the days of your youth before the time of affliction comes,” a little further on added, “And the wheel above the cistern is broken, and the dust returns to the earth it came from.” — Commentary on the Catholic Epistles, James 3:6

Cyril of Jerusalem: 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. — Catechetical Lecture 15:20

Didymus the Blind: 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 accordance with the promises. In a similar way, those who are prone to amusement and only recognize what can be experienced with the senses have not pleasure in the time of hunger, but only in the time of excess. The righteous have pleasure even in the times of retribution. — COMMENTARY ON Ecclesiastes 340:9

Gregory of Neocaesarea: 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 of the stars, but when in that storm and commotion of all things, the powers above shall be moved, that is, the angels who guard the world; so that the mighty men shall fail, and the women shall cease their labours, and shall flee into the dark places of their dwellings, and shall have all the doors shut. And a woman shall be restrained from grinding by fear, and shall speak with the weakest voice, like the tiniest bird; and all the impure women shall sink into the earth; and cities and their blood-stained governments shall wait for the vengeance that comes from above, while the most bitter and bloody of all times hangs over them like a blossoming almond, and continuous punishments impend like a multitude of flying locusts, and the transgressors are cast out of the way like a black and despicable caper-plant. And the good man shall depart with rejoicing to his own everlasting habitation; but the vile shall fill all their places with wailing, and neither silver laid up in store, nor proved gold, shall be of use any more. For a mighty stroke shall fall upon all things, even to the pitcher that stands by the well, and the wheel of the vessel which may chance to have been left in the hollow, when the course of time comes to its end and the ablution-bearing period of a life that is like water has passed away. And for men who lie on earth there is but one salvation, that their souls acknowledge and wing their way to Him by whom they have been made. I say, then, again what I have said already, that man’s estate is altogether vain, and that nothing can exceed the utter vanity which attaches to the objects of man’s inventions. And superfluous is my labour in preaching discreetly, inasmuch as I am attempting to instruct a people here, so indisposed to receive either teaching or healing. And truly the noble man is needed for the understanding of the words of wisdom. Moreover, I, though already aged, and having passed a long life, laboured to find out those things which are well-pleasing to God, by means of the mysteries of the truth. And I know that the mind is no less quickened and stimulated by the precepts of the wise, than the body is wont to be when the goad is applied, or a nail is fastened in it. And some will render again those wise lessons which they have received from one good pastor and teacher, as if all with one mouth and in mutual concord set forth in larger detail the truths committed to them. But in many words there is no profit. Neither do I counsel you, my friend, to write down vain things about what is fitting, from which there in nothing to be gained but weary labour. But, in fine, I shall require to use some such conclusion as this: O men, behold, I charge you now expressly and shortly, that you fear God, who is at once the Lord and the Overseer of all, and that you keep also His commandments; and that you believe that all shall be judged severally in the future, and that every man shall receive the just recompense for his deeds, whether they be good or whether they be evil.

Jerome: “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. But it is enough for wise men to have shown what they feel, and like in a small picture, to have depicted the thirst of the earth, the waste of the whole earth, and the belt of the ocean, and to have shown them in such a small collection. The Hebrews believe the imperative here refers to Israel, to whom it is taught that she should enjoy her riches, and before the time of bondage comes should change youth to old-age. She should enjoy whatever is pleasant or fun, just as it seems to the heart so it seems to the eyes; at that time while she still has them to hand. She knows however that she will be judged in all things that she has done. And just as from bad thoughts she flees from desires, knowing that foolishness is joined to youth, and will remember always her Creator, and before the days of Babylonian and Roman captivity come, in which she will no longer be free. And all of this passage from the point which says, “before the sun, moon, and stars become dark” [Eccl. 12, 2.], until the place where the Scripture reminds us, “and dust will be swirled on earth just as it used to be and the soul returned to God who gave it” [Eccl. 12, 7.], they explain their condition. And since as I have said above these things are tiresome and favourable, they should be touched by us but briefly and superficially. Therefore enjoy your youth O Israel, and do this or that, that has already been mentioned before your time of bondage comes; and your glory will leave you and pride, and judges, and your holy men who want to be interpreted as the sun, moon, and stars, and are taken away. Before Nebuchadnezzar comes, or Titus, Vespasian’s son, before the call of the prophets and their prophecies are fulfilled. In that day when the angels that protect the temple leave, and the strongest men in your army are thrown in confusion, and the speeches of the judges will be slow to come, and the prophets, who are accustomed to receiving the light of their visions from heaven, they all will become dark. When the doors of the temple are closed Jerusalem will be made humble and the Chaldeans will come as if by the song of a bird, called thus in the words of Jeremiah, and the singing girls with the lute in the temple choir will become silent [Cfr Ier. 9.]. At that time, when they will come to Jerusalem, the enemies too will fear the greatness of God, and in the way of doubt, they will fear the death of Sennacherib. For they also believe the saying, “and from up high they will fear and tremble in the road” [Cfr Is. 37.]. In those days “the almond tree will flourish”, that stick and staff which Jeremiah saw in his prophecy in the beginning, “and the grasshopper will be a burden” [Cfr Ier. 1, 11.]. Nebuchadnezzar with his army, “and desire shall fail “, the friendship between Israel and God. But what desire wants for itself, although we have begun to speak about them individually will be explained more fully. But all this will happen to Israel, because man will go out into the house of his eternity, and having returned from the protection of God to the heavens, going to his tabernacle, the weeping and crying will wander in the street and will be hemmed in by the enemy’s siege. Be happy therefore Israel in your youth, before the silver cord is broken, (this is until your glory is with you), before the golden ribbon breaks off, (that is before the arc of the tabernacle is taken away); before the pitcher is worn away to the fountain, and the wheel is turned around over the pool. That is until you read the most sacred teachings, for the spirit of a holy man is grace, and before you return to Babylon, from whence you left the loins of Abraham, and you will begin to be worn away in Mesopotamia, which once breathed life into you, and all is returned to He who gave it. The Jews have always taught these things and have understood this chapter to pertain to themselves. But I prefer to return to the previous argument, and try to explain each thing individually: “rejoice O youth, in your adolescence, and let your heart be good in the days of your youth, and walk in the way of your heart and in the sight of your eyes; and know above all these things, since God will lead you into judgement”. He has said that the light of this world is the sweetest and that man ought to rejoice in the days of his life, and grasp desire with all enthusiasm. For the eternal night of death will fall when it’s not permitted to enjoy ones amassed wealth and like a shadow, all things that we possess, will die. Now therefore he encourages man and says, “O youth, before old-age and death fall upon you, enjoy your youth, and whatever you feel is good, and seems joyful to see, take it and enjoy as it please you the things of this world.” Again so that he does not think these things say to provoke men to indulgence, and thus fall into the doctrines of Epicurus, he takes this suspicion, saying, “and know, since above all these God will lead you to judgement”. Thus, he says, take advantage of the things of the world, so that you know you will be judged in the end. “And force anger from your heart and take wickedness from your flesh, since youth and foolishness are vanity”. In anger he sees all the problems of the spirit. In the wickedness of the flesh he sees every desire of the body. In this way therefore, he says, enjoy the goodness of this world, lest you leave pleasure or flesh. Leave off your former vices, which you did in your youth of vanity and foolishness, since youth is joined to foolishness. “And remember in the day of your youth Him, who created you, before the days of wickedness come and the years approach, in which you will say, ‘I have no will’”. Always remember your Creator and walk the route of your youth, so that you remember your end is death, before your time comes, in which sad things will happen. — Commentary on Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 12:2

Jerome: “While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain. “If we take this from the creation of the world, this chapter agrees with the words of the Lord, in which He says, “there will be trouble and difficulty as there has not been since the beginning of creation, but this will not happen. For the sun will grow dark and the moon will not shed light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the virtues of heaven will be moved” [Matth. 24, 21.19.]. Those things are the guardians of the house, as we understand the ‘house’ to be this world, and the strong men, deceived by wickedness and varied strengths must be dispersed. But if a particular consummation of any one person is kept to the end of his life, then the sun, the moon, and stars, clouds and rain will cease to be for him, who has died. Differently: enjoy youth, O Christian people, and enjoy the goodness which has been given to you by God, and know that God will judge you for all these. Do not think that, since the earlier branches have been broken, you will be placed in the root of a good olive tree, and therefore you will be without worry. But remove anger from your heart and desires from your body, and when you have left all other vices remember your Creator before the day of wickedness comes, the day of madness, in which punishments have been made for sinners. This is so that when you sin the sun of righteousness will set for you at midday, and the light of knowledge will die, and the brightness of the moon, (that is of the Church) will be taken away, and the stars will die, about which is written, “in which you shine like the lights in the world having reason of life” [Phil. 2, 15.]. And elsewhere: “star differs from star in glory. Before the clouds return after the rain” [I Cor. 15, 41.], lest the prophets, who have watered the hearts of believers by the rain of their speech, after they have seen you to be unworthy of their rain, return to their seat, clearly to Him from whom they were sent. — Commentary on Ecclesiastes

Richard Challoner: Before the sun: That is, before old age: the effects of which upon all the senses and faculties are described in the following verses, under a variety of figures.

Ecclesiastes 12:3

Jerome: " In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves; “The keepers of the house can be interpreted as either the sun and the moon, and the remaining choir of stars, or the angels who keep watch over this world. The men of great strength though, or the brave, as Symmachus has interpreted it, are those who die, or as Aquila has translated it, those who err, and are felt to be demons, for they are called those chosen by the powerful devil. The Lord overpowered him, and joining him, according to the parable of the Gospel [Luc. 11, 14-26.], destroys his house. Differently: the keepers of the house, who relate all things, which are written to the body of man, think that it means ribs, because the intestines are hemmed in by them, and all of the fleshy parts of the stomach are protected in this way. They think that the strong men are to be interpreted as legs; the sun and moon and stars therefore pertain to the eyes, nose and ears, and receive all the sensations of the head. But they do not interpret this to such an extent, because they are forced deeper by necessity, not by demons, or the sun, moon, or stars, but to understand what follows according to the limbs of man. “And the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened. “In the beginning of the world when the charity of most was cold and the spirits of teachers were few, who were able to offer the food of heaven to believers, and they were carried to the heaves; then those who in part see the light of knowledge in this world began to be darkened. For it is said to Moses: “sit yourself in this hole in the rock, and you will see me pass” [Ex. 33, 22.]. Oh how much more one spirit saw the truth through that opening and those dark caves! Differently: there are two grinders, from whom one is taken, the other is left, the Gospel is not silent in this matter [Cfr. Matth. 24, 41.]. And when they are few, and have ceased, it is necessary that every light of knowledge is removed from our eyes. Differently: they think the grinders have ceased because they are few, and that it is talking about teeth. And when at last old-age comes even teeth are worn away, or they fall out, which usually grind down food to be sent to the stomach. But seeing it grow dark in the caves, they think it means eyes because sight darkens with old-age, and sight is made difficult. — Commentary on Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 12:4

