Ecclesiastes 12:7

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ecclesiastes 12:1-7

Here is, I. A call to young people to think of God, and mind their duty to him, when they are young: Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth. This is, 1. The royal preacher's application of his sermon concerning the vanity of the world and every thing in it. ?You that are young flatter yourselves with expectations of great things from it, but believe those that have tried it; it yields no solid satisfaction to a soul; therefore, that you may not be deceived by this vanity, nor too... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ecclesiastes 12:7

Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was ,.... The body, which is made of dust, and is no other in its present state than dust refined and enlivened; and when the above things take place, mentioned in Ecclesiastes 12:6 , or at death, it returns to its original earth; it becomes immediately a clod of earth, a lifeless lump of clay, and is then buried in the earth, where it rots, corrupts, and turns into it; which shows the frailty of man, and may serve to humble his pride, as well... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ecclesiastes 12:7

Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God - read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Ecclesiastes 12:7

Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was ; rather, and the dust return, etc.—the sentence begun above being still carried on to the end of the verse. Here we are told what becomes of the complex man at death, and are thus led to the explanation of the allegorical language used throughout. Without metaphor now it is stated that the material body, when life is extinct, returns to that matter out of which it was originally made ( Genesis 2:7 ; Genesis 3:19 ; comp. Job 34:15 ; ... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Ecclesiastes 12:7

The spirit - i. e., The spirit separated unto God from the body at death. No more is said here of its future destiny. To return to God, who is the fountain Psalms 36:9 of Life, certainly means to continue to live. The doctrine of life after death is implied here as in Exodus 3:6 (compare Mark 12:26), Psalms 17:15 (see the note), and in many other passages of Scripture earlier than the age of Solomon. The inference that the soul loses its personality and is absorbed into something else has no... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Ecclesiastes 12:7

Ecclesiastes 12:7. Then shall the dust The body, called dust, both on account of its original, which was from the dust, and to signify its vile and corruptible nature. As it was Whence it was first taken. He alludes to Genesis 3:19. And the spirit The soul of man, so called, because of its spiritual or immaterial nature; shall return unto God Into his presence, and before his tribunal, that it may there be sentenced to its everlasting habitation, either to abide with God forever, if... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Ecclesiastes 12:1-8

Advice to young people (11:9-12:8)God’s will is that people enjoy life. In fact, they have a responsibility to do so. The writer urges young people especially to take note of this and not to misuse their mental or physical powers through developing wrong attitudes to life. However, their enjoyment of life must be according to a proper understanding of God and his character. They, like all others, are answerable to him for their behaviour (9-10).Young people should remember that God is the... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Ecclesiastes 12:7

dust. Figure of speech Metonymy (of Cause), App-6 , put for the body which is made of dust (Genesis 2:7 ; Genesis 3:19 . Psalms 104:29 . Job 34:15 , Job 34:16 ). as it was. Note the reference to Adam's creation. spirit. Hebrew. ruach. App-9 . Not nephesh, soul ( App-13 ). return unto God. Hence He is said to be the God of the spirits of all flesh (Numbers 16:22 ; Numbers 27:16 . Compare Luke 23:46 . Acts 7:59 ); "the Father of spirits" (Hebrews 12:9 ). God. Hebrew. Elohim. (with Art.)... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Ecclesiastes 12:1-7

THE PICTURE OF OLD AGE, From Ecclesiastes 12:1-7 according to the common Translation. The royal preacher, in the first seven verses of this chapter, enforces the duty of early religion, by arguments principally drawn from the decay of the intellectual and corporeal powers in an advanced age. The evils induced upon the mental system are little more than cursorily spoken of. The inconveniences resulting to the bodily structure from a long series of years, are more particularly expatiated upon.... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Ecclesiastes 12:7

Ecclesiastes 12:7. Then shall the dust return to the earth.— Desvoeux connects this with the preceding verse; at the end of which he places a semicolon only, and reads thus, And the dust return into the earth as it was, and the spirit return unto God who gave it. From the 7th verse of the preceding chapter we have the third precept, which, on account of its importance, is more enlarged upon than the two former, and has some retrospect to the three propositions considered jointly, but a more... read more

Group of Brands