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George Haydock's Catholic Commentary

Ecclesiastes 12:2

Before the sun, &c. 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. (Challoner) --- All are exhorted to live well, before death come to deprive them of their senses and all helps: and to continue in expectation of judgment, the signs of which are given, as [in] Matthew xxiv. (Worthington) (St. Jerome) --- Rain. One misery succeeds another, the understanding is darkened, and the senses become dull. (Calmet) --- The Jews explain ver. 2, 7., of the future distress of their nation under captivity. (St. Jerome) (Haydock)

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See also Ecclesiastes 12:2 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Ecclesiastes 12:2. _WHILE THE SUN, OR THE LIGHT, OR THE MOON, OR THE STARS,_ _BE NOT DARKENED_] i.e., in the SPRING, prime, and prosperity of life. _NOR THE CLOUDS RETURN_] The infirmities of o...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    WHILE ... NOT - Or, Before. The darkening of the lights of heaven denotes a time of affliction and sadness. Compare Ezekiel 32:7; Job 3:9; Isaiah 5:30. Contrast this representation of old age with...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 12 _ 1. Youth and old age (Ecclesiastes 12:1)_ 2. The concluding epilogue (Ecclesiastes 12:9) Ecclesiastes 12:1. Childhood and youth are vanity! That is the concludin

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    ECCLESIASTES 11:1 TO ECCLESIASTES 12:8. CLOSING COUNSELS. It is well to do and to get all one can, in the way of industry and pleasure, before old age draws on. Ecclesiastes 11:1 and...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    EPILOGUE. Ecclesiastes 12:9 is an editor's praise of Qoheleth, who is identified with Solomon, the sage compiler of proverbial wisdom, who wrote words of truth in a pleasing and elegant (acceptable)...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _while the sun, or the light_ The imagery falls in naturally with the thought that the approach of death is represented by the gathering of a tempest. It does not follow, however, that this excludes t...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    THE PICTURE OF OLD AGE, _From Ecclesiastes 12:1 according to the common Translation._ The royal preacher, in the first seven verses of this chapter, enforces the duty of early religion, by arguments...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    WHILE THE SUN, OR THE LIGHT.— _Before the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars be darkened, and the clouds return after the rain._ Ecclesiastes 12:3. _In the day when the keepers of the hou...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    G. DEATH COMES TO EVERY MAN. Ecclesiastes 12:2-8 TEXT 12:2-8 2 before the sun, the light, the moon, and the stars are darkened, and clouds return after the rain; 3 in the day that the watchmen of...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain: BE NOT DARKENED - i:e., before they be so. Illustrating "the evil days." "Light," "sun...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    IN LIFE REMEMBER DEATH AND JUDGMENT 1. The Creator is to be remembered in youth. When the powers of mind and body are failing, it will be too late. 1-7. Commentators have differed much as to the inte...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    THE TEACHER SEARCHES FOR THE PURPOSE OF OUR LIVES BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES _HILDA BRIGHT AND KITTY PRIDE_ CHAPTER 12 YOUNG PEOPLE SHOULD REMEMBER WHO MADE THEM – ECCLESIASTES 12:1-8 V1 Remember who...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    Here the style rises, and we have a figurative description of the “evil days;” but, as sometimes happens in the case of highly wrought poetry, it is much easier to perceive the general effect intended...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    עַ֠ד אֲשֶׁ֨ר לֹֽא ־תֶחְשַׁ֤ךְ הַ שֶּׁ֨מֶשׁ֙ ו

