In V5 Solomon goes on to observe that old people are afraid of heights
In V5 Solomon goes on to observe that old people are afraid of heights
In V5 Solomon goes on to observe that old people are afraid of heights.
They become fearful of dying. Their gray hair flourishes and then falls out. Even the lightest weight is too much for them to carry. Their appetites and passions altogether cease because they go to their eternal home.
Those who mourn them will do so. The silver cord be loosed in V 6 refers to the thread of life being severed when their spirit departs from them. Solomon depicts their death as the silver cord being loosed, the golden bowl being broken, the pitcher shattering at the fountain and the wheel broken at the cistern - an underground water storage pit.
At death their body turns to dust and their spirit returns to God, who gave it. That said, Solomon concludes once more that life is futile and not worth living (CP V 8).
In V 9-12, Solomon then summarises his work (CP V 9-12). Solomon impresses upon his readers here that he was wise and still taught the people knowledge. He sought out and set in order many proverbs.
He searched to find the right words and wrote what was true and upright. God - the one shepherd in V 11 - inspired the words of truth Solomon spoke.
It needs to be restated here though that the "wisdom" of Proverbs is not the "wisdom" of Ecclesiastes. Proverbs was Godly wisdom, whereas Ecclesiastes is mainly human.