Ecclesiastes 12:2

KJV1611 – Modern English

While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars are not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

עַ֠ד אֲשֶׁ֨ר לֹֽא־תֶחְשַׁ֤ךְ הַשֶּׁ֙מֶשׁ֙ וְהָא֔וֹר וְהַיָּרֵ֖חַ וְהַכּוֹכָבִ֑ים וְשָׁ֥בוּ הֶעָבִ֖ים אַחַ֥ר הַגָּֽשֶׁם׃

Transliteration

ʿad ʾăšer lō-teḥšaḵ ha-šemeš wə-hā-ʾôr wə-ha-yārēaḥ wə-ha-kôḵāḇîm wə-šāḇû he-ʿāḇîm ʾaḥar ha-gāšem

Grammar Details

• *ʿad*: preposition - until/before
• *ʾăšer*: relative particle - which/when
• *teḥšaḵ*: qal imperfect, 3rd person feminine singular - will be darkened
• *šemeš*: noun, feminine singular - sun
• *ʾôr*: noun, masculine singular - light
• *yārēaḥ*: noun, masculine singular - moon
• *kôḵāḇîm*: noun, masculine plural - stars
• *šāḇû*: qal perfect, 3rd person plural - they have returned
• *ʿāḇîm*: noun, masculine plural - clouds
• *ʾaḥar*: preposition - after
• *gāšem*: noun, masculine singular - rain

Word Meanings

• *teḥšaḵ*: becomes dark/is darkened/grows dim
• *šāḇû*: return/come back/recur

Other Translations

• Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

  Before the sun, light, moon, and stars grow dark, and the clouds return after the rain.

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  before the sun,{H8121} and the light,{H216} and the moon,{H3394} and the stars,{H3556} are darkened,{H2821} and the clouds{H5645} return{H7725} after{H310} the rain;{H1653}

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  While the sun{H8121}, or the light{H216}, or the moon{H3394}, or the stars{H3556}, be not darkened{H2821}{(H8799)}, nor the clouds{H5645} return{H7725}{(H8804)} after{H310} the rain{H1653}:

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  before the Sonne, ye light, ye Moone and the starres be darckened, and or the cloudes turne agayne after the rayne:

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  Whiles the sunne is not darke, nor ye light, nor the moone, nor the starres, nor the cloudes returne after the raine:

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  Before the sunne, the light, the moone, and starres be darkened, and or the cloudes turne agayne after the rayne:

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  Before the sun, the light, the moon, and the stars are darkened, And the clouds return after the rain;

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  While that the sun is not darkened, and the light, And the moon, and the stars, And the thick clouds returned after the rain.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  before the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars, are darkened, and the clouds return after the rain;

• American Standard Version (1901)

  before the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars, are darkened, and the clouds return after the rain;

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, are not dark, and the clouds come not back after the rain;

• World English Bible (2000)

  Before the sun, the light, the moon, and the stars are darkened, and the clouds return after the rain;

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  before the sun and the light of the moon and the stars grow dark, and the clouds disappear after the rain;

Referenced Verses

• Gen 27:1 : 1 And it happened, when Isaac was old and his eyes were dim so that he could not see, he called Esau his eldest son and said to him, My son: and he said to him, Here I am.
• Gen 48:10 : 10 Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. And he brought them near to him; and he kissed them, and embraced them.
• 1 Sam 3:2 : 2 And it happened at that time, when Eli was lying down in his place, and his eyes had begun to grow dim, that he could not see;
• 1 Sam 4:15 : 15 Now Eli was ninety-eight years old, and his eyes were dim so that he could not see.
• 1 Sam 4:18 : 18 And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck broke, and he died; for he was an old man and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.
• Ps 42:7 : 7 Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls: all Your waves and billows have gone over me.
• Ps 71:20 : 20 You, who have shown me great and severe troubles, shall revive me again, and shall bring me up again from the depths of the earth.
• Ps 77:16 : 16 The waters saw You, O God, the waters saw You; they were afraid; the depths also were troubled.
• Eccl 11:7-8 : 7 Truly the light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to behold the sun. 8 But if a man lives many years, and rejoices in them all, let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many. All that comes is vanity.
• Isa 5:30 : 30 And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea: and if one looks to the land, behold darkness and sorrow, and the light is darkened by the clouds of the heavens.
• Ezek 32:7-8 : 7 And when I extinguish you, I will cover the sky, and make its stars dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give its light. 8 All the bright lights of the sky will I make dark over you, and set darkness upon your land, says the Lord GOD.