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Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ecclesiastes 11:1

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Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.

1. Cast thy bread upon the waters ] The book, as it draws nearer to its close, becomes more and more enigmatic, and each single verse is as a parable and dark saying. It is not to be wondered at, in such a case, that interpreters should, after their nature, read their own thoughts between the lines and so “find what they have sought.” This precept accordingly has been taken by some commentators ( e.g. Grtz) as recommending an unrestrained licentiousness. By others it has been raised almost to the level of the counsel which bids us “do good, hoping for nothing again, even to the unthankful and the evil” (Mat 5:44-46; Luk 6:32-35). The latter is, it need hardly be said, infinitely more in accordance with the context and with the conclusion to which the writer is drawing near. Here again we find guidance in the parallelism of Greek thought. As Lowth pointed out ( De Sac. Poes. Heb. x.) the words refer to the Greek proverbial phrase (“to sow in the ocean”) as indicating a thankless labour. So Theognis, v. 105,

“Vain is thy bounty, giving to the base,

Like scattering seed upon the salt sea’s plain;

Sowing the sea, thou shalt no harvest reap,

Nor, giving to the vile, reward shalt gain.”

Other parallels are found (1) in the Aramaic version of the proverbs of Sirach “Cast thy bread upon the water and the land, and at last thou shalt find it again” (Dukes, Rabbin. Blumenl. p. 73). (2) In an Arabic proverb, the moral of a long legend narrating how Mohammed the son of Hassan had been in the daily habit of throwing loaves into a river, how the life of an adopted son of the Caliph Mutewekjil, who had narrowly escaped drowning by clambering to a rock, was thus preserved, and how Mohammed saw in this a proof of the proverb he had learnt in his youth “Do good; cast thy bread upon the waters, and one day thou shall be rewarded” (Diez, Denkwrdigkeiten von Asien, i. p. 106, quoted by Dukes, ut supra). (3) In a Turkish proverb, also quoted by Dukes from Diez, “Do good, cast thy bread upon the water. If the fish know it not, yet the Creator knows.”

The writer holds himself aloof from the selfish prudence of the maxim of Theognis, and bids men not to be afraid “to cast their bread (the generic term stands for “corn,” as in Gen 41:54; Isa 28:28) even upon the face of the thankless waters.” Sooner or later they shall reap as they have sown. Comp. 2Co 9:6-10. It is not without interest to note that this interpretation is adopted by Voltaire in his Prcis de l’Ecclesiaste,

“Rpandez vos bienfaits avec magnificence,

Mme aux moins vertueux ne les refusez pas.”

Other interpretations may be briefly noted, but have not much to commend them: (1) that the figure is drawn from agriculture, and that the corn is to be sown in a well irrigated field, but this gives a meaning precisely the opposite of the true one; (2) that it is drawn from commerce and commends a venturous spirit of enterprise like that of exporting corn, which is certain to bring profit in the long run; but this again, unless we make the venture one of benevolence, is foreign to the spirit of the context; (3) that it speaks of throwing cakes of bread upon the water, that float away and seem to be wasted; but this, though leading to the same result as the interpretation here adopted, and having the support of the Arab legend quoted above, lacks the point of the reference to the Greek proverb; (4) last and basest, the imagination of one interpreter mentioned above that the precept sanctions a boundless sensual indulgence.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

The verse means: Show hospitality, even though the corresponding return of hospitality to you may seem improbable; nevertheless, be hospitable in faith. Compare Luk 14:13-14; Heb 13:2. Some interpreters (not unreasonably) understand by bread the seed from the produce of which bread is made. Seed cast upon the fertile soil flooded by the early rains would be returned to the sower in autumn with large increase.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Ecc 11:1

Cast thy bread upon the waters; for thou shalt find it after many days.

Cast thy bread upon the waters

This saying takes us to the banks of the Nile, where, every year, as the flood subsided, while the level lands were still all ooze and mud, the farmer went forth, and, without any ploughing, just cast the grain over the mud, and, simply trampling it in with his flocks of goats, knew that he should find it after many days in those fruitful harvests which made
Egypt the granary of the ancient world. Only, mark what it means. It is not a mere lesson of sowing. It is not cast thy seed upon the waters. It is cast thy bread–cast of thy bread-corn, that which you might use for bread–cast that on the waters, spare even of that to sow for the days to come. You see, it is a lesson not merely of sowing, but of self-denial and self-restraint in order to sow. There is a lesson here which is always needed, but which was never, perhaps, more needed than to-day. For, if I mistake not, the marvellous advances of our age, the quickening of the whole speed of life, have had this effect–to produce a sort of eager impatience and eagerness for the utmost immediate results, a remorseless sort of draining of the present of everything that can be got out of it. People want to make all their harvest into bread–yes, or into cake, if it can be–are not willing to forego any of it for seed, or to be put into the sinking fund of the future. Why, look at this even in what one may call the using up of life itself. All this marvellous advancement of our age should have given people–even the hardest-worked and busiest–a little more leisure for simple, happy living–living for its own sake. I asked a dressmaker once ii the invention of the sewing-machine had not lightened her labour. Not in the least, she replied. Ladies only want so much the more work putting on to their dresses; and so they take just as long making as ever. Is not that a good deal true, all through life? Every gain of time has been used up right away m new wants–none of it saved for those quieter uses and higher uses which would be the seed of a nobler, fuller future. You see illustrations of this in every direction. You see it in trade and the various material arts of life. In the older times it was the ambition of a business man to establish a business,–a concern that might stand, a business that his sons might be proud to take up and maintain the prestige of it. But such an ambition involves some foregoing of present advantage; and that is where modern life is so weak. Besides, men do not look to their sons to take up their business as they used to do. If they are successful their sons will hardly need any business! So what able men try to do is to make the utmost possible for a few years; and, to do this, there cannot be much sparing of bread-corn to cast on the waters, not much restraint in the use of opportunity. They must just drive the keenest trade they can, wring the last cent out of all dealings. It is all this excessive living for to-day: men havent patience, they havent faith, for the steadier, slower business which would build up character and reputation and last into long years to come. Or take another illustration, in the houses which are everywhere being built about our cities, for the housing of this hand-to-mouth generation. The building of a house was a serious business in our grandfathers time. What strong foundations they laid! What massive timbers you find in those old houses! Something to last, there! But now–well, to begin with, there is not the same desire to have a house; there is not the same idea of living steadily on in one place. So houses are built less solidly, but more showily. It seems to me that it is not houses only, but the whole fabric of society which is being built up thus flimsily and temporarily. Look at literature. There is such a demand as never in the world before for light sketches, superficial reading. It is not any lasting good that men want from books, but an hours excitement or relaxation. These are some of the conspicuous ways in which the hand-to-mouth spirit of the time is shown. But the thing, to take to heart is this: that it appears in these greater ways, because it is in common fire in all sorts of lesser things. You see it in home life, in society, in the education of children. The greatest lack of modern society, I do believe–all through, from children up to grown men and women–is thoughtful self-restraint, the willingness to forego the gratification of to-day for the sake of the days to come. People will go to the opera, even if they dont know how they will pay next weeks board-bill–yes, often enough, even if they cant pay last weeks! Now, if there is one thing which our religion ought to teach us, it is this spirit I have been trying to show the need of–of living not just for to-day, but for days to come, of casting ones bread upon the waters–the spirit of patient, thoughtful permanence in life and doings. Why does the law stand in that noble emphasis at the beginning of the Hebrew religion? Simply, that is the first thing–thoughtful obedience and self-restraint. So spare even of thy bread-corn to east upon the waters; for thou shalt find it after many days. Yes I we shall find it. I do not believe we ever sow for future life; I do not believe men ever exercise a noble reserve in the use of comfort or luxury, or put their manhood into thoughtful efforts for mankind, without finding the harvest of it after many days, perhaps–yet still they find it, and, after the law of Gods true harvest, thirty or sixty or a hundred-fold. So with all pleasures, all indulgences–use them not to the uttermost, not as many as ever you can get hold of: let your principle in such things be a noble reserve. And, in all work, faith and patience! (Brooke Herford.)

Uninviting work

This passage may be regarded as an invitation to work of a special kind–work not likely to be popular, but, nevertheless, essential.

I. It is a call to unappreciated work. Our bread is to be cast upon the waters. We are to render service–service that often costs much–to thankless people. We must be content to work when our work is unacknowledged, unrequited–nay, when it is despised. Much of the highest, painfulest service wrought for the good of men–work of brain and heart–is least appreciated. Let us work in the spirit of a noble faith and consecration, knowing that what we give and suffer will be lightly esteemed among men, and knowing also that it will be accepted before God and become immortal in the life of the world.

II. It is a call to unobtrusive work. Seed sown on the waters suggest silent forms of service. Mark the way of the Master. In all His work there was an utter absence of theatricality and advertisement. Said His brethren: If Thou do these things, show Thyself to the world. How truly human such a request, as it all was lost that was not shown! But Christ declined the tempting publicity. He sowed the bread of heaven on dark waters So softly that history hardly noticed Him or His sowing. Did not our Lord, in following this course, intend to teach His people that the establishment of His kingdom would depend most of all upon modest evangelism? And, indeed, ever since Christs day His cause has chiefly grown out of noiseless, unobtrusive work. The history of the Christian Church wonderfully corresponds with geological history; it is the history of the snowflake, the demonstration of the prevailing efficacy of modest personal sacrifice and influence. All tourists love to tell of the cataract of Niagara, of its thunder, foam and rainbows; but, after all, cataracts like Niagara do little for the fertility of the world. The thousand little streams that go softly in the grass fill the earth with fruit and beauty.

III. It is a call to unpromising work to sow the seed upon the waters looks hopeless; little good seems likely to come of such toil and sacrifice. So work for the worlds good sometimes seems sadly unpromising; the giving of money, time, influence, feeling, seem only like ploughing the sands, throwing treasure into the sea. But we must hope in hopeless work, or what to the carnal eye looks like hopeless work. The most unpromising ground sometimes yields the richest results. The finest grapes in the world are not grown on fat soil, but on sand deserts and barren shingle that would not afford nourishment to a patch of oats; and the lover of man not rarely gets his richest clusters on the most unpromising ground. It has often been so with the missionary. Who, looking at ancient Britain, would have thought that it would become the vineyard of the Lord? It is often thus in families–the careless, undutiful children turning out the parents strength and joy. (W. L. Watkinson.)

Faith and duty

There are in this book aspects of truth that we are very apt to forget, an emphasis put upon certain out-of-the-way duties that are as essential to a proper, natural, and religious life as those doctrines and principles that we bring to the forefront of our evangelical preaching. Prudence is a virtue, but a man may be too prudent. Economy is an excellent habit, but a man may by penuriousness spoil his fortunes as much as if he were a spendthrift. There is a certain audacity in business, in love, and in religion that is essential to success. There is a certain scattering that brings increase, and there is a withholding more than is meet that tends to poverty. It is true of the world, it is true of the Church; true of your body, true of your fortune, true of your soul. Cast thy bread upon the water. Put your money into a number of ventures; do not be too timid, do not be too cautious; use a large-hearted, statesmanlike breadth and liberality in your enterprise and in your activity, and in the end your bread will come back to you–it will come back in large and wide profit. Again, in your benevolence, in your readiness to help a partner or a client, or even to do a good turn to a poor neighbour, do not be calculating just whether you must do it or whether you must not. Ecclesiastes says, Give to the seventh, do a good turn to the eighth. And it appeals to common sense. Do not call it unevangelical, do not call it selfish. There is a reasonable recognition of the law that connects causes and effects, results and those forces and actions that lead to them, that is of the very essence of nature, and it is perfectly justifiable that a man should look to it. Says Ecclesiastes: If you go always looking at the clouds, if you are always peering out to see where the cats-paw wind is coming, you will never sow your field, and you will never reap. You had better sow every year. Sow when the spring looks black; sow when the early summer seems to forecast a stormy autumn; sow year by year–that is the right thing to do. Some years you will lose, but at the end, when your life is done, you will have made a large gain, a great profit. Yes; there is a looking at that part and side of the world that is out of our control, that God holds in His own hands, that paralyzes human endeavour; and the Book of Ecclesiastes warns us, as men of the world, as men of religion, against concerning ourselves with Gods share in the transaction. Send your ships there and there, send them far and wide over the world, and in the end–that is your wisdom–leave the results to God. Do your duty at Gods bidding. Strike out into the world; sow on all waters, cast your bread far and wide; do good deeds here, do them there, and in the end you will reap a rich harvest. It is not difficult to gel people to make up their minds to be good; the real difficulty is to get them to carry it out. Nothing more easy than to stir men and women to start well in life; the job is to keep them going on. It is not just the first volley of cannon-balls against the fortification that will break the wall down; it is keeping at it day after day till the breach is made and the stronghold can be taken. You know what momentum is. Aye, a man has got to be good; he has to speak the truth to-day, to-morrow, the day after, the week after that, and on and on, if he is going to form within himself such a mass of light and honourableness that men may speak as if some great and noble monument had fallen: That mans word was better than his bond; that man never spoke a dishonest, untruthful word. Oh, the power of momentum! the thinness, the weakness, and the poverty-stricken character of that goodness that comes in gushes, and then steps in fragments, in shreds and patches! What is it that makes our goodness so broken, so interrupted, so parenthetical? I think the commonest and chief cause is that we do good upon impulse, not upon principle. We set out to do right, riding upon a great wave of ardent emotion, not upon a serious, calm; earnest determination of will. A great many of us make another mistake. We misunderstand a wise principle; we say to ourselves that we ought to calculate profit, that we ought to look out for results; and so, mistaking this fact that we ought to choose to do our goodness in the wisest and likeliest way, we mistake that wise habit of prudence, judgment, and we turn it into a petty trafficking attempt to secure certainty that every little thing we niggardly do is going to bring us a definite and special return. Now, you cannot do that in business. Fancy a farmer aa he goes across the field sowing corn, taking it out grain by grain, and saying, I wonder whether this grain will be eaten up by a bird, whether this will rot in the ground; I do not know, and therefore I will not sow it. That would be about as silly as to be always calculating whether the penny you put into the plate is going to convert a heathen, or whether that Bible is going to convert a sinner, or whether going to that meeting will do any definite good. My friend, you have got to sow in faith, with a great prodigal generosity. Blessed those busy lives that are always at it, always working–working when it promises well, working when it promises ill, standing in the pathway of duty, of Divine service, in the pathway of blessing to others, in the pathway of certain blessing to themselves! It is not easy to be good; it is terribly hard to keep on doing right; you get awfully tired of it, and then you wonder and think that you cannot be really good when you are so sick of being so self-sacrificing, so sick of forgiving that brother or sister that always irritates you, and you feel that you really ought to get a little rest from it, to take an interval of not being good; and then you turn upon yourself and upbraid yourself. Not a bit of it, my friend. There is nothing more fatiguing and wearisome than being good. It is a crucifying of oneself to be good. How could it be but that you should be weary many a day? St. Paul says, Be not weary, because he knows you will feel it,–Be not weary in well doing; if you are weary keep on doing right; if you faint not, in the end you shall reap. Lift up thy heart and do not faint. In the morning sow thy seed and in the evening withhold not thy hand; for thou canst not tell whether shall prosper, this or that, or whether, since all rests at last with the great, big-hearted, loving God, both alike, beyond your very utmost dreams and hopes, shall be prosperous. (Prof. Elmslie.)

Excitements to missionary effort

The text applies to all attempts which are made to benefit the immortal part of man. In our charities towards the soul, we have need of patience; and it is evident that spiritual benefit is chiefly here intended. I wish to direct your attention to some of the important objects which the text places before us.

I. A large and liberal benevolence is enjoined upon us. Selfishness is at once the degradation, and part of the misery, of our nature. It shuts up some of the finest feelings of which we are capable. That which has separated man from God has also separated man from man. The doctrine of stewardship is peculiar to our religion. This is a fine principle which the Gospel has brought to light: it teaches us that, though God is the fountain of all good, He has made creatures the instruments of good to man.

II. Some motives to the exercise of benevolence.

1. Here is a motive addressed to our hope. What appalling spectacles presented themselves to the view of the missionary who first trod our Shores! He listened to the din of noisy festivals; he beheld obscene and lascivious rites; he saw the effect of the whole system of worship on the wretched people by whom he was surrounded; but he cast in the seed; and has it not been found after many days? You, with your religious assemblies, your faith in God, your love to our Lord Jesus Christ, your hope in heaven–you are proofs that seed cast upon the waters may be found after many days. Oh, then, go on: future ages shall call you blessed; and the glorious results of your labour shall be found in that day, when they shall come from the east, and the west, etc.

2. A motive addressed to our prudence and foresight: Thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth. This may apply, first, to ourselves. Who can tell how near evil may be to us, how near may be sickness, how near the final call of death? Well, then, cast your bread upon the waters. If your tongues must be so soon employed in groaning and in complaints, let them now, at least, be employed for God. But let us view the subject on a larger scale. The prospect of evil has always been a motive for exertion to good men. They have endeavoured to meet the coming evil by laying up a store. The apostles, in the midst of their great and Successful exertions, prophesied a fatal apostasy. It might be supposed that this would have operated to check their exertions. But they acted on the principle of the text; they cast their bread upon the waters: they gave a portion to seven, and also to eight: they spread the seed freely and largely; and, amidst a great apostasy, seed sprang up, of which we are now some of the pleasing fruit.

3. A motive drawn from the fitness of the thing. If the clouds be full of rain, etc. Like the clouds in the spring of the year, which require no great effort to make them pour forth their waters, but tremble at the lightest breeze, and impart their living springs to the earth; so let Christian men be to the thirsty soils of this parched world.

4. A motive drawn from the consideration of human mortality. If the tree fall toward the south, etc. If those who are now within our reach, if those who are now in darkness, be not benefited by an application of the means God has given us in His providence, a great gulf will soon be fixed, over which no pity, no exertion, can step. How important it is to do the work of the day in the day I to cast our bread upon the waters! to give a portion to seven, and also to eight! to sow our seed in the morning and in the evening! We are dying, and the world is dying around us!

III. Several objections are implied in the text.

1. The first seems to be, that the opportunity is not favourable to such exertions (Ecc 11:4). What then? Are we to withhold the seed, or to sow it? We are to sow it–to sow it in faith–faith in the commission of Christ, Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature: faith in the promise of the Saviour, Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world: faith in the irreversible covenant, Ask of Me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and all these dark, ferocious savages, all these unwholesome, inhospitable climes, yea, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.

2. A second objection seems to be that, even if we apply ourselves to works of this kind, very frequently the manner in which God carries on His work is very different from the conceptions which we had formed (Ecc 11:5). God acts not by any mans plans, but leaves it to us to say, Thou knowest not the works of God.

3. A third objection is, that there will be a partial failure. Thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that. Part of the seed will perish. We admit this; it is a fact that part of the seed will perish, and that the condemnation of men is increased by the hearing of the Gospel. But what is your duty? Why, as to yourselves, it is to give the more earnest heed to the things that you have heard, lest at any time you should let them slip: and, as to others, to do all you can to give effect to the administration of the Gospel, by renewed exertions, and by more fervent prayers.

IV. Some reasons for diligence and constancy.

1. The first reason is taken from the quality of the seed (Ecc 11:6). The seed you sow is good. The seed hero referred to is that of bread, in which mans vitality, nourishment and strength all seem to be bound up. So in the Word of God there is all that, can bless and dignify man here, and prepare him for everlasting glory.

2. Consider the small portion of the world which, after all, has been sown with this blessed seed.

3. Remember that you all, without exception, have it in your power still more largely to promote this good work. (R. Watson, M. A.)

The poor mans portion

I. The duty recommended. In general it is, to do good with our property. It is the glory of true religion that it inspires and inculcates a spirit of benevolence. Christ went about doing good.

1. That with which we do good must be our own. Cast thy bread. As there are some who withhold more than is meet, so there are others who, from ostentation, give what is not their own.

2. We are to do good liberally. Give a portion to seven, and also to eight. It is a great, obstacle to many, and a Common objection, that cases are so numerous.

3. For the sake of doing good we should deny ourselves. Thy bread. It is a notion of many that they are required to give only superfluities; but this is treating God and the poor with only a dogs portion–the crumbs, as it were, which fall from their table. Emulate the Churches of Macedonia (2Co 8:1-24.), whose deep poverty abounded to the riches of their liberality.

4. We are to do good, notwithstanding discouraging appearances in Providence. Give as the Lord hath prospered you, and leave another day or another year to take care for itself.

II. The motives by which this duty is enforced.

1. The reward which awaits you. Thou shalt find it again. What, we do for the poor is not, thrown away, though it may seem to be so. It is sowing the seeds of immortality, and, if done right, we shall find it, though it may be many days first. God so orders it, that merciful men meet with mercy in this life, and their children after them (Psa 112:2); and who knows what ours may need? Or, if we never find it here, we shall find it in a dying hour, and still more at the judgment (Mat 25:31-46). Yea, it will add to our joy hereafter, else it could not be called laying up treasure in heaven.

2. The impending ills that threaten us. Thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth. Covetousness would turn this to another use: We know not what we shall want; we must every one look to himself. No! that which you now possess may be taken from you: foes may consume it, floods may sweep it away, enemies may invade it, or internal changes may strip you of your all. Do good while you have it, in your power–by and by you may be unable.

3. The design of God in affording us what we have–not that it may be hoarded, but communicated. If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves on the earth. Inanimate nature is brought in to provoke us. We are but stewards after all, and must give account of our stewardship.

4. The near approach of death, when all our opportunities will be for ever at an end. (A. Fuller.)

Sowing on the waters

This line contains a noble principle, which admits of many applications; we shall select one, and apply it to the Christian instruction of the young.

I. The charge is, Cast thy bread upon the waters!

1. Its first reference is to seed, for this is what is meant by bread. Seed supplies poetry with a fit figure to illustrate anything mean which gives existence to anything magnificent. A seed is but a solitary grain, or a soft, and trembling flake of vegetation; yet from the seed gushes the bright flower–from the seed starts the towering tree–from the seed springs the bread of life. Now, the seed is the Word of God. Christ supplies it. Christ, writes John Milton, gives no full comments, or continued discourses, but speaks oft in monosyllables, as a Master scattering the heavenly grain of His doctrine, like pearls, here and there, requiring a skilful and laborious gatherer.

2. A second reference in the charge is to the sowing: cast the seed. Weeds are self-dispersive, and have a frightful facility of growth; but fruits are Gods blessing on labour. A distinction has been made between a radical reformer and a seminal reformer. The one strikes the axe at the roots of evil; the other sows the seeds of good. The first mode of action, though often a necessity, is frequently connected with disadvantage; for, in tearing up the ravelled roots of an ancient grievance, growing in a tangled place, we may rend and wither delicate interlacings that we wish to live; but sowing seed disturbs nothing–injures nothing; frets no weakling–startles no alarmist; and works a change the most complete, by a process soft as the flush of spring, and noiseless as the laws of nature. Work while it is called to-day; sow ideas, sow truths, sow thoughts suggested by Gods own Spirit, whose blossoms will soon make the wilderness rejoice, and solitary places glad.

3. The third reference in the charge is to the place where the seed is to be cast: Cast it upon the waters. As the seed fell on the soft and porous soil beneath the water, your hints may drop into yielding and receptive natures. Part with your most precious knowledge, then; venture to sow it in faith on the waters of thought; it may find a lodgment, dart the fibres of life in secrecy, and in due time reappear in those practicalities which most beautify and bless the world.