Didymus the Blind: “Bird” can here mean the Savior in his human nature.…But also the message of truth itself can be called “bird” for this time. It can be compared for this time with a bird that comes from on high, from where truth came to the listeners. Since, however, now even the perfect listeners are lifted up and strive for what is above the earth, the “bird on the roof” calls to them. Standing above the cosmos it has announced the perfect, the encounter with truth “from face to face.” — COMMENTARY ON Ecclesiastes 352:12

Didymus the Blind: “The daughters of song” are false teachers, the daughters only of the voice but not of the spirit, not of wisdom, not of knowledge, not of light. Because of their unmanliness and their feminization in the treatment of the perishable they are called daughters.They will be brought low. Like darkness ends when light appears, they will be unveiled as nothing when the “call of the bird,” that is, of the “market” or the Savior or the divine teacher, the “rising” [human being], is here. It turns out that the teaching [of the daughters of song] is valid only for this present life and that—to say briefly what has been treated extensively by people elsewhere—human wisdom, which promises a program of nice speeches and good rhetoric, lasts only as long as the voice. Since, however, this voice will vanish, because no air is moving any more when they rise above the sphere of the air, they will be brought low. The “daughters of song” will be seen as nothing, since the wise teachers are not called daughters or daughters of song, but “sons of light,” and “sons of wisdom.” — COMMENTARY ON Ecclesiastes 353:26

Jerome: “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 music shall be brought low. “When the voice of the grinder is weak and the teaching of a tutor has stopped, then in turn all things will stop. Even the doors are closed in the streets, as according to the unwieldy virgins of the Gospel [Cfr. Matth. 25, 1-12.], and each one regards her doors as closed to her in the street, so that she can not buy oil. Or even, while the virgins are wandering in the streets, husbands close each room when they have entered into it. For if the road is thin and narrow, which leads to life and that which leads to death is wide and open, justly, the charity of most being cold, the door of teachings is closed in the streets. [Cfr. Matth. 7, 13.] But let us use the following verse, in which he says, “and he rises to the sound of a bird”, (or of a sparrow), if we seem to be a sinner to the voice of the bishop or elder so to show that we are in repentance. But this could also be different again, if we do not follow the context of this chapter, it can be taken to mean the real resurrection, when the death will rise up to the voice of the arch-angel. And it is not surprising, if we compare the trumpet of an angel to a sparrow, when all night is compared to Christ, if it is clement. And also this is not too surprising, if my memory serves me right, when I have never read of a sparrow in a bad light. In the tenth Psalm a righteous man says, “I trust in God, just as you say to my spirit: fly to the mountain like a sparrow.” [Ps. 10, 1.] And in another place: “I woke and I was made as a sparrow alone on a roof” [Ps. 101, 8.]. Nor is it seen in a bad light in another place: “and even the sparrow found a home for himself” [Ps. 83, 4.]. Differently: they want to see this as the closed doors in the street, as the weak steps of an old man, because he always sits and cannot walk. The weakness of the voice of the grinder is interpreted as in his jaws, because he cannot chew food, and scarcely reduced in spirit, his voice is heard only quietly. More precisely he shows him to rise to the sound of a bird, because now with cold blood and dry organs by which sleep is nourished, he wakes to a soft sound, and in the middle of the night, when the cock crows, he rises quickly; but he is not able to move his limbs from his bed. And he becomes silent too, or as it is better put in the Hebrew, the daughters of song become deaf, (meaning ears), because it is harder for old-men to hear noises and there is less distinction between voices, or enjoy songs. Also compare what Berzellai says to David, when he does not want to go to Jordan. [Cfr. II reg. 19, 32-39.]” " — Commentary on Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 12:5

Didymus the Blind: Those who have dealt with the world of plants say the following about the almond: Among all the plants it grows leaves in springtime and sheds them not before all the other trees have gotten bare; it is very durable.This is why it is said about the “priestly rod” that it was of almond wood. It did not last a short time; from Moses until the coming of the Savior it was a visible sign.… This is what we think: Even if there are plants from other teachings, they bloom later, that is, after the true teaching, and cease before it; they vanish when it appears. This rod, therefore, has extinguished the other rods, those of the false apostles, and of the false prophets.… The sentence “the almond blooms” can be understood in a moral sense. The almond has two layers around the edible kernel: something hard that has to be cracked and something bitter, that is, the outer shell. The outer shell can be seen as the body, since it is bitter, tending to the sensual. The hard part, however, is the soul, since it is strong and big. The edible in the kernel is the spirit. When the sentence of the apostle comes to fruition—“May the God of peace sanctify you, perfect your spirit, your soul, and your body”—then the almond blooms. In its blooming it envelops all the three. The human being blooms, when it progresses in virtue, when it transforms its body so that it imitates the body of Christ. — COMMENTARY ON Ecclesiastes 356:10