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    FOURTH SECTION The Quest Achieved. The Chief Good Is To Be Found, Not In Wisdom, Nor In Pleasure, Nor In Devotion To Affairs And Its Rewards; But In A Wise Use And A Wise Enjoyment Of The Present L...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    “THE END OF THE MATTER” Ecclesiastes 12:1-14 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. Ou...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    The preacher now proceeds in language full of poetic beauty to urge the young to remember their Creator. We then reach the epilogue of the sermon. It first repeats the theme as announced at the beginn...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, are not darkened, nor the (a) clouds return after the rain: (a) Before you come to a continual misery: for when the clouds remain after the rai...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain: (3) In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 1 THROUGH 12. The Book of Ecclesiastes is, up to a certain point, the converse of the Book of Proverbs. (see NOTE TO PROVERBS below) It is the experience of a...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    WHILE THE SUN, OR THE LIGHT, OR THE MOON, OR THE STARS, BE NOT DARKENED,.... The wise man proceeds to describe the infirmities of old age, and the troubles that attend it; in order to engage young men...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    _While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:_ Ver. 2. _While the sun, or the light, or the moon, &c., _] _i.e., _ While greater and...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _While the sun, or the light_, &c. Hebrews _While the sun, and the light, and the moon_, &c. That clause, _and the light_, seems to be added to signify, that he speaks of the darkening of the sun, and...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    while the sun, or the light, the refreshing beauty of the morning light, OR THE MOON, OR THE STARS BE NOT DARKENED, when the light of youthful life is darkened by the shadows of advancing old age, NOR...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    AN APPEAL TO THE YOUNG...

  • Mark Dunagan Commentaries

    "BEFORE THE SUN, THE LIGHT, THE MOON, AND THE STARS ARE DARKENED, AND CLOUDS RETURN AFTER THE RAIN;"BEFORE THE SUN" -note the declining order, the sun, which is the most powerful giver of light, then...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1-7 We should remember our sins against our Creator, repent, and seek forgiveness. We should remember our duties, and set about them, looking to him for grace and strength. This should be done early,...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    WHILE THE SUN, OR THE LIGHT, OR THE MOON, OR THE STARS BE NOT DARKENED, Heb. _While the sun, and the light, and the moon_, &c. That clause, _and the light_, seems to be added to signify that he speaks...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Ecclesiastes 12:2 sun H8121 light H216 moon H3394 stars H3556 darkened H2821 (H8799) clouds H5645 return H7725

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    ‘Before the sun and the light and the moon are darkened, and the clouds return after the rain. In the day when the keepers of the house will tremble, and the strong men will bend themselves, and the g...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Ecclesiastes 8:16-12 I. The Preacher commences this section by carefully defining his position and equipment as he starts on his last course. (1) His first conclusion is that wisdom, which of all temp...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    Ecclesiastes 12:1. _Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth:_ Now we get on solid ground. There is an irony in the advice, «Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    Ecclesiastes 12:1. _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;_ Do not give God the dre...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Exhortation to the young to be religious. The vanity of the world. CHARACTERS: God, Solomon. CONCLUSION: The great antidote against the diseases of youth, the love of mirth, the indulgence...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Ecclesiastes 12:1. _Remember now thy Creator._ Hebrews בוראיךְ _Boreicha,_ thy Creators. The word is plural, as אלהים _Elohim, Genesis 1:1_, designating the Divinity or Godhead, as Romans 1:20. Certai...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _The clouds return after the rain._ SORROW UNSPEAKABLE Coming home from the burial of his little Agnes, the late Nehemiah Adams, D.D., of Boston, drew out of his pocket the ribbon-tied key of her cas...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth._ THE CREATOR REMEMBERED How shall we understand this? Is it an allegory describing the weakening of the body? Is it a description of the Jews in ca...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    ECCLESIASTES—NOTE ON ECCLESIASTES 12:2 This section is a symbolic picture of aging and death. The common link between most of the images used in v. Ecclesiastes 12:6 appears to be

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL NOTES.— ECCLESIASTES 12:1. THY CREATOR.] The Hebrew word is in the plural form, denoting the fulness and wealth of the Divine nature. While the evil days come not.] The time of joyless old a...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION ECCLESIASTES 12:1 The division into chapters is unfortunate here, as this verse is closely connected with Ecclesiastes 12:10 of the preceding chapter. REMEMBER NOW THY CREATOR IN THE DAYS...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth (Ecclesiastes 12:1), It is interesting that most conversions are made during the teenage years. Seven-eighths of every decision for Jesus Christ is m...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Samuel 3:2; 1 Samuel 4:15; 1 Samuel 4:18; Ecclesiastes 11:7;...

  • Wells of Living Water Commentary

    THE RELIGION UNDER THE SUN Ecclesiastes 12:1 INTRODUCTORY WORDS We use the word "religion" in preference to "Christianity." There are many religions; there is but one Christianity, one Christ. There...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Which — Heb. While the sun, and the light, and the moon, &c. That clause, and the light, seems to be added to signify that he speaks of the darkening of the sun, and moon, and stars; not in themselves...

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