II. THE PROMISE, Thou shalt find it after many days. Thou shalt find it; therefore you may be at first inclined to think it lost;–after many days; therefore you need not be strengthless with the chill of discouragement if it should not be found at once. Here and there the spiritual life may spring and mellow early, but in most instances its appearance will be after many days. While you speak in agony to save, you may seem speaking to vacancy–the young spirit is not listening–it is far away in chase of a merry fancy. Yet when, after many days, that boy reaches some crisis of being, the sudden remembrance of this very word may startle him as if a sweeping spectre spoke, and save him from a crime.

III. What effects should this charge and this promise have on our faith and practice?

1. We must aim to sow the right seed. We should make unceasing search for this till we find it, and be anxious not to fall into a mistake with reference to such a primary condition of success. What, then, is the right seed? It appears to be this alone–teaching in its history and its connections the fact that Jesus Christ is the Saviour of sinners.

2. We should aim at the best way of teaching. The main and master principle is love. The secret of Dr. Arnolds ascendency as a teacher was the love that charmed his pupils into friends. Shining through many natural disqualifications for teaching, love will enlighten and enchant. Love will also, more than anything else, tend to overpower what disqualifies, and create efficiency. It will set mind in motion. It will endow the plain-tongued man with heavenly eloquence.

3. We should aim to look to the right quarter for success. We are not to forget that God gives the increase, and that man alone, like the cypher alone, is nothing. He is not able to manufacture a single seed, nor to give it a particle of vitality, but only to sow it.

4. We should aim to use the right rule for estimating success. It is true that Bread cast upon the waters will be found after many days: but these words contain no assurance that it will be found on earth. It may not reappear in the earthly lifetime of the sower, but, as an unseen spirit, he may watch it spring from age to age. (C. Stanford, D. D.)

Certainties and uncertainties

I. There are certainties and uncertainties in reference to God.

1. God worketh all. His wisdom plans, His power executes, and His love reigns over all.

2. The method is unknown.

II. There are certainties and uncertainties in reference to providence.

1. Mans agency is subordinate. There are things certain belonging to man as the subject, minister, interpreter, symbol of God and of Providence.

(1) Activity is the distinction of man.

(2) The world must go back unless man will work.

2. Man must work according to certain laws. Cast thy bread upon the waters, etc. It is not certain you shall reap all you sow, but it is absolutely certain you cannot reap unless you sow.

III. There are certainties in reference to society. Give a portion to seven, and also to eight, etc.

1. That men have certain moral and spiritual duties to discharge.

2. That the latent evil of the human heart is liable to explosion.

Conclusion:–

1. Cultivate as much as possible your thinking powers.

2. Let not She uncertainties connected with Providence tempt you either to indolence or to despondency.

3. Work in faith through the power of God. (Caleb Morris.)

The social agency of good men

All men, whatever their creed, character, or conduct, have a social agency. No man liveth unto himself. The text indicates the kind of agency that a thoroughly good man exerts upon his race.

I. Divinely trustful. Faith in God and His eternal laws is the mainspring in all the efforts of a good mans life. He is ruled by principles, not by results. He looks, not at the things that are temporal, but at those things that are eternal: he walks, not by sight, but by faith.

II. Eminently beneficent. What he gives out is not stones or chaff, but bread, corn, the life of the world. Like a seed–

1. His every act has life in it. His every effort is an embodiment of a living conviction. The efforts of others are mere chaff.

2. His every act has propagating power in it. It is a seed that will germinate, multiply. One really good act has proved the seed of millions of noble efforts.

3. His every act has a helpful power in it. It supplies moral bread for the world.

III. Inevitably remunerative. Thou shalt find it after many days. The reward will not come at once. You cannot force moral vegetation. But, though slow, it will come. Thou shalt find it. A good man, says Carlyle, is ever a creative mystic centre of goodness. A good thing done 3,000 years ago works now, and will work through all endless times and years. No good effort has ever been lost, or ever can be. It is a Divine incarnation, and more imperishable than the stars. (Homilist.)

Bowing on the waters; or, the reward of unselfish beneficence

I. A precious deposit. That which is to be parted with is not seed merely, but bread, i.e. in an anticipative and inclusive sense. If the husbandman would have increase he must sow again in faith, and commit himself to a watchful Providence. In commerce, too, it is exemplified: a man invests in land or in bonds which have no present market value; but his business sagacity tells him they will have in the course of years, and if he himself may not benefit by the venture, his son will. The capital the manufacturer sinks in plant, etc., has the same significance. It is in the realm of ideas, in fact, that the saying is most manifestly verified. The thinker stakes his reputation, comfort, life even, upon the realization of his doctrines, which are the most cherished embodiment of his spirit.

II. An uncertain receptacle. Upon the waters. The text seems to encourage an almost wanton openhandedness in beneficence. Is it so? If there is one phase of traditional alms-giving which the modern spirit deprecates more than another, it is its indiscriminateness. We not only desire to certify to ourselves the fitting objects of our compassion, but to follow them into the actual surroundings of their daily life, that the ultimate aim of our assistance may be secured. When the starving man has been relieved, modern charity inquires whether any fault in the social system deprived him of his share of natures bounty, any unjust advantage taken by the strong over the weak, any rudeness or want of culture in himself wrecking his virtue and his habits of thrift. To this we have to reply that–

1. Neither this nor any other Scripture forbids inquiry. It would, on the contrary, be true to the genius of Christianity to satisfy ourselves as far as possible that our alms is well bestowed, and that it is given in such a way as to secure the utmost advantage to the recipient.

2. When every practicable security has been taken charitable help and spiritual service will still be attended with much uncertainty. The methods of the mathematician are not applicable to Christian enterprise to any appreciable extent. No one can pretend to be an infallible reader of char-actor.

3. It is often the duty of the Christian to work and to give even when he cannot be certain as to results.

III. A certain return.

1. After many days–a sober promise, but true to the law of Moses. Even in this life, according to the Decalogue, the reward was at least to begin. Late or soon it is sure to come to all who are earnest and unselfish. God never loses sight of our work of faith.

2. Shall find–therein consists the romantic interest of the spiritual venture. What will it be for some who have laboured in the Church on earth with scarce any visible result, but whose welcome to heaven will be from the tips of one born here and another born there through services that seemed without fruit! (A. F. Muir, M. A.)

Spiritual efforts not lost

There can be nothing clearer from the Bible than that, though man can deserve nothing from the Creator, so that his best actions, if tried by their own worth, would procure him only wrath, nevertheless he will be tried by his works, and receive a recompense of which those works shall determine the extent. God, in His infinite condescension and love, has resolved to deal with us as though we had been able to deserve at His hands; proportioning what He bestows be what we have done in His cause, though all the while it is only as a free gift that we receive the least of those elements which constitute future happiness. And when this principle has been settled–the principle that, though we cannot merit from God, our actions are to decide our condition–we may speak of good works as hereafter to be rewarded, because they are as inevitably to regulate our portion as though that portion were a recompense in the strictest sense of the term. And if, then, it be lawful to speak of reward, we may certainly speak of the bread cast upon the waters as found after many days. It will very frequently happen that we have no moans whatever of ascertaining that any beneficial results have been produced by our most earnest and disinterested labours; and it is quite possible, moreover, that no such results have yet followed, and that none will follow. The utmost which many of the most devoted servants of God can affirm when they come to die is, that they have been diligently casting bread upon the waters. They have received no testimony of the usefulness of the bread which they have thus east–no testimony that the examples they have set, the exhortations they have uttered, the Bibles they have distributed, have been instrumental to the adding a single member to the visible Church. And are they on this account to conclude that they have made a wholly fruitless outlay of zeal and exertion? It were indeed a most erroneous impression. The attempt to benefit others, even if it spring from a pure love to God, may utterly fail, as far as its professed objects are concerned; but it cannot fail to be beneficial to ourselves. And when at the last those who have gladly spent and been spear in the service of God, and whose toils and sacrifices have never been sweetened by the knowledge that they were effectual in accomplishing the ends for which they were endured–when these men shall receive their portion from their Judge, there will be given the most effectual demonstration that God is not unrighteous to forget their work of labour and love. To every man will be allotted a recompense, to every sacrifice a compensation. But we have thus only vindicated the statement of our text on the extreme supposition, namely, that our labours to do good are so wholly ineffectual, that they produce no advantageous results to those whose benefit was their object. And we call this the extreme supposition, because we believe that ordinarily where God has prompted to exertion and to sacrifice He crowns them with some measure of success, though He may not always allow that success to be known. The quantity of good wrought by this or that agency is commonly amongst those secrets which only the future can unfold. And we can believe that this unfolding will be one of the most surprising and animating transactions of the last judgment. The minister who has been oppressed up to his dying hour by the melancholy conviction that his warnings, his entreaties, his expostulations, have been lost on his congregation, may be hailed by many, as the instrument of their conversion. And parents who have had to struggle with that heaviest of trials, the ungodliness of children, and who have not had the least ground to hope that their remonstrances and tears and prayers have wrought any effect upon their reprobate offspring, they may be met hereafter by the sons or the daughters whose contempt of religion entered as iron into their souls, but into whose hearts their admonition had sunk notwithstanding the apparent insensibility. Now, this naturally leads to our taking that view of the text which is practically of the greatest importance. We wish you to regard the text as a promise–a promise which is admirably fitted to guard you against becoming weary in well-doing. When considered under this point of view, the words are of extraordinary value, for they just meet that feeling of despondency which those who labour for God are often tempted to entertain. It is evident that we might apply the words to every endeavour to benefit our fellow-men by imparting to them that bread which came down from heaven. The text contains a decisive assertion that such endeavours shall not be unavailing. But, at the same time, by speaking of many days, it warns us alike against impatience and despondency. And it should lead us, in every case in which there seems to be no result from our labours, to examine whether we have faithfully complied with its precept; whether there have been diligence in casting the bread; and whether it has really been bread that we have east. Of course if there have been a defect in either of these particulars, it is no marvel that the promise has not been made good, and we cannot but think it in a high degree probable that much of the apparent failure in the fulfilment of this promise must be traced to non-compliance with its conditions. (H. Melvill, B. D.)

After many days

It does not seem to be a very lofty precept in the Preachers sense of it. He does not intend by it what we might mean by Christian charity, but rather a doing what you can with your own interests in view. Make your kindness a sort of investment. Be kind in every way you can, even in most unlikely ways, because they may turn out unexpectedly to be profitable to yourself. But we shall take the precept in a higher light, in the light of our Lords teaching, as when He said, for example, He that loseth his life for My sake shall find it.

1. No work done in Christs name is ever in vain. The tenor of all Scripture is in harmony with that. Gods word shall not return unto Him void. And Jesus said that the giver even of a cup of cold water in His name should not be without his reward. The great waste of loving labour in human history, labour spent on unworthy causes, has often been remarked upon. Mark Rutherford gives as an instance the love and sacrifice that were lavished on the Jacobite cause. The devotion to that cause on the part of many was wonderful. The Jacobite songs still live because they breathe a fervour of loyalty and a strength of attachment which were vividly real in their day. But the cause is a lost one. It is all loves labour lost, and it is pathetic to think of the waste of love connected with it. Not so is it with the cause of Christ. What an amount has been spent on that cause in the course of the ages! What an amount of sacrifice made and suffering borne and loving labour endured! Useless, fruitless, we might have said many a time and oft. But not one of Christs countless followers would have recalled one jot or tittle of it all–not in the midst of their toil and travail, not in their final hour, and not assuredly now when they stand around the throne. From the very first it brought to them an immediate return in soul-satisfaction. It brought what the world could neither give nor take away. It was a saying of Cromwells that he goes furthest who knows not where he is going. It is not business-like to know not whither you are going, and he is not likely to go far who should enter upon business in that fashion. But in the spiritual realm it is different. The great thing there is to follow the Divine leading, and to sow even though it be in tears, trusting Him, who gives the command, that all will be well, and that in His own good time there shall come a reaping time of joy.

2. The text suggests to us also the blessing that may be hid in delay. It is not best for our spiritual life that we should always get immediate returns for our labours. The transaction which is done to-day, and whose results can be pocketed to-morrow, is not usually of the kind that gives strength and beauty to the character. Macaulay objected to school-prizes because the reward was too immediate. The true reward of hearty study comes to be realized only after many days. Is it not so also in business? The man who prospers too easily is not likely thereby to develop the finest type of character. In spiritual work immediate and abundant reaping tends sometimes to be productive of spiritual pride, to a mans own undoing and to the undoing, probably, of the work itself. The noblest Christians are those who most markedly have in their patience won their souls. (J. S. Mayer, M. A.)

Cast thy bread upon the waters

Some think that this image is borrowed from sea-trading. The merchant sent his ship over the waters, he lost sight of it altogether, and in those days the quickest passage on record was unknown. Solomon had a navy, and once in three years it returned, bringing gold and silver, apes and peacocks. The merchant of that period had to wait long, to scan the horizon oft, before he was greeted with the sight of his returning barque. So if we do good to men, it is like launching some precious craft on the deep, which at best must be long before its return gladdens the eye. And some of the work we do seems specially doubtful, and calls for exceptional patience; it is not so much as if we sent a ship to India or China, but rather as if we put our heart and treasure into a fleet which must dare the dark and icy seas of the North Pole. But even then it shall return. Thou shalt find it after many days. Your work shall not be unavailing, your barque shall not be shipwrecked. To do any work with ardour and thoroughness and perseverance we must have a strong assurance that it will succeed, and in the noblest work we have that assurance. The seed that was sown generations ago is bearing fruit to-day, and it shall be so once more with the seed we sow. The ship we send forth with trembling, that is never reported from any foreign port, that is never spoken with by a passing sail, that sends no message in sealed bottle on the waves, that is frozen fast in abysses of frost and darkness, shall nevertheless return, bringing treasure beyond all ivory, pearls, or gold. On celestial cliffs we shall hail argosies that we fitted out and sent over stormy seas. Every kind word, every unselfish act, every true prayer, tells, and tells deeply, abidingly. (W. L. Watkinson.)

Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell

CHAPTER XI

Give alms to all, 1-4.

The works of God unknown to man, 5.

Diligence necessary, 6.

Prosperity frequently succeeded by adversity, 7, 8.

There will be a day of judgment, 9, 10.

NOTES ON CHAP. XI

Verse 1. Cast thy bread upon the waters] An allusion to the sowing of rice; which was sown upon muddy ground, or ground covered with water, and trodden in by the feet of cattle: it thus took root, and grew, and was found after many days in a plentiful harvest. Give alms to the poor, and it will be as seed sown in good ground. God will cause thee afterwards to receive it with abundant increase. The Targum understands it of giving bread to poor sailors. The Vulgate and my old Bible have the same idea. Send thi brede upon men passing waters.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

Cast thy bread upon the waters. Solomon having discovered divers vanities, and amongst others the vanity of heaping up riches, he now teacheth us that it is our interest as well as duty, not so much to lay them up, as to lay them out in pious and charitable uses; and having taught us the true and best use of worldly things, for our present comfort and benefit, which is to enjoy them with a cheerful and contented mind, he now directs us to the best improvement of them, for our future and greater advantage; and having acquainted us with our duty towards our superiors, he now directs us in our carriage towards our inferiors, and especially to such of them as are poor. The sense of these words is either,

1. Cast thy seed (which is here called bread, as it is also Job 28:5; Isa 28:28, and elsewhere) beside (for so the Hebrew particle al is oft used) the waters, i.e. either by the rivers side, or in moist and waterish grounds, which usually are very fruitful. Or,

2.

Cast (freely and liberally bestow)

thy bread (i.e. thy money or provisions, which are oft signified by the name of bread. By saying thy bread, he cautions us that we give away only that which is our own, and not that which is anothers; as they do who give either what they get from others by fraud or power, or what they owe to others, and are unable to pay, and so exercise charity to the hinderance of justice, or of the payment of their just debts)

upon the waters, i.e. upon those poor creatures upon whom, by reason of their unthankfulness or inability to make any returns to thee, it may seem to be as utterly lost as the seed which a man casts into the sea or river. This sense agrees much better,

1. With the words; for he doth not barely mention

the waters, ( for then the particle al might have been translated beside,) but the face, i.e. the surface or top, of the waters, in which and such-like cases al constantly signifies upon.

2. With the design and scope of the place, which is to persuade men to be liberal and charitable, notwithstanding the discouragements which they meet with in so doing, of which see the next clause, and the next verse.

Thou shalt find it; it shall not be lost, as covetous men, or thine own corrupt heart, may suggest, but it shall certainly be restored unto thee, either by God or by men, and that with great honour and advantage. This is added to prevent an objection, and to quicken us to the duty enjoined.

After many days; not immediately, but in due time, and when you least expect it. So you must be content to wait for it with patience, as the husbandman doth for the fruits of the earth.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

1. Ec11:2 shows that charity is here inculcated.
breadbread corn. As inthe Lord’s prayer, all things needful for the body and soul.Solomon reverts to the sentiment (Ec9:10).
watersimage from thecustom of sowing seed by casting it from boats into the overflowingwaters of the Nile, or in any marshy ground. When the waters receded,the grain in the alluvial soil sprang up (Isa32:20). “Waters” express multitudes, so Ecc 11:2;Rev 17:15; also the seeminglyhopeless character of the recipients of the charity; but itshall prove at last to have been not thrown away (Isa49:4).

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

Cast thy bread upon the waters,…. As the wise man had often suggested that nothing was better for a man than to enjoy the good of his labour himself, he here advises to let others, the poor, have a share with him; and as he had directed in the preceding chapter how men should behave towards their superiors, he here instructs them what notice they should take of their inferiors; and as he had cautioned against luxury and intemperance, he here guards against tenacity and covetousness, and exhorts to beneficence and liberality: that which is to be given is “bread”, which is put for all the necessaries of life, food and raiment; or money that answers all things, what may be a supply of wants, a support of persons in distress; what is useful, profitable, and beneficial; not stones or scorpions, or what will be useless or harmful: and it must be “thy” bread, a man’s own; not independent of God who gives it him; but not another’s, what he owes another, or has fraudulently obtained; but what he has got by his own labour, or he is through divine Providence in lawful possession of; hence alms in the Hebrew language is called “righteousness”: and it must be such bread as is convenient and fit for a man himself, such as he himself and his family eat of, and this he must cast, it must be a man’s own act, and a voluntary one; his bread must not be taken and forced from him; it must be given freely, and in such a manner as not to be expected again; and bountifully and plentifully, as a man casts seed into the earth; but here it is said to be “upon the waters”; bread is to be given to such as are in distress and affliction, that have waters of a full cup wrung out unto them, whose faces are watered with tears, and foul with weeping, from whom nothing is to be expected again, who can make no returns; so that what is given thorn seems to be cast away and lost, like what is thrown into a river, or into the midst of the sea; and even it is to be given to such who prove ungrateful and unthankful, and on whom no mark or impression of the kindness is made and left, no more than upon water; yea, it is to be given to strangers never seen before nor after, like gliding water; so the Vulgate Latin version renders it, “passing waters”: or else to such who may be compared to well watered ground, or “moist ground”, as Mr. Broughton renders it; where the seed cast will grow up again, and bring forth fruit, and redound to the advantage of the sower, as what is given to the poor does; they are a good soil to sow upon, especially Christ’s poor, who are partakers of his living water, grace; see Isa 32:20; though it may be the multitude of persons to whom alms is to be given are here intended, which are sometimes signified by waters, Re 17:15; as Ec 11:2 seems to explain it. The Targum is,
“reach out the bread of thy sustenance to the poor that go in ships upon the thee of the water;”
and some think the speech is borrowed from navigation, and is an allusion to merchants who send their goods beyond sea, and have a large return for them;
for thou shalt find it after many days; not the identical bread itself, but the fruit and reward of such beneficence; which they shall have unexpectedly, or after long waiting, as the husbandman for his seed; it suggests that such persons should live long, as liberal persons oftentimes do, and increase in their worldly substance; and if they should not live to reap the advantage of their liberality, yet their posterity will, as the seed of Jonathan did for the kindness he showed to David: or, however, if they find it not again in temporal things, yet in spirituals; and shall be recompensed in the resurrection of the just, and to all eternity. So the Targum,
“for after the time of many days, then thou shall find the reward of it in this world (so it is in the king’s Bible), and in the world to come;”
see Lu 12:12. Jarchi instances in Jethro. Noldius p renders it “within many days”, even before many days are at an end; for seed sown by waters in hot climates soon sprung up, and produced fruit; see
Da 11:20.
p Ebr. Concord. Partic. p. 155. No. 704.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

“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 Ecc 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’ Denkwrdigkeiten 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 Westst. Divan, compared by Herzfeld. Voltaire, in his Prcis de l’Ecclsiaste en vers, also adopts this rendering:
Repandez vos bien faits avec magnificence,
Mme aux moins vertueux ne les refusez pas.
Ne vous informez pas de leur reconnaissance –
Il est grand, il est beau de faire des ingrats .
That instead of “into the water (the sea)” of these or similar proverbs, Koheleth uses here the expression, “on the face of ( ) the waters,” makes no difference: Eastern bread has for the most part the form of cakes, and is thin (especially such as is prepared hastily for guests, ‘ughoth or matstsoth , Gen 18:6; Gen 19:3); so that when thrown into the water, it remains on the surface (like a chip of wood, Hos 10:7), and is carried away by the stream. But , with this reference of the proverb to beneficence, is strange; instead of it, the word was rather to be expected; the lxx renders by ; the Syr., shadar ; Jerome, mitte ; Venet. ; thus by none is the pure idea of casting forth connected with . And the reason given does not harmonize with this reference: “for in the course of many days ( berov yamin , cf. merov yamim , Isa 24:22) wilt thou find it” (not “find it again,” which would be expressed by ). This indefinite designation of time, which yet definitely points to the remote future, does not thus indicate that the subject is the recompense of noble self-renunciation which is sooner or later rewarded, and often immediately, but exactly accords with the idea of commerce carried on with foreign countries, which expects to attain its object only after a long period of waiting. In the proper sense, they send their bread over the surface of the water who, as Psa 107:33 expresses, “do business in great waters.” It is a figure taken from the corn trade of a seaport, an illustration of the thought: seek thy support in the way of bold, confident adventure.
(Note: The Greek phrase , “to sow the sea” = to undertake a fruitless work, is of an altogether different character; cf. Amo 6:12.)
Bread in is the designation of the means of making a living or gain, and bread in the designation of the gain (cf. Ecc 9:11). Hitzig’s explanation: Throw thy bread into the water = venture thy hope, is forced; and of the same character are all the attempts to understand the word of agricultural pursuits; e.g., by van der Palm: sementem fac muxta aquas (or: in loca irrigua ); Grtz even translates: “Throw thy corn on the surface of the water,” and understands this, with the fancy of a Martial, of begetting children. Mendelssohn is right in remarking that the exhortation shows itself to be that of Koheleth-Solomon, whose ships traded to Tarshish and Ophir. Only the reference to self-sacrificing beneficence stands on a level with it as worthy of consideration. With Ginsburg, we may in this way say that a proverb as to our dealings with those who are above us, is followed by a proverb regarding those who are below us; with those others a proverb regarding judicious courageous venturing, ranks itself with a proverb regarding a rashness which is to be discountenanced; and the following proverb does not say: Give a portion, distribute of that which is thine, to seven and also to eight: for it is well done that thou gainest for thee friends with the unrighteous mammon for a time when thou thyself mayest unexpectedly be in want; but it is a prudent rule which is here placed by the side of counsel to bold adventure:
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament

The Obligations to Be Liberal; Answers to Objections against Liberality.

1 Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days. 2 Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth. 3 If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be. 4 He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap. 5 As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all. 6 In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.

Solomon had often, in this book, pressed it upon rich people to take the comfort of their riches themselves; here he presses it upon them to do good to others with them and to abound in liberality to the poor, which will, another day, abound to their account. Observe,

I. How the duty itself is recommended to us, v. 1. 1. Cast thy bread upon the waters, thy bread-corn upon the low places (so some understand it), alluding to the husbandman, who goes forth, bearing precious seed, sparing bread-corn from his family for the seedness, knowing that without that he can have no harvest another year; thus the charitable man takes from his bread-corn for seed-corn, abridges himself to supply the poor, that he may sow beside all waters (Isa. xxxii. 20), because as he sows so he must reap, Gal. vi. 7. We read of the harvest of the river, Isa. xxiii. 3. Waters, in scripture, are put for multitudes (Rev. xvi. 5), and there are multitudes of poor (we do not want objects of charity); waters are put also for mourners: the poor are men of sorrows. Thou must give bread, the necessary supports of life, not only give good words but good things, Isa. lviii. 7. It must be thy bread, that which is honestly got; it is no charity, but injury, to give that which is none of our own to give; first do justly, and then love mercy. “Thy bread, which thou didst design for thyself, let the poor have a share with thee, as they had with Job, ch. xxxi. 17. Give freely to the poor, as that which is cast upon the waters. Send it a voyage, send it as a venture, as merchants that trade by sea. Trust it upon the waters; it shall not sink.”

2. “Give a portion to seven and also to eight, that is, be free and liberal in works of charity.” (1.) “Give much if thou hast much to give, not a pittance, but a portion, not a bit or two, but a mess, a meal; give a large dole, not a paltry one; give good measure (Luke vi. 38); be generous in giving, as those were when, on festival days, they sent portions to those for whom nothing was prepared (Neh. viii. 10), worthy portions.” (2.) “Give to many, to seven, and also to eight; if thou meet with seven objects of charity, give to them all, and then, if thou meet with an eighth, give to that, and if with eight more, give to them all too. Excuse not thyself with the good thou hast done from the good thou hast further to do, but hold on, and mend. In hard times, when the number of the poor increases, let thy charity be proportionably enlarged.” God is rich in mercy to all, to us, though unworthy; he gives liberally, and upbraids not with former gifts, and we must be merciful as our heavenly Father is.

II. The reasons with which it is pressed upon us. Consider,

1. Our reward for well-doing is very certain. “Though thou cast it upon the waters, and it seem lost, thou thinkest thou hast given thy good word with it and art likely never to hear of it again, yet thou shalt find it after many days, as the husbandman finds his seed again in a plentiful harvest and the merchant his venture in a rich return. It is not lost, but well laid out, and well laid up; it brings in full interest in the present gifts of God’s providence, and graces and comforts of his Spirit; and the principal is sure, laid up in heaven, for it is lent to the Lord.” Seneca, a heathen, could say, Nihil magis possidere me credam, quam bene donata–I possess nothing so completely as that which I have given away. Hochabeo quodcunque dedi; h sunt diviti cert in quacunque sortis human levitate–Whatever I have imparted I still possess; these riches remain with me through all the vicissitudes of life. “Thou shalt find it, perhaps not quickly, but after many days; the return may be slow, but it is sure and will be so much the more plentiful.” Wheat, the most valuable grain, lies longest in the ground. Long voyages make the best returns.

2. Our opportunity for well-doing is very uncertain: “Thou knowest not what evil may be upon the earth, which may deprive thee of thy estate, and put thee out of a capacity to do good, and therefore, while thou hast wherewithal, be liberal with it, improve the present season, as the husbandman in sowing his ground, before the frost comes.” We have reason to expect evil upon the earth, for we are born to trouble; what the evil may be we know not, but that we may be ready for it, whatever it is, it is our wisdom, in the day of prosperity, to be in good, to be doing good. Many make use of this as an argument against giving to the poor, because they know not what hard times may come when they may want themselves; whereas we should therefore the rather be charitable, that, when evil days come, we may have the comfort of having done good while we were able; we would then hope to find mercy both with God and man, and therefore should now show mercy. If by charity we trust God with what we have, we put it into good hands against bad times.

III. How he obviates the objections which might be made against this duty and the excuses of the uncharitable.

1. Some will say that what they have is their own and they have it for their own use, and will ask, Why should we cast it thus upon the waters? Why should I take my bread, and my flesh, and give it to I know not whom? So Nabal pleaded, 1 Sam. xxv. 11. “Look up, man, and consider how soon thou wouldest be starved in a barren ground, if the clouds over thy head should plead thus, that they have their waters for themselves; but thou seest, when they are full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth, to make it fruitful, till they are wearied and spent with watering it, Job xxxvii. 11. Are the heavens thus bountiful to the poor earth, that is so far below them, and wilt thou grudge thy bounty to thy poor brother, who is bone of thy bone? Or thus: some will say, Though we give but little to the poor, yet, thank God, we have as charitable a heart as any.” Nay, says Solomon, if the clouds be full of rain, they will empty themselves; if there be charity in the heart, it will show itself, Jas 2:15; Jas 2:16. He that draws out his soul to the hungry will reach forth his hand to them, as he has ability.

2. Some will say that their sphere of usefulness is low and narrow; they cannot do the good that they see others can, who are in more public stations, and therefore they will sit still and do nothing. Nay, says he, in the place where the tree falls, or happens to be, there it shall be, for the benefit of those to whom it belongs; every man must labour to be a blessing to that place, whatever it is, where the providence of God casts him; wherever we are we may find good work to do if we have but hearts to do it. Or thus: some will say, “Many present themselves as objects of charity who are unworthy, and I do not know whom it is fit to give it to.” “Trouble not thyself about that” (says Solomon); “give as discreetly as thou canst, and then be satisfied that, though the person should prove undeserving of thy charity, yet, if thou give it with an honest heart, thou shalt not lose thy reward; which way soever the charity is directed, north or south, thine shall be the benefit of it.” This is commonly applied to death; therefore let us do good, and, as good trees, bring forth the fruits of righteousness, because death will shortly come and cut us down, and we shall then be determined to an unchangeable state of happiness or misery according to what was done in the body. As the tree falls at death, so it is likely to lie to all eternity.

3. Some will object the many discouragements they have met with in their charity. They have been reproached for it as proud and pharisaical; they have but little to give, and they shall be despised if they do not give as others do; they know not but their children may come to want it, and they had better lay it up for them; they have taxes to pay and purchases to make; they know not what use will be made of their charity, nor what construction will be put upon it; these, and a hundred such objections, he answers, in one word (v. 4): He that observes the wind shall not sow, which signifies doing good; and he that regards the clouds shall not reap, which signifies getting good. If we stand thus magnifying every little difficulty and making the worst of it, starting objections and fancying hardship and danger where there is none, we shall never go on, much less go through with our work, nor make any thing of it. If the husbandman should decline, or leave off, sowing for the sake of every flying cloud, and reaping for the sake of every blast of wind, he would make but an ill account of his husbandry at the year’s end. The duties of religion are as necessary as sowing and reaping, and will turn as much to our own advantage. The discouragements we meet with in these duties are but as winds and clouds, which will do us no harm, and which those that put on a little courage and resolution will despise and easily break through. Note, Those that will be deterred and driven off by small and seeming difficulties from great and real duties will never bring any thing to pass in religion, for there will always arise some wind, some cloud or other, at least in our imagination, to discourage us. Winds and clouds are in God’s hands, are designed to try us, and our Christianity obliges us to endure hardness.

4. Some will say, “We do not see in which way what we expend in charity should ever be made up to us; we do not find ourselves ever the richer; why should we depend upon the general promise of a blessing on the charitable, unless we saw which way to expect the operation of it?” To this he answers, “Thou knowest not the work of God, nor is it fit thou shouldst. Thou mayest be sure he will make good his word of promise, though he does not tell thee how, or which way, and though he works in a way by himself, according to the counsels of his unsearchable wisdom. He will work, and none shall hinder; but then he will work and none shall direct or prescribe to him. The blessing shall work insensibly but irresistibly. God’s work shall certainly agree with his word, whether we see it or no.” Our ignorance of the work of God he shows, in two instances:– (1.) We know not what is the way of the Spirit, of the wind (so some), we know not whence it comes, or whither it goes, or when it will turn; yet the seamen lie ready waiting for it, till it turns about in favour of them; so we must do our duty, in expectation of the time appointed for the blessing. Or it may be understood of the human soul; we know that God made us, and gave us these souls, but how they entered into these bodies, are united to them, animate them, and operate upon them, we know not; the soul is a mystery to itself, no marvel then that the work of God is so to us. (2.) We know not how the bones are fashioned in the womb of her that is with child. We cannot describe the manner either of the formation of the body or of its information with a soul; both, we know, are the work of God, and we acquiesce in his work, but cannot, in either, trace the process of the operation. We doubt not of the birth of the child that is conceived, though we know not how it is formed; nor need we doubt of the performance of the promise, though we perceive not how things work towards it. And we may well trust God to provide for us that which is convenient, without our anxious disquieting cares, and therein to recompense us for our charity, since it was without any knowledge or forecast of ours that our bodies were curiously wrought in secret and our souls found the way into them; and so the argument is the same, and urged to the same intent, with that of our Saviour (Matt. vi. 25), The life, the living soul that God has given us, is more than meat; the body, that God has made us, is more than raiment; let him therefore that has done the greater for us be cheerfully depended upon to do the less.

5. Some say, “We have been charitable, have given a great deal to the poor, and never yet saw any return for it; many days are past, and we have not found it again,” to which he answers (v. 6), “Yet go on, proceed and persevere in well-doing; let slip no opportunity. In the morning sow thy seed upon the objects of charity that offer themselves early, and in the evening do not withhold thy hand, under pretence that thou art weary; as thou hast opportunity, be doing good, some way or other, all the day long, as the husbandman follows his seedness from morning till night. In the morning of youth lay out thyself to do good; give out of the little thou hast to begin the world with; and in the evening of old age yield not to the common temptation old people are in to be penurious; even then withhold not thy hand, and think not to excuse thyself from charitable works by purposing to make a charitable will, but do good to the last, for thou knowest not which work of charity and piety shall prosper, both as to others and as to thyself, this or that, but hast reason to hope that both shall be alike good. Be not weary of well-doing, for in due season, in God’s time and that is the best time, you shall reap,” Gal. vi. 9. This is applicable to spiritual charity, our pious endeavours for the good of the souls of others; let us continue them, for, though we have long laboured in vain, we may at length see the success of them. Let ministers, in the days of their seedness, sow both morning and evening; for who can tell which shall prosper?

Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary

ECCLESIASTES
CHAPTER 11
USE OF RESOURCES ENTRUSTED TO MAN
Verse 1 admonishes man to use well the resources entrusted to him, trusting God to supply his further needs as and when He deems best. To use resources well, includes gifts of God (Pro 3:9); benevolent gifts (Deu 15:10; Pro 11:25; Pro 19:17; Pro 22:9; Isa 58:10; Luk 6:38); and Investment In honorable business ventures (Pro 10:4; Pro 13:4; Pro 22:29; Pro 31:14; Pro 31:16).
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

CRITICAL NOTES.
Ecc. 11:1. Cast thy bread upon the waters.] Bread, rendered in Isa. 28:28, bread corn. It has been supposed that there is an allusion to the manner of sowing the seed-corn of the rice plant during the time of the flooding of the fields. But it is doubtful whether this kind of grain was cultivated in Judea in the times of Solomon. The peculiarity of Egyptian agriculture may have suggested this image, where the seed is sown literally upon the waters before the inundation of the Nile has subsided. Perhaps the writer had no peculiar usage of agriculture in his mind, but by a bold figure represents a free-handed benevolence which does not too nicely calculate cost and results.
Ecc. 11:2. Give a portion to seven, and also to eight.] Seven and eight and similar combinations are often used in the sense of undefined plurality. (Mich. Ecc. 5:5, Pro. 30:15, Amo. 1:3.) The meaning here is clear: seven must not be the limit, but rather seven and more.
Ecc. 11:3. And if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be.] This figure is suitable to represent the idea of irrevocable Divine judgments overtaking man; but it may be doubted whether it requires that idea. The more probable signification, and more suitable to the theme of these verses, is given by Lange: The utility of the tree remains the same, whether it falls upon the ground of a possessor bordering it to the north or to the south; if it does not profit the one, it does the other. And it is just so with the gifts of love; their fruit is not lost, although they do not always come to light in the manner intended.
Ecc. 11:5. The way of the spirit.] Lit. The way of the wind. The same word signifies both wind and spirit. The double meaning may be taken as most in harmony with the latter part of the verso. We cannot track and discover all the mysteries of nature. (Joh. 3:8.) Nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child.] The formation of mans physical nature in the womb has always been regarded as peculiarly mysterious. (Psa. 139:13-16.)
Ecc. 11:6. And in the evening with-hold not thine hand.] Lit. towards evening. Be diligent both early and late. Either this or that.] Either the labour of the morning or of the evening.
MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.Ecc. 11:1-6
THE PRECEPTS OF BENEVOLENCE
Benevolence is goodness considered, not as an internal state, but as an active habit. As such, it needs the direction of principles and rules, otherwise this genial impulse may degenerate into softness, and fail in various ways of producing the highest possible good. Precepts and rules are but the true method of performing any work or duty when that method is interpreted in language. Benevolence has its precepts.
I. Learn to Venture Much. (Ecc. 11:1.) We are not certain that our kindest works shall have their proper effect, either in winning the gratitude or securing the permanent benefit of others. In the moral. as well as in the natural, world, there is an appearance of waste and failure. Yet the impulse of benevolence must not from hence be discouraged, nor wait for the time of action till it has the fullest assurance of success. We must learn to venture much, for we have often to cast our seeds of kindness upon the waters, not knowing whither they will be carried, often, too, with as little prospect of reaping any ultimate good as if we scattered them upon the barren foam of the sea. The prospect of immediate success must not be our motive. We have to act upon a higher and a nobler principle.
1. We must learn to do good for its own sake. It destroys the nobility of goodness if we are anxious to ascertain what profit we shall have. Moral action that depends entirely upon the spur of reward only belongs to the lowest degrees of spiritual life. The angels do all for love and nothing for reward. The highest virtue is bold to act, indulges in the liberties of a free spirit, and is contented with the luxury of doing good.
2. We must have faith in the imperishableness of good deeds. It is true that the promise of immortality is only to the doer himself. He that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. (1Jn. 2:17.) Much of his work must perish, tainted as it is with human infirmity, and imperfect. Yet all that is of sterling value in it shall abide. Good deeds springing from the fount of purity and unselfishness can never die. They are preserved for ever in the favourable remembrance of God. Even in the present life we are permitted to see some of the fruits and rewards of them. The long delay of their due recognition and recompense may discourage us, but if we are faithful and unwearied in duty we shall see fruit after many days.
3. We must consider that the issues and rewards of our life are with God. In allowing our goodness freely to spend itself, we are imitating the property of our Heavenly Father, and we may safely leave with Him our keeping and our reward. He knows all the issues of the good mans life, and all the riches of his sure recompense in eternity. These are greatly hidden from us here; therefore, in the meantime, we must learn the uses of that faith which ventures all. Venture is the very soul of the religious lifethe attitude of the righteous towards the great things of God yet to be revealed; and the spirit of it penetrates all the forms of duty.
II. Do not adopt a Quantitative Standard of Duty. (Ecc. 11:2.) We must not order our benevolence by a cold, arithmetical law. If the purpose to bless seven candidates for our good offices be the limit we have set to our charity, that limit should not be so final and irreversible as to prevent us from extending our kindness yet to another, if he also stands in need of our favour.
1. True goodness is above the tyranny of minute maxims and rules. That portion of moral conduct which consists in doing good to others has its own laws; but these are wide. Like the laws of nature, they are general and all-pervading. They cannot be represented by a severe and formal code, which does not rise above the letter, and knows nothing of that generous and free spirit of goodness which giveth life. The loving heart disdains the suggestions of that austere and cynical spirit of economy which says, Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? (Joh. 12:5.) The highest goodness acknowledges no law but the law of love.
2. True goodness often secures a grateful return of favours. Thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth. It is, therefore, wise and prudent to create an interest beforehand, so that we may have succour in the day of calamity. We know not what disaster may cast us upon the kindness of others. Let us, therefore, by the deeds of love, make them our friends now. There is a reward which comes to the good man from society. In the time of prosperity he needs it for his encouragement; but in the time of adversity, it may be his very health and life.
3. True goodness has always some beneficial results. (Ecc. 11:3.) Through the ingratitude of mankind, and the moral perversity that is in the world, our good deeds may often seem to fail. Yet they will have some grateful issuesome precious results which cannot altogether die. These may fall out in quite a different direction from the course of our expectation. In any way, there will be benefit and blessing. The utility of the tree is not destroyed whether it falls to the north or to the south. In any case it will be a profit to some one.
III. Do not Act by Constraint. (Ecc. 11:3.)
1. The constraint of law can never produce the highest goodness. It is possible for a man to do the deeds of kindness, not so much from love as from a sense of right. In the same proportion as he acts herein from any external constraint does he fail to rise to the true nobility of goodness. The quality of mercy is not strained.
2. The only constraint should be that of love. If the clouds be full of rain they must burst in showers of blessing upon the earth. They are the natural image of a heart that can hold out no more, that blesses by a sweet constraint, and in doing good to others relieves itself. The highest natures are not ashamed to own the gracious necessity under which they are laid by love.
IV. Be not Over-Cautious. (Ecc. 11:4.) He who is always watching with nervous anxiety the wind and rain, and must have the most perfect conditions before he begins his work, can only meet with but poor success. There is a certain boldness about true feeling that does not wait till all is clear and perfectly ascertained. In the uncertainties of the present life, there is a moral obligation to act upon imperfect evidence, upon assurances whose solidity is not quite beyond a doubt. The impulse of affection and love will often carry a man beyond the warrant of the logical understanding. He who is timid and hesitating cannot accomplish much god. It is best to follow the promptings of the generous heart, whithersoever they will lead, without waiting for that assurance of certainty which is never perfectly given to man in this life. In moral action, over-refinements arc dangerousthey are impracticable. Therefore, he who waits for action till the most complete conditions favour him may have long to wait, and must suffer many disadvantages.
1. He must lose many opportunities of doing good. If a man does not attempt the duty lying immediately before him, the opportunity may slip away for ever. He must be poor in good works who makes too careful a selection of what he shall do.
2. Such delay tends to paralyse effort. Caution is a valuable principle when used to secure accuracy in moral conduct, and to enable a man to walk surefootedly in this present life. But over-caution amounts to a disease, relaxes the sinews of effort, and impairs the moral force. He who puts off the doing of good actions, from time to time, loses the healthfulness which a vigorous activity would give him, and in the end scarcely accomplishes anything.
V. Be Earnest and Untiring. (Ecc. 11:6.) Earnestness and perseverance are the sure conditions of ultimate success. The holy examples of all the wise and good, and the solemn verities amidst which we now live, alike enforce these upon us. This earnestness and untiring devotion to every good work implies
1. A wide and varied action. It extends throughout every part of our working timefrom morning till evening. It is distributed over an ample field, and embraces opportunities on every side. It implies
2. A surer and more plentiful reward. If we sow with a liberal and diligent hand, some seeds will be sure to spring up. We may be discouraged by the appearance of a waste of power. God may destroy some of the seeds we sow, but He will preserve others. The work of the morning, or the work of the evening, may perish, yet we may fondly hope that one of them, at least, will succeed. In any case, the diligent worker shall see some profit of his labour. Then, too, the success may happen to be very great. Thou knowest not whether they both shall be alike good. The law still holds in every case, He that soweth plentifully shall reap plentifully.
VI. Consider that God often Hides from Us the Success of Our Work. (Ecc. 11:5.) It is not possible for us to know the full extent of the impressions we make upon the minds and hearts of others. The good seed we sow may be borne very far, and quite beyond our observation and knowledge ripen into precious fruit. God, in this thing also, does hide Himself. Our works, as well as the deepest things of our soul, are laid up with Him, awaiting that Judgment which shall make all things manifest. The labours of love cannot be fully reckoned up in this world. This ignorance of the whole cause of our success is
1. A necessity of our present condition. Man is still the greatest mystery to himself. The delicacy of the human spirit is such that it is impossible to say how far it is affected by the words and acts of another. In our present imperfect stage we cannot have full light either upon the reasons of Gods dealings, or upon the issues of our conduct. This ignorance, in both cases, may be a necessary discipline. It is suitable to a life of faith, and for perfecting the grace of humility.
2. It is analogous to our ignorance of natures mysteries. We can observe the effects and direction of the wind, but cannot tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth. (Joh. 3:8.) We have no faculty to observe where the wind arises, and where it breathes out its last gasp. In like manner we are ignorant of the mystery of organic lifemost notably of human life. Science can do much in classifying facts and reducing them to general laws, but cannot arrive at the ultimate mystery. How our physical nature is developed in the darkness of the silent womb, and prepared for the light and work of life, is still inexplicable to us. If we are ignorant of what is so intimately connected with ourselves, how can we presume to know all the work that God is doing in the world? Let us stand in awe and reverence before the depths of Divine knowledge, which conceal so much from our most piercing sight. Enough for man to know, that there is duty to be done, there are safe principles to act upon, and all faithful workers are sure of reward.
SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS ON THE VERSES
Ecc. 11:1. Suppose that you are in the South Sea Isles, where the bread-fruit grows, and that by chance, or on purpose, you scatter some of its precious bunches on the sea. At the moment you may feel that they are lost; but, should the winds and waters waft them to one of those reef islands with which such seas are thickly studded, the wandering seeds may get washed ashore, and beneath those brilliant suns may quickly grow to a bread-fruit forest. And should some disaster long years after wreck you on that reef, when these trees are grown and their clusters ripe, you may owe your sustenance to the bread which you cast on the waters long ago. Such is Gods husbandry. Do the right deed. Do it in faith, and in prayer commend it to the care of God. And though the waves of circumstance may soon waft it beyond your ken, they only carry it to the place prepared by Him. And whether on an earthly or heavenly shore, the result will be found, and the reaper will rejoice that he once was a sower [Dr. J. Hamilton].
In the eyes of mere economists and calculators, many deeds of love may seem but a reckless waste, and the hope of any real advantage or fruit of them a vain presumption. But the same God who gives to the good man the impulse of duty also gives him his faith. Thus he learns to work beyond the warrant of appearances, and to leave his reward with God.
The seeds of goodness, scattered by a loving hand in the most unpropitious circumstances, may yet become the life of many.
In the course of history, the corruptions of the Church have grown so great that the times required bold men who would venture to cast their seeds of truth upon the waters that, to common eyes, only seemed to give them sepulchre. An ocean of prejudices, prescriptive authority, venerable fictions, and worldly interests, was ready to swallow up their truth. But the seeds they sowed found nourishment and the favour of heaven; they have ripened into successive harvests, and have become the life and rejoicing of many.
The ingratitude of men may seem unprofitably to engulf the labours of love, yet those labours cannot entirely fail of reward. The least possible result is, that they return with blessing into the bosom of the doer.
Ecc. 11:2. Miss no opportunity of performing kind actions. Though you should have bestowed your bounty on sevenon a number which you might deem sufficientshould an eighth present himself, do something for him also, for you know not what evil shall be upon earth. You know not in this world of mutation how soon you may be the pensioner instead of the almoner. You know not how soon you may be glad of a crust from those who are at present thankful for your crumbs. Beneficence is the best insurance [Dr. J. Hamilton].
We are not in danger of erring on the side of large bounty. Our natural selfishness inclines us rather to keep within the mark than to go beyond it.
The best use we can make of the talents committed to us is by their means to secure friends.
In the time of our prosperity we may not perceive what stores of love our kindness has caused to be laid up for us. It needs the occasion of our calamity to unlock them.
We can store up mechanical energy, so that it remains quiescent till such time as we have need of it for effective work. In like manner we can store up for ourselves the energy of love in the hearts of men, and in the day of our distress it will become a power to bless and save.
In what opposite ways may the same consideration be applied? The very circumstance which Solomon here urges as a reason for present and generous liberality, the covetous worldly-minded man pleads as an apology for hoarding. I know not, he says, what evil may come upon the earth. I must, therefore, take good care of what I have got. Who can tell but I may otherwise come to dependence, and die poor myself? A prudent precaution to prevent our becoming a burden upon others in the time of age and infirmity, is by no means to be condemned. But it is an awful perversion, when the apprehension of future possibilities is made an excuse for griping avarice. How much more noble the use that is made, by the spirit of God, of our ignorance of the future! Instead of withholding from others on this ground, says Solomon, rather give while you have to give, and give liberally: lose not the precious opportunity; it is more blessed to give than to receive. Enjoy, then, the pleasure of present beneficence [Wardlaw].
Ecc. 11:3. As the clouds are formed, not as an end, in themselves, but that they may water the earth, so God bestows His bounties upon men that they may bless others.
The good heart owns no necessity but that of its own loving nature.
A cloud full of rain, and yet leaving the earth beneath it parched and desolate, would be an anomaly in the natural world; and is not a griping, narrow-souled, selfish rich man an anomaly of the same kind? God has given him the means of making his very paths drop fatness. In what manifest opposition, then, to the ways and to the will of God does such a man live, when no drop of this plenteous rain is emptied upon the thirsty earth! when he lives only to hoard and heap up his accumulating treasures; or to lay them out only for the gratification of his own vanity and ambition, or of his sensual ease and pleasure? Such a man is a kind of monstrosity in the moral worldfit to be the object of no other feelings than those of contempt and pity on the part of his fellows; and certain to inherit the displeasure and wrath of Him, whose tender mercies are over all His works [Buchanan].
Our bounty can never be entirely lost. If we do good in all directions, we shall find the reward of it in some direction, though not, perhaps, where we had most looked for it.
Though there be discretion required in charity to know the worth of the persons on whom it is bestowed (Psa. 112:5), yet where the intention of the giver is honest, and endeavours to discern what manner of persons they are to whom he gives, though he may be mistaken, and let his charity fall upon the worst, his reward shall be no less than if it fell upon the better sort; for thus also may this similitude be turned into an argument for charity, as holding forth the certainty of the reward thereof, whether the objects of it be good or bad [Nisbet].
Ecc. 11:4. It is easy to find excuses for the neglect of our duty.
Timidity is a source of moral weakness. Trembling caution can accomplish very little. There is a dauntlessness about faith which does not wait till all is most favourable.
If we are never to do an act of kindness till we are perfectly sure that it will not be abused, and that it will really and fully accomplish the purpose we intend by it, we shall never perform any such act at all. If I am never to give an alms until I know the whole history, past and future, of the individual who is to receive; if I am never to befriend one who is in difficulty and distress till I can be positively assured that he will prove himself worthy of it; if I am never to bestow my money on any undertaking for promoting the temporal or spiritual welfare of my fellow-men till I have infallible proof that there shall be no mistake committed in the management of it, and that it shall effect all the good which its authors are looking for and aiming at, I may as well resolve at once to do nothing in the way of spending my worldly substance for the interests of religion or humanity at all [Buchanan].
Certainty is not attainable in the business of common life, therefore men are content to act upon probabilities. Why should they require more in moral duties?
The great preachers of the Gospel have had the courage to sow the seed of the Word when the temper of the time seemed altogether unfavourable. They did not wait till all were willing hearers.
Ecc. 11:5. The way of the human spirit from the Creators power to the consciousness of life, thought, and feeling, and the manner of its strange union with this material frame, are mysteries of which human knowledge can give no perfect account. We can no more determine the ultimate facts of it than we can distinctly mark the place of the rising and expiring of the viewless wind.
The old mystery of life, which has puzzled the thoughtful in all ages, still returns. God retains the secret as a standing challenge to man.
Throughout all the seeming nature there remains this mysterious, generative, life-giving process in the vegetable, the animal, and especially in the human birth, as a constant symbol of the supernatural presence, or of the old unspent creative force, still having its witness in continually recurring acts, ever testifying to the great Divine secret that baffles science, and to the explanation of which she cannot even make an approach [Dr. T. Lewis, in Lange].
Let us apply ourselves to the duty lying near us, and for the assurance of reward and success be content to know that there is an invisible power, accomplishing in secret and in darkness the will of heaven.
Our spirits might well faint amidst all the discouragements of duty, were we not assured that somewhere there is perfect knowledge and never-failing power. This is the stable centre of the soul.
Ecc. 11:6. We cannot calculate beforehand the success, in special instances, of our labours to do good. The result will, doubtless, show that there has been some waste of power. But this should not discourage us.
We may be tempted to try nothing by the morbid apprehension of failure. The better course is to calculate on some of our attempts failing; and on this account, that we may have the greater probability of succeeding in some, to make them the more numerous; whilst, at the same time, we bring to bear upon every one of them the entire amount of prudence and forethought we possess, that, as far as lieth in us, we may ensure a favourable issue to them all [Wardlaw].
For sowingfor doing well, every time serveth; and who knoweth which shall do best in the acceptance of God, and in the advancing of our blessedness? Be, therefore, diligent and sow continually. It is not in sowing as it is in buying and selling; in those, things are done by weight and by measure; but in sowing? there is a scattering abroad in a free and full manner. Wherefore, when it is said of the righteous man, He hath dispensed, he hath given to the poor, Theodoret noteth upon it, He imitateth those that sow their seed abundantly, scattering it about in hope of filling their hands again [Jermin].
Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell

F. EXHORTATIONS TO WORK IN HARMONY WITH Wisdom 11:112:8
1. Trust God and be cheerful in all of your activities. Ecc. 11:1-8
TEXT 11:18
1
Cast your bread on the surface of the waters, for you will find it after many days.
2
Divide your portion to seven, or even to eight, for you do not know what misfortune may occur on the earth.
3
If the clouds are full, they pour out rain upon the earth; and whether a tree falls toward the south or toward the north, wherever the tree falls, there it lies.
4
He who watches the wind will not sow and he who looks at the clouds will not reap.
5
Just as you do not know the path of the wind and how bones are formed in the womb of the pregnant woman, so you do not know the activity of God who makes all things.
6
Sow your seed in the morning, and do not be idle in the evening, for you do not know whether morning or evening sowing will succeed, or whether both of them alike will be good.
7
The light is pleasant, and it is good for the eyes to see the sun.
8
Indeed, if a man should live many years, let him rejoice in them all, and let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many. Everything that is to come will be futility.
THOUGHT QUESTIONS 11:18
395.
After reading this section (verses one-eight), list at least five principles on stewardship which are taught here.
396.
What is meant by the figure of speech which states Cast your bread upon the surface of the waters?
397.
Is benevolence taught in verse two? Explain.
398.
Identify the arguments used to establish the fact that one should plant his crops regardless of the weather signs.
399.
Give evidence that weather is under the control of God.
400.
What two things should a man do if he lives a long time (verse eight)?
PARAPHRASE 11:18
Do not be afraid to send forth your merchandise upon the waters in commercial tradeyou will surely have a good return although you may have to wait a long time. Divide into portions what you haveseven or even eight partsas you know not what evil will come on the earth. If clouds are full of rain, they will empty themselves upon the earth. If the wind blows from either the north or south and blows the tree over, in the place where the tree falls, there it remains. Since these illustrations speak to truth, one cannot afford to be too cautious or wait too long to sow. If you wait until all weather conditions are just exactly right before you sow, you will never reap a crop. You do not know the path the wind follows or the way bones are formed in the womb of a pregnant woman. Neither do you know how God works in all the things He does. Therefore, sow your seed from daylight until dark for you have no way of discovering at this time whether the morning or the evening sowing will produce the best harvest. Perhaps both the morning and evening sowing will be good. Indeed the light of day is sweet! It is very pleasant for one to work in the sunshine. If you are fortunate to live many years in the sunlight, rejoice in them all. One thing you can be certain ofthe days of darkness will be many: all that lies ahead is emptiness and futility.
COMMENT 11:18
To teach through precepts and proverbs was characteristic of the wise men of Solomons day. He includes himself in this category (Ecc. 12:9). In what is considered among the most beautiful language in the Bible, the Preacher now turns to his final advice. He urges his readers to trust God and work hard! He demonstrates a concern for the happiness of others (note the difference in attitude from that found in Ecc. 2:1-11), and urges wise industry, combined with pleasure, before old age makes such activity impossible.
This division, which includes verses one through seven of chapter twelve with chapter eleven, is accepted by most modern commentators. The emphasis is thrilling and exciting: Give of your substance and yourself; above all, make the most of your youth. Enjoy. How badly youth need this lesson today. There is no curtailment from God on approved pleasure. No somber, spiritual straight jacket for the believer. Rejoice, let your heart be pleasant, remove vexation, put away pain, follow the impulses of your heart and desires of your eyes are all admonitions to enjoy life. Just remember, the Preacher warns, God will bring you to judgment. The spirit of this final section under discussion is that one should find the work and happiness which God approves and pursue it with all his strength.
Ecc. 11:1-2 These two verses should be considered together. It is possible that the second verse is an explanation of the metaphor in verse one. However, the exact meaning of both verses is much contested. It is highly improbable that the actual meaning and application can be made with any certainty. No less than six distinct explanations have been offered by commentators. Some are so fanciful that they do not merit consideration.[17] The two views which are most generally held are: (1) The traditional Jewish view holds that the lesson is one of charity, and that ones benevolence should be practiced freely without a view to personal return. There is the awareness, however, that should one give freely of his substance, in due season a substantial gain will be forthcoming. (2) The other interpretation encourages the daily pursuit of labor, resigning oneself to the providence of Gods certain control and promise of future reward.
[17] For a review of the various interpretations of these two verses, one should study the two following sections:
George A. Barton. The International Critical Commentary: The Book of Ecclesiastes. (New York: Charles Scribners Sons, 1908), pp. 181183.
George A. Buttrick (ed.). The Interpreters Bible, V. (New York: Abingdon Press, 1956), pp. 8182.
The image of a trading ship is understood as the meaning of cast your bread on the surface of the waters. Cast means send forth and coincides with a merchant sending forth his ships laden with trade goods. One does not know when the ship will return. Often large periods of time lapsed before the ship arrived at home port with goods in trade. Solomon practiced such ventures as it is recorded of him that the king had at sea the ships of Tarshish with the ships of Hiram; once every three years the ships of Tarshish came bringing gold and silver ivory and apes and peacocks (1Ki. 10:22). (Cf. Pro. 31:14) The idea is that just as the ship returns to reward the one who sent it forth, so God will restore generously the one who demonstrates compassion upon others. A beautiful description of this principle was written by Solomon. He said, He who is gracious to a poor man lends to the Lord, and He will repay him for his good deed (Pro. 19:17).
The division into seven parts suggests in the metaphor that one is wise if he does not trust his entire fortune to one ship. The idea is to help many different people. The additional thought of the eight divisions may imply an unlimited number and could be expressed by seven and more. This would be making friends for yourselves by means of the mammon of unrighteousness (Luk. 16:9). As one would say today, it is unwise putting all ones eggs in the same basket. The misfortune is thus understood to be an evil that results in loss of possessions or friends, and since one has helped numerous individuals, when his time of need is apparent, help will be forthcoming.
If the saying Cast your bread on the surface of the waters is taken at face value, it would mean that one freely and generously distributes his riches to those in need. It carries the idea of doing good without hope of gratitude or return. (Cf. Luk. 6:32-35) Although the motive is pure there is the promise that you will find it after many days. As Ranston said, Be generous, do not be narrow in your liberality; even on the thankless waters scatter broadcast the seeds of kindness; be sure that sooner or later you will be rewarded.[18]
[18] Harry Ranston. Ecclesiastes and Early Greek Wisdom Literature. (London: Epworth Press, 1925), p. 40.
What if the Preachers intention is not to teach benevolence? What other lesson is justified by these two verses? Assuming continuity in the writing of Ecclesiastes, which has been consistently demonstrated, a close study of the context suggests that the subject at hand is the same subject discussed in chapter ten and obviously pursued in verses three through six of chapter eleven. What is this subject? It is the idea that the way of wisdom is superior to the way of the fool. Although one cannot control the acts of nature (God) or the evil misfortunes produced by fools (sometimes rulers) there is the admonition in in the midst of it all to simply trust Godthere are certain things one neither knows nor controls which may have tremendous effects upon his life, yet he must work with all his might and commit himself to Gods providential care. The figure of speechCast your bread on the surface of the watersneed not be restricted to a single aspect of ones work or labor. Let it speak to the total picture of industry. Let it encompass charity, but allow more than this. If ones life is lived in its totality according to the righteous rules and principles preached by Koheleth in his book, then the reward will assuredly come to him after many days.
Verse two is simply an admonition to be wise in various activities of life. Allow wisdom to prepare one for the unexpected misfortunes of life which are beyond control. Note how the following verses fortify this argument.
Ecc. 11:3 One law of God which alters mans activities upon the earth, and over which man has absolutely no control, is the fact that when the clouds are full, they pour out rain upon the earth. A similar example of the same principle is seen is the fact that a tree remains where it falls. E. M. Zerr comments: This verse is to be considered especially in connection with the last clause of the preceding verse. The laws of nature are fixed so that man should make use of present opportunities for doing good, before some action of nature (which is unseen and unavoidable) cuts off the opportunity.[19]
[19] E. M. Zerr. Bible Commentary, III (Marion, Indiana: Cogdill Foundation Publications, 1954), p. 224.
Man may fret or even suffer over too much rain or too little, but he cannot control it. The tree falls very likely from the blowing of the wind. Note the use of south and north in this verse as well as in chapter one verse six. The tree could have been a fruit tree in full bloom or a much desired shade tree, but man does not prevent its destruction. The following verse describes how wise men act under such circumstances. One must admit to conditions of life which are beyond his control.
Ecc. 11:4 The admonition which states, whatever your hands find to do, verily, do it with all your might (Ecc. 9:10), is not heeded by the one who excessively worries over matters he cannot control. Under all circumstances one should do the very best work he can and let God care for him. The wind may threaten to blow away the seeds at sowing time, and the clouds threaten to drop heavy rains to damage or destroy the harvest. (Cf. 1Sa. 12:7; Pro. 26:1) However, one must employ wise judgment, not fear or inactivity under such circumstances. There is no assurance for the farmer who does the best he can, but he does something.
Some see in the verse a broader application than literal sowing and reaping which would have special meaning for farmers. Luther said it pertains in general to all human activity, but especially to charity. Delitzsch said, The cultivation of the land is the prototype of all labor.[20] (Cf. Gen. 2:15 b) The principle established in verse one and amplified in these verses is applicable to many situations, but it serves the purpose of the Preachers reasoning to view it in the context of the farmer who is always watching the skies and fails to sow his crop.
[20] Delitzsch, op. cit., p. 395.
Ecc. 11:5 The Preacher is still discussing the activity of God. One should not stumble over the difficulty of understanding the first part of this verse and miss the obvious. There are two examples presented in the verse which illustrate the mysterious activities of God in nature. The point is made that one can not know what God does. This truth has been previously demonstrated. (Cf. Ecc. 1:13; Ecc. 3:10-11; Ecc. 8:17)
One difficulty is presented by the fact that the word translated wind (ruach) may also be translated spirit. However, the wind has just been under consideration (verse four), and this could very well be a reflection of this same truth. We know, too, that Jesus discussed the subject in Joh. 3:18 where He observed that the wind blows where it wishes but man doesnt know where it is going or where it came from. If the wind is misunderstood to be the true meaning, then there are two distinct illustrations.
On the other hand, if ruach is to be translated spirit, then there is but one illustration as the spirit and bones formed in the womb would speak to the mysterious making of a babya mystery which even today baffles modern science. (Cf. Psa. 139:13-16)
Regardless of which interpretation is preferred, neither the essence nor the application of the lesson is changed. The point is that man does not know the activity of God.
Who makes all things does not speak to the total universe but rather specifically to things mentioned here such as wind and bones in the womb. Zerr observes, The lesson still is that man should make use of present and known advantages, not waiting to figure out the ways of God as to the future.[21]
[21] Zerr. op. cit., p. 224.
Ecc. 11:6 The Preacher continues to admonish toward hard work. The positive emphasis sow your seed, and the negative warning, do not be idle, clearly demonstrates his intention. Repetition is a technique used in effective preaching. Restating this theme (Cf. verses three-four) is like hitting the same nail repeatedly until it is well-fastened (Ecc. 12:11). The specific explanation is found once again in the figure of the farmer who must work from morning until night, and in addition must trust God as he does not know which effort will succeed. The broader application would encourage one to work diligently at every task he undertakes as this is obviously the overriding message which Solomon relentlessly preaches.
Ecc. 11:7 To see the sun may communicate no other meaning than to be alive. (Cf. Ecc. 6:5; Ecc. 7:11) The basic joy of living is the tenor of Solomons emphasis now, but it is conveyed through this verse by the words pleasant and good, and not necessarily by to see. Solomons quest is clearly set forth in Ecc. 2:3; Ecc. 2:24; Ecc. 3:12-22; Ecc. 5:18 and Ecc. 8:15. Light is a metaphor and represents life. No matter how difficult tasks may become, or how sad the circumstances surrounding life, it is still a good thing to be alive. Especially is this true when one is yet in his youth with health and vigor on his side. Oppression or misfortune could temporarily cause one to despair, but the energy of youth will assist one in rising above such adversity. The day will come when one edges toward the darkness. (Cf. Ecc. 12:2; Ecc. 12:6-7) At that time, all opportunities for joyful activities will be lost.
Ecc. 11:8 Here Solomon is careful to note that throughout life, from youth to old age, it is possible to find good and pleasant activities. How can one rejoice in all his days? The answer has been labored by the Preacher. It is best summarized by his own words, Let your clothes be white all the time, and let not oil be lacking on your head. Enjoy life with the woman whom you love all the days of your fleeting life which He has given to you under the sun; for this is your reward in life, and in your toil in which you have labored under the sun (Ecc. 9:8-9).
The days of darkness do not refer to the misfortunes which may occur on the earth. Neither do they refer to the end years of ones life. The reference is to the abiding place of the soul when it is no longer in the light or under the sun. In other words it is the period of time one must spend in the grave or Sheol. (Cf. Ecc. 9:10; Gen. 37:35; Job. 21:13; Job. 17:13; Isaiah 38; Isaiah 10) Solomon also uses the term eternal home (Ecc. 12:5) in describing Sheol. Such pensive meditation on the certainty of this truth has a sobering effect on the wise (Ecc. 7:2-4). He does not despair but becomes more determined that he will make the most of his opportunities. In the grave, when the soul abides in Sheol, everything will be futility. There is nothing that promises any kind of positive experience in the grave. How appropriate to this comment are the words of Jesus in Joh. 9:4 when He said, We must work the works of Him who sent me, as long as it is day; night is coming, when no man can work.
FACT QUESTIONS 11:18
527.
What primary admonition to youth comes through in this section?
528.
Youth should temper their activities remembering what future event?
529.
What is the traditional Jewish view of verses one and two.
530.
Explain the major alternative interpretation of verses one and two.
531.
What is suggested by the division of ones goods into seven parts?
532.
If cast your bread on the surface of the water speaks to the total of ones life, what is the lesson to be learned?
533.
How do the clouds and the tree demonstrate that man has no control over certain activities of God?
534.
What will keep one from meaningful industry?
535.
What do the two examples in verse five illustrate?
536.
What technique of preaching, mentioned in verse eleven of chapter twelve is used in verse six?
537.
What two words in verse seven are to have special emphasis?
538.
When will joyful activities be lost?
539.
To what does days of darkness refer? (Cf. verse eight)
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

XI.
(1) In this section the preacher is drawing to a close, and he brings out practical lessons very different from those which views of life like his have suggested to others. From the uncertainty of the results of human effort, he infers that we ought the more diligently to make trial of varied forms of exertion, in order that this or that may succeed. From the instability of human happiness, he draws the lesson that we ought to enjoy freely such happiness as life affords, yet with a temperate and chastened joy, and mindful of the account we shall have to render. The most popular explanation of Ecc. 11:1 is, that the figure is taken from the casting of seed on irrigated lands, as, for instance, in Egypt before the waters of the Nile have subsided; and that the duty of beneficence is here inculcated. We are to sow our benefits broadcast, and be assured we shall have a harvest of reward. It is easier to raise objections to this interpretation than to improve on it. That the word translated bread is sometimes used in the sense of seed corn, see Isa. 28:28; Isa. 30:23; Psa. 104:14. It is objected that the words cast on the waters are, literally, send over the face of the waters, the word send being nowhere else used in the sense of sowing. It has been remarked that in the East bread is used in the shape of light cakes, which would float on water; and the text has been understood as directing the casting of such cakes into a running streaman irrational proceeding, not likely to occur to any but one to whom this text might have suggested it, and not offering ground for expectation that he who so cast his bread would find it again. It has been less absurdly proposed to understand the text as advising maritime enterprise; but the word bread does not harmonise with this explanation. There is nothing else in the book according with such advice; and the next verse, about the evil that shall be upon the earth, shows that the writer was not thinking of the dangers of the sea. I believe, therefore, that Ecc. 11:6, which speaks distinctly of the sowing of seed, is the best commentary on the present verse, which means, cast thy seed, even though thou canst not see where it will fall. Possibly the application of the figure is not to be restricted to acts of beneficence; but the next verse may lead us to think that these are primarily intended, and to these especially the encouragement at the end of the verse applies; for in other cases this book gives a less cheerful view of the possible success of human plans.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

1. Cast thy bread upon the waters This metaphor is to be explained from the form of eastern loaves, which from all time have been thin and flat, and float off like shingles on a stream. The “bread” passes from sight and reach swiftly, and apparently beyond recovery, like our hard tack not soaking and falling apart readily, and may be sometimes recovered far down the stream. The scope of this verse is hypothetical, or of a supposed case. “Though one cast his bread upon the surface of a stream, he may, though long after, find it again.” That is, an investment, whether of toil, of benevolent giving, or good doing, which shows little promise of being remunerative, may in the end prove extremely advantageous. This prepares us for the precept next following.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Chapter Ecc 11:1-8 Advice From The Wise Man To The Wise.

Central to these verses is the recognition of our ignorance. We do not know what will happen when we do things, we do not know what God will work, thus we should seek to make the maximum effort recognising that some of our efforts will be blessed, and we have no idea which.
Ecc 11:1
‘Cast (send away) your bread on the waters, for you will find it after many days.’
Various interpretations have been given for the meaning of this verse. The most probable is that he has in mind the waters as representing people. Let a man feed the needy generously and without thought of what he can get from it (‘cast’) and he can be sure that one day he will get his return. What we do now will reap its deserved reward one day, possibly in unexpected ways. A kindness shown will result in kindness being shown. What we sow we will reap (Gal 6:7-8).
Others have seen in it a reference to overseas trade. Take the risk of sending your bread over the waters and you will eventually receive benefit from it, the profits from trade. To the Israelite the sea was not seen as a friend. To go to sea was a risky venture. But they are being assured that if they were willing to take sensible risks in trade they would benefit by it, although it may take a long time. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
If the latter interpretation is correct it is probable that he was not expecting all the people to become sea traders, rather that he intended it as an example of the need to venture out on things and not remain in one’s shell. The idea was that men should not look just at the short term, and be timid and avoid risk, but should be venturesome and consider long term benefits.
Ecc 11:2
‘Give a portion to seven, yes, even to eight, for you do not know what evil will be on the earth.’
The idea here would seem to be of the need to spread risk. Compare our proverb, ‘do not put all your eggs in one basket’ (if you drop it you will lose the lot). While he has suggested being venturesome, he also recommends being careful. The wise man will be both.
Seven was the number of divine perfection, and eight thus represented even excess of that. So he has in mind the need to remember that the world can be an evil place, and to take sensible precautions to the widest extent possible, and more.
Ecc 11:3
‘If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves on the earth, and if a tree falls towards the south or towards the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it will be.
The wise man keeps his eye on things. While it is God Who proposes and disposes it is up to man to use planning and forethought. He should be awake to what is going on around him, and to what God is doing. He knows that if the clouds are full of rain, then eventually it will rain, so he is prepared, and takes advantage of the situation. He knows that if a tree falls down it can fall in a number of directions. Therefore he is prepared. It is no good wishing afterwards that it had fallen the other way. He does not ignore the future, but approaches it sensibly to obtain maximum benefit from it, and to ensure that he has taken all necessary precautions. He cannot necessarily change what is coming, but he can prepare for it.
He also knows that when chopping down trees they will fall in the direction intended by the axeman. So he considers where he wants it before chopping down the tree, for once it has been chopped down it is too late (see Mat 3:10). Or if a tree may possibly blown down, the same need for thought applies. He arranges to protect the tree, or to ensure that there is nothing that it could fall on, so that it will not cause damage in a storm. In that case he cannot arrange in which direction the tree will fall, but he can ensure that it will not fall on anything important.
The thought in both cases is of keeping awake to possible eventualities, and planning in the light of eventualities which we cannot change. The wise man does not live life carelessly. Thus he is not caught out and achieves what he wants to achieve. If a person plans to read his Bible and pray every day he should fix a time, otherwise he will never do it. If a person has something he needs to do he should determine when he should do it. Then it may get done.
Ecc 11:4
‘He who observes the wind will not sow. And he who regards the clouds will not reap.’
Having warned about the need to take precautions, he now warns against the danger of being too cautious. It is one thing to be sensible, it is another to be over-anxious. Those who are always looking at the difficulties will never get anything done. It is a matter of common sense.
Ecc 11:5
‘As you do not know what is the way of the wind, or how the bones grow in the womb of a pregnant woman (her who is with child), even so you do not know the work of God who does all.’
Even in this scientific age we do not really know the secrets of the wind, nor the secrets of the human body. We may know about genes but we do not fully understand them. Things still happen invisibly that we cannot comprehend. Even more therefore do we not know the workings of God. They are invisible and unpredictable. God works His own will, and does what He will with His own, and none can know what it will be, except in so far as He has revealed it to us.
Ecc 11:6
‘In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening do not withhold your hand. For you do not know which will prosper, whether this or that, or whether they both alike would be good.’
So because we do not know the workings of God we are to take advantage of our time and gifts and sow them at all seasons. For we have no idea which will prosper. Indeed both might prosper. We need to sow in the morning, and sow in the evening (or it may mean from morning until evening), for how sad it would be if we picked and chose, and later we discovered that the time we decided to sow was the wrong one and we had missed the harvest.
I remember once on a beach mission where we needed all our personnel, we were asked to send some to a local ministry in an out of the way spot. We did so out of duty but feeling some regret because of the effect it might have on our own outreach. It was stretching our resources, and the dear brothers were ministering in too barren a place. And it was there the blessing fell. How easily we could have missed out on God’s plan.
So we must be faithful to God with all that we have, recognising that He will work in the way He chooses. And this is just as true in physical things as in spiritual.
Ecc 11:7-8
‘Truly the light is sweet, and it is a pleasant thing for the eyes to behold the sun. Yes, if a man live many years, let him rejoice in them all. But let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many.’
The idea of seizing the opportunity and making the most of the time continues. The sunny days are welcome, and bring great joy. For however long we enjoy them we must make the most of them, with gratitude and praise. For they will not last for ever, and we must remember that there will also be days of darkness, dark times, and they too will be many, in which we can do nothing because there is no light to work by. (But compare also Ecc 2:13-14. It may thus mean days when we walk as fools in the darkness. We are not always wise). Then we will regret that we did not make better use of the sunny days.
Alternately ‘the days of darkness’ may be referring to death (Ecc 6:4). Thus it is then saying, make the most of your life whether short or long, for death lasts a long time, and the opportunities will have gone.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

Chapters Ecc 11:9 to Ecc 12:14 The Venturing Of The Young, The Trials Of The Old and Man’s Final Destiny.

As we come to the end of the writer’s musings we are rewarded with the final conclusions that he has reached. He calls on the young man to arise out of life’s vainness and look to his Creator, recognising that God will bring him into judgment in whatever he does. Interestingly he no longer appears to see life as meaningless, but as something to be treated very seriously, with attitude towards God being seen as of prior importance. Outwardly life is still indeed vanity, but that only refers to life on this earth, life under the sun (Ecc 12:7-8). What must not be overlooked is what lies beyond life ‘under the sun’. Thus in the light of everlastingness (Ecc 3:11) the godliness of the godly will turn out to be the one thing that is important after all. Hope is arising out of despair.
Young Men Are To Make The Most Of Their Youth, But Are To Remember While They Are Young That God Is Their Creator And Will One Day Judge Them, And Should Live Accordingly, For One Day They Will Grow Old And Then Their Spirits Must Return To The God Who Gave Them (Ecc 11:9 to Ecc 12:7).
We have already seen that the Preacher has continually recognised that there is a judgment coming ( (Ecc 3:17; Ecc 8:5). Now he applies that to the young (Ecc 11:9) and to all men who fear God (Ecc 12:14).
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

The Principles of Sowing and Reaping The Preacher began his sermon in Ecc 1:1-2 by asking the rhetorical question, “Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?” Throughout this book, the Preacher will begin to answer this question. Ecc 11:6 teaches us one thing we can do to overcome the vanities of this life, which is to sow. This passage of Scripture motivates us to give by teaching God’s divine laws of sowing and reaping.
Outline Here is a proposed outline:
1. Give with Patience Ecc 11:1
2. Give Bountifully Ecc 11:2
3. The Certainty of Giving and Receiving: A Divine Law Ecc 11:3
4. Giving in Faith Ecc 11:4-5
5. Give Continually Ecc 11:6
Ecc 11:1 Give with Patience – The passage in Ecc 11:1-6 gives us principles of sowing and reaping. Ecc 11:1 teaches us to give and be willing to wait patiently for the harvest. We are to always be willing to spread God’s Word and to help others, trusting that somehow, someway, God will return upon us His blessings. Whether we cast our bread upon calm waters or turbulent floodwaters, we must trust that God’s Word will not return void (Isa 55:10-11).
Isa 55:10-11, “For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”
Somehow, by God’s marvelous design, we will receive God’s blessings and go forth rejoicing (Isa 55:12-13).
Isa 55:12-13, “For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”
We are not called to understand all of God’s ways, but we are called to follow Him, by looking to Him each day as our Provider.
Ecc 11:1 Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.
Ecc 11:1 “Cast thy bread upon the waters” Scripture References – Note a similar verse:
Isa 32:20, “Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth thither the feet of the ox and the ass.”
Ecc 11:1 “for thou shalt find it after many days” Comments – Compare this phrase to Gal 6:9, “in due season.”
Gal 6:9, “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”
Also,
Ecc 3:1, “ To every thing there is a season , and a time to every purpose under the heaven:”
Reaping does not always come immediately; rather, it comes at a certain time, which could be sooner or later. It always in time to meet our needs.
Ecc 11:1 Illustrations:

1. Giving to orphans, widows and strangers:
Deu 10:18, “He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment.”
2. Giving to poor:
Deu 15:10, “Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him: because that for this thing the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto.”
Pro 19:17, “He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.”
Pro 22:9, “He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.”
Pro 28:27, “He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse.”
3. Giving to those in the ministry:
Gal 6:6, “Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.”
3Jn 1:8, “We therefore ought to receive such, that we might be fellowhelpers to the truth.”
4. Do good to all, especially to the saints:
Gal 6:10, “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.”
Ecc 11:2 Give Bountifully – The passage in Ecc 11:1-6 gives us principles of sowing and reaping. Ecc 11:2 teaches us to give bountifully, for we do not know what may befall us. If we continually sow in faith we position ourselves to receive during evil times. Since we have sown bountifully we are qualified to reap bountifully.
Numerical Proverbs – Ecc 11:2 is a numerical proverb. We find this style of numerical collections also used in Job 5:19, Job 33:14, Pro 6:16, Proverbs 30 and Amos 2, 3. Scholars believe that this phrase means that the list is not exhaustive.
Ecc 11:2 Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.
Ecc 11:2 “Give a portion to seven, and also to eight” Comments – In other words, we are to sow bountifully, not sparingly (2Co 9:6).
2Co 9:6, “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.”
Ecc 11:2 “for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth” – Comments – Evil may come (Luk 16:9).
Luk 16:9, “And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.”
Ecc 11:3 The Certainty of Giving and Receiving: A Divine Law – The passage in Ecc 11:1-6 gives us principles of sowing and reaping. Ecc 11:3 teaches us about the certainty of giving. In order to make this point the Preacher uses two illustrations from nature. The divine principles of sowing and reaping are as certain and sure to take place as the events in nature. These illustrations tell us that certain events are sure to follow others in the natural realm. Rain is certain to come with rain clouds. A tree is certain to lie in place once it falls, wherever it may be. Likewise, reaping is certain to follow sowing in the spiritual realm (Gal 6:7).
Gal 6:7, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”
Ecc 11:3 If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be.
Ecc 11:4-5 Giving in Faith – The passage in Ecc 11:1-6 gives us principles of sowing and reaping. Ecc 11:4-5 tells us to not consider our circumstances when sowing. We are to sow in all seasons at all times. We are to be instant or ready, in season, out of season, when we feel ready to work and when we do not feel ready.
2Ti 4:2, “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.”
Sowing is an act of faith. Ecc 11:4-5 tells us that if we wait for the right conditions to sow, we will never sow in faith because our senses will always tell us that the conditions are not right. Our senses will never approval of our sowing. But as children of God we walk by faith, not by sight, from Ecc 11:4, (see 2Co 5:7), trusting that God is able to make all grace abound toward you (see 2Co 9:8), from Ecc 11:5. Many times giving has to be done by faith, even out of poverty, so it can be difficult sometimes to make that decision to sow. This is when our faith in God as our Provider has to prevail over our senses, which is always moved by circumstances.
2Co 5:7, “(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)”
2Co 9:8, “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:”
Ecc 11:4 He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.
Ecc 11:4 Comments – The wind and the clouds symbolic the many circumstances in this life that encompass us as we make decisions to serve the Lord and fulfill His plan in our lies.
Illustration – While working as a carpenter doing construction, many mornings were overcast, and there was always that hope of getting enough rain to call off the entire work day, but without fail, we always showed up at work and were not easily dismissed for rain, unless long, hard showers persisted. I have gone to work many mornings with a cloud of adverse weather hanging in the sky. Many times, these clouds would eventually dissipate into a beautiful day.
Ecc 11:5 As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.
Ecc 11:5 “As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit” – Comments – This illustration of the wind helps explain Joh 3:8, “The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”
Ecc 11:5 “even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all” Comments – Note a similar verse in Isa 55:8-9, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Ecc 11:5 Comments – Because we do not understand God’s ways, we do not always know and understand why God leads us to do such and such things and to sow in such manners. Thus, within the contest of Ecc 11:1-6 about sowing and reaping we interpret Ecc 11:5 to mean that we do not have to understand how God is going to bring us our harvest. Our job is to sow in faith believing that God will certainly bring us a reward for our sowing.
Also, Ecc 11:5 teaches us that the mystery of the forming of a child in the womb testifies to us that God’s ways are beyond our understanding.
Ecc 11:6 Give Continually – Ecc 11:1-6 gives us principles of sowing and reaping. Ecc 11:4-5 teaches us to sow continually. Note the parable of the sower (See Mar 4:1-20). Some seed had no success, some did for a short time, then failed and some produced fruit at different amounts. We cannot always tell how much impact our witnessing and good works will have in the kingdom of God. We may lead a great preacher to Jesus, or change a nation, etc.
Ecc 11:6 In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.
Ecc 11:6 “In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand” – Comments – In the context of this passage, we are to sow at all times when the opportunity arises.
In the field of agricultural, farmers know that it is best to water in the morning or the evening, when the sun is not so hot as to scorch plants.
Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures

Indoctrination: Practical Wisdom to Fear God In Ecc 7:1 thru Ecc 11:8 the Preacher gives illustrations of practical wisdom, or doctrine on how to fear God in this life. In other words, these proverbs give us wisdom on how to bring our lives into God’s divine plan that we were created to pursue. Much of this passage is delivered as a collection of proverbs, or short, pithy sayings, that summarize wisdom and is very similar to the book of Proverbs in structure. However, I believe that these particular set of Proverbs are designed to guide us into finding the answers for how to serve the Lord with all of our strength.
Why is this section the longest one in the book of Ecclesiastes? Perhaps the reason lies in the fact that the underlying theme of the book is the keeping of God’s commandments in the fear of the Lord. Thus, the Preacher takes the time to list these commandments. In a similar way, the longest section in the book of Proverbs is wisdom’s call (Proverbs 1-9), since man’s daily walk in wisdom requires him to constantly recognize and hear wisdom’s call in order to make the right decisions each day.
Outline Here are a number of topics discussed in this section:
Wisdom Seen in Being Sober-minded Ecc 7:1-6
Wisdom’s Ability to Protect Ecc 7:11-12
Wisdom Found in Recognizing God’s Hand in Daily Life Ecc 7:13-14
Wisdom Found in Moderation Ecc 7:15-18
Wisdom Found in Ignoring What Others Say About You Ecc 7:21-22
The Preacher’s Pursuit of Wisdom Ecc 7:23-25
The Tongue of the Wise and the Fool Ecc 10:11-14
The Principles of Sowing and Reaping Ecc 11:1-6
A Reminder of the Vanities of Life Ecc 11:7-8
Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures

Practicing Benevolence
v. 1. Cast thy bread upon the waters, in practicing benevolence freely, without the hope of profit or immediate return, Mat 5:46-47; Luk 6:35-38; for thou shalt find it after many days, God will return a rich harvest at the time appointed by Him, Gal 6:9-10; 2Co 9:6-9; 1Ti 6:18-19.
v. 2. Give a portion to seven and also to eight, ready to dispense charity to many; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth, when the tables may be turned by some misfortune, and the giver himself may find himself in need of help.
v. 3. If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth, when periods of misfortune are due to happen, evil will come in full measure; and if the tree fall toward the south or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be. Just so it is with gifts of benevolence: their fruit is not lost, although they do not always come to light in the manner intended. Or, as Luther says, man is like a tree which is bound to fall one way or the other, and will be judged according to the way he falls in death.
v. 4. He that observeth the wind, in timid anxiety and hesitation, shall not sow, for while he waits for favorable weather, he misses the proper period for action; and he that regardeth the clouds, with the same over-anxious watchfulness, shall not reap. The Christian must sow the seed of good works regardless of the promise of returns.
v. 5. As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, or of the wind, concerning whose various vagaries men are just as puzzled as ever, in spite of the progress made by the science of meteorology, Cf Joh 3:8, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child, in the mystery of creation or generation, Psa 139:14-15, even so thou knowest not the works of God, who maketh all, the works of His almighty power are unfathomable by the mind of finite men.
v. 6. In the morning sow thy seed, in all the works of one’s regular occupation, but especially in acts of benevolence and charity, and in the evening withhold not thine hand, not growing weary in the appointed tasks and in well-doing, Gal 6:9-10, for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, the blessing may rest upon the early or upon the late labor, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good, both producing substantial and enduring good. The conduct advised by the author, therefore, is that of steady faithfulness in the appointed tasks.
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann

EXPOSITION
Approaching the end of his treatise, Koheleth, in view of apparent anomalies in God’s moral government, and the difficulties that meet man in his social and political relations, proceeds to give his remedies for this state of things. These remedies are
(1) beneficence and active life (Ecc 11:1-6);
(2) joyful light-heartedness (Ecc 11:7-9);
(3) piety (Ec 11:10–Ec 12:7).
Ecc 11:1-6
Section 16. Leaving alone unanswerable questions, man’s duty and happiness are found in activity, especially in doing all the good in his power, for he knows not how soon he himself may stand in need of help. This is the first remedy for the perplexities of life. The wise man will not charge himself with results.
Ecc 11:1
Cast thy bread upon the waters. The old interpretation of this passage, which found in it a reference to the practice in Egypt of sowing seed during the inundation of the Nile, is not admissible. The verb shalach is not used in the sense of sowing or scattering seed; it means “to cast or send forth.” Two chief explanations have been given.
(1) As to sow on the water is equivalent to taking thankless toil (compare the Greek proverb, ), the gnome may be an injunction to do good without hope of return, like the evangelical precept (Mat 5:44-46; Luk 6:32-35).
(2) It is a commercial maxim, urging men to make ventures in trade, that they may receive a good return for their expenditure. In this case the casting seed upon the waters is a metaphorical expression for sending merchandise across the sea to distant lands. This view is supposed to be confirmed by the statement concerning the good woman in Pro 31:14, “She is like the merchants’ ships; she bringeth her bread from far;” and the words of Psa 107:23, “They that go down to the sea in ships, that do Business in great waters.” But one sees no reason why Koheleth should suddenly turn to commerce and the trade of a maritime city. Such considerations have no reference to the context, nor to the general design of the book. Nothing leads to them, nothing comes of them. On the other hand, if we take the verse as urging active beneficence as the safest and best proceeding under men’s present circumstances, We have a maxim in due accordance with the spirit of the rest of the work, and one which conduces to the conclusion reached at the end. So we adopt the first of the two explanations mentioned above. The bread in the East is made in the form of thin cakes, which would float for a time if thrown into a stream; and if it be objected that no one would be guilty of such an irrational action as flinging bread into the water, it may be answered that this is just the point aimed at. Do your kindnesses, exert yourself, in the most unlikely quarters, not thinking of gratitude or return, but only of duty. And yet surely a recompense will be made in some form or other. Thou shalt find it after many days. This is not to be the motive of our acts, but it will in the course of time be the result; and this thought may be an encouragement. In the Chaldee Version of parts of Ecclesiasticus there is extant a maxim identical with our verse, “Strew thy bread on the water and on the land, and thou shalt find it at the end of days”. Parallels have been found in many quarters. Thus the Turk says, “Do good, throw it into the water; if the fish does not know it, God does.” Herzfeld quotes Goethe
“Was willst du untersuchen,
Wohin die Milde fliesst!
Ins Wasser wirf deine Kuchen;
Wer weiss wet sie geniesst?”
“Wouldst thou too narrowly inquire
Whither thy kindness goes!
Thy cake upon the water cast;
Whom it may feed who knows?”
Voltaire paraphrases the passage in his ‘Precis de l’Ecclesiaste’
“Repandez vos bienfaits avec magnificence,
Meme aux moins vertueux ne les refusez pas.
Ne vous informez pas de leur reconnoissance;
Il est grand, il est beau de faire des ingrats.”
Ecc 11:2
Give a portion to seven, and also to eight. This further explains, without any metaphor, the injunction of beneficence in Ecc 11:1. Give portions of thy “bread” to any number of those who need. Delitzsch and others who interpret the passage of maritime enterprise would see in it a recommendation (like the proceeding of Jacob, Gen 32:16, etc.) not to risk all at once, to divide one’s ventures into various ships. But the expression in the text is merely a mode of enjoining unlimited benevolence. The numbers are purposely indefinite. Instances of this form of speech are common enough (see Pro 6:16; Pro 30:7-9, etc.; Amo 1:3. etc.; Mic 5:5; Ecclesiasticus 23:16; 26:5, 28). Wordsworth notes that the word for “portion” (chelek) is that used specially for the portion of the Levites (Num 18:20); and in accordance with his view of the date of the book, finds here an injunction not to confine one’s offerings to the Levites of Judah, but to extend them to the refugees who come from Israel. For thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth. A time may come when you yourself may need help; the power of giving may no longer be yours; therefore make friends now who may be your comfort in distress. So the Lord urges, “Make to yourselves friends by means of the mammon of unrighteousness” (Luk 16:9). It seems a low motive on which to base charitable actions; but men act on such secondary motives every day, and the moralist cannot ignore them. In the Book of Proverbs secondary and worldly motives are largely urged as useful in the conduct of life. St. Paul reminds us that we some day may need a brother’s help (Gal 6:1). The Fathers have spiritualized the passage, so as to make it of Christian application, far away indeed from Koheleth’s thought. Thus St. Gregory: “By the number seven is understood the whole of this temporal condition this is shown more plainly when the number eight is mentioned after it. For when another number besides follows after seven, it is set forth by this very addition, that this temporal state is brought to an end and closed by eternity. For by the number seven Solomon expressed the present time, which is passed by periods of seven days. But by the number eight he designated eternal life, which the Lord made known to us by his resurrection. For he rose in truth on the Lord’s day, which, as following the seventh day, i.e. the sabbath, is found to be the eighth from the creation. But it is well said, ‘Give portions,’ etc. As if it were plainly said, ‘So dispense temporal goods, as not to forget to desire those that are eternal. For thou oughtest to provide for the future by well-doing, who knowest not what tribulation succeeds from the future judgment'” (‘Moral,’ 35.17, Oxford transl.).
Ecc 11:3
If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth. This verse is closely connected with the preceding paragraph. The misfortune there intimated may fall at any moment; this is as certain as the laws of nature, unforeseen, uncontrollable. When the clouds are overcharged with moisture, they deliver their burden upon the earth, according to laws which man cannot alter; these are of irresistible necessity, and must be expected and endured. And if the tree fall toward the, south, etc.; or, it may be, in the south; i.e. let it fall where it will; the particular position is of no importance. When the tempest overthrows it, it lies where it has fallen. When the evil day comes, we must bend to the blow, we are powerless to avert it; the future can be neither calculated nor controlled. The next verse tells how the wise man acts under such circumstances. Christian commentators have argued from this clause concerning the unchangeable state of the departedthat there is no repentance in the grave; that what death leaves them judgment shall find them. Of course, no such thought was in Koheleth’s mind; nor do we think that the inspiring Spirit intended such meaning to be wrung from the passage. Indeed, it may be said that, as it stands, the clause does not bear this interpretation. The fallen or felled tree is not at once fit for the master’s use; it has to be exposed to atmospheric influences seasoned, tried. It is not left in the place where it lay, nor in the condition in which it was; so that, if we reason from this analogy, we must conceive that there is some ripening, purifying process in the intermediate state. St. Gregory speaks thus: “For when, at the moment of the falling of the human being, either the Holy Spirit or the evil spirit receives the soul departed from the chambers of the flesh, he will keel, it with him for ever without change, so that neither, once exalted, shall it be precipitated into woe, nor, once plunged into eternal woes, any further arise to take the means of escape” (‘Moral.,’ 8.30).
Ecc 11:4
He that observeth the wind shall not sow. The fact of the uncertainty and immutability of the future ought not to make us supine or to crush out all diligence and activity. He who wants to anticipate results, to foresee and provide against all contingencies, to be his own providence, is like a farmer who is always looking to wind and weather, and misses the time for sowing in this needless caution. The quarter from which the wind blows regulates the downfall of rain (comp. Pro 25:23). In Palestine the west and north-west winds usually brought rain. He that regardeth the clouds shall not reap. For the purpose of softening the ground to receive the seed, rain was advantageous; but storms in harvest, of course, were pernicious (see 1Sa 12:17, etc.; Pro 26:1); and he who was anxiously fearing every indication of such weather, and altering his plans at every phase of the sky, might easily put off reaping his fields till either the crops were spoiled or the rainy season had set in. A familiar proverb says,” A watched pot never boils.” Some risks must always be run if we are to do our work in the world; we cannot make a certainty of anything; probability in the guide of life. We cannot secure ourselves from failure; we can but do our best, and uncertainty of result must not paralyze exertion. “It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that hath mercy” (Rom 9:16). St. Gregory deduces a lesson from this verse: “He calls the unclean spirit wind, but men who are subjected to him clouds; whom he impels backwards and forwards, hither and thither, as often as his temptations alternate in their hearts from the blasts of suggestions. He therefore who observes the wind does not sow, since he who dreads coming temptations does not direct his heart to doing good. And he who regards the clouds does not reap, since he who trembles from the dread of human fickleness deprives himself of the recompense of an eternal reward” (‘Moral.,’ 27.14).
Ecc 11:5
As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit. In this verse are presented one or two examples of man’s ignorance of natural facts and processes as analogous to the mysteries of God’s moral government. The word translated “spirit” (ruach) may mean also “wind,” and is so taken hero by many commentators (see Ecc 1:6; Ecc 8:8; and comp. Joh 3:8). In this view there would be two instances given, viz. the wind and the embryo. Certainly, the mention of the wind seems to come naturally after what has preceded; and man’s ignorance of its way, and powerlessness to control it, are emblematic of his attitude towards Divine providence. The versions, however, seem to support the rendering of the Authorized Version. Thus the Septuagint (which connects the clause with Ecc 11:4), (“among whom,” i.e. those who watch the weather), “There is none that knoweth what is the way of the spirit ( );” Vulgate. Quomodo ignoras quae sit via spiritus. If we take this view, we have only one idea in the verse, and that is the infusion of the breath of life in the embryo, and its growth in its mother’s womb. Nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child. Our version, by its insertions, has made two facts out of the statement in the Hebrew, which is literally, holy the bones (are) in the womb of a pregnant woman. Septuagint, “As () bones are in the womb,” etc.; Vulgate, Et qua ratione compingantur ossa in ventre praegnantis, ” And in what way the bones are framed in the womb of the pregnant.” The formation and quickening of the foetus were always regarded as mysterious and inscrutable (comp. Job 10:8, Job 10:9; Psa 139:15; Wis. 7:1, etc.). Wright compares M. Aurelius, 10:26, “The first principles of life are extremely slender and mysterious; and yet nature works them up into a strange increase of bulk, diversity, and proportion.” Controversies concerning the origin of the soul have been rife from early times, some holding what is called Traducianism, i.e. that soul and body are both derived by propagation from earthly parents; others supporting Creationism, i.e. that the soul, created specially by God, is infused into the child before birth. St. Augustine confesses (‘Op. Imperf.,’ 4.104) that he is unable to determine the truth of either opinion. And, indeed, this is one of those secret things which Holy Scripture has not decided for us, and about which no authoritative sentence has been given. The term “bones” is used for the whole conformation of the body (comp. Pro 15:30; Pro 16:24); meleah, “pregnant,” means literally, “full,” and is used like the Latin plena can here and nowhere else in the Old .Testament, though common in later Hebrew. Thus Ovid, ‘Metam.,’ 10.469
“Plena patris thalamis excedit, et impia dire
Semina fert utero.”
And ‘Fast.,’ 4.633
“Nunc gravidum pecus est; gravidae sunt semine terrae
Telluri plenae victima plena datur.”
Even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all. Equally mysterious in its general scope and in its details is the working of God’s providence. And as everything lies in God’s hands, it must needs be secret and beyond human ken. This is why to “the works of God” (Ecc 7:13) is added, “who maketh all.” The God of nature is Lord of the future (comp. Amo 3:6; Ec 18:6); man must not disquiet himself about this.
Ecc 11:6
In the morning sow thy seed. Do not let your ignorance of the future and the inscrutability of God’s dealings lead you to indolence and apathy; do your appointed work; be active and diligent in your calling. The labor of the farmer is taken as a type of business generally, and was especially appropriate to the class of persons whom Koheleth is instructing. The injunction occurs naturally after Ecc 11:4. And in the evening withhold not thine hand. Labor on untiredly from morn till evening. It is not an advice to rest during midday, as that was too hot a time to work (Stuart), but a call to spend the entire day in active employment, the two extremities being mentioned in order to include the whole. Work undertaken in a right spirit is a blessing, not a curse, shuts out many temptations, encourages many virtues. Some see here a special reference to the maxim at the beginning of the chapter, as though the author meant, “Exercise thy charity at all times, early and late,” the metaphor being similar ‘to that in 2Co 9:6, “He which soweth sparingly,” etc. Others find a figure of the ages of, man in the “morning and evening,” thus, “From earliest youth practice piety and purity, and continue such conduct to its close.” This leads naturally to the subject of the following section; but it may be doubted whether this thought was in the author’s mind. It seems best to take the paragraph merely as commending activity, whether in business or in benevolence, without anxious regard to results which are in higher hands. “Withhold not thy hand,” i.e. from sowing; . For thou knowest not whether shall prosper, which of the two sewings, either this or that, the morning or evening sowing. It is a chance, and a man must risk something; if one fails, the other may succeed. Or whether they both shall be alike good. The uncertainty rouses to exertion; labor may at any rate secure half the crop, or even give a double produce, if both sewings succeed. So in religion and morality, the good seed sown early and late may bear fruit early or late, or may have blessed results all along. The Vulgate is less correct, Et si utrumque simul, melius or, “And if both together, it will be better.”
Ecc 11:7-9
Section 17. The second remedy for the perplexities of the present life is cheerfulnessthe spirit that enjoys the present, with a chastened regard to the future.
Ecc 11:7
Truly the light is sweet. The verse begins with the copula vav, “and,” which here notes merely transition, as Ecc 3:16; Ecc 12:9. Do not be perplexed, or despondent, or paralyzed in your work, by the difficulties that meet you. Confront them with a cheerful mien, and enjoy life while it lasts. “The light” may be taken literally, or as equivalent to life. The very light, with all that it unfolds, all that it beautifies, all that it quickens, is a pleasure; life is worth living, and affords high and merited enjoyment to the faithful worker. The commentators quote parallels Thus Euripides, ‘Iph. in Aul.,’ 1219

