Ecclesiastes 12:1
Bible verses · Also called: Eccl 12:1, Eccles. 12:1, Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, Remember thy Creator, While the evil days come not
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Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
The text is the New Korean Revised Version (1998), shown under a licence from the Korean Bible Society. Wording may differ slightly from the Korean Revised Version and the Revised New Korean Standard Version. Read in the Korean Revised Version
An exhortation to remember one's Creator in the days of youth, before the evil days come. It is one of the final exhortations of Ecclesiastes and one of the verses most widely used as a motto for youth ministry.
Context
Ecclesiastes 11:9-10 urges the young to rejoice in their youth, yet to know that God will bring them into judgment for all these things. Ecclesiastes 12:1 continues that exhortation with the command to remember the Creator, and verses 2-7 portray old age and death in poetic imagery. The darkening of the sun, the light, the moon, and the stars; the trembling of the keepers of the house; the grinders ceasing because they are few; and the darkening of those that look out of the windows are commonly understood as figures for the weakening of the body in old age. Verse 7 states that the dust returns to the earth and the spirit returns to God, and verse 8 closes once again with "Vanity of vanities."
Interpretation
- The meaning of "remember": In Scripture, "to remember" means not merely to call something to mind but to act in accordance with that remembrance. To remember the Creator is understood to encompass an entire life lived in acknowledgment of Him.
- The title "Creator": By calling God "Creator," the verse is understood to convey that one should devote one's youth to the One who gave life. Noting the form of the Hebrew word, some scholars suggest a wordplay meant to be heard alongside similar-sounding words meaning "grave" or "well."
- The urgency of the time: Because the verse calls for remembrance before "the evil days" come, that is, the days of old age and failing strength, it is read as an exhortation not to postpone the decision of faith.
Questions of Application
As to whether the verse applies only to the young, most preachers read it more broadly: youth is singled out for special mention, but the point is that people of any age should remember the Creator now. In addition, the practice of matching each detail in the description of old age in verses 2-7 to a specific part of the body is a long-standing tradition, though some have criticized it as overly detailed interpretation.
In the Korean Church
It is one of the verses most frequently used as a motto for young adult ministries and college ministries and as a theme verse for youth retreats, and gospel songs set to the words of this verse are also sung.
Related Passages
- Ecclesiastes 11:9-10
- Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
- 1 Timothy 4:12
See also 4
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