Ecclesiastes 12:1

Fear God Now Because Old Age and Death Come Quickly

12:1 So remember ¹  your Creator in the days of your youth –

before ²  the difficult ³  days come,

and the years draw near when you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”;

Isaiah 51:13

51:13 Why do you forget ⁴  the Lord, who made you,

who stretched out the sky ⁵ 

and founded the earth?

Why do you constantly tremble all day long ⁶ 

at the anger of the oppressor,

when he makes plans to destroy?

Where is the anger of the oppressor? ⁷ 

Isaiah 51:1

There is Hope for the Future

51:1 “Listen to me, you who pursue godliness, ⁸ 

who seek the Lord!

Look at the rock from which you were chiseled,

at the quarry ⁹  from which you were dug! ¹⁰ 

Isaiah 4:1

4:1 Seven women will grab hold of

one man at that time. ¹¹ 

They will say, “We will provide ¹²  our own food,

we will provide ¹³  our own clothes;

but let us belong to you ¹⁴  –

take away our shame!” ¹⁵ 

[12:1]  ¹ tn The imperative זְכֹר (zekhor, “Remember!”) is a figurative expression (metonymy of association) for obeying God and acknowledging his lordship over one’s life (e.g., Num 15:40; Deut 8:18; Pss 42:6-7; 63:6-8; 78:42; 103:18; 106:7; 119:52, 55; Jer 51:50; Ezek 20:43; Jonah 2:7; Mal 4:4). The exhortation to fear God and obey his commands in 12:13-14 spells out what it means to “remember” God.

[12:1]  ² tn The temporal adjective עַד (’ad, “before”) appears three times in 12:1-7 (vv. 1b, 2a, 6a). Likewise, the temporal preposition בְּ (bet, “when”) is repeated (vv. 3a, 4b). These seven verses comprise one long sentence in Hebrew: The main clause is 12:1a (“Remember your Creator in the days of your youth”), while 12:1b-7 consists of five subordinate temporal clauses (“before…before…when…when…before…”).

[12:1]  ³ tn The adjective רָעָה (ra’ah, “evil”) does not refer here to ethical evil, but to physical difficulty, injury, pain, deprivation and suffering (e.g., Deut 31:17, 21; 32:23; 1 Sam 10:19; Neh 1:3; 2:17; Pss 34:20; 40:13; 88:4; 107:26; Eccl 11:10; Jer 2:27; Lam 3:38); see HALOT 1263 s.v. רָעָה 4.b; BDB 949 s.v. רָעָה 2.

[51:13]  ⁴ tn Heb “and that you forget.”

[51:13]  ⁵ tn Or “the heavens” (also in v. 16). The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.

[51:13]  ⁶ tn Heb “and that you tremble constantly all the day.”

[51:13]  ⁷ tn The question anticipates the answer, “Ready to disappear!” See v. 14.

[51:1]  ⁸ tn Or “righteousness” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NAB “justice”; NLT “hope for deliverance.”

[51:1]  ⁹ tn Heb “the excavation of the hole.”

[51:1]  ¹⁰ sn The “rock” and “quarry” refer here to Abraham and Sarah, the progenitors of the nation.

[4:1]  ¹¹ tn Or “in that day” (ASV).

[4:1]  ¹² tn Heb “eat” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV); CEV “buy.”

[4:1]  ¹³ tn Heb “wear” (so NASB, NRSV); NCV “make.”

[4:1]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “only let your name be called over us.” The Hebrew idiom “call the name over” indicates ownership. See 2 Sam 12:28, and BDB 896 s.v. I ָקרָא Niph. 2.d.(4). The language reflects the cultural reality of ancient Israel, where women were legally the property of their husbands.

[4:1]  ¹⁵ sn This refers to the humiliation of being unmarried and childless. The women’s words reflect the cultural standards of ancient Israel, where a woman’s primary duties were to be a wife and mother.