Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, Before the difficult days come,
And the years draw near when you say, “I have no pleasure in them” (NKJV)
A valuable saying from Solomon in the earlier days of his reign, when his gift of wisdom revealed many things, some of which were most unpleasant to bear, hence the style of his writing in Ecclesiastes.
But the purpose of this brief article is to open up what the original Hebrew actually says, because the word for Creator is in fact PLURAL. This means that the final word THEM actually refers to the CREATORS of the Universe, as it was revealed in Genesis 1 –
And God said, Let US make man in our image, after OUR likeness. (Gen.1:26)
Genesis chapter 1 contains details of the Trinity, which is reinforced by John in the first verse of his Gospel, when he said “And the Word was God”. It is doubtful whether Eccl.12:1 would challenge Jehovah’s Witnesses, knowing that they have left Genesis 1:26 unchanged. They have an answer for US and OUR in that verse. However, for all who delight in knowing the presence of the Trinity in the O.T. Solomon’s statement can now be added to the list of references which speak of Plurality in the Godhead. Here is a list of other references –
Genesis 3:22, Isaiah 6:8, 41:22-23, 42:1, and several others mentioned in Trapp’s commentary at the end of this article.
Here are some technical details for those who would like to have the facts at their fingertips.
Some commentaries, having seen the plural in Eccl.12:1 say it is an example of what is called pluralismajestatis, where the plural is used in the same way as royalty when they speak of themselves as US, and OUR. Bullinger takes this view in his Companion Bible. However, on looking up the other references to Creator in the O.T. we find it occurring in just two other places –
Isaiah 40:28 the Creator of the ends of the earth, and Isaiah 43:15 Jehovah, the Creator of Israel.
Now these other two references, in Isaiah, are both SINGULAR, and not as it is in Ecclesiastes.
In the singular, the Hebrew word sounds like BOWRAY, and is Kal participle, active singular masculine from the verb BARA, to create.
In the plural the Hebrew word sound like BOWREKA, and is Kal participle, active plural masculine from the verb BARA. The suffix KA is 2nd person singular masculine, hence the translation “your Creators” showing that Solomon was addressing just ONE young man in his remark.
Incidentally, the only English Bible translation that brings out the plural of Creator is Young’s Literal – (Robert Young was the author of Young’s Concordance)
Remember also thy Creators in days of thy youth, While that the evil days come not, Nor the years have arrived, that thou sayest, `I have no pleasure in them.’
Commentaries.
John Gill’s expositor. Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, &c. Or “Creators” as “Makers,” Job 35:10 Ps 149:2 Isa 54:5; for more than one were concerned, as in the creation of all things in general, so of man in particular, Ge 1:26; and these are neither more nor fewer than three; and are Father, Son, Spirit; the one God that has created men.
Jamieson, Faussett, & Brown. The Hebrew is “Creators,” plural, implying the plurality of persons, as in Ge1:26; so Hebrew, “Makers”.
Matthew Henry. Remember thy Creators; the word is plural, as it is Job 35:10, Where is God my Makers? For God said, Let us make man, us, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
John Trapp. Remember now thy Creator. Heb., Creators—Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, called by Elihu, EloaGnosia, “God my makers,” {Job 35:10} and by David, the “Makers of Israel.” {Ps 149:2} So Isa 54:5, “Thymakers is thine husbands.” “Let us make man”; {Ge 1:26} and, {Ge 1:1} Dii creavit. Those three in one, and one in three, made all things; but man he made “fearfully and wonderfully”; {Ps 139:14} the Father did it; {Eph 3:9} the Son; {Heb 1:8,10 Col 1:16} the Holy Ghost. {Ps 33:6,104:30 Job 36:13 33:4}