Gregory of Neocaesarea: Cities and their bloodstained leaders will wait for punishment from above. A most bitter and bloody time will arise like a blossoming almond tree, continuous punishments will be imposed like a swarm of flying locusts, and lawbreakers will be thrown out of the way like a black and contemptible caper plant. The good person will enter into his eternal home with rejoicing, but the bad people will fill all their homes with mourning. — PARAPHRASE OF Ecclesiastes 12:5

Jerome: “Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way. “That is, they will not be able to enter on difficult tasks and with tired knees and frightened footsteps, will not be able to go out in the open, and will fear the offence of steps.” And the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goes to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets. “The speech now explains the limbs of a man of the Church through a metaphor. And when old-age comes his hair will grow white, his feet will swell, his lust will grow cold and he will be destroyed by death. Then he will be returned to the earth, and then in the house of his eternity you will remember his tomb and his ashes with reverence, and a crowd will walk before the mourners at his funeral. But the flower of the almond-tree, which we have in place of grey hairs, some interpret as the sacred thorn, because, while the flesh of the buttocks decreases, the thorn grows and flowers. More precisely, in that verse which says, “the grasshopper will be a burden”, you must note that where we have in our manuscripts ‘grasshopper’, the Hebrew has “aagab”, which is rather ambiguous for us. For it can be translated as ‘heel’ or as ‘grasshopper’. Just as for example in the beginning of Jeremiah, the word “soced” if the accent is changed can mean ‘a nut’ or ‘wakefulness’. And this is said to him: “what do you see, Jeremiah?” and he replies, “a nut”. [Ier. 1, 11.] And the Lord says to him, “you have seen well, for I will wake over my work so that I might complete it.” [Ier. 1, 12.] Or that explanation: it also has the etymology of the word ’nut’, because God is about to keep awake. And what the people has deserved it will be given, is what the text seems to say. Thus now he shows the ambiguity of the word through its etymology, showing that the legs of old men swell up and that gout weighs upon the organs. This does not happen to all men, but to most, and this is “synecdoche” where a part is called by the name of the whole. Indeed where we read ‘desire’ the Hebrew has “abiona. “This in itself has many meanings, and is interpreted as ’love’, ’lust’, ’longing’, or ‘desire’. And it has the meaning, as I have said above, that the lust of an old man grows cold, and the organs of intercourse sag. But this is said because these words are ambiguous, for although they mean ‘almond-tree’, and ‘grasshopper’, and ‘desire’ in his language, they also mean other derived words in our language, and are derived from the forms which pertain to old-age. You must note too, that where the Septuagint has the word ‘almond-tree’ the word itself is “soced”, which is found in the beginning of Jeremiah. But there it is meant ’nut’ but here it means ‘almond-tree’. Symmachus has interpreted this passage in a greatly different way, (though I am unsure of what he means): for he says, ‘and they will see even above these things from on high, and they will wander, and waking he will fall asleep, and the strength of his spirit will be dispersed.’ For man will go to the house of his eternity, and the weeping will wander in the street. Laodicenus [Apollinaris Laodic.] followed the interpretation of Symmachus, which the Hebrews do not like, nor the Christians; for while he is far from the Hebrews’ view, he rejects too the interpretations of the Septuagint. — Commentary on Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 12:6

Didymus the Blind: By “gold” in Scripture one has to understand the spirit; but if one understands by “silver” the spoken word, we have to understand here by “gold” the thought and by bowl the sphere of reason, since it is the bowl and storage place for gold. When Scripture describes the spoken word and the written word as silver, this means a weaving of the words that fit to each other and a linking of the meaning of the different words among each other. — COMMENTARY ON Ecclesiastes 360:14

Didymus the Blind: Some are able to drink from the fountain without the pitcher. Rebecca, which means steadfastness in the good, stepped down to the fountain and scooped the water with the pitcher in order to give the thirsty servant [of Abraham] to drink; but she herself drank from the fountain without the pitcher.…The imperfect knowledge and the imperfect prophecy are the pitcher filled from the fountain. When the imperfect will pass away, the pitcher is broken. Its content, however, is not lost.… When one does not need to drink from the pitcher anymore because the Savior has given to drink and prepared in the person who drinks a spring of living water, then the pitcher is not needed for the person who has the fountain of living water inside. — COMMENTARY ON Ecclesiastes 361:9

Didymus the Blind: One can understand the “cistern” accordingly: Inasmuch as it is possible to scoop water from a fountain with a pitcher, it is also possible to pull up water from a cistern with a water wheel. When there is no need any more to pull up water in this way, then the “[water] wheel will break at the cistern.” — COMMENTARY ON Ecclesiastes 362:13

Gregory of Neocaesarea: Neither stored silver nor tested gold will be of any further use. A mighty blow will strike everything, right down to a water pot standing next to a well, and to a carriage wheel which happens to have been left in the ditch, its time of revolving ceased, and to the life that, by water, has passed through the age of washing. — PARAPHRASE OF Ecclesiastes 12:6

