8 But if a man H120 live H2421 many H7235 years, H8141 and rejoice H8055 in them all; yet let him remember H2142 the days H3117 of darkness; H2822 for they shall be many. H7235 All that cometh H935 is vanity. H1892
There is no end H7093 of all the people, H5971 even of all that have been before H6440 them: they also that come after H314 shall not rejoice H8055 in him. Surely this also is vanity H1892 and vexation H7475 of spirit. H7307
How G3754 that G3754 they told G3004 you G5213 there should be G2071 mockers G1703 in G1722 the last G2078 time, G5550 who should walk G4198 after G2596 their own G1438 ungodly G763 lusts. G1939
Then G3767 Jesus G2424 said G2036 unto them, G846 Yet G2089 a little G3398 while G5550 is G2076 the light G5457 with G3326 you. G5216 Walk G4043 while G2193 ye have G2192 the light, G5457 lest G3363 darkness G4653 come upon G2638 you: G5209 for G2532 he that walketh G4043 in G1722 darkness G4653 knoweth G1492 not G3756 whither G4226 he goeth. G5217
Then G5119 said G2036 the king G935 to the servants, G1249 Bind G1210 him G846 hand G5495 and G2532 foot, G4228 and take G142 him G846 away, G142 and G2532 cast G1544 him into G1519 outer G1857 darkness; G4655 there G1563 shall be G2071 weeping G2805 and G2532 gnashing G1030 of teeth. G3599
A day H3117 of darkness H2822 and of gloominess, H653 a day H3117 of clouds H6051 and of thick darkness, H6205 as the morning H7837 spread H6566 upon the mountains: H2022 a great H7227 people H5971 and a strong; H6099 there hath not been H1961 ever H5769 the like, neither shall be any more H3254 after H310 it, even to the years H8141 of many H1755 generations. H1755
Give H5414 glory H3519 to the LORD H3068 your God, H430 before he cause darkness, H2821 and before your feet H7272 stumble H5062 upon the dark H5399 mountains, H2022 and, while ye look H6960 for light, H216 he turn H7760 it into the shadow of death, H6757 and make H7896 H7896 it gross darkness. H6205
Remember H2142 now thy Creator H1254 in the days H3117 of thy youth, H979 while the evil H7451 days H3117 come H935 not, nor the years H8141 draw nigh, H5060 when thou shalt say, H559 I have no pleasure H2656 in them; While the sun, H8121 or the light, H216 or the moon, H3394 or the stars, H3556 be not darkened, H2821 nor the clouds H5645 return H7725 after H310 the rain: H1653 In the day H3117 when the keepers H8104 of the house H1004 shall tremble, H2111 and the strong H2428 men H582 shall bow H5791 themselves, and the grinders H2912 cease H988 because they are few, H4591 and those that look out H7200 of the windows H699 be darkened, H2821 And the doors H1817 shall be shut H5462 in the streets, H7784 when the sound H6963 of the grinding H2913 is low, H8217 and he shall rise up H6965 at the voice H6963 of the bird, H6833 and all the daughters H1323 of musick H7892 shall be brought low; H7817 Also when they shall be afraid H3372 of that which is high, H1364 and fears H2849 shall be in the way, H1870 and the almond tree H8247 shall flourish, H5006 and the grasshopper H2284 shall be a burden, H5445 and desire H35 shall fail: H6565 because man H120 goeth H1980 to his long H5769 home, H1004 and the mourners H5594 go about H5437 the streets: H7784
Then I commended H7623 mirth, H8057 because a man H120 hath no better thing H2896 under the sun, H8121 than to eat, H398 and to drink, H8354 and to be merry: H8055 for that shall abide H3867 with him of his labour H5999 the days H3117 of his life, H2416 which God H430 giveth H5414 him under the sun. H8121
In the day H3117 of prosperity H2896 be joyful, H2896 but in the day H3117 of adversity H7451 consider: H7200 God H430 also hath set H6213 the one over against H5980 the other, to the end H1700 that man H120 should find H4672 nothing H3972 after H310 him.
