6 In the morning H1242 sow H2232 thy seed, H2233 and in the evening H6153 withhold H3240 not thine hand: H3027 for thou knowest H3045 not whether H335 shall prosper, H3787 either this or that, or whether they both H8147 shall be alike H259 good. H2896
Whatsoever thy hand H3027 findeth H4672 to do, H6213 do H6213 it with thy might; H3581 for there is no work, H4639 nor device, H2808 nor knowledge, H1847 nor wisdom, H2451 in the grave, H7585 whither thou goest. H1980
Preach G2784 the word; G3056 be instant G2186 in season, G2122 out of season; G171 reprove, G1651 rebuke, G2008 exhort G3870 with G1722 all G3956 longsuffering G3115 and G2532 doctrine. G1322
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
Sow H2232 to yourselves in righteousness, H6666 reap H7114 in H6310 mercy; H2617 break up H5214 your fallow ground: H5215 for it is time H6256 to seek H1875 the LORD, H3068 till he come H935 and rain H3384 righteousness H6664 upon you.
Ye have sown H2232 much, H7235 and bring H935 in little; H4592 ye eat, H398 but ye have not enough; H7654 ye drink, H8354 but ye are not filled with drink; H7937 ye clothe H3847 you, but there is none warm; H2527 and he that earneth wages H7936 earneth wages H7936 to put it into a bag H6872 with holes. H5344 Thus saith H559 the LORD H3068 of hosts; H6635 Consider H7760 H3824 your ways. H1870 Go up H5927 to the mountain, H2022 and bring H935 wood, H6086 and build H1129 the house; H1004 and I will take pleasure H7521 in it, and I will be glorified, H3513 saith H559 the LORD. H3068 Ye looked H6437 for much, H7235 and, lo, it came to little; H4592 and when ye brought H935 it home, H1004 I did blow H5301 upon it. Why? saith H5002 the LORD H3068 of hosts. H6635 Because H3282 of mine house H1004 that is waste, H2720 and ye run H7323 every man H376 unto his own house. H1004 Therefore the heaven H8064 over you is stayed H3607 from dew, H2919 and the earth H776 is stayed H3607 from her fruit. H2981 And I called H7121 for a drought H2721 upon the land, H776 and upon the mountains, H2022 and upon the corn, H1715 and upon the new wine, H8492 and upon the oil, H3323 and upon that which the ground H127 bringeth forth, H3318 and upon men, H120 and upon cattle, H929 and upon all the labour H3018 of the hands. H3709
I smote H5221 you with blasting H7711 and with mildew H3420 and with hail H1259 in all the labours H4639 of your hands; H3027 yet ye turned not to me, saith H5002 the LORD. H3068 Consider H7760 H3824 now from this day H3117 and upward, H4605 from the four H702 and twentieth H6242 day H3117 of the ninth H8671 month, even from the day H3117 that the foundation H3245 of the LORD'S H3068 temple H1964 was laid, consider H7760 H3824 it. Is the seed H2233 yet in the barn? H4035 yea, as yet the vine, H1612 and the fig tree, H8384 and the pomegranate, H7416 and the olive H2132 tree, H6086 hath not brought forth: H5375 from this day H3117 will I bless H1288 you.
But now I will not be unto the residue H7611 of this people H5971 as in the former H7223 days, H3117 saith H5002 the LORD H3068 of hosts. H6635 For the seed H2233 shall be prosperous; H7965 the vine H1612 shall give H5414 her fruit, H6529 and the ground H776 shall give H5414 her increase, H2981 and the heavens H8064 shall give H5414 their dew; H2919 and I will cause the remnant H7611 of this people H5971 to possess H5157 all these things.
And G2532 he said, G3004 So G3779 is G2076 the kingdom G932 of God, G2316 as G5613 if G1437 a man G444 should cast G906 seed G4703 into G1909 the ground; G1093 And G2532 should sleep, G2518 and G2532 rise G1453 night G3571 and G2532 day, G2250 and G2532 the seed G4703 should spring G985 and G2532 grow up, G3373 he G846 knoweth G1492 not G3756 how. G5613 For G1063 the earth G1093 bringeth forth fruit G2592 of herself; G844 first G4412 the blade, G5528 then G1534 the ear, G4719 after that G1534 the full G4134 corn G4621 in G1722 the ear. G4719 But G1161 when G3752 the fruit G2590 is brought forth, G3860 immediately G2112 he putteth in G649 the sickle, G1407 because G3754 the harvest G2326 is come. G3936
And G2532 he that reapeth G2325 receiveth G2983 wages, G3408 and G2532 gathereth G4863 fruit G2590 unto G1519 life G2222 eternal: G166 that G2443 both G2532 he that soweth G4687 and G2532 he that reapeth G2325 may rejoice G5463 together. G3674 And G1063 herein G1722 G5129 is G2076 that saying G3056 true, G228 G3754 One G243 soweth, G2076 G4687 and G2532 another G243 reapeth. G2325 I G1473 sent G649 you G5209 to reap G2325 that whereon G3739 ye G5210 bestowed G2872 no G3756 labour: G2872 other men G243 laboured, G2872 and G2532 ye G5210 are entered G1525 into G1519 their G846 labours. G2873
And G1161 some G5100 of G1537 them G846 were G2258 men G435 of Cyprus G2953 and G2532 Cyrene, G2956 which, G3748 when they were come G1525 to G1519 Antioch, G490 spake G2980 unto G4314 the Grecians, G1675 preaching G2097 the Lord G2962 Jesus. G2424 And G2532 the hand G5495 of the Lord G2962 was G2258 with G3326 them: G846 and G5037 a great G4183 number G706 believed, G4100 and turned G1994 unto G1909 the Lord. G2962
Who G5101 then G3767 is G2076 Paul, G3972 and G1161 who G5101 is Apollos, G625 but G235 G2228 ministers G1249 by G1223 whom G3739 ye believed, G4100 even G2532 as G5613 the Lord G2962 gave G1325 to every man? G1538 I G1473 have planted, G5452 Apollos G625 watered; G4222 but G235 God G2316 gave the increase. G837 So G5620 then neither G3777 is G2076 he that planteth G5452 any thing, G5100 neither G3777 he that watereth; G4222 but G235 God G2316 that giveth the increase. G837
Now G1161 he that ministereth G2023 seed G4690 to the sower G4687 both G2532 minister G5524 bread G740 for G1519 your food, G1035 and G2532 multiply G4129 your G5216 seed sown, G4703 and G2532 increase G837 the fruits G1081 of your G5216 righteousness;) G1343 Being enriched G4148 in G1722 every thing G3956 to G1519 all G3956 bountifulness, G572 which G3748 causeth G2716 through G1223 us G2257 thanksgiving G2169 to God. G2316
For all this I considered H5414 in my heart H3820 even to declare H952 all this, that the righteous, H6662 and the wise, H2450 and their works, H5652 are in the hand H3027 of God: H430 no man H120 knoweth H3045 either H1571 love H160 or hatred H8135 by all that is before H6440 them.
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