Ecclesiastes
Ecclesiastes 12:5–7
5when men fear the heights and dangers of the road,
when the almond tree blossoms,
the grasshopper loses its spring,
and the caper berry shrivels —
for then man goes to his eternal home
and mourners walk the streets.
6Remember Him before the silver cord is snapped
and the golden bowl is crushed,
before the pitcher is shattered at the spring
and the wheel is broken at the well,
7before the dust returns to the ground from which it came
and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
Word by word
Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.
Ecclesiastes 12:5
| English | Hebrew | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| fear | יִרָ֙אוּ֙ | yi·rā·’ū | Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | H3372 fear |
| the heights | מִגָּבֹ֤הַּ | mig·gā·ḇō·ah | Preposition-m; Noun - masculine singular | H1364 high, exalted |
| and dangers | וְחַתְחַתִּ֣ים | wə·ḥaṯ·ḥat·tîm | Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine plural | H2849 terror |
| of the road | בַּדֶּ֔רֶךְ | bad·de·reḵ | Preposition-b, Article; Noun - common singular | H1870 way, road, distance, journey, manner |
| when the almond tree | הַשָּׁקֵד֙ | haš·šā·qêḏ | Article; Noun - masculine singular | H8247 almond(-tree) |
| blossoms | וְיָנֵ֤אץ | wə·yā·nêṣ | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine singular | H5006 contemn, spurn |
| the grasshopper | הֶֽחָגָ֔ב | he·ḥā·ḡāḇ | Article; Noun - masculine singular | H2284 locust, grasshopper |
| loses its spring | וְיִסְתַּבֵּ֣ל | wə·yis·tab·bêl | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hitpael - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine singular | H5445 bear |
| and the caper berry | הָֽאֲבִיּוֹנָ֑ה | hā·’ă·ḇî·yō·w·nāh | Article; Noun - feminine singular | H35 caper-berry |
| shrivels | וְתָפֵ֖ר | wə·ṯā·p̄êr | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect - third person feminine singular | H6565 break, frustrate |
| for then | כִּֽי־ | kî- | Conjunction | H3588 burning, branding |
| man | הָאָדָם֙ | hā·’ā·ḏām | Article; Noun - masculine singular | H120 man, mankind |
| goes | הֹלֵ֤ךְ | hō·lêḵ | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular | H1980 go, come, walk |
| to | אֶל־ | ’el- | Preposition | H413 motion to |
| his eternal | עוֹלָמ֔וֹ | ‘ō·w·lā·mōw | Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular | H5769 long duration, antiquity, futurity |
| home | בֵּ֣ית | bêṯ | Noun - masculine singular construct | H1004 house |
| and mourners | הַסֹּפְדִֽים׃ | has·sō·p̄ə·ḏîm | Article; Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural | H5594 wail, lament |
| walk | וְסָבְב֥וּ | wə·sā·ḇə·ḇū | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural | H5437 turn about, go around, surround |
| the streets | בָשּׁ֖וּק | ḇå̄š·šūq | Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singular | H7784 street |
Ecclesiastes 12:6
| English | Hebrew | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| before | עַ֣ד | ‘aḏ | Preposition | H5704 as far as, even to, up to, until, while |
| the silver | הַכֶּ֔סֶף | hak·ke·sep̄ | Article; Noun - masculine singular | H3701 silver, money |
| cord | חֶ֣בֶל | ḥe·ḇel | Noun - masculine singular construct | H2256 cord, territory, band |
| is snapped | יִרְחַק | yir·ḥaq | Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | H7368 be, or become, far, distant |
| and the golden | הַזָּהָ֑ב | haz·zā·hāḇ | Article; Noun - masculine singular | H2091 gold |
| bowl | גֻּלַּ֣ת | gul·laṯ | Noun - feminine singular construct | H1543 basin, bowl |
| is crushed | וְתָרֻ֖ץ | wə·ṯā·ruṣ | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person feminine singular | H7533 crush |
| the pitcher | כַּד֙ | kaḏ | Noun - feminine singular | H3537 jar |
| is shattered | וְתִשָּׁ֤בֶר | wə·ṯiš·šā·ḇer | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person feminine singular | H7665 break, break in pieces |
| at | עַל־ | ‘al- | Preposition | H5921 height |
| the spring | הַמַּבּ֔וּעַ | ham·mab·bū·a‘ | Article; Noun - masculine singular | H4002 spring of water |
| and the wheel | הַגַּלְגַּ֖ל | hag·gal·gal | Article; Noun - masculine singular | H1534 wheel, whirl, whirlwind |
| is broken | וְנָרֹ֥ץ | wə·nā·rōṣ | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular | H7533 crush |
| at | אֶל־ | ’el- | Preposition | H413 motion to |
| the well | הַבּֽוֹר׃ | hab·bō·wr | Article; Noun - masculine singular | H953 pit, cistern, well |
Ecclesiastes 12:7
| English | Hebrew | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| the dust | הֶעָפָ֛ר | he·‘ā·p̄ār | Article; Noun - masculine singular | H6083 dry earth, dust |
| returns | וְיָשֹׁ֧ב | wə·yā·šōḇ | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singular | H7725 turn back, return |
| to | עַל־ | ‘al- | Preposition | H5921 height |
| the ground | הָאָ֖רֶץ | hā·’ā·reṣ | Article; Noun - feminine singular | H776 earth, land |
| from which it came | כְּשֶׁהָיָ֑ה | kə·še·hā·yāh | Preposition-k, Pronoun - relative; Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular | H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be |
| and the spirit | וְהָר֣וּחַ | wə·hā·rū·aḥ | Conjunctive waw, Article; Noun - common singular | H7307 breath, wind, spirit |
| returns | תָּשׁ֔וּב | tā·šūḇ | Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular | H7725 turn back, return |
| to | אֶל־ | ’el- | Preposition | H413 motion to |
| God | הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים | hā·’ĕ·lō·hîm | Article; Noun - masculine plural | H430 God |
| who | אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ’ă·šer | Pronoun - relative | H834 particle of relation |
| gave it | נְתָנָֽהּ׃ | nə·ṯā·nāh | Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular; third person feminine singular | H5414 give, put, set |
Cross-references
Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.
Ecclesiastes 12:5 Job 17:13 · Jeremiah 9:17–20 · Job 30:23 · Proverbs 16:31 · Psalm 49:10–14 · Genesis 50:3–10 · Job 15:10 · Leviticus 19:32 · Psalm 71:18
Ecclesiastes 12:6 Zechariah 4:2–3
Ecclesiastes 12:7 Daniel 12:2 · Ecclesiastes 3:20–21 · Psalm 146:4 · Genesis 3:19 · Job 34:14–15 · Zechariah 12:1 · Isaiah 57:16 · Genesis 2:7 · Numbers 16:22 · Job 20:11 · Numbers 27:16 · Psalm 90:3
Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.
Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.