Logos Bible Study

Ecclesiastes 12:4b

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12:4and the doors along the street are shut;

when the sound of the grinding mill11 grows low,

and one is awakened12 by the sound of a bird,

and all their13 songs14 grow faint,15

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Footnotes

  1. 11 The noun טַחֲנָה (takhanah) refers to a “grinding-mill” where grain is ground into flour ( טַחֲנָה). The term is here used as a double entendre, figuratively describing the loss of one’s teeth at the onset of old age. The figurative usage also draws upon the polysemantic nature of this noun; the related Arabic root tahinat means “molar tooth” ( *טֹחֲנָה).
  2. 12 Heb “rises up.” The verb קוּם (qum, “to arise”) refers to being awakened from sleep in the middle of the night by a sound (e.g., Exod 12:30; 1 Sam 3:6, 8) and waking up early in the morning (e.g., Gen 24:54; Judg 16:3; Ruth 3:14; Neh 2:12; Job 14:12; 24:14); see קוּם 1; 877 קוּם 1.a. Here it describes one of the frustrations of old age: the elderly person is unable to get a full night’s sleep because every little sound awakens him in the middle of the night or too early in the morning.
  3. 13 The term “their” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity and smoothness.
  4. 14 Heb “all the daughters of song.” The expression “the daughters of song” (בְּנוֹת הַשִּׁיר, bénot hashir) is an idiom for “songs; musical sounds; melodious notes” ( I בַּת 2; 123 בַּת 5; §128.v). The genitive הַשִּׁיר (“song”) represents the nature, quality, character or condition of the construct בְּנוֹת (“daughters”); see §9.5.3b. The idiom refers to the musical songs sung during one’s youth or to the ability to hear songs that are sung. This line is lamenting the loss of hearing which occurs at the onset of old age.
  5. 15 Heb “are brought low.”

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

and the doors on the street are shut—when the sound of the grinding is low, and one rises up at the sound of a bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low—

NIVNew International Version (2011)

when the doors to the street are closed

and the sound of grinding fades;

when people rise up at the sound of birds,

but all their songs grow faint;

CSBChristian Standard Bible

the doors at the street are shut

while the sound of the mill fades;

when one rises at the sound of a bird,

and all the daughters of song grow faint.

NLTNew Living Translation

Remember him before the door to life’s opportunities is closed and the sound of work fades. Now you rise at the first chirping of the birds, but then all their sounds will grow faint.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

When the doors on the street are shut,

when the sound of the grinding mill is low;

one rises up to the sound of the bird,

and all the daughters of song are brought low.

KJV 1900King James Version

And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low;