Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:

ECCLESIASTES 12:5KJV
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Ecclesiastes 12:5 (KJV)

What does Ecclesiastes 12:5 mean?

Ecclesiastes 12:5 describes the fears and physical decline that come with old age, using vivid images to show how life slows down and desire fades as a person nears death. The verse ends by saying that people go to their "long home" (meaning the grave), while mourners gather in the streets.

In this verse, the Teacher (traditionally understood as Solomon) is speaking to his audience about the realities of aging and mortality. The images—being afraid of heights, the almond tree blossoming, the grasshopper becoming a burden, and desire failing—are poetic ways to describe the weakening body and spirit. The mention of mourners in the streets shows that the focus is on the end of life, tying this verse to the larger theme of Ecclesiastes about the fleeting nature of human existence.

The Hebrew behind Ecclesiastes 12:5

  • "Afraid" (יָרֵא, yare): This word means to fear or be afraid. Here it highlights how aging can bring new anxieties, even about ordinary things like heights or dangers along the way.
  • "Almond tree" (שָׁקֵד, shaqed): The almond tree blossoms with white flowers, often understood as a picture of white hair in old age.
  • "Grasshopper" (חָגָב, chagav): The grasshopper, usually light and agile, becomes a burden—showing how even small things can feel heavy or difficult for the elderly.
  • "Desire" (אֲבִיּוֹנָה, aviyonah): This word can mean appetite or desire. Its failure points to the loss of energy or passion that often comes with old age.
  • "Long" (עוֹלָם, olam): This word means everlasting or long-lasting. The "long home" refers to the grave, seen as a permanent dwelling compared to the temporary nature of life.

Why Ecclesiastes 12:5 matters

  • Ecclesiastes 12:5 uses poetic images to help readers understand the experience of aging, making the transition to death feel both relatable and sobering.
  • The verse connects the physical decline of old age with the spiritual reality that life is temporary, which is a key theme throughout Ecclesiastes.
  • By mentioning mourners in the streets, the verse reminds readers that death is a communal event, affecting not just the individual but the whole community.

Where else these words appear

“tree” Hebrew H8247 · used in 4 verses

  • Genesis 43:11 And their father Israel said unto them, If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds:
  • Numbers 17:8 And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.
  • Jeremiah 1:11 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree.

“streets” Hebrew H7784 · used in 4 verses

  • Proverbs 7:8 Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house,
  • Ecclesiastes 12:4 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;
  • Song of Solomon 3:2 I will rise now, and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not.

“grasshopper” Hebrew H2284 · used in 5 verses

  • Leviticus 11:22 Even these of them ye may eat; the locust after his kind, and the bald locust after his kind, and the beetle after his kind, and the grasshopper after his kind.
  • Numbers 13:33 And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.
  • 2 Chronicles 7:13 If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people;

“burden” Hebrew H5445 · used in 8 verses

  • Genesis 49:15 And he saw that rest was good, and the land that it was pleasant; and bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant unto tribute.
  • Isaiah 46:4 And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.
  • Isaiah 53:4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.