Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 12:9–11

⁹Not only was the Teacher wise, but he also taught the people knowledge; he pondered, searched out, and arranged many proverbs. ¹⁰The Teacher searched to find delightful sayings and to record accurate words of truth.^a

¹¹The words of the wise are like goads, and the anthologies of the masters are like firmly embedded nails driven by a single Shepherd.^b

Footnotes

a 12:10 Or and sought to write what was upright and true
b 12:11 Or shepherd

Read all of Ecclesiastes 12

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 12:9

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Not only	וְיֹתֵ֕ר	wə·yō·ṯêr	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular	H3148 superiority, advantage, excess
was	שֶׁהָיָ֥ה	še·hā·yāh	Pronoun - relative; Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
the Teacher	קֹהֶ֖לֶת	qō·he·leṯ	Noun - masculine singular	H6953 collector
wise	חָכָ֑ם	ḥā·ḵām	Adjective - masculine singular	H2450 wise
but he also	ע֗וֹד	‘ō·wḏ	Adverb	H5750 a going round, continuance
taught	לִמַּד־	lim·maḏ-	Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H3925 exercise in, learn
the people	הָעָ֔ם	hā·‘ām	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H5971 people
knowledge	דַּ֙עַת֙	da·‘aṯ	Noun - feminine singular	H1847 knowledge
he pondered	וְאִזֵּ֣ן	wə·’iz·zên	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular	H239 weigh, test, prove
searched out	וְחִקֵּ֔ר	wə·ḥiq·qêr	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular	H2713 search
and arranged	תִּקֵּ֖ן	tiq·qên	Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H8626 become straight
many	הַרְבֵּֽה׃	har·bêh	Verb - Hifil - Infinitive absolute	H7235 be, or become, much, many, great
proverbs	מְשָׁלִ֥ים	mə·šā·lîm	Noun - masculine plural	H4912 proverb, parable

Ecclesiastes 12:10

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
The Teacher	קֹהֶ֔לֶת	qō·he·leṯ	Noun - masculine singular	H6953 collector
searched	בִּקֵּ֣שׁ	biq·qêš	Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H1245 seek
to find	לִמְצֹ֖א	lim·ṣō	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H4672 attain to, find
delightful	חֵ֑פֶץ	ḥê·p̄eṣ	Noun - masculine singular	H2656 delight, pleasure
sayings	דִּבְרֵי־	diḇ·rê-	Noun - masculine plural construct	H1697 speech, word
and to record	וְכָת֥וּב	wə·ḵā·ṯūḇ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular	H3789 write
accurate	יֹ֖שֶׁר	yō·šer	Noun - masculine singular	H3476 straightness, uprightness
words	דִּבְרֵ֥י	diḇ·rê	Noun - masculine plural construct	H1697 speech, word
of truth	אֱמֶֽת׃	’ĕ·meṯ	Noun - feminine singular	H571 firmness, faithfulness, truth

Ecclesiastes 12:11

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
The words	דִּבְרֵ֤י	diḇ·rê	Noun - masculine plural construct	H1697 speech, word
of the wise	חֲכָמִים֙	ḥă·ḵā·mîm	Adjective - masculine plural	H2450 wise
are like goads	כַּדָּ֣רְבֹנ֔וֹת	kad·dā·rə·ḇō·nō·wṯ	Preposition-k, Article; Noun - masculine plural	H1861 goad
and the anthologies	אֲסֻפּ֑וֹת	’ă·sup·pō·wṯ	Noun - feminine plural	H627 collection
of the masters	בַּעֲלֵ֣י	ba·‘ă·lê	Noun - masculine plural construct	H1167 owner, lord
are like firmly embedded	נְטוּעִ֖ים	nə·ṭū·‘îm	Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine plural	H5193 strike, fix, plant
nails	וּֽכְמַשְׂמְר֥וֹת	ū·ḵə·maś·mə·rō·wṯ	Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k; Noun - masculine plural	H4930 peg
driven	נִתְּנ֖וּ	nit·tə·nū	Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural	H5414 give, put, set
by a single	אֶחָֽד׃	’e·ḥāḏ	Number - masculine singular	H259 one
Shepherd	מֵרֹעֶ֥ה	mê·rō·‘eh	Preposition-m; Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H7462 pasture, tend, graze

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

Ecclesiastes 12:10 Colossians 1:5 · 1 Timothy 1:15 · Proverbs 16:21–24

Ecclesiastes 12:11 Jeremiah 23:29 · Hebrews 4:12 · Acts 2:37 · Ezekiel 34:23 · 2 Corinthians 10:4 · Proverbs 1:6 · John 3:10 · Proverbs 22:17 · Isaiah 40:11 · Psalm 23:1 · Matthew 3:7 · Psalm 80:1

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.