Ecclesiastes 12:8

Ecclesiastes 12:8 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity.
• New International Version (NIV)“Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Everything is meaningless!”
• English Standard Version (ESV)Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher; all is vanity.
• New Living Translation (NLT)“Everything is meaningless,” says the Teacher, “completely meaningless.”

Context of Ecclesiastes 12:8

6Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed, Or the golden bowl is broken, Or the pitcher shattered at the fountain, Or the wheel broken at the well. 7Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, And the spirit will return to God who gave it. “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “All is vanity.” 9And moreover, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yes, he pondered and sought out and set in order many proverbs. 10The Preacher sought to find acceptable words; and what was written was upright—words of truth.

Ecclesiastes 12:8 word by word

הֲבֵ֧ל הֲבָלִ֛ים אָמַ֥ר הַקּוֹהֶ֖לֶת הַכֹּ֥ל הָֽבֶל׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Vanityהֶ֫בֶלhebel hăbêl · vanityH1892
• saithאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• the preacherקֹהֶ֫לֶתqôheleth · preacherH6953

Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 12:8

• Ecclesiastes 1:2“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher; “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.”
• Ecclesiastes 2:17Therefore I hated life because the work that was done under the sun was distressing to me, for all is vanity and grasping for the wind.
• Ecclesiastes 4:4Again, I saw that for all toil and every skillful work a man is envied by his neighbor. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind.
• Ecclesiastes 6:12For who knows what is good for man in life, all the days of his vain life which he passes like a shadow? Who can tell a man what will happen after him under the sun?
• Ecclesiastes 8:8No one has power over the spirit to retain the spirit, And no one has power in the day of death. There is no release from that war, And wickedness will not deliver those who are given to it.
• Psalms 62:9Surely men of low degree are a vapor, Men of high degree are a lie; If they are weighed on the scales, They are altogether lighter than vapor.

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 12:8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8This affecting and minute description of old age and death is concluded by the author with the same exclamation by which he began this book: O vanity of vanities, saith Koheleth, all is vanity. Now that man, the masterpiece of God's creation, the delegated sovereign of this lower world, is turned to dust, what is there stable or worthy of contemplation besides? All - All is Vanity!Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8-14Verses 8-14 This passage is properly regarded as the Epilogue of the whole book; a kind of apology for the obscurity of many of its sayings. The passage serves therefore to make the book more intelligible and more acceptable. Here, as in the beginning of the book Ecclesiastes 1:1-2, the Preacher speaks of himself Ecclesiastes 12:8-10 in the third person. He first repeats Ecclesiastes 12:8 the mournful, perplexing theme with which his musings began…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 8-14Verses 8-14 Solomon repeats his text, VANITY OF VANITIES, ALL IS VANITY. These are the words of one that could speak by dear-bought experience of the vanity of the world, which can do nothing to ease men of the burden of sin. As he considered the worth of souls, he gave good heed to what he spake and wrote; words of truth will always be acceptable words. The truths of God are as goads to such as are dull and draw back, and nails to such as are wandering…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8This almost exact repetition of Ecclesiastes 1:2 summarizes the Teacher's conclusion.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 8-128-12. A summary of the first part. Vanity, &c.--Resumption of the sentiment with which the book began (Ec 1:2; 1Jo 2:17).Read the comment

In the dictionaries

• Conclusion
• Creator
• Heed
• Judgment
• Remember
• Whole
• Dead

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings