Ecclesiastes 12:11
Translations
King James Version (KJV)
The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.
American King James Version (AKJV)
The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.
American Standard Version (ASV)
The words of the wise are as goads; and as nails well fastened are the words of the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.
Basic English Translation (BBE)
The words of the wise are pointed, and sayings grouped together are like nails fixed with a hammer; they are given by one guide.
Webster's Revision
The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.
World English Bible
The words of the wise are like goads; and like nails well fastened are words from the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.
English Revised Version (ERV)
The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails well fastened are the words of the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.
Clarke's Ecclesiastes 12:11 Bible Commentary
The words of the wise - Doctrines of faith, illustrated by suitable language, are as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, בעלי אספות baaley asuphoth, the masters of collections, those who had made the best collections of this kind, the matter of which was of the most excellent nature; every saying sinking as deeply into the mind, by the force of the truth contained in it, as a nail well pointed does into a board, when impelled by the hammer's force. These masters of collections have been supposed to be public persons appointed by the prince himself, the sole shepherd, to see that nothing was put into the people's hands but what would be profitable for them to read; and that, when any wise man gave public instructions, a good scribe sat by to take down the words; and then the master examined what he had written, to see that it was upright, and that the words were doctrines of truth. These were something like our licensers of the press; but the existence of such is little more than conjecture.
After all, masters of assemblies may mean public teachers; that which was written, the oracles of God, out of which they instructed the people; the one Shepherd, God Almighty, from whom they received their authority and unction to preach the truth; and by the energy of whose Spirit the heavenly teaching was fastened in their hearts, as a well-driven nail in a sound piece of wood.
Barnes's Ecclesiastes 12:11 Bible Commentary
literally, Words of wise men are as goads, and as nails driven in (by) masters of assemblies; they are given from one shepherd: "goads," because they rouse the hearer and impel him to right actions; "nails" (perhaps tent-spikes), because they remain fixed in the memory: "masters of assemblies" are simply "teachers" or "preachers" (see Ecclesiastes 1:1 note), instructors of such assemblies as Wisdom addresses Proverbs 1:20.
One shepherd - i. e., God, who is the supreme Giver of wisdom Proverbs 2:6, and the chief Shepherd Jeremiah 23:1-4. Compare 1 Corinthians 2:12-13.
Wesley's Ecclesiastes 12:11 Bible Commentary
12:11 Nails - Piercing into men's dull minds, which make powerful and abiding impressions in them. Masters - By the teachers of God's church, appointed of God for that work. Shepherd - From Christ, the great Shepherd of the church in all ages.