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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadPaul Kretzmann Commentary - Ecclesiastes 12:8 - 12:14
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The Conclusion of the Book
v. 8. Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, who now summarizes the teaching of the entire book; all is vanity, the entire human life in itself is empty and futile.
v. 9. And moreover, because the Preacher was wise, speaking on the basis of many years' experience, with the wisdom given him from on high, he still taught the people knowledge, dispensing it orally whenever opportunity offered; yea, he gave good heed, he considered, weighed, marked carefully, and sought out and set in order, after such careful meditation and reflection, many proverbs, which were transmitted in writing to serve a wider circle.
v. 10. The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words, setting forth his maxims in a pleasant, appealing way; and that which was written was upright, simple and straightforward, even words of truth, unmistakable in their meaning.
v. 11. The words of the wise are as goads, their inspired character causing them to pierce deeply into the mind, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, uniting the individual statements in collections, or books, which are given from one shepherd, a single wise and inspired teacher directing the editing of the book, as we see in the case of Solomon's books.
v. 12. And further, by these, by the proverbs and maxims of wisdom, my son, be admonished, Solomon here speaking with fatherly affection. Of making many books there is no end, the number of useless and even dangerous books having increased to such an extent as to make them an outright menace; and much study is a weariness of the flesh, aimless reading, particularly of harmful books, weakens mind and body.
v. 13. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter, over against the unsystematic devouring of books resulting in mental and spiritual indigestion: Fear God and keep His commandments; for this is the whole duty of man, sanctification flowing out of reverence of faith.
v. 14. For God shall bring every work into Judgment, everything being revealed before Him on the Last Day, with every secret thing, which men foolishly and fatuously believed they could hide before His omniscience, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. "Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless," 2Pe_3:14.