Lexical Summary abiyyonah: Longing, desire Original Word: אֲבִיּוֹנָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance desire From 'abah; provocative of desire; the caper berry (from its stimulative taste) -- desire. see HEBREW 'abah NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom abah Definition the caperberry NASB Translation caperberry (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs אֲבִיּוֺנָה noun feminine caper-berry (as stimulating desire) Ecclesiastes 12:5 (see GFMJBL 1891, 55 ff.; so ᵐ5 ᵑ9, Mishna אביונות, compare NHWB; see also ᵑ6; i.e. capparis spinosa, compare RiHWB; so Thes, Ew De, etc.; but Wetzst in De (German ed. 1875) proposes אֶבְיוֺנָה (as feminine of אביון) the poor soul in sense = נִשְׁמָתוֺ הָאֶבְיוֺנָה compare Symm ᵑ6, where double translation). Topical Lexicon Meaning and Background אֲבִיּוֹנָה appears only once in Scripture, in Ecclesiastes 12:5. The Berean Standard Bible renders it “the caper berry,” while many English versions translate it “desire.” Both senses converge on the thought of a natural stimulant—a last earthly impulse connected with appetite, vigor, and sexual delight. Whether envisioned as the literal caper berry, prized in antiquity for quickening appetite, or as an abstract yearning, the term signals a pleasure that once sparked life but will surely fade. Placement in the Poem of Aging (Ecclesiastes 12:1-7) The word stands near the climax of Solomon’s sweeping depiction of old age: “when men fear heights and dangers of the road, when the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper loses its spring, and the caper berry loses its appeal—for then man goes to his eternal home, and mourners go about the streets” (Ecclesiastes 12:5). Each image marks a faculty ebbing away. The blossoming almond tree hints at white hair, the sluggish grasshopper at failing mobility, and אֲבִיּוֹנָה at the collapse of appetite and passion. The cumulative effect emphasizes the certainty of death and the urgency of remembering the Creator “in the days of your youth” (Ecclesiastes 12:1). Cultural Insights on the Caper Berry Archaeology and classical literature confirm that caper buds and berries were eaten not primarily for flavor but for their reputed ability to “open” or stimulate. Rabbinic sources and Greek writers alike speak of them as aphrodisiacs. Thus the image would resonate immediately with an ancient audience: the strongest natural inducements eventually lose their potency. If the caper berry no longer excites, what hope is left in the realm of mere biology? Theological Emphases 1. Frailty of the flesh: Echoing Psalm 90:10 and 2 Samuel 19:35, the verse reminds readers that all physical powers, even the most ardent desires, are temporary. Ministry Application • Pastoral care of the elderly: The verse validates the lived experience of diminishing drives and can open gentle conversation about hope that transcends the body (2 Corinthians 4:16-18). Related Passages Psalm 90:10; 2 Samuel 19:35; Job 14:1-2; Isaiah 40:6-8; 1 Corinthians 15:42-54; 2 Corinthians 5:1-8; Philippians 3:20-21. Interpretive Considerations and Translation Choices Because the word is a hapax legomenon, context guides translators. The agricultural term “caper berry” best preserves the poem’s recurring botanical imagery (almond tree, grasshopper) and keeps the portrayal concrete. The abstract “desire” underscores the thematic contrast between waning pleasure and eternal destiny. Either choice points to the same theological truth: what once stirred the body fails, so the heart must be anchored in God. Summary אֲבִיּוֹנָה, whether read as caper berry or desire, stands as a vivid emblem of fading human vitality. Strategically placed in Solomon’s closing counsel, it reminds every generation that earthly impulses pass, death approaches, and only reverent remembrance of the Creator can prepare a soul for the “eternal home.” Forms and Transliterations הָֽאֲבִיּוֹנָ֑ה האביונה hā’ăḇîyōwnāh hā·’ă·ḇî·yō·w·nāh haaviyoNahLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Ecclesiastes 12:5 HEB: הֶֽחָגָ֔ב וְתָפֵ֖ר הָֽאֲבִיּוֹנָ֑ה כִּֽי־ הֹלֵ֤ךְ NAS: drags himself along, and the caperberry is ineffective. KJV: shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: INT: the grasshopper is ineffective and the caperberry for goes 1 Occurrence |
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