“O slay me not untimely; for to see
The light is sweet; and force me not to view
The secrets of the nether world.”
Plumptre cites Theognis
.
“Then shall I lie, as voiceless as a stone,
And see no more the loved light of the sun.”
A pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun. To behold the sun is to enjoy life; for light, which is life, is derived from the sun. Virgil speaks of “coeli spirabile lumen” (‘AEn.,’ 3.600). Thus Homer, ‘Od.,’ 20.207
.
“If still he live and see the sun’s fair light,
Or dead, be dwelling in the realms of Hades.”
Ecc 11:8
But if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all. The conjunction ki at the commencement of the verse is causal rather than adversative, and should be rendered “for.” The insertion of “and” before “rejoice” mars the sentence. The apodosis begins with “rejoice,” and the translation is, For if a man live many years, he ought to rejoice in them all. Koheleth has said (Ecc 11:7) that life is sweet and precious; now he adds that it is therefore man’s duty to enjoy it; God has ordained that he should do so, whether his days on earth be many or few. Yet let him remember the days of darkness. The apodosis is continued, and the clause should run, And remember, etc. “The days of darkness ‘ do not mean times of calamity as contrasted with the light of prosperity, as though the writer were bidding one to be mindful of the prospect of disastrous change in the midst of happiness; nor, again, the period of old age distinguished from the glowing light of youth. The days of darkness signify the life in Hades, far from the light of the sun, gloomy, uncheered. The thought of this state should not make us hopeless and reckless, like the sensualists whose creed is to “eat and drink, for to-morrow we die” (1Co 15:1-58 :82; Wis. 2:1, etc.), but rouse us to make the best of life, to be contented and cheerful, doing our daily duties with the consciousness that this is our day of labor and joy, and that “the night cometh when no man can work ‘ (Joh 9:4). Wisely says Beu-Sira, “Whatsoever thou takest in hand, remember the end, and thou shalt never do amiss” (Ecclesiasticus 7:36). We are reminded of the Egyptian custom, mentioned by Herodotus (2. 78), of carrying a figure of a corpse among the guests at a banquet, not in order to damp pleasure, but to give zest to the enjoyment of the present and to keep it under proper control. “Look on this!” it was cried; “drink, and enjoy thyself; for when thou diest thou shalt he such.” The Roman poet has many a passage like this, though, of course, of lower tendency. Thus Horace, ‘Carm.,’ 2.3
“Preserve, O my Dellius, whatever thy fortunes,
A mind undisturbed, ‘midst life’s changes and ills;
Not cast down by its sorrows, nor too much elated
If sudden good fortune thy cup overfills,” etc.
(Stanley.)
(See also ‘Carm.,’ 1.4.) For they shall be many; rather, that they shall be many. This is one of the things to remember. The time in Sheol will be long. How to be passedwhen, if ever, to endhe says not; he looks forward to a dreary protracted period, when joy shall be unattainable, and therefore he bids men to use the present, which is all they can claim. All that cometh is vanity. All that comes after this life is ended, the great future, is nothingness; shadow, not substance; a state from which is absent all that made life, and over which we have no control. Koheleth had passed the sentence of vanity on all the pursuits of the living man; now he gives the same verdict upon the unknown condition of the departed soul (comp, Ecc 9:5). Till the gospel had brought life and immortality to light, the view of the future was dark and gloomy. So we read in Job (Job 10:21, Job 10:22), “I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and of the shadow of death; a land of thick darkness, as darkness itself; a land of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness.” The Vulgate gives quite a different turn to the clause, rendering, Meminisse debet tenebrosi temporis, et dierum multorum; qui cum venerint, vanitatis arguentur praeterita, “He ought to remember the many days; and when these have come, things passed shall be charged with vanity”which implies, in accordance with an haggadic interpretation of the passage, that the sinner shall suffer for his transgressions, and shall then learn to acknowledge his folly in the past. It is unnecessary to say that the present text is at variance with this rendering.
Ecc 11:9
Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth. Koheleth continues to inculcate the duty of rational enjoyment. “In youth” is during youth; not in the exercise of, or by reason of, thy fresh, unimpaired powers. The author urges his hearers to begin betimes to enjoy the blessing with which God surrounds them. Youth is the season of innocent, unalloyed pleasure; then, if ever, casting aside all tormenting anxiety concerning an unknown future, one may, as it is called, enjoy life. Let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth. Let the lightness of thy heart show itself in thy bearing and manner, even as it is said in Proverbs (Pro 15:13), “A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance.” Walk in the ways of thine heart (comp. Isa 57:17). Where the impulses and thoughts of thy heart lead thee. The wording looks as if the personal identity, the “I,” and the thought were distinct. We have a similar severance in Ecc 7:25, only there the personality directs the thought, not the thought the “I,” And in the sight of thine eyes. Follow after that on which thy eyes fix their regard (Ecc 2:10); for, as Job says (Job 31:7), “The heart walketh after the eyes.” The Septuagint, in deference to the supposed requirements of strict morality, has (at least according to the text of some manuscripts) modified the received reading, translating the passage thus: , “And walk in the ways of thine heart blameless, and not in the sight of thine eyes.” But is omitted by A, C, S. Others besides the Seventy have felt doubts about the bearing of the passage, as though it recommended either unbridled license in youth, or at any rate an unhallowed Epicureanism. To counteract the supposed evil teaching, some have credited Koheleth with stern irony. He is not recommending pleasure, say they, but warning against it. “Go on your way,” he cries, “do as you list, sow your wild oats, live dissolutely, but remember that retribution will some day overtake you.” But the counsel is seriously intended, and is quite consistent with many other passages which teach the duty of enjoying life as man’s lot and part (see Ecc 2:24; Ecc 3:12, Ecc 3:13, Ecc 3:22; Ecc 5:18; Ecc 8:15, etc.). The seeming opposition between the recommendation here and in Num 15:39 is easily reconciled. The injunction in the Pentateuch, which was connected with a ceremonial observance, ran thus: “Remember all the commandments of the Lord, and do them; and that ye go not about after your own heart, and your own eyes, after which ye used to go a-whoring.” Here unlawful pleasures, contrary to the commandments, are forbidden; Ecclesiastes urges the pursuit of innocent pleasures, such as will stand scrutiny. Hoelemann, quoted by Wright, observes that this verse is the origin of a famous student-song of Germany, a stanza or two of which we may cite
“Gaudeamus igitur, juvenes dum sumus;
Post exactam juventutem, post melestam senectutem,
Nos habebit humus .
“Vita nostra brevis est, brevi finietur,
Venit mors velociter, rapit nes atrociter,
Nemini parcotur.”
It is not Epicureanism, even in a modified form, that is here encouraged. For moderate and lawful pleasure Koheleth has always uttered his sanction, but the pleasure is to be such as God allows. This is to be accepted with all gratitude in the present, as the future is wholly beyond our ken and our control; it is all that is placed in our power, and it is enough to make life more than endurable. And then to temper unmixed joy, to prove that he is not recommending mere sensuality, to correct any wrong impression which the previous utterances may have conveyed, the writer adds another thought, a somber reflection which shows the religious conclusion to which he is working up. But know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment (mishpat). It has been doubted what is meant by “judgment,” whether present or future, men’s or God’s. It has been taken to meanGod will make thy excesses prove scourges, by bringing on thee sickness, poverty, a miserable old age; or these distresses come as the natural consequences of youthful sins; or obloquy shall follow thee, and thou shall meet with deserved censure from thy fellow-men. But every one must feel that the solemn ending of this paragraph points to something more grave and important than any such results as those mentioned above, something that is concerned with that indefinable future which is ever looming in the dim horizon. Nothing satisfies the expected conclusion but a reference to the eternal judgment in the world beyond the grave. Shadowy and incomplete as was Koheleth’s view of this great assize, his sense of God’s justice in the face of the anomalies of human life was so strong that he can unhesitatingly appeal to the conviction of a coming inquisition, as a motive for the guidance of action and conduct. That in other passages he constantly apprehends earthly retribution, as the Pentateuch taught, and as his countrymen had learned to expect (see Ecc 2:26; Ecc 3:17; Ecc 7:17, Ecc 7:18), is no argument that he is not here rising to a higher view. Rather, the fact that the doctrine of temporal reward and punishment is found by experience to fail in many cases (comp. Ecc 8:14) has forced him to state his conclusion that this life is not the end of everything, and that there is another existence in which actions shall be tried, justice done, retribution awarded. The statement is brief, for he knew nothing more than the fact, and could add nothing to it. His conception of the soul’s condition in Sheol (see Ecc 9:5, Ecc 9:6, Ecc 9:10) seems to point to some other state or period for this final judgment; but whether a resurrection is to precede this awful trial is left in uncertainty here, as elsewhere in the Old Testament. Cheyne and some other critics consider this last clause to be an interpolation, because it appears to militate against previous utterances; but this argument is unreasonable, as the paragraph comes in quite naturally as the needed conclusion, and without it the section would halt and be incomplete. A similar allusion is contained in the epilogue (Ecc 12:14). A correcter, who desired to remove all seeming contradictions and discrepancies from the work, would not have been satisfied with inserting this gloss, but would have displayed his remedial measures in other places. Of this proceeding, however, no traces are discernible by an unprejudiced eye.
Ecc 11:10
Ec 11:10-12:7.Section 18. The third remedy is piety, and this ought to be practiced from one’s earliest days; life should be so guided as not to offend the laws of the Creator and Judge, and virtue should not be postponed till the failure of faculties makes pleasure unattainable, and death closes the scene. The last days of the old man are beautifully described under certain images, metaphors, and analogies.
Ecc 11:10
Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart. The writer reiterates his advice concerning cheerfulness, and then proceeds to inculcate early piety. Kaas, rendered “sorrow,” has been variously understood. The Septuagint has , the Vulgate gram; so the margin of the Authorized Version gives “anger,” and that of the Revised Version “vexation,” or “provocation.” Wordsworth adopts this last meaning (relating to 1Ki 15:30; 1Ki 21:22; 2Ki 23:26, etc; where, however, the signification is modified by the connection in which the word stands), and paraphrases, “Take heed lest you provoke God by the thoughts of your heart.” Jerome affirms that in the term “anger” all perturbations of the mind are includedwhich seems rather forced. The word is better rendered, low spirits, moroseness, discontent. These feelings are to be put away from the mind by a deliberate act. Put away evil from thy flesh. Many commentators consider that the evil here named is physical, not moral, the author enjoining his young disciple to take proper care of his body, not to weaken it on the one hand by asceticism, nor on the other by indulgence in youthful lusts. In this ease the two clauses would urge the removal of what respectively affects the mind and body, the inner and outer man. But the ancient versions are unanimous in regarding the “evil” spoken of as moral. Thus the Septuagint gives , “wickedness;” the Vulgate, malitiam. Similarly the Syriac and Targum. And according to our interpretation of the passage, such is the meaning here. It is a call to early piety and virtue, like that of St. Paul (2Co 7:1), “Having these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” Do not, says Koheleth, defile thy body by carnal sins (1Co 6:18), which bring decay and sickness, and arouse the wrath of God against thee. For childhood and youth are vanity. This time of youth soon passes away; the capacity for enjoyment is soon circumscribed; therefore use thy opportunities aright, remembering the end. The word for “youth” (shacharuth) occurs nowhere else in the Old Testament, and is probably connected with shachon, “black,” used of hair in Le 13:31. Hence it means the time of black hair, in contradistinction to the time when the hair has become grey. The explanation which refers it to the time of dawn (Psa 110:1-7 :8) seems to be erroneous, as it would then be identical with” childhood.” The Septuagint renders it , “folly;” the Vulgate, voluptas, “pleasure;” the Syriac, “and not knowledge, but the word cannot be rightly thus translated. The two terms are childhood and manhood, the period during which the capacity for pleasure is fresh and strong. Its vanity is soon brought home; it is evanescent; it brings punishment. Thus Bailey, ‘Festus’
“I cast mine eyes around, and feel
There is a blessing wanting;
Too soon our hearts the truth reveal,
That joy is disenchanting.”
And again
“When amid the world’s delights,
How warm soe’er we feel a moment among them
We find ourselves, when the hot blast hath blown,
Prostrate, and weak, and wretched.”
HOMILETICS
Verses 1-6
Bread upon the waters; or, rules and reasons for practicing beneficence.
I. RULES. Beneficence should be practiced:
1. Without doubt as to its result. One’s charity should be performed in a spirit of fearless confidence, even though the recipients of it should appear altogether unworthy, and cur procedure as hopeless and thankless an operation as “casting one’s bread upon the waters” (verse 1), or “sowing the ‘sea’ (Theognis).
2. Without limit as to its distribution. “Give a portion to seven, yea even unto eight” (verse 2); that is, “Give to him that asketh, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away” (Mat 5:42). Social economics may, bug the sermon on the mount does not, condemn indiscriminate or promiscuous giving. One’s bread should be cast upon the waters in the sense that it should be bestowed upon the multitudes, or carried far and wide rather than restricted to a narrow circle.
3. Without anxiety as to its seasonableness. As “he that observeth the wind will not sow, and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap” (verse 4), so he who is always apprehensive lest his deeds of kindness should be ill-timed is not likely to practice much beneficence. The farmer who should spend his days in watching the weather to select just the right moment to plough and sow, or reap and garner, would never get the one operation or the ether performed; and little charity would be witnessed were men never to give until they were quite sure they had hit upon the right time to give, and never to do an act of kindness until they were certain the proper, objects to receive it had been found.
4. Without intermission as to its time. “In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand” (verse 6). Who would practice beneficence as it should be practiced must be as constantly employed therein as the husbandman is in his agricultural operations. Philanthropy is a sacred art, which can only be acquired by pains and patience. Intermittent goodness, charity performed by fits and starts, occasional benevolence, never comes to much, and never does much for either the giver or receiver. Charity to be efficient must be a perennial fountain and a running stream (1Co 13:8). The charitable man must be always giving, like God, who maketh his sun to rise on the evil and the good, etc. (Mat 5:45), and who giveth unto all liberally (Jas 1:5).
II. REASONS. Beneficence should be practiced for the following reasons:
1. It is certain in the end to be recompensed. (Verse 1.) The kindly disposed individual, who fearlessly casts his bread upon the waters by doing good to the unkind and the unthankful (Mat 5:45; Luk 6:35), may have a long time to wait for a return from his venture in practical philanthropy; but eventually that return will come, here on earth, in the inward satisfaction that springs from doing good, perhaps in the gratitude of those who experience his kindness, hereafter in the welcome and the glory Christ has promised to such as are mindful of his needy brethren on earth (Mat 25:40).
2. No one can predict how soon himself may become an object of charity. As surely as the clouds when full of rain will empty themselves upon the earth, and a tree will lie exactly in the place where it falls (verse 3), so surely will seasons of calamity, when they come, descend on rich and poor alike; yea, perhaps strike the wealthy, the great, and the good with strokes which the indigent, the obscure, and the wicked may escape. Hence the bare consideration of this fact, that bad times may comenot only depriving one of the ability to practice beneficence, but rendering one a fit subject for the same (the latter of these being most likely the Preacher’s thought)should induce one to be charitable while he may and can. This may seem a low, selfish, and unworthy ground on which to recommend the practice of philanthropy; but does its meaning not substantially amount to this, that men should give to others because, were bad times to strip them of their wealth, and plunge them into poverty, they would wish others to give to them? And how much is this below the standard of the golden rule (Mat 7:12)?
3. No amount of forethought will discover a better time for practicing beneficence than the present. As no one knows the way of the wind (Joh 3:8), or the secrets of embryology (Psa 139:15)in both of which departments of nature, notwithstanding the discoveries of modern science, much ignorance prevailsso can no one predict what kind of future will emerge from the womb of the present (Pro 27:1; Zep 2:2), or what shall be the course of providence on the morrow. Hence to defer exercising charity till one has fathomed the unfathomable is more than merely to waste one’s time; it is to miss a certain opportunity for one that may never arrive. As today only is ours, we should never cast it away for a doubtful to-morrow, but “Act in the living present, Heart within and God o’er head.” (Longfellow.)
4. The issues of beneficence, in the recipients thereof, are uncertain. That an act of charity, or deed of kindness, whensoever done, will prosper without fail in the experience of the doer thereof, has been declared (verse 1); that it will turn out equally well in the experience of him to whom it is done is not so inevitable. Yet from this problematical character of all human philanthropy as to results should be drawn an argument, not for doing nothing, but for doing more. Art atrabiliar soul will conclude that, because he is not sure whether his charity may not injure rather than benefit the recipient, he should hold his hand; a hopeful and happy Christian will feel impelled to more assiduous benevolence by reflecting that he can never tell when his kindly deeds will bear fruit in the temporal, perhaps also spiritual, salvation of the poor and needy. “The seed sown in the morning of life may bear its harvest at once, or not till the evening of age. The man may reap at one and the same time the fruits of his earlier and later sowing, and may find that both are alike good” (Plumptre).
LESSONS.
1. “As therefore ye have opportunity, do good unto all men” (Gal 6:10).
2. Weary not in well-doing (Gal 6:9).
3. Take no thought for tomorrow (Mat 6:34).
4. Cultivate a hopeful view of life (Pro 10:28).
Verses 1-6
Conditions of success in business.
I. THE MEASURES TO BE ADOPTED.
1. Enterprises not free from hazard. “Cast thy bread upon the waters,” meaning, “launch out upon the sea of business speculation.” The man who would succeed must be prepared to venture somewhat. A judicious quantity of courage seems indispensable to getting on. The timid merchant is as little likely to prosper as the shrinking lover.
2. Prudence in dividing risks. “Divide the portion into seven, yea, eight parts,” which again signifies that one should never put all his eggs into one basket, commit all his goods to one caravan, place all his cargo in one ship, invest all his capital in one undertaking, or generally venture all on one card.
3. Confidence in going forward, The agriculturist who, is always, watching the weather”observing the wind and regarding the clouds (verse 4)will make but a poor farmer; and he who is constantly taking fright at the fluctuations of the market will prove only an indifferent merchant. In business, as in love and war, the man who hesitates is lost.
4. Diligence and constancy in labor. The person who aims at success in business must be a hard and. incessant, not a fitful and intermittent, worker. If a farmer, he must sow betimes in the morning, and pause not until hindered by the shades of night. If a merchant, he must trade both early and late. If an artisan, he must toil week in and week out. It is “the hand of the diligent” that “maketh rich” (Pro 10:4).
II. THE MOTIVES TO BE CHERISHED.
1. The expectation of a future reward. “Thou shalt find it [thy bread] after many days.” Such enterprises, though attended with risk, will not all fail, but will generally prove successfulnot immediately, perhaps, but after an interval of waiting, as the ships of a foreign merchant require months, or even years, before they return with the desired profits.
2. The anticipation of impending calamity. As no man can foresee the future, the prudent merchant lays his account with one or more of his ventures coming to grief. Hence, in the customary phrase, he “divides the risk,” and does not hazard all in one expedition.
3. The consciousness of inability to forecast the future. Just because of thisillustrated in verses 3 and 5the man who aspires to prosper in his undertakings dismisses all overanxious care, and instead of waiting for opportunities and markets, makes them.
4. The beige of ultimately succeeding. Though he may often fail, he expects he will not always fail; hence he redoubles his energy and diligence. “In the morning he sows his seed, and in the evening withholds not his band,” believing that in the end his labors will be crowned with success.
Learn:
1. That business is not incompatible with piety.
2. That piety need be no hindrance to business.
3. That each may be helpful to the other.
4. That both should be, and are, a source of blessing to the world.
Verses 7, 8
Carpe diem: memento mori; or, here and hereafter contrasted.
I. HERE, A SCENE OF LIGHT; HEREAFTER, A PLACE OF DARKNESS. Under the Old Testament the abode of departed spirits was usually conceived of as a realm from which the light of day was excluded, or only dimly admitted (Job 10:21, Job 10:22).
II. HERE, A GARDEN OF DELIGHT; HEREAFTER, A WILDERNESS OF VANITY. Life beneath the sun, even to the most miserable, has pleasures which are wanting to the bodiless inhabitants of the underworld (Ecc 9:10).
III. HERE, A PERIOD OF FEW DAYS; HEREAFTER, A TERM OF MANY. At the longest, man’s duration upon earth is short (Job 14:1; Psa 39:5); in comparison, his continuance in the narrow house, or in the unseen world, will he long.
LESSONS.
1. Enjoy life heartily, as a good gift of God.
2. Use life wisely, in preparation for the world to come.
Verses 9, 10
Advice to a young man or woman.
I. A GRAND PERMISSIONto enjoy life. “Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth,” etc.
1. Not a sanction to self-indulgence. The Preacher does not teach that a young man (or, indeed, any man) is at liberty to “make provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof” (Rom 13:14); to have asserted or suggested that a youth was permitted by religion to follow his inclinations wherever they might lead, to plunge into sensuality, to sow his wild oats (as the phrase is), would have been to contradict the Law of God as given by Moses (Num 15:39).
2. Not a protest (ironical) against asceticism. The Preacher does not say that God will judge men if they despise his gilts and refuse to enjoy them, Doubtless, in so far as asceticism springs from a contemptuous disregard of God’s providential mercies, it is sinful; but this is hardly the case the Preacher has in view.
3. But a warrant for reasonable pleasure. The young man or maiden is informed that he or she may enjoy the morning of life to the utmost of his or her bent, “walking in the ways of his or her heart, and in the sight of his or her eyes,” provided always such pleasures as are sinful are eschewed. Moreover, the Preacher’s language appears to hint that such enjoyment as is here allowed is both appropriate to the season, the days of youth, and demanded by the nature of youth, being the legitimate gratification of the heart and eyes.
II. A SOLEMN WARNINGthe certainty of judgment. “But know thou that for all these things,” etc. The judgment of which the Preacher speaks is:
1. Future. The great as size will be held, not on earth, but in the unseen world; not in time, but in eternity. That the Preacher had no clear perception of either the time, place, or nature of this judgment, is probably correct, but that he alluded to a dread tribunal in the great hereafter seems a legitimate conclusion from the circumstance that he elsewhere (Ecc 8:14) adverts to the fact that in this life men are not always requited either for their righteousness or for their wickedness. What was comparatively dark to the Preacher is to us clearly illumined, viz. that after death is the judgment (Heb 9:27).
2. Divine. The Judge will not be man, but God (Ecc 3:17; Psa 62:12; Isa 30:18). This fully discovered in the New Testament, which states that God shall judge men by Jesus Christ (Act 17:31; Rom 2:16; 2Ti 4:1).
3. Individual. The judgment will be passed, not upon mankind in the mass, or upon men in groups, but upon men as individuals (2Co 5:10).
4. Certain. As the Preacher himself was not dubious, so would he have the young to know that the future judgment will be a momentous reality (Heb 12:23; 2Pe 2:9).
III. AN URGENT DUTYto banish sorrow and evil.
1. To remove sorrow from the heart. Either
(1) the sorrow of vexation, in which case the counsel is to avoid cherishing a peevish, morose, or discontented spirit, such as arises from looking at the dark side of things, and to cultivate a cheerful dispositiona state of mind which accepts whatever lot falls to it in providence (Php 4:11). Or
(2) that which causes sorrow to the heart, viz. sin; in which case, again, the exhortation is to abstain from all ungodliness, the real root of heart-bitterness (Deu 29:18; Pro 1:31; Gal 6:8), and to follow holiness, which alone contains the secret of happiness (Psa 106:3; Isa 48:18).
2. To put away evil from the flesh. Doubtless
(1) physical evil, pain, suffering, affliction, whether occasioned by the self-inflicted tortures of asceticism or by the accidentally incurred strokes of diseasea clear injunction to promote the body’s comfort and health. But also
(2) everything that may induce suffering or evil in the flesh; hence once more sin which, apart altogether from those wickednesses which are against the body (1Co 6:15), has a tendency to engender disease and accelerate death.
IV. A SERIOUS REASONthe vanity of boyhood and manhood.
1. Both are transient. Youth and the prime of life will not last, but will pass away. Hence they should be kept as joyous and pure as possible. Only one thing more unfortunate for the after-development of the soul than a sunless youth, namely, a sinful youth. If the opening years of man’s pilgrimage on the earth should be radiant with happiness, much more should they be glorified with holiness.
2. Both are inexperienced. Hence their fervid impulses should be moderated and restrained by the solemn considerations that spring from the brevity of life and the certainty of a future judgment.
Learn:
1. That youth should be happy and serious.
2. That man’s existence has a future and a present.
3. That privilege and responsibility ever go together.
HOMILIES BY D. THOMAS
Verses 1, 2
Works of charity.
There can be little doubt that these admonitions apply to the deeds of compassion and beneficence which are the proper fruits of true religion. Especially in some conditions of society almsgiving is expedient and beneficial. In times of famine, in cases of affliction and sudden calamity, it is a duty to supply the need of the poor and hungry. At the same time, the indiscriminate bestowal of what is called charity unquestionably does more harm than good, especially in a state of society in which few need suffer want who are diligent, frugal, temperate, and self-denying. But there are many other ways in which benevolence may express itself beside almsgiving. The Christian is called upon to care both for the bodies and for the souls of his fellow-mento give the bread of knowledge as well as the bread that perisheth, and to provide a spiritual portion for the enrichment and consolation of the destitute.
I. THE NATURAL EMOTION OF BENEVOLENCE IS RECOGNIZED AND HALLOWED BY TRUE RELIGION. It may be maintained with confidence that sympathy is as natural to man as selfishness, although the love of self is too often allowed by our sinful nature to overcome the love of others. But when Christ takes possession, by his Spirit, of a man’s inner nature, then the benevolence which may have been dormant is aroused, and new direction is given to it, and new power to persevere and to succeed in the attainment of its object.
II. RELIGION PROMPTS TO A PRACTICAL EXPRESSION OF BENEVOLENT FEELING. Too often sympathy is a sentimental luxury, leading to no effort, no self-denial. The poet justly denounces those who, “Nursed in mealy-mouthed philanthropies, Divorce the feeling from her matethe deed.” But the spirit of the Savior urges to Christ-like endeavor, and sustains the worker for men’s bodily, social, and spiritual good. The bread must be cast, the portion must be given.
III. BENEVOLENCE MEETS IN ITS EXERCISE WITH MANY DISCOURAGEMENTS. The bread is cast upon the waters. This implies that in many cases we must expect to lose sight of the results of our work; that we must he prepared for disappointment; that, at all events, we must fulfill our service for God and man in faith, and rather from conviction and principle than from any hope of apparent and immediate success.
IV. A PROMISE IS GIVEN WHICH IS INTENDED TO URGE TO PERSEVERANCE. What is, as it were, committed to the deep shall be found after the lapse of days. The waters do not destroy, they fertilize and fructify, the seed. Thus “they who sow in tears shall reap in joy.” In how many ways this promise is fulfilled the history of the Christian Church, and even the experience of every individual worker for God, abundantly show. In places and at times altogether unexpected and unlikely, there come to light evidences that the work has been cared for, watched over, and prospered by God himself. He does not suffer the efforts of his faithful servants to come to naught. The good they aim at, and much which never occurred to them to anticipate, is effected in God’s time by the marvelous operation of his providence and his Spirit. “Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”T.
Verse 1
Encouragement to Christian toilers.
The lesson of this verse, if the figure be dropped, may be expressed thus: Act upon principles and not upon likelihood.
I. A SIMILITUDE. The good we give to men when we preach and teach Divine truth, when we exercise Christian influence, is seedfruit-bearing seed. It is a blessed, but a sacred and serious, occupation to sow the seed of spiritual life.
II. A DIRECTION. Christian sowers! Cast your bread even upon the waters.
1. Even upon an unkindly soil.
2. Even in an unpromising season.
3. Liberally, though at the cost of self-sacrifice.
4. Constantly, even though it seems that the sowing has been long carried on in vain.
5. Bravely and hopefully, although the calculating, shortsighted world deride your efforts.
III. A PROMISE. After lapse of days you shall find the bread you have dispersed.
1. What is cast abroad is not destroyed.
2. Neither is it lost sight of.
3. It shall, perhaps after many days, be found again.
It may be in time; it shall be in eternity. Then “he that soweth and he that reapeth shall rejoice together.”T.
Verses 4, 6
Fulfill duty and disregard consequences.
These statements and admonitions respect both natural and spiritual toil. The husbandman who labors in the fields, and the pastor and the missionary who seek a harvest of souls, alike need such counsel. The natural and the supernatural alike are under the control and government of God; and they who would labor .to good purpose in God’s universe must have regard to Divine principles, and must confide in Divine faithfulness and goodness.
I. THE DUTY OF DILIGENCE. Good results do not come by chance; and although the blessing and the glory are alike God’s, he honors men by permitting them to be his fellow-workers. There is no reason to expect reaping unless sowing has preceded; “What a man soweth that shall he also reap.” Toilthoughtful, patient, persevering toilsuch is the condition of every harvest worth the ingathering.
II. DISSUASIVES FROM DILIGENCE. If the husbandman occupy himself in studying the weather, and in imagining and anticipating adverse seasons, the operations of agriculture will come to a standstill. There are possibilities and contingencies before every one of us, the consideration and exaggeration of which may well paralyze the powers, hinder effective labor, and cloud the prospect of the future, so as to prevent a proper use of present opportunities. This is a temptation which besets some temperaments more than others, from which, however, few are altogether free. If the Christian laborer fixes his attention upon the difficulties of his task, upon the obduracy or ignorance of the natures with which he has to deal, upon the slenderness of his resources, upon the failures of many of his companions and colleagues, leaving out of sight all counteracting influences, the likelihood is that his powers will be crippled, that his work will stand still, and that his whole life will be clouded by disappointment. The field looks barren, the weeds grow apace, the enemy is sowing tares, the showers of blessing are withheld: what, then, is the use of sowing the gospel seed? Such are the reflections and the questionings which take possession of many minds, to their discouragement and enfeeblement and distress.
III. INDUCEMENTS TO DILIGENCE. It is not questioned that the work is arduous, that the difficulties are real, that the foes are many and powerful, that circumstances may be adverse, that the prospect (to the eye of mere human reason) may be somber. But even granting all this, the Christian laborer has ample grounds for earnest and persevering effort. Of these, two come before us as we read these verses.
1. Our own ignorance of results. We have not to do with the consequences, and we certainly cannot foresee them. Certain it is that amazing blessings have sometimes rested upon toil in most unpromising conditions, in places and among people that have almost stricken the heart of the observer with despair. “Thou knowest not whether shall prosper, this or that;” “With God nothing is impossible.”
2. The express command of our Divine Lord. Results we cannot foresee. But direct commands we can understand and obey. “In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand.” Such is the voice, the behest, of him who has a right to order our actionsto control and inspire our life. Whilst we have this commission to execute, we are not at liberty to waste our time and cripple our activities by moodily questioning what is likely to follow from our efforts. Surely the Christian may have faith to leave this in the hand of God!T.
Verses 7, 8
Light and darkness.
The alternation of day and night is not only contributive to human convenience, it is symbolical of human experience.
I. THERE IS APPOINTED FOR MEN THE LIGHT OF YOUTH, HEALTH, AND PROSPERITY. He who rises betimes, and, turning to the east, watches for the sunrise, and then beholds the glorious orb of day rise from the plain or from the sea, and flood hill and valley, corn-field and pasture, with the radiant splendor of the morning, can enter into the language of the preacher, “Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun.” And if then he looks into the face of a companion, a noble and generous youth, unstained by sin, undimmed by care, untouched by disease, he can well understand what is meant by the morning of life, the luster of youth, and can thank God that such a period, anal such strength, joy, and hope, have been appointed as a part of human experience. In youth and bounding health and high spirits, how fresh and winsome is the present! how alluring the future! Who would wish to cast a shadow upon the brightness which God himself has created?
II. THERE IS APPOINTED FOR MEN THE DARKNESS OF AGE, INFIRMITY, ADVERSITY, AND DEATH. The same individual whom we have regarded in the prime of his powers and the beauty of his joy will, if his life be prolonged, pass through quite other experiences. Clouds will gather about his head, the storm will smite him, the dark midnight will shroud him. There is no discharge in that warno exemption from the common lot. He may lose his health, his powers of body or of mind, his property, his friends. He must walk through the valley of death-shade. In some form or other trouble and sorrow must be his portion.
