Tony:  Epi, what can you say about this?

Ecc 12:5 yea, they shall be afraid of that which is high, and terrors shall be in the way; and the almond-tree shall blossom, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail; because man goeth to his everlasting home, and the mourners go about the streets:

Ecc 12:6 before the silver cord is loosed, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern,
Ecc 12:7 and the dust returneth to the earth as it was, and the spirit returneth unto God who gave it.

I think this has something to do with death. What is that silver chord, golden bowl, pitcher or wheel?

EMA:  You are right on death.

Ecclesiastes 12:1-7 describe old age leading to death to the youth with an advice to seek God while he is still young and before he grows old.

Ecclesiastes 12:1 Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth,
      Before the difficult days come… 

Old age is a difficulty to a man that his view of the pleasures he once enjoyed in his youth is, “I have no pleasure in them” (verse 1).

Verses 3-6 use objects to represent parts of the human body of a frail old man (which you and I have not yet reached.

In verse 3 “the keepers of the house” could refer to the hands and feet which tremble at old age. The “grinders” refer to the teeth which become few, and eyes dim.

:3 In the day when the keepers of the house tremble,
      And the strong men bow down;

      When the grinders cease because they are few,

      And those that look through the windows grow dim;
      

Verse 4 shows an old man sleeps differently from a baby. He awakes even by just “the sound of a bird” but he is deaf that he could hardly hear music.

:4 When the doors are shut in the streets,
      And the sound of grinding is low;
      When one rises up at the sound of a bird,
      And all the daughters of music are brought low.
  

Verse 5 describes an old man’s fear of height.  What’s more, his “desire fails”, even to beautiful young women, he being about to die.

:5 Also they are afraid of height,
    And of terrors in the way;
    When the almond tree blossoms,
    The grasshopper is a burden,
    And desire fails.

Last part of verse 5 shows a funeral.

    For man goes to his eternal home,
    And the mourners go about the streets.

In verse 6, what you have enumerated (silver chord, golden bowl, pitcher or wheel) just symbolize the point when man ceases to breath at death.

      :6 Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed,
      Or the golden bowl is broken,
      Or the pitcher shattered at the fountain,
      Or the wheel broken at the well.

Verse 7 points where the dead man goes and the return of his breath to God who gave it.

   :7 Then the dust will return to the earth as it was,
      And the spirit will return to God who gave it.

Tony:  thanks epi.

EMA:  You’re welcome.