Ecclesiastes 12:13

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

Ecclesiastes 12:13, King James Version

Ecclesiastes 12:13 in other translations

BSB	When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is this: Fear God and keep His commandments, because this is the whole duty of man.
WEB	This is the end of the matter. All has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.
ASV	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.
YLT	The end of the whole matter let us hear: --‘Fear God, and keep His commands, for this is the whole of man.
DARBY	Let us hear the end of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole of man.
BBE	This is the last word. All has been said. Have fear of God and keep his laws; because this is right for every man.
Webster	Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

What does Ecclesiastes 12:13 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

13. The grand inference of the whole book. Fear God--The antidote to following creature idols, and "vanities," whether self-righteousness (Ec 7:16, 18), or wicked oppression and other evils (Ec 8:12, 13), or mad mirth (Ec 2:2; 7:2-5), or self-mortifying avarice (Ec 8:13, 17), or youth spent without God (Ec 11:9; 12:1). this is the whole duty of man--literally, "this is the whole man," the full ideal of man, as originally contemplated, realized wholly by Jesus Christ alone; and, through Him, by saints now in part, hereafter perfectly (1Jo 3:22-24; Re 22:14).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 13 After all, the sum of the great business of human life is comprised in this short sentence, on which some millions of books have been already written! Fear God, and Keep His Commandments 1. Know that He Is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. 2. Reverence him; pay him adoration. 3. Love him, that you may be happy. Keep his commandments - They are contained in two words: 1. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart;" 2. "And thy neighbor as thyself." Blessed be God, much reading and much study are not necessary to accomplish this, which is called כל האדם col haadam, the whole of Adam; the whole that God required of the first man and of all his posterity. But the gospel of Jesus Christ must be understood to comprehend the full force of this short saying. The word duty, added here by our translators, spoils, if not Perverts, the sense. The whole passage is rendered with great simplicity by Coverdale: - "The same preacher was not wyse alone: but taught the people knowledge also. He gave good hede, sought out the grounde, and set forth many parables. His diligence was to fynde out acceptable wordes, right scripture, and the wordes of trueth. For the wordes of the wyse are like prickes and nales that go thorow, wherewith men are kepte together: for they are geven of one Shepherd onely. Therefore be warre (my sonne) that above these thou make thee not many and innumerable bookes, nor take dyverse doctrynes in hande, to weery thy body withall. "Let us heare the conclusion of all thinges; Feare God, and kepe his comaundementes, for that toucheth all men; for God shall judge all workes and secrete thinges, whether they be good or evell." I shall give the same from my old MS. Bible: - And wan Ecclesiastes was most wiis he taght the peple, and told out what he had don, and enserchinge maade many parablis. He soght profitable wordis, and wrote most right sermons, and ful of trewth, The wordis of wismen as prickis and as nailis into herte pigt: that bi the counseyle of maisteris ben geven of oon scheperd. More thann thes sone myn, ne seche thou; of making many bokes is noon eend, and oft bethinking is tormenting of the flesche. Eend of spekinge alle togydir heere mee. Drede God, and his hestis kepe; that is eche man. Alle thingis that ben maad schal bringen into dome, for eche erid thinge, whithir good or evyl it be.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Ecclesiastes 12:8-14

Solomon repeats his text, VANITY OF VANITIES, ALL IS VANITY. These are the words of one that could speak by dear-bought experience of the vanity of the world, which can do nothing to ease men of the burden of sin. As he considered the worth of souls, he gave good heed to what he spake and wrote; words of truth will always be acceptable words. The truths of God are as goads to such as are dull and draw back, and…

Read the full comment on Ecclesiastes 12:8-14 →

Ecclesiastes 12:13 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ס֥וֹףSof[the] end ofH5490

דָּבָ֖רda.Var[the] matterH1697

הַכֹּ֣לha.Kol<the> everythingH3605

נִשְׁמָ֑עnish.Ma'it has been heardH8085

אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853

הָאֱלֹהִ֤יםha.'E.lo.Him<the> GodH430

יְרָא֙ye.Ra'fearH3372

וְאֶת\־ve.'Etand <obj.>H853

מִצְוֹתָ֣יוmitz.vo.Tavcommandments hisH4687

שְׁמ֔וֹרshe.MorkeepH8104

כִּי\־ki-forH3588

זֶ֖הzehthisH2088

כָּל\־kol-[is] allH3605

הָאָדָֽם\׃ha.'a.Dam<the> humankindH120

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Ecclesiastes 12:13

Deuteronomy 10:12
And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,
Micah 6:8
He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
Deuteronomy 6:2
That thou mightest fear the Lord thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged.
Psalms 111:10-112:1
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever. Praise ye the Lord. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.
Psalms 145:19
He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.
Job 28:28
And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.
Luke 1:50
And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
Ecclesiastes 8:12
Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him:
Proverbs 1:7
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Proverbs 19:23
The fear of the Lord tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.
Psalms 115:13-15
He will bless them that fear the Lord, both small and great. The Lord shall increase you more and more, you and your children. Ye are blessed of the Lord which made heaven and earth.
Psalms 147:11
The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter. or, The endof the matter, even all that hath been heard is. Fear.
5:7; 8:12; Ge 22:12; De 6:2; 10:12; Ps 111:10; 112:1; 145:19; 147:11
Pr 1:7; 23:17; 1Pe 2:17; Re 19:5
for.
2:3; 6:12; Job 28:28; Ps 115:13-15; Pr 19:23; Lu 1:50

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Ecclesiastes 12:12
And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.
Ecclesiastes 12:13
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
Ecclesiastes 12:14
For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

Read all of Ecclesiastes 12

Ecclesiastes 12:13 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	El fin de todo el discurso oído es este: Teme á Dios, y guarda sus mandamientos; porque esto es el todo del hombre.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Écoutons la fin de tout ce qui a été dit: Crains Dieu, et garde ses commandements; car c’est là le tout de l’homme,
German Elberfelder 1871	Das Endergebnis des Ganzen laßt uns hören:Fürchte Gott und halte seine Gebote; denn das ist der ganze Mensch
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Finem loquendi pariter omnes audiamus. Deum time, et mandata ejus observa: hoc est enim omnis homo,