Behold that which I have seen: H7200 it is good H2896 and comely H3303 for one to eat H398 and to drink, H8354 and to enjoy H7200 the good H2896 of all his labour H5999 that he taketh H5998 under the sun H8121 all H4557 the days H3117 of his life, H2416 which God H430 giveth H5414 him: for it is his portion. H2506 Every man H120 also to whom God H430 hath given H5414 riches H6239 and wealth, H5233 and hath given him power H7980 to eat H398 thereof, and to take H5375 his portion, H2506 and to rejoice H8055 in his labour; H5999 this H2090 is the gift H4991 of God. H430 For he shall not much H7235 remember H2142 the days H3117 of his life; H2416 because God H430 answereth H6031 him in the joy H8057 of his heart. H3820
As he came forth H3318 of his mother's H517 womb, H990 naked H6174 shall he return H7725 to go H3212 as he came, H935 and shall take H5375 nothing H3972 of his labour, H5999 which he may carry away H3212 in his hand. H3027 And this H2090 also is a sore H2470 evil, H7451 that in all points H5980 as he came, H935 so shall he go: H3212 and what profit H3504 hath he that hath laboured H5998 for the wind? H7307
There is H3426 one H259 alone, and there is not a second; H8145 yea, he hath neither child H1121 nor brother: H251 yet is there no end H7093 of all his labour; H5999 neither is his eye H5869 satisfied H7646 with riches; H6239 neither saith he, For whom do I labour, H6001 and bereave H2637 my soul H5315 of good? H2896 This is also vanity, H1892 yea, it is a sore H7451 travail. H6045
I know H3045 that there is no good H2896 in them, but for a man to rejoice, H8055 and to do H6213 good H2896 in his life. H2416 And also that every man H120 should eat H398 and drink, H8354 and enjoy H7200 the good H2896 of all his labour, H5999 it is the gift H4991 of God. H430
For God giveth H5414 to a man H120 that is good H2896 in his sight H6440 wisdom, H2451 and knowledge, H1847 and joy: H8057 but to the sinner H2398 he giveth H5414 travail, H6045 to gather H622 and to heap up, H3664 that he may give H5414 to him that is good H2896 before H6440 God. H430 This also is vanity H1892 and vexation H7469 of spirit. H7307
For there is H3426 a man H120 whose labour H5999 is in wisdom, H2451 and in knowledge, H1847 and in equity; H3788 yet to a man H120 that hath not laboured H5998 therein shall he leave H5414 it for his portion. H2506 This also is vanity H1892 and a great H7227 evil. H7451 For what hath H1933 man H120 of all his labour, H5999 and of the vexation H7475 of his heart, H3820 wherein H1931 he hath laboured H6001 under the sun? H8121 For all his days H3117 are sorrows, H4341 and his travail H6045 grief; H3708 yea, his heart H3820 taketh not rest H7901 in the night. H3915 This is also vanity. H1892
Then H227 said H559 I in my heart, H3820 As it happeneth H4745 to the fool, H3684 so it happeneth H7136 even to me; H1571 and why was I then more H3148 wise? H2449 Then I said H1696 in my heart, H3820 that this also is vanity. H1892
I said H559 in mine heart, H3820 Go to now, H3212 I will prove H5254 thee with mirth, H8057 therefore enjoy H7200 pleasure: H2896 and, behold, this also is vanity. H1892 I said H559 of laughter, H7814 It is mad: H1984 and of mirth, H8057 What H2090 doeth H6213 it? I sought H8446 in mine heart H3820 to give H4900 myself H1320 unto wine, H3196 yet acquainting H5090 mine heart H3820 with wisdom; H2451 and to lay hold H270 on folly, H5531 till I might see H7200 what was that good H2896 for the sons H1121 of men, H120 which they should do H6213 under the heaven H8064 all H4557 the days H3117 of their life. H2416 I made me great H1431 works; H4639 I builded H1129 me houses; H1004 I planted H5193 me vineyards: H3754 I made H6213 me gardens H1593 and orchards, H6508 and I planted H5193 trees H6086 in them of all kind of fruits: H6529 I made H6213 me pools H1295 of water, H4325 to water H8248 therewith the wood H3293 that bringeth forth H6779 trees: H6086 I got H7069 me servants H5650 and maidens, H8198 and had servants born H1121 in my house; H1004 also I had great H7235 possessions H4735 of great H1241 and small cattle H6629 above all that were in Jerusalem H3389 before H6440 me: I gathered H3664 me also silver H3701 and gold, H2091 and the peculiar treasure H5459 of kings H4428 and of the provinces: H4082 I gat H6213 me men singers H7891 and women singers, H7891 and the delights H8588 of the sons H1121 of men, H120 as musical instruments, H7705 H7705 and that of all sorts. So I was great, H1431 and increased H3254 more than all that were before H6440 me in Jerusalem: H3389 also my wisdom H2451 remained H5975 with me. And whatsoever mine eyes H5869 desired H7592 I kept H680 not from them, I withheld H4513 not my heart H3820 from any joy; H8057 for my heart H3820 rejoiced H8056 in all my labour: H5999 and this was my portion H2506 of all my labour. H5999 Then I looked H6437 on all the works H4639 that my hands H3027 had wrought, H6213 and on the labour H5999 that I had laboured H5998 to do: H6213 and, behold, all was vanity H1892 and vexation H7469 of spirit, H7307 and there was no profit H3504 under the sun. H8121
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