3 If the clouds H5645 be full H4390 of rain, H1653 they empty H7324 themselves upon the earth: H776 and if the tree H6086 fall H5307 toward the south, H1864 or toward the north, H6828 in the place H4725 where the tree H6086 falleth, H5307 there it shall be. H1933
Thou visitest H6485 the earth, H776 and waterest H7783 it: thou greatly H7227 enrichest H6238 it with the river H6388 of God, H430 which is full H4390 of water: H4325 thou preparest H3559 them corn, H1715 when thou hast so provided H3559 for it. Thou waterest H7301 the ridges H8525 thereof abundantly: H7301 thou settlest H5181 the furrows H1417 H1418 thereof: thou makest it soft H4127 with showers: H7241 thou blessest H1288 the springing H6780 thereof. Thou crownest H5849 the year H8141 with thy goodness; H2896 and thy paths H4570 drop H7491 fatness. H1880 They drop H7491 upon the pastures H4999 of the wilderness: H4057 and the little hills H1389 rejoice H1524 on every side. H2296 The pastures H3733 are clothed H3847 with flocks; H6629 the valleys H6010 also are covered over H5848 with corn; H1250 they shout for joy, H7321 they also sing. H7891
And it came to pass in the mean while, H3541 that the heaven H8064 was black H6937 with clouds H5645 and wind, H7307 and there was a great H1419 rain. H1653 And Ahab H256 rode, H7392 and went H3212 to Jezreel. H3157
For as the rain H1653 cometh down, H3381 and the snow H7950 from heaven, H8064 and returneth H7725 not thither, but watereth H7301 the earth, H776 and maketh it bring forth H3205 and bud, H6779 that it may give H5414 seed H2233 to the sower, H2232 and bread H3899 to the eater: H398 So shall my word H1697 be that goeth forth H3318 out of my mouth: H6310 it shall not return H7725 unto me void, H7387 but it shall accomplish H6213 that which I please, H2654 and it shall prosper H6743 in the thing whereto I sent H7971 it.
And G1161 now G2235 also G2532 the axe G513 is laid G2749 unto G4314 the root G4491 of the trees: G1186 therefore G3767 every G3956 tree G1186 which bringeth G4160 not G3361 forth G4160 good G2570 fruit G2590 is hewn down, G1581 and G2532 cast G906 into G1519 the fire. G4442
Then G1161 said he G2036 unto G4314 the dresser of his vineyard, G289 Behold, G2400 these three G5140 years G2094 I come G2064 seeking G2212 fruit G2590 on G1722 this G5026 fig tree, G4808 and G2532 find G2147 none: G3756 cut G1581 it G846 down; G1581 why G2444 G2532 cumbereth G2673 it G846 the ground? G1093
And G1161 it came to pass, G1096 that the beggar G4434 died, G599 and G2532 was carried G667 by G5259 the angels G32 into G1519 Abraham's G11 bosom: G2859 the rich man G4145 also G1161 G2532 died, G599 and G2532 was buried; G2290 And G2532 in G1722 hell G86 he lift up G1869 his G846 eyes, G3788 being G5225 in G1722 torments, G931 and seeth G3708 Abraham G11 afar G3113 off, G575 and G2532 Lazarus G2976 in G1722 his G846 bosom. G2859 And G2532 G846 he cried G5455 and said, G2036 Father G3962 Abraham, G11 have mercy G1653 on me, G3165 and G2532 send G3992 Lazarus, G2976 that G2443 he may dip G911 the tip G206 of his G846 finger G1147 in water, G5204 and G2532 cool G2711 my G3450 tongue; G1100 for G3754 I am tormented G3600 in G1722 this G5026 flame. G5395 But G1161 Abraham G11 said, G2036 Son, G5043 remember G3415 that G3754 thou G4771 in G1722 thy G4675 lifetime G2222 receivedst G618 thy G4675 good things, G18 and G2532 likewise G3668 Lazarus G2976 evil things: G2556 but G1161 now G3568 G3592 he is comforted, G3870 and G1161 thou G4771 art tormented. G3600 And G2532 beside G1909 all G3956 this, G5125 between G3342 us G2257 and G2532 you G5216 there is G4741 a great G3173 gulf G5490 fixed: G4741 so that G3704 they which would G2309 pass G1224 from hence G1782 to G4314 you G5209 cannot; G3361 G1410 neither G3366 can they pass G1276 to G4314 us, G2248 that would come from thence. G1564
But G1161 whoso G3739 G302 hath G2192 this world's G2889 good, G979 and G2532 seeth G2334 his G846 brother G80 have G2192 need, G5532 and G2532 shutteth up G2808 his G846 bowels G4698 of compassion from G575 him, G846 how G4459 dwelleth G3306 the love G26 of God G2316 in G1722 him? G846
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on Ecclesiastes 11
Commentary on Ecclesiastes 11 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
“Let thy bread go forth over the watery mirror: for in the course of many days shalt thou find it.” Most interpreters, chiefly the Talm., Midrash, and Targ.,
(Note: The Midrash tells the following story: Rabbi Akiba sees a ship wrecked which carried in it one learned in the law. He finds him again actively engaged in Cappadocia. What whale, he asked him, has vomited thee out upon dry land? How hast thou merited this? The scribe learned in the law thereupon related that when he went on board the ship, he gave a loaf of bread to a poor man, who thanked him for it, saying: As thou hast saved my life, may thy life be saved. Thereupon Akiba thought of the proverb in Ecclesiastes 11:1. Similarly the Targ.: Extend to the poor the bread for thy support; they sail in ships over the water.)
regard this as an exhortation to charity, which although practised without expectation of reward, does not yet remain unrewarded at last. An Aram. proverb of Ben Sira's ( vid ., Buxtorf's Florilegium , p. 171) proceeds on this interpretation: “Scatter thy bread on the water and on the dry land; in the end of the days thou findest it again.” Knobel quotes a similar Arab. proverb from Diez' Denkwürdigkeiten von Asien (Souvenirs of Asia), II 106: “Do good; cast thy bread into the water: thou shalt be repaid some day.” See also the proverb in Goethe's Westöst. Divan , compared by Herzfeld. Voltaire, in his Précis de l'Ecclésiaste en vers , also adopts this rendering:
Repandez vos bien faits avec magnificence,
Même aux moins vertueux ne les refusez pas.
Ne vous informez pas de leur reconnaissance -
Il est grand, il est beau de faire des ingrats