III. THE DUTY AND THE WISDOM OF REMEMBERING THE APPROACH OF THE TIME OF DARKNESS. It may be objected that it will be time enough to think of the afflictions of life when they are actually present, and that it is a pity to cloud the sunny present by gloomy forebodings. Those who know the young and prosperous are, however, well aware that their natural tendency is altogether to ignore the likelihood of a great change in circumstances and experience. And to remember the providential appointment that our life cannot be eternal sunshine is, in many respects, a most desirable and profitable exercise. Thus shall we learn to place a due value, and no more than a due value, upon the pleasures, the diversions, the congenial pursuits of youth and prosperity. And, what is still better, thus may we be led to seek a deeper and surer foundation for our lifeto acquire spiritual treasures, of which we cannot be deprived by lapse of time or change of circumstances. And thus shall we, by God’s mercy, find that the darkness through which we needs must walk is but for a season, and that through it the people of God shall pass into the blessed sunshine of eternal day.T.
Verses 9, 10
In joy remember judgment!
There is certainly no asceticism in the teaching of this book. On the other hand, there is no commendation of worldliness and voluptuousness. Human nature is prone to extremes; and even religious teachers are not always successful in avoiding them. But we seem in this passage to listen to teaching which at once recognizes the claims of human nature and of the earthly life, and yet solemnly maintains the subordination of all our pleasures and occupations to the service of our Master, and to our preparation for the great account.
I. THE DIVINE PROVISION OF LIFE‘S JOYS. If this language be not the language of ironyand it seems better to take it as sober serious truth,then we are taught that the delights of this earthly existence, however they are capable of abuse, are in themselves not evil, but proofs of the Creator’s benevolence, to be accepted with devout thanksgiving. In dealing with the young it is especially important to avoid warring with their innocent pleasures. These may sometimes seem to us trivial and unprofitable; but a juster view of human nature will convince us that they are wisely appointed to fulfill a certain place and office in human life.
II. THE DIVINE APPOINTMENT OF FUTURE JUDGMENT. Conscience suggests that we are responsible beings, and that retribution is a reality. What conscience suggests revelation certifies. The Bible lays the greatest stress upon individual accountability. We are taught in the text that we are not only responsible for the work we do in life, but for the pleasures we pursue. Certainly it is of the greatest advantage that men should recollect in the days of happiness the assurances of Scripture, that God shall ere long bring them into judgment. Such recollection will check any inclination to unlawful enjoyments, and will prevent undue absorption in enjoyments which are in themselves lawful, but to which a disproportionate value may be attached. There is a sense in which, as we are here reminded, “youth and the prime of life are vanity.” They will prove to be so to those who imagine that they will last, to these who pride themselves in them and boast of them, to those who use them only as the Opportunity of personal pleasure, to those who forget their Creator, neglect his Law, and despise his Gospel
III. THE POSSIBILITY OF ACCEPTING GOD‘S GIFTS AND OF USING THEM UNDER A SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY, AND WITH A VIEW TO THE GREAT ACCOUNT. If every blessing in this life be taken as coming directly from the great Giver’s hand, as a token of his favor, and as the result of the mediation of his blessed Son, then may the very enjoyments of this life become to Christians the occasion of present grace and the earnest of fullness of joy.T.
HOMILIES BY W. CLARKSON
Verses 1-4, 6
Incentives to Christian work.
These are not the words of some Very young man who has much fervor and little experience; they are those of one who has known the disappointment and disenchantment of life. They come, therefore, with the greater force to us. We gather from them
I. THAT IT IS WELL WORTHWHILE TO SPEND OUR WHOLE STRENGTH IN LOVING SERVICE. “Cast thy bread upon the waters”scatter the precious bread-corn, drop it into the flood; that is not the act of a. fool, but of a wise man. “Give a portion to seven;” ay, go further than even that in your liberalityspend your whole strength in that which is good and beneficent, lavish your resources, let there be a generous overflow rather than a cool calculation in your service; and this whether you are acting as a citizen, as a neighbor, or as a member of the Church of Christ.
II. THAT, IF WE ARE WISE, WE SHALL LET OUR VERY IGNORANCE STIMULATE US TO EXERTION. Is it worthwhile to. sow when we cannot be sure that we shall ever reap? Since we do not know what evil may come in a week era day, had we not better turn the seed of the sower into bread for the eater? No; let our ignorance concerning the future be rather an incentive to activity. Say not, “I do not know what changes may come upon the earth; how little my labors may prove to be profitable; who will appreciate my devotion, and who will be unresponsive and ungrateful; therefore I shall suspend my exertions.” Say rather, “I cannot tell what is coming; how soon I may be rewarded; how short may be the term of my life and of my opportunity here; I must therefore lose no time and waste no strength; I must do whole-heartedly all that is in my power. Because I cannot tell which of my words will fall like water on the rock, and which like seed upon the fertile soil, whether the morning or the evening labors will be rewarded, therefore I will do my best; perhaps this present effort I am now making may be the very one which has in it the seed of a glorious harvest.” Thus our very ignorance may stimulate us to holy and fruitful action.
III. THAT WE SHOULD NOT ALLOW OURSELVES TO BE DISTURBED BY THE UNSYMPATHETIC FORCES ROUND US. If the clouds are full of rain, they will empty themselves on the earth without any regard to our necessity for fine weather; the tree will fall this way or that, according to the wind, whomsoever or whatsoever it will crush by its weight. The forces of nature are quite unsympathetic. Feebleness may incapacitate or death may take away our most efficient fellow-laborer; the changes that affect our human lives may reduce our means or remove our agents, or even close our agencies; but we must not be daunted, nor must we stay our hand on this account. The full mind, like the full cloud, must pour itself forth, and may do so in words and ways we do not like; the man, like the tree, must take the line toward which he strongly inclines, and this may be one that traverses our tastes and wishes, Never mind! We are not to let our good work for Christ be arrested by such incidental difficulty as that. We are to “quit us like men, and be strong,” and we are to triumph over such hindrances as these.
IV. THAT WE ARE NOT TO BE IN ANY HURRY FOR THE HARVEST. The seed we cast “shall be found after many days.” The husbandman hath “long patience,” waiting for the fruits of the earth. The history of the noblest men is one long sermon on the blessedness of patience. It says to the Christian pilgrim and workman, “Work and wait; work diligently, intelligently, devoutly, then wait prayerfully and hopefully. Be not surprised, much less distracted, because the harvest is still far in the future; in due season you will reap, if you faint not.”C.
Verse 4
The true workman.
The idea of the text is that something must be endured, and something must be dared, if we mean to achieve anything of any account. If a man wants to sow, he must not mind being assailed by the wind while he is at work; or if he wants to reap, he must not stay indoors because it threatens to rain. We must be ready to endure, we must be prepared to run risks, if we have any thought of taking rank among the successful workers of our time. God does not give his bounties to those who will only walk the road when it is perfectly smooth and sheltered; nor does he permit us to win triumphs if our heart misguides us at the sight of difficulty or danger. Success is for those, and those only, who can brave wind and rain in the open field of labor, in the wide spheres of usefulness.
I. THE FACT, AS OUR EXPERIENCE TESTIFIES. Everything that is done which is really worth doing is wrought with trouble, with some measure of difficulty and of risk, with the possibility or likelihood of failure, with struggle and some degree of disappointmente.g; the little child in learning to walk and to talk; the boy in mastering his lesson or even his game, or in finding and taking his place in the schoolroom and the playground; the student in acquiring his knowledge, and in facing and passing his examination; the tradesman and merchant in making their purchases unit investing their money; the author in writing and printing his book; the statesman in planning and submitting his measure, etc. In all these, and in all such cases, we have to contend with adverse “winds” that blow upon us; we have to “put our foot down” firmly on the ground; we have to run the risk of unpleasant “rains,” of falling and of failure. It is the constant condition of human endeavor.
II. THE BENEFICENT RESULT. This is not to be regretted; on the contrary, we may be thankful for it. It develops human character; it calls forth and strengthens all that is best within us.
1. It nourishes fortitudea commendable capacity to endure; a readiness to accept, unmoved and untroubled at heart, whatever may befall us.
2. It creates and sustains couragea deliberate determination to face the evil that may possibly await us.
3. It contributes to true manlinessthe power to do and to endure anything and everything as Gad may will, as man may want. We pity those whose field of work, whose path of life, is unvisited by adverse winds and unpleasant rains. If they do grow up into strong and brave souls, it will be in spite of the absence of those circumstances which are most helpful in the formation of character. We have no condolence for those who have to face the strong wind and the rain; we congratulate them that they are placed where the noblest characters are shaped.
III. ITS LESSON FOR THE CHRISTIAN WORKER. Too often the workman in the Master’s vineyard is inclined to lay down his weapon when the clouds gather in the heavens. But to act thus is not worthy of him. Not thus did he who “bore such contradiction of sinners against himself.” Not thus have the worthiest of his disciples donethey who have done the most, and have left behind them the most fragrant memories. Not thus will they have acted who receive the gladdening commendation of their Lord “in the day of his appearing” Not thus shall we finish the work our Father has given us to do. Let the strong winds of even an unkindly criticism blow, let the dark cloud of possible failure show itself in the horizon, we will not be daunted; we will go forth to sow the good seed of the kingdom, to reap its precious harvest.C.
Verses 7, 8
The shadow of the tomb.
Let a man rejoice, says the Preacher, in his long bright days of prosperity; but let him remember that the time is drawing on when he will sleep his long sleep beneath the ground; and many as his days have been when the light of the sun was sweet to his eyes, very many more will be the days of darkness which will follow. It is open to us all to indulge in some
I. SENTIMENTAL SADNESS, IN VIEW OF THIS LONG FUTURE. We may stroll in the churchyard, and as we read the names and ages of men who lived for thirty or forty years, but who have been in their graves for, it may be, two hundred years, we may think how small was the measure of the light on which they looked compared with that of the darkness in which they have been sleeping. And as we yield to these thoughts we feel the vanity of human affairs. Thus the shadow of the tomb falls upon and darkens the brightness of our life. It seems to us a poor thing for a man to come out of the infinite darkness behind; to walk in the sunshine for a few swiftly passing, soon-departed decades, and then go out into the immeasurable darkness on the other side. There is, however
II. A CORRECTING THOUGHT. Why should the excellency of human life be spoiled to us by the reflection that it is limited, bound by a line which is not far off us? If it be so that there is nothing but darkness beyond, if it be true that what we see comprises all that is to be seen, then let us, for that very reason, make the most of all that we hold. If the worth of our existence is confined to the present, let us compress into the present time all the action and all the enjoyment which it will hold shall we not say
“I will drink
Life to the lees . Life piled on life
Were all too little, and of one to me
Little remains: but every hour is saved
From that eternal silence”?
III. THE CHRISTIAN ASPECT OF THE SUBJECT. We know that this life will soon be over, may reach its terminus any day, and must come to its conclusion before many years have gone. What shall we be concerned about in this?
1. Not the hour or act of dying. Common human fortitude will carry us through that experience, as it has done in countless millions of cases already; much more will Christian faith and hope.
2. Not the silence and darkness of the grave. What does it signify to us that our mortal body will lie long in the grave, when we are hoping to be “clothed upon with our house which is from heaven?”
3. The long future of heavenly life. Not the many days of darkness, but the long, the everlasting day of glory is before us who believe in Christ, and who hope to dwell with him forever. For that endless day of blessedness the life we are now living is not only the preliminary but the preparation. Therefore let every day, every hour, be sacred; be so spent in faith, in love, in holy labor, in ennobling joy, that the future will be but the continuance of the presentthe continuance, but also the enlargement, the glorification. Thus shall there not fall upon the life that now is the shadow of the tomb; there shall shine upon it some beams from the glory that is beyond.C.
Verses 9, 10
Human joy and Divine judgment.
That these words are not to be taken ironically is probable, if not certain, when we consider how frequently the Preacher had given substantially the same counsel before (see Ecc 2:24; Ecc 3:12, Ecc 3:22; Ecc 5:18; Ecc 8:15; Ecc 9:9). Moreover, we obtain an excellent meaning by taking them in their natural sense. We may indeed ask for
I. THE NECESSITY FOR SUCH COUNSEL. It may be saidWhat need is there for offering such an exhortation? Young manhood is certain to take all the indulgence which is good for it, without any man’s bidding; the danger is not on the side of defect, but of excess. That certainly is so generally. But there is the religious devotee, who thinks he is pleasing God by abstaining from all bodily comforts, and enduring all physical sufferings. There is also the ascetic moralist, who thinks that he is conforming to the highest standard of ethics when he practices a rigorous abstinence, and goes through life denying himself the delights to which outward nature and inward instincts invite him. There is also the man of prudent policy, who thinks that in a state of society such as that in which the Preacher lived and wrote, where there is no security for life or property, it is better not to enter into new relationships or to embark in great enterprises; let life be cut down to its smallest limits. Hence the necessity for such a cheery invitation as that in the text. But we must mark
II. THE EXTENT TO WHICH IT GOES. Clearly the words must not be taken in their widest possible sense. That would be not liberty, but license; that would not encourage enjoyment, but sanction vice. The Preacher would have the young man, who is full of strength, energy, hope, affection, have the full heritage which the Father of spirits and Author of this world intended and provided for him. Let him give play to all the sound impulses of his nature; let him taste the exquisite enjoyment of a pure affection and of happy friendship; let him be an eager and earnest competitor in the contest of strength, of skill, of the studio, of the mart, of the council, of the senate; let him throw his full energies into the activities, recreations, ambitions, aspirations, of his time; let him play his part as his heart inclines and as his capacities enable him. But let him not cross the line which divides virtue from vice, wisdom from folly, conscientiousness from unscrupulousness. For there has to be taken into account
III. ONE POWERFULLY RESTRAINING THOUGHT. God will bring him into judgment. And God’s judgment is threefold.
1. He judges us every moment, deciding whether our thought, our feeling, our action, is right or wrong; and he is thus continually approving or disapproving, and is constantly pleased or displeased. Surely this is not a Divine judgment to be disregarded.
2. He causes an evil habit to be visited, sooner or later, with the penalty which appropriately follows itsickness, feebleness, poverty, mental incapacity, human condemnation, ruin, death, as the case may be.
3. He reserves the day of trial and of account for the hour when life is over.C.
Verse 10
The vanity and glory of youth.
(See homily on Ecc 12:1.)C.
HOMILIES BY J. WILLCOCK
Verses 1-6
Provision for the future.
Fruitless though many of the quests had been on which the Preacher had set out, lost though he had often been in the mazes of barren and withering speculation, something he did succeed in gaining, which he now places on record among the concluding sentences of his book. Though truth in its fullness is out of man’s reach, the path of duty is plain; essential wisdom may never be discovered, but some practical lessons for the guidance of life, which after all are what most we need, are to be won from the search. Perhaps to many minds these may seem commonplace. It may be thought that after all the bustle of the enterprise, after all the zeal and energy expended in carrying it through, the gain is small. Surely some new thing of greater value might have been brought out of the far-off one of philosophy and speculation than the counsels given here to be beneficent and active, since a time may come when we shall need the help of others, and the harvest may far exceed all our expectations. But from the very nature of the case such murmurings are unreasonable. No new thing can be brought to light in the moral world. Conscience proclaims the same duties age after age; and all that is left to him who would advance the cause of righteousness is to give clearer utterance to the voice of God in the heart, to show the imperative claims of duty, and in some instances to suggest new and weighty motives for obedience to them. None need, therefore, scorn the simple terms in which the Preacher sums up the practical lessons he would have us lay to heart. There is nothing novel or wonderful in what he says, but probably those epithets would be fairly applicable to the change that would be produced in our lives if we obeyed his counsels. There is a close connection between verse and verse in this section (verses 1-6), but a formal division of it into logical parts is impracticable. The Hebrew or Oriental mind had a different mode of ratiocination from ours. We may, however, note the stages in the current of thought.
I. In verses 1, 2a THE PRACTICE OF BENEVOLENCE TOWARD OTHERS is commended to usa benevolence that is generous and profuse. “Cast thy bread,” he says, “upon the waters.” “Do not be afraid of showing kindness, even where thou seest no prospect of result or return; let the fiat cake of bread, the type of food to the hungry, aid to the needy, float down the stream of life. Thou wilt find one day that thou hast hit the mark, won some grateful heart” (Bradley). His words remind us of the counsel in the Gospels “to do good, hoping for nothing again, even to the unthankful and the evil” (Mat 5:44-46; Luk 6:32-35).
“Repandez vos bienfaits avec magnificence,
Meme aux moins vertueux ne les refusez pas.”
(Voltaire, ‘Precis de l’Ecelesiaste.’)
Let many experience your beneficence, says the Preacher; confine it not within narrow limits. He speaks of seven or eight, according to the Hebrew manner of indicating an indefinite but large number (Mic 5:5). His specification is not to be taken literally, any more than our Lord’s “seventy times seven” as indicating the literal number of times we are to forgive (Mat 18:22).
II. A MOTIVE TO BENEFICENCE is laid down in verse 2b. “For thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.” In the time of prosperity remember that a day of calamity and suffering may come, when the succor of the friends you have made may be of great service. Bad as men are, there are numerous instances of a grateful love recompensing benefits received long ago, which perhaps even the benefactor has long forgotten. “Peradventure for the good man some would even dare to die.” No one can tell what vicissitudes of fortune are in store for him; and therefore it is prudent to make some provision in the present against a day of adversity. The same teaching is found in the parable of the unjust steward (Luk 16:1-9). These who spend some of their wealth in doing deeds of kindness and mercy (Luk 14:12-14) are described as laying up treasure in bags that wax not old, as providing for themselves friends who will, when this life is over, welcome them into everlasting habitations. To some this may seem but a sordid motive to benevolence; it may seem to turn that virtue into a kind of refined selfishness. But, after all, there is nothing unworthy in the motive. “Self-love is implanted in man’s nature, and men who themselves affect to despise such a motive are often themselves, with all their professed loftiness of aim, actuated by no higher objects than those of pleasure, fame, or advancement” (Wright).
III. OUR IGNORANCE OF THE FUTURE FORBIDS OUR KNOWING WHAT EVIL WILL COME UPON THE EARTH. (Verse 2b.) The world is governed by uniform laws; both good and evil are subject to them. As it is an invariable law of nature that at a certain point the clouds that are filled with rain begin to discharge their load upon the earth, and no human power can seal them up, and as it is an invincible law that the forest tree must fall before the blast, when the force with which it resists the ‘fury of the wind is insufficient to save it from overthrow, so the future is shaped by laws which man cannot control, and it is a mark of prudence to be prepared for any contingencies. The tempest which deluges the earth with rain, and levels the monarchs of the forest with the ground, can neither be foreseen nor averted by man; neither can the future, whether it be charged with prosperity or adversity. The interpretation of verse 3 as teaching that the fate of man is forever fixed at death is utterly indefensible; there is nothing whatever in the text to indicate that the writer had any such thought in his mind. And one may say, in passing, that the teaching in question can have very little foundation, when it is principally, if not altogether, founded upon a misinterpretation of this passage. Why the advocates of the doctrine, which in itself is repulsive to our ideas of reasonableness and justice, should make so much of an obscure metaphor in the Book of Ecclesiastes, and shut their eyes to the historical statement in 1Pe 3:18-20, which is decisive upon the point in question, is difficult to understand. No outcry about the obscurity of the latter passage can annul the plain statement of fact in it, viz. that Christ after his death went and preached the gospel to the spirits of those who were overtaken by the flood in the days of Noah. Uncertainty as to the future should not, however, lead to present inactivity (1Pe 3:5). We are not to allow “taking thought for the morrow” (Mat 6:25) to hinder our doing good to-day; that would be as absurd as the conduct of the farmer if he were to put off from day to day the sowing or reaping of his fields because of wind or rain, until the time for sowing or for reaping had passed away. Some risk we must run in our undertakings; and if some opportunities come to us without any seeking or effort on our part, we can make others for ourselves by the exercise of our good sense, energy, or tact. “The conditions of success cannot be reckoned on beforehand; the future belongs to God, the all-conditioning” (Delitzsch). This is the idea contained in 1Pe 3:5. Two examples are given of processes of nature which are familiar to us all, but the ways and working of which are hidden from our knowledge; they are the course of the wind (not the “spirit,” as in the Authorized Version), which “bloweth where it listeth” (Joh 3:8), and the formation of the babe “in the womb of her who is with child.” These secrets being in nature, it is not wonderful that the methods of the Divine government cannot be searched out by human wisdom or ingenuity, that the ways of God should be inscrutable and past finding out. “Even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.”
IV. THE CALL TO BENEFICENT ACTIVITY IS REPEATED. (1Pe 3:6.) “Since the future rests in the power of One who arranges all things, but who does not act arbitrarily, and since a finite being cannot unravel the secrets of the Infinite, man should act faithfully and fulfill energetically his appointed task” (Wright). The teaching is the same as in Ecc 9:10, “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might;” “In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good” (Ecc 9:6). “In the morning of life be active; slumber not through its decline. Use well the gifts of youth; use, too, the special gifts of age. Thou knowest not which shall bear good fruit; it may be both.” As men sow, they reap; the greater their exertions, the wider the area they cultivate, the richer usually is their harvest. The whole precept, says Plumptre, “is a call to activity in good, not unlike that of him who said, ‘I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is called today: the night cometh, when no man can work’ (Joh 9:4); who taught men to labor in the vineyard, even though they were not called to begin their work till the eleventh hour, when it was toward evening, and the day far spent” (Mat 20:1-16)J.W.
Verses 7, 8
Enjoyment of the present.
The cloud of pessimism rises from the Preacher’s mind as he thinks of the happiness which a well-ordered life may after all yield. God has placed some pleasures within our reach, and if we do not by our willfulness defeat his purpose, we may enjoy much innocent peace and happiness. And this assertion, coming so closely as it does upon the admonition to be diligent in carrying out the business that we have to do, implies that it is the well-earned reward of the worker, and not the ease and luxury of the idle sensualist, that wins the word of approval. “This joy of life, based upon fidelity to one’s vocation, and sanctified by the fear of God, is the truest and highest enjoyment here below” (Delitzsch). Only those have a right to enjoy life who are zealous in the discharge of the duties that belong to their lot. The order of thought is the same as in Rom 12:11, Rom 12:12, “In diligence not slothful rejoicing in hope.” The Revised Version (in Rom 12:8) brings out the full meaning more clearly than the Authorized Version: “Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun. Yea, if a man live many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity.” The light here praised is the light of life; the existence passed in the world on which the sun shines, as contrasted with the darkness of the grave, the unseen world, which to the mind of the Preacher, unillumined by the full revelation in Christ, seemed a region of shadows, dreary and insubstantial. To our thoughts such a view of the world beyond the grave, if world it could be called, in which all was dark and without any order (Job 10:21, Job 10:22), would seem calculated to rob the present of all delights. But evidently our author did not regard it as necessarily doing so. Neither did those ancient Egyptians, who had the representation of a corpse in its cerements at their banquets. To grosser minds among them the sight probably suggested the thought, “Let us eat and drink; for to-morrow we die.” But doubtless to graver minds it suggested something noblerthat pleasure, chastened and restrained by wise foresight, is pure and more lasting than any other. So, too, the enjoyment of life commended by the Preacher is not found by him incompatible with a contemplation of death. He does not say, “Let the young and thoughtless have out their time of frivolity and short-lived mirth; the sad thoughts by which the closing years of life are naturally darkened will only come to them too soon.” He rather would have men to rejoice in all the years of their life, though they be many. “Days of evil may come; clouds may, during long hours of sorrow, obscure the glory of the sun; but even if a man live many days, he should endeavor to rejoice in them all: and all the more so, if a long night of darkness awaits him at the close of his earthly career” (Wright). By the days of darkness, which are many, he evidently means the condition after death; for he distinctly differentiates them from the days of life, in all of which there should be joy, in spite of passing trials and distresses. For all men days of darkness are in store; let all, therefore, make the most of the present, and by a wise guidance of their conduct, by a beneficent activity, let them acquire the right and the ability to enjoy the innocent joys with which God has been pleased to bless and enrich our lives, seeing that “all that cometh” after life is vanity. It is true that to us the world beyond the grave appears in a different light. We believe in the everlasting felicity of the righteous in the “many mansions” which remain for those who have during this life been faithful to God, and have qualified themselves for higher service and more perfect enjoyment of him in the world to come. But this belief need not, should not, lead us to despise the bounties we have in this world from the hand of God. A devout and grateful acceptance and use of all the blessings he has bestowed upon us, a joy in living and seeing the light of the sun, should be much easier to us if we are conscious of reconciliation to God, and regard death as the entrance to a higher life.J.W.
Verse Ec 11:9–Ec 12:7
Youth and age.
The greater part of the Book of Ecclesiastes is of a somber character. It records the experiences of one who sought on all sides and with passionate eagerness for that which would satisfy the higher wants of his naturethe hunger and thirst of the soulbut who sought in vain. Ordinary coarse, sensual pleasures soon lost their charm for him; for he deliberately trieda dangerous experiment to see if in self-indulgence any real satisfaction could be found. From this failure he turned to a more promising quarter. He sought in “culture,” the pursuit of beauty and magnificence in art, the pathway to the highest good, on the discovery of which his soul was set. He used his great wealth to procure all that could minister to a refined taste. He built palaces, planted vineyards and gardens and orchards; he filled his palaces with all that was beautiful and costly, and cultivated every pleasure which is within the reach of man. “Whatsoever mine eyes desired,” he says, “I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on all the labor that I had labored to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.” From this he turned to the joys and employments of an intellectual lifeacquired knowledge and wisdom, studied the works of nature, analyzed human character in all its phases, and applied himself to the solution of all those great problems connected with the moral government of the world and the destiny of the soul of man. Here he was baffled. The discoveries he made were he found, useless for curing any of the evils of life, and at every point he met with mysteries which he could not solve, and his sense of failure and defeat convinced him that though “wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness,” it does not satisfy the soul. “What, then, is the result of his inquiries, of his pain and labor in searching after the highest good? Do his withering speculations leave anything untouched which may reasonably be the object of our pursuit, and which may afford us the satisfaction for which he sought in vain in so many quarters? Does he decide that life is, after all, worth living, or is his conclusion that it is not? In the closing sections of his book some answer is given to these questions; something positive comes as a pleasing relief from all the negations with which he had shut up one after another of the paths by which men had sought and still seek to attain to lasting happiness. Two conclusions might have been drawn from the experience through which he had passed. “Since the employments and enjoyments of life are insufficient to give satisfaction to the soul’s craving, why engage in them, why not turn away from them in contempt, and fix the thoughts solely on a life to come?” an ascetic might ask. “Since life is so transitory, pleasure so fleeting, why not seize upon every pleasure, and banish every care as far as possible?” an Epicurean might ask. “Let us eat and drink; for to-morrow we die.” Neither of these courses finds any favor in the mature judgment of Solomon, or of the writer who draws his teaching from the experience of the Jewish king. “Rejoice,” he says, rebuking the ascetic; “know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment,” he adds, for the confusion of the Epicurean. He speaks with the authority of one who had fully considered the problems of life, and with the solemnity of one whose earthly career was hastening to its close; and he addresses himself to the young, as more likely to profit by his experience than those over whom habits of life and thought have more power. But of course all, both young and old, men and women, can learn from him if they will, according to the gospel precept, “become as little children,” and listen with reverence and simplicity. The counsel which the Preacher has to give is bold and startling. “Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.” What does he mean? Are his words ironical, or spoken in sober earnest? A very long time ago they caused some perplexity to translators and commentators. In the earliest translation of this book into another language, that into Greek, this passage was considerably modified and toned down. The translator put in the word “blameless” after “walk,” and the word “not” into the next part of the sentence. “Walk blameless in the ways of thine heart, and not after the sight of thine eyes.” But any such tampering with the text was not only profane, but also senseless, for it simply destroyed the whole meaning of the passage. But granting that we have in our English a fair reproduction of the original, can there be any mistake about the interpretation of it? Is it possible that it may mean, “Rejoice if you will, follow your desires, have your fling, go forth on the voyage of life, ‘ youth at the prow, and pleasure at the helm,’ but know that the end of it all are the penal flames”? Some have thought that that is the meaning of the words. But a little consideration of them, and comparison of them with other passages in the book, will show us that it cannot be. Our author on several occasions, after showing us the vanity of earthly pursuits, falls back on the fact that there are many alleviations of our lot in life, which it is true wisdom to make use ofmany flowers of pleasure on the side of the hard road which one may innocently pluck. Thus he says (Ecc 2:24), “There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labor. This also I saw that it was from the hand of God.” And again (Ecc 9:7), “Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works. Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment. Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of thy vanity for that is thy portion in this life.” And the same lesson he repeats there, but in a tone of deeper solemnity, balancing and steadying the inclination to pleasure, which in few of us needs to be stimulated, with the thought that for every one of our actions we shall have to give an account at the judgment-seat of God. Surely this thought is a sufficient corrective to the abuse of the teaching which a perverse mind might make, and a proof that the enjoyments spoken of are such as do not degrade the soul. A gloomy asceticism which would unlawfully diminish human happiness is forbidden; a thankful acceptance of all the blessings God gives us, and a constant remembrance of our responsibility to him, is commended to us. With all the repugnance of a healthy mind, our author recoils from that narrow and self-righteous fanaticism which has done so much to deepen the gloom of life, and to turn religion into an oppressive yoke. He does not, however, go to the other extreme; but while he bids the young to enjoy the morning of life, he at the same time admonishes them in all things to have the fear of God before their eyes. Youth and manhood are vanity; their joys are fleeting, and will soon be past. Must we, therefore, neglect them, and indulge in equally vain and fleeting regrets? No; but rather put away all morose repining, and spare ourselves all unnecessary pain, and cultivate a cheerful contentedness with our lot. If the morning will soon be past, let us enjoy its light while it lasts, mindful of him who is the Giver of every good and perfect gift. The thought of him will not dull any innocent happiness, for he has made us capable of joy, and given us occasions of experiencing it. That no fears need be felt about