Albert Barnes Commentary Ecclesiastes 12:8-14

"Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher; all is vanity. And further, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he pondered, and sought out, [and] set in order many proverbs. The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words, and that which was written uprightly, [even] words of truth. The words of the wise are as goads; and as nails well fastened are [the words of] the masters of assemblies, [which] are given from one shepherd. And furthermore, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh. [This is] the end of the matter; all hath been heard: fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole [duty] of man. For God will bring every work into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil." — Ecclesiastes 12:8-14 (ASV)

This passage is properly regarded as the Epilogue of the whole book; a kind of justification 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 (Ecclesiastes 1:2); and then states the encouraging practical conclusion (Ecclesiastes 12:13–14) to which they have led him. It has been pointed out that the Epilogue assumes the identity of the Preacher with the writer of the Book of Proverbs.

Literally, Words of wise men are as goads, and as nails driven in (by) masters of assemblies; they are given from one shepherd (Ecclesiastes 12:11). “Goads,” because they rouse the hearer and impel him to right actions; “nails” (perhaps tent-spikes), because they remain fixed in the memory. “Masters of assemblies” are simply “teachers” or “preachers” (see the note on Ecclesiastes 1:1), instructors of such assemblies as Wisdom addresses (Proverbs 1:20).

One shepherd – that is, God, who is the supreme Giver of wisdom (Proverbs 2:6), and the chief Shepherd (Jeremiah 23:1–4). Compare 1 Corinthians 2:12–13.

By these (Ecclesiastes 12:12) – that is, “By the words of wise men.”

Books (Ecclesiastes 12:12) – Rather, “Writings.” Probably the proverbs current in the Preacher’s age, including, though not especially indicating, his own.

The Preacher protests against the folly of protracted, unprofitable meditation.

Literally, “The conclusion of the discourse” (or “word,” meaning words, Ecclesiastes 1:1), “the whole, let us hear” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).

The whole duty of man (Ecclesiastes 12:13) – Rather, the whole man. To revere God and to obey Him is the whole man and constitutes man’s whole being. That alone is conceded to Man; all other things, as this book teaches again and again, are dependent on a Higher, Incomprehensible Being.

Judgment with (Ecclesiastes 12:14) – Rather, judgment (which will be held) upon the things specified in the verse: that is, an appointed judgment which will take place in another world. This is distinct from the retribution that frequently follows a person’s actions in the course of this world, and which is too imperfect (Ecclesiastes 4:1; Ecclesiastes 7:15; Ecclesiastes 9:2, and others) to be described by these expressions.

One who is fully convinced that there is no solid happiness to be found in this world, and that there is a world to come in which God will adjudge people to happiness or misery respectively, as they have made their choice and acted here, must necessarily subscribe to the truth of Solomon’s conclusion: that true religion is the only way to true happiness.