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”;

Job 13:26

13:26 For you write down ⁴  bitter things against me

and cause me to inherit the sins of my youth. ⁵ 

Psalms 25:7

25:7 Do not hold against me ⁶  the sins of my youth ⁷  or my rebellious acts!

Because you are faithful to me, extend to me your favor, O Lord! ⁸ 

Psalms 25:2

25:2 My God, I trust in you.

Please do not let me be humiliated;

do not let my enemies triumphantly rejoice over me!

Psalms 3:1

Psalm 3 ⁹ 

A psalm of David, written when he fled from his son Absalom. ¹⁰ 

3:1 Lord, how ¹¹  numerous are my enemies!

Many attack me. ¹² 

[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.

[13:26]  ⁴ tn The meaning is that of writing down a formal charge against someone (cf. Job 31:15).

[13:26]  ⁵ sn Job acknowledges sins in his youth, but they are trifling compared to the suffering he now endures. Job thinks it unjust of God to persecute him now for those – if that is what is happening.

[25:7]  ⁶ tn Heb “do not remember,” with the intention of punishing.

[25:7]  ⁷ sn That is, the sins characteristic of youths, who lack moral discretion and wisdom.

[25:7]  ⁸ tn Heb “according to your faithfulness, remember me, you, for the sake of your goodness, O Lord.”

[3:1]  ⁹ sn Psalm 3. The psalmist acknowledges that he is confronted by many enemies (vv. 1-2). But, alluding to a divine oracle he has received (vv. 4-5), he affirms his confidence in God’s ability to protect him (vv. 3, 6) and requests that God make his promise a reality (vv. 7-8).

[3:1]  ¹⁰ sn According to Jewish tradition, David offered this prayer when he was forced to flee from Jerusalem during his son Absalom’s attempted coup (see 2 Sam 15:13-17).

[3:1]  ¹¹ tn The Hebrew term מָה (mah, “how”) is used here as an adverbial exclamation (see BDB 553 s.v.).

[3:1]  ¹² tn Heb “many rise up against me.”