Jerome: “Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern. Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. Vanity of vanities says Ecclesiastes; all is vanity. “He returns to former matter and after a rather large exaggeration, -which he interposes in this place, in which he says, “and remember your Creator, in the day of your youth; before the days of wickedness come, and before the sun, moon grow dark” and so on, “in the day in which the keepers of the house are renewed”. - now he finishes the point he had begun in a similar way, saying, “before the silver cord is broken”, and this or that happens. But he shows the silver cord to be this white band, and the space that divides us from heaven. It also means the gold band, which returns to the place whence it came down. more precisely the two that follow, the wearing of the jug on the fountain, and the breaking of the wheel by the pond, are metaphorical images of death. For death is just like the jug, which is worn down, stops to fill, and the wheel by which water is carried from a well or pond, if it has been broken. Thus the interpretation of the Septuagint has it that the usage of water is twisted in this rope; thus when the silver cord is broken, and the river of the spirit flows back to the fountain, the man will die. He goes on more clearly: “the dust will return to the earth, whence it was taken, and the spirit is returned to God, who gave it”. From which there is enough to smile at in those who think that spirits are produced with bodies, not from God, but are made from the parent’s body. For when the flesh is returned to the earth, and the spirit goes back to God, who gave it; it is obvious that God is the parent of all spirits, not man. Then after the description of man’s death, he goes back to the beginning of his book, saying, “vanity of vanities, says Ecclesiastes, all is vanity” [Eccl. 1,2.]. For all toil of mortal men, which is argued all through the books, is pertinent here, so that dust returns to the earth, and the spirit returns to the place, whence it was taken, it is a great vanity in this world to toil and obtain nothing for the future from it. — Commentary on Ecclesiastes

Jerome: The silver cord indicates a pure life and the inspiration that is given to us from heaven. The return again of the golden band signifies the soul that returns to the place from which it descended. Moreover, there are two remaining [figures] which follow. The shattered pitcher at the spring and the broken wheel at the well, through the use of metaphor, are allegories for death. For if a pitcher is worn through it ceases to draw water, and when a wheel at the well is broken the water it would have drawn is left to become putrid. — COMMENTARY ON Ecclesiastes 12:6

Ecclesiastes 12:7

Augustine of Hippo: Near the end of the book called Ecclesiastes there is a passage about the dissolution of man, brought about by that death through which the soul is separated from the body, where the Scripture says, “And let the dust return into its earth, as it was, and the spirit return to God who gave it.” This authoritative statement is unquestionably true and leads no one into error. But if anyone wished to interpret it so as to try to defend the view that there was a posterity of souls and that all the subsequent ones come from that one which God gave to the first man, this passage seems to support him. [This is so] because flesh is there spoken of as dust—obviously, dust and spirit mean nothing else in this passage than flesh and soul—and in that way it declares that the soul returns to God, as if it might be a sort of branch, cut from that soul which God gave to the first man, just as the flesh is returned to the earth, since it is an offshoot of that flesh that in the first man was fashioned of the earth. Thus, he might contend from this that we ought to believe something that is not known about the soul, but is perfectly well known about the body. There is no doubt about the propagation of the flesh, but there is about the soul. — LETTER 143

Cyprian: We ask that the will of God may be done both in heaven and in earth, each of which things pertains to the fulfillment of our safety and salvation. For since we possess the body from the earth and the spirit from heaven, we ourselves are earth and heaven; and in both—that is, both in body and spirit—we pray that God’s will may be done. — Treatise IV. On the Lord’s Prayer 4:16

Desert Fathers: Evagrius said, ‘While you sit in your cell, recall your attention, and remember the day of your death and you will see that your body is decaying. Think about the loss, feel the pain. Shrink from the vanity of the world outside. Be retiring, and be careful to keep your vow of quiet, and you will not weaken. Remember the souls in hell. Meditate on their condition, the bitter silence and the moaning, the fear and the strife, the waiting and the pain without relief, the tears that cannot cease to flow. Remember too the day of resurrection, imagine God’s terrible and awful judgement. Bring into your sight the confusion of sinners before God and His Christ, before angels and archangels and powers, and all the human race, punishment, everlasting fire, the worm that never dies, the darkness of Tartarus – and above them all the sound of the gnashing of teeth, dread and torments. Bring before your eyes the good laid up for the righteous, their confidence before God the Father and Christ His Son, before angels and archangels and the powers, and all the people in the kingdom of heaven and its gifts, joy and peace. Remember all this. Weep and lament for the judgement of sinners, keep alert to the grief they suffer; be afraid that you are hurrying towards the same condemnation. Rejoice and exult at the good laid up for the righteous. Aim at enjoying the one, and being far from the other. Do not forget this, whether you are in your cell or outside it. Keep these memories in your mind and so cast out of it the sordid thoughts that harm you.’ — The Desert Fathers, Sayings of the Early Christian Monks

Gregory of Neocaesarea: For people lying on earth there is one salvation, if their souls acknowledge and fly up to the One by whom they were brought into being. — PARAPHRASE OF Ecclesiastes 12:7

John Cassian: “Before the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns unto God who gave it.” What could be said more clearly than that the matter of the flesh, which he styled dust because it springs from the seed of man and seems to be sown by his acts, must again return to the earth because it was taken from the earth? At the same time he points out that the spirit which is not begotten by intercourse between the sexes, but belongs to God alone in a special way, returns to its creator. This too is clearly implied in that breathing by God, through which Adam in the first instance received his life. — CONFERENCE 8:25

Ecclesiastes 12:8

John Chrysostom: Such is “vanity of vanities,” your splendid buildings, your vast and overflowing riches, the herds of your slaves that bustle along the public square, your pomp and vainglory, your high thoughts, your ostentation. For all these are vain; they came not from the hand of God but are of our own creating. But why then are they vain? Because they have no useful end. — HOMILIES ON Ephesians 12

John Chrysostom: Hear what Solomon says, who knew the present world by actual experience. “I built houses, I planted vineyards, I made gardens, and orchards and pools of water. I gathered also silver and gold. I got men singers and women singers, and flocks and herds.” There was no one who lived in greater luxury or higher glory. There was no one so wise or so powerful, no one who saw all things so succeeding to his heart’s desire. What then? He had no enjoyment from all these things. What after all does he say of it himself? “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” Vanity not simply but superlatively. Let us believe him and lay hold on that in which there is no vanity, in which there is truth and what is based upon a solid rock, where there is no old age or decline, but all things bloom and flourish, without decay or waxing old, or approaching dissolution. Let us, I beseech you, love God with genuine affection, not from fear of hell but from desire of the kingdom. For what is comparable to seeing Christ? — HOMILIES ON 1 TIMOTHY 15

Ecclesiastes 12:9

Jerome: “And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs. The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth. “The wisdom in which Solomon judges all kinds of men he now professes at the end, because he was not happy with the use of the old law, but therefore immersed himself in trying to solve difficult problems of his own accord, and in teaching people; he composed parables and proverbs, which say one thing superficially and yet have a deeper meaning. For proverbs often have different meaning to that which is written, and this is the method used in teaching in the Gospels, since the Lord spoke to the people in parables and in proverbs [Cfr. Matth, 13; 15.], but He explained them to the apostles in secret. From this we clearly get the Book of Proverbs, and we shouldn’t think that they are but simple stories with teachings, but rather as gold still in the earth, as a seed within a nut, or as a fruit is found inside the hairy covering of its peel. Thus we must search for another meaning in them which pertains to God. Before this though he mentions that he desired to know the workings of the world and the wisdom and mind of God. He wanted to know why one thing or another should happen, as David after the death of the body and spirit hoped he would see the path to heaven, saying, “I will see the heavens, the work of your fingers” [Ps. 8, 4.]. But now Solomon strives to find this wisdom, so that he may know and understand with his human mind, though confined by the walls of the body, the truth only known by God. — Commentary on Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 12:11

Ambrose of Milan: Let your discourses then be flowing, let them be clear and lucid; pour the sweetness of your moral arguments into the ears of the people, and sooth them with the charm of your words, that so they may willingly follow your guidance. But if there be any contumacy or transgression in the people or individuals, let your sermons be of such a character as shall move your audience, and prick the evil conscience, for the words of the wise are as goads. The Lord Jesus too pricked Saul, when he was a persecutor. And think how salutary the goad was which from a persecutor made him an Apostle, by simply saying, It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. — Letter II, To Constantius

Gregory the Dialogist: Holy preachers are also accustomed to reprove their hearers with sharp words, and to rage with strict severity against their sins: as it is written, The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened deep. But their words are rightly called nails, since they do not know how to handle gently the sins of offenders, but how to pierce them through. Were not the words of John nails, when he said, O generation of vipers, who hath shewed you to flee from the wrath to come? Were not the words of Stephen nails, when he said, Ye have always resisted the Holy Ghost? Were not the words of Paul, when he said, O senseless Galatians, who hath bewitched you? and again when saying to the Corinthians, For whereas there is among you envying and strife, are ye not carnal, and walk according to man? — Morals on the Book of Job, Book 24

Jerome: “The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd. “The teacher should not be seen to break from the law of God and afterwards to justify teaching by himself, more hastily than Moses not so much of his own will, as first by the anger of God, took teachings therefrom with enthusiasm. He says that his words are the words of the wise, which like a goad correct the wicked and they move the slow steps of mortals with a sharp sting, thus they are hard like nails which hold things up securely and high; and they are not offered with one man’s authority, but with the advice and agreement of all teachers. Let not mankind’s wisdom be despised, for he says it is given from one shepherd. That is, many are allowed to teach, but there is only one originator of the teachings, who is God. He turns the passage against those who think there is one God of the Old Law, and one God of the Gospels, since one shepherd taught the advice of the wise. But the wise are just as much prophets as the apostles themselves. At the same time it should be remembered that the words of the wise are said to sting, not to flatter or encourage debauchery by a lack of discipline. But as I have said above it is to give the wound and slow pain of repentance to those who have come into wickedness. For if his speech does not sting but it like pleasure for the listeners then that is not the speech of a wise man. For the words of the wise are like the goad, since after all they cause the conversion of the wicked, are firm, given on the advice of saints, given by the one shepherd, and are founded on a strong root. I think I have heard it said in Paul that Saul was thrown into the way of wickedness by this goad: “it is hard for you to kick against the pricks.” [Act. 9, 5.] — Commentary on Ecclesiastes

Origen of Alexandria: All the Scriptures are “words of the wise like goads, and as nails firmly fixed which were given by agreement from one shepherd,” and there is nothing superfluous in them. But the Word is the one Shepherd of things rational which may have an appearance of discord to those who have not ears to hear but are truly at perfect concord. — COMMENTARY ON Matthew 2

Origen of Alexandria: And likewise it is a pleasant thing to endeavor to understand and exhibit the fact of the concord of the two covenants—of the one before the bodily advent of the Savior and of the new covenant. For among those things in which the two covenants are at concord so that there is no discord between them would be found prayers, to the effect that about anything whatever they shall ask it shall be done to them from the Father in heaven. And if also you desire the third that unites the two, do not hesitate to say that it is the Holy Spirit. For “the words of the wise,” whether they be those before the advent, or at the time of the advent, or after it, “are as goads, and as nails firmly fixed, which were given by agreement from one shepherd.” — COMMENTARY ON Matthew 14:4

Ecclesiastes 12:12

Jerome: “And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh. “If you remove the words which are given by the one shepherd, related by the advice and agreement of the wise, do nothing and nothing will be reproved you; follow in the footsteps of the multitude and do not diverge from their command. Then too for him who seeks to know many things there is a great number of books that will lead him to wickedness and make the reader toil in vain. But he also teaches that you must have enthusiasm and follow meanings more than the words themselves, the opposite that philosophers and teachers of this world teach, who try to assert the falsities of their doctrines with flamboyant and unnecessary language. On the other hand divine scripture is restricted by the small quantity of what is written, and however much it is enlarged by people’s opinions it is restricted by the text itself. This is because the Lord has made speech concise and brief all over the world, and His word is the same when it is spoken in our mouth and our heart. [Cfr. Deut. 30, 14; Rom. 10, 8.] Differently: read often, then consider what you have read daily, there is usually more toil of the mind that that of the body. For just as whatever you do with your hand and body is filled with the toil of the hand and the body, so that which pertains to reading is more the toil of the mind. It seems to me from this that the above points from the several books must be considered differently to the way in which many believe them to be. It is the custom of the Scriptures that, no matter how many books there are, if they all follow the same matter are have few differences, then we can say that they are one book. In this way the Gospel and the “immaculate law of the Lord, converting spirits” [Ps. 18, 8.] are called one, although there are several books in the Gospel and there are many laws. In this way too there is one volume of Isaiah, and all of the divine Scripture has one title; Ezekiel [Cfr. Ez. 3, 1-3.] and John [Cfr. Apoc. 10, 9.] are also many books in one book. The Saviour too prophesied in the holy words, saying, “in the title of the Book is written about me” [Ps. 39, 9.]. According to this meaning therefore I think it is a teaching that there should not be too many books. For whatever you say, if it is told to him who was with God in the beginning, the word then is God [Cfr. Ioh. 1, 2.], as one volume, and the many books are the one law, which is called the Gospel. But if you argue that they are varied and differ too much to be in the same volume, and look at them with too much curiosity, even within each book you will see that there are many books. They say about this: “you may not escape the sin of saying too much” [Prov. 10, 19.]. Therefore there is no end to such books, for all is good and the ending locks in truth, but wickedness and lying have no end. And the more they are sought, the more they come about. Study and consideration of this is toil of the body. I say of the body here and not of the spirit. But the spirit even has toil according to what the apostle says: “the more I worked for all these, not I, but the grace of God which was with me” [I Cor. 15, 10.], and the Saviour says, “I worked shouting” [Ps. 68, 4.]. — Commentary on Ecclesiastes

Origen of Alexandria: I, for my part, am inclined to shrink from toil and to avoid that danger which threatens from God those who give themselves to writing on divinity; thus I would take shelter in Scripture in refraining from making many books. For Solomon says in Ecclesiastes, “My son, beware of making many books; there is no end of it, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.” For we, except that text have some hidden meaning which we do not yet perceive, have directly transgressed the injunction; we have not guarded ourselves against making many books. — COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF John 5, PREFACE

Origen of Alexandria: First of all, we set forth the command from Ecclesiastes: “My son, beware of making many books.” I juxtapose for comparison with this the saying from the Proverbs of the same Solomon, who says, “In a multitude of words you will not escape sins, but you will be wise if you restrain your lips.” And I inquire, therefore, if speaking many words, regardless of what they are, is being loquacious, even if the many words are holy and pertain to salvation? For if this is the way things are, and if he who expounds many beneficial things is loquacious, Solomon himself has not escaped the sin. — COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF John 5:4

Ecclesiastes 12:13

Augustine of Hippo: What could be briefer, truer, better for the soul to know? For this is all a person is—a keeper of God’s commandments. Not being such, he is, so to say, nothing at all, because instead of being constantly reshaped to the image of the truth, he remains bogged down in the likeness of shadow. — City of God 20.3

Bede: Of those who are proud and at the same time treacherous it is said, “The foxes have dens and the birds of the air have nests.” And of all people in general it is said, “And man, when he was held in esteem” (that is, made in the image of God), “did not understand; he was like foolish cattle.” Solomon, however, shows humanity as it truly is, that is, uncorrupted, when he says, “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is all there is to man.” — Commentary on Acts 10:12

Bede: They have been appointed to this, that is, to this made human beings by nature, that they may believe God and obey his will, as Solomon attests when he says, “Fear God and obey his commandments, for this is [the duty of] every human being.” That is, every human being has been naturally made for this purpose, that he may fear God and obey his commandments. — Commentary on the Catholic Epistles, 1 Peter 2:8

Gregory the Dialogist: Solomon’s book in which these words appear is called Ecclesiastes. Translated, this name means “Preacher.” Now, in preaching one expresses sentiments that tend to quiet a noisy crowd. And when there are many people holding opinions of various kinds, they are brought into harmony by the reasoning of the speaker. This book, then, is called “the Preacher” because in it Solomon makes the feelings of the disorganized people his own in order to search into and give expression to the thoughts that come to their untutored minds perhaps by the way of temptation. For the sentiments he expresses in his search are as varied as the individuals he impersonates. But, like a true preacher, he stretches out his arms at the end of his address and calms the troubled sprits of the assembled people, calling them back to one way of thinking. This we see him do at the close of the book, where he says, “Let us all hear together the conclusion of the discourse. Fear God and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” — Dialogues, Book 4, Chapter 4

Jerome: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgement, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. “The Hebrews say that although it used to be among other writings of Solomon in the past, they have not persisted in memory; and this book seems as if it ought to have been omitted, because it asserts that all God’s creations are vain and that he thinks everything is done for nothing, and he prefers food and drink and transient pleasures to all things; thus he takes his authority from this one title, so it is now included in the number of divine books, because he argues well and lists many things like “anakephaiosei, “and he said that his speeches are the easiest to hear, and to understand; let us therefore fear God and carry out his commandments. For man is born for this purpose and, understanding his Creator, he reveres Him in fear and respect, and in the work of his commandments. And when the time of judgement comes whatever we have done will stand before the judge and for a long time we will await our judgement which could go one way or the other, and we will receive our just rewards, whether they be good or bad. But where we read, “with every secret thing”, Symmachus and the Septuagint have interpreted, “from all contempt”, or even “from all unknown”, which even brought by reluctant words, not by will, but by ignorance, we will be returned to reason in the day of our judgement. Differently: since fear is more appropriate to slaves, and perfect love involves no fear, and fear in the divine Scripture is used to denote those embarking on and those completing education [Cfr. I. Ioh. 4, 18.]. Now I think he talks about the fear inherent in virtues, according to the passage, which says, “nothing is lacking from those who fear Him” [Ps. 33, 10.]. Or even, since until now he is a man and has not yet taken the name of God, he has this reason of his wealth, so that he fears God while he is still alive. Since every single deed is judged, that is, God leads all men into judgement about all things, either good or bad, which are done and said differently than by Him. For indeed, “woe to those who say wicked is good, and good is wicked” [Is. 5, 20.]. — Commentary on Ecclesiastes

Jerome: Let us indeed “fear God and obey his commandments,” for each person was born for this purpose, that knowing his Creator, he might venerate him with fear, honor and observance of the commandments. When the time of judgment arrives, whatever we have done will stand under judgment and await the double sentence that each person will receive for his work, whether he has done evil or good. We will be held accountable on the day of judgment for what we were able to do, “for every hidden deed, whether good or evil,” as Symmachus and the Septuagint translated it, that is, for every contempt, or at least every negligence, but also for every idle word offered even unknowingly, not willfully. But because fear belongs to slaves and perfect love drives fear away, fear has a double meaning in divine Scripture, for beginners and for the perfect. The fear of him who has been perfected in virtue, I believe, is expressed here: “They who fear the Lord lack nothing.” Or at least because he is still a man and has not taken God’s name, he knows his own nature, that he might fear God while placed in the body. For God will bring each creature, that is, each person, to judgment for every decision he or she made contrary to that which God has arranged and said. “Woe” indeed “to those who call evil good and good evil.” — COMMENTARY ON Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

John Chrysostom: If fear of God comes from knowledge but knowledge is going to pass away, as Paul says, then we shall be completely destroyed when there is no knowledge. All that we are will be gone, and we shall be in a state no better but much worse than irrational beings. For in knowledge we have the advantage over them, whereas in all other things pertaining to the body they surpass us by far. — AGAINST THE ANOMOEANS, HOMILY 1:9

Richard Challoner: All man: The whole business and duty of man.

Shepherd of Hermas: “Fear,” said he, “the Lord, and keep His commandments. For if you keep the commandments of God, you will be powerful in every action, and every one of your actions will be incomparable. For, fearing the Lord, you will do all things well. This is the fear which you ought to have, that you may be saved.” — Shepherd of Hermas, Commandment 7

Ecclesiastes 12:14

Apostolic Constitutions: Nor is a resurrection declared only for the martyrs, but for all persons, righteous and unrighteous, godly and ungodly, that everyone may receive according to his desert. For God, says the Scripture, “will bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil.” . — CONSTITUTIONS OF THE HOLY APOSTLES

Athanasius of Alexandria: Consider how grave an error it is to call God’s Word a work. Solomon says in one place in Ecclesiastes that “God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil.” If then the Word is a work, do you mean that he as well as others will be brought into judgment? And what room is there for judgment, when the Judge is on trial? Who will give to the just their blessing, who to the unworthy their punishment, the Lord, as you must suppose, standing on trial with the rest? By what law shall he, the Lawgiver, himself be judged? — Discourses Against the Arians 2.14.6

Nilus of Sinai: Nor is a resurrection declared only for the martyrs, but for all persons, righteous and unrighteous, godly and ungodly, that everyone may receive according to his desert. For God, says the Scripture, “will bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil.” — CONSTITUTIONS OF THE HOLY APOSTLES 5:1.7

Richard Challoner: Error: Or, hidden and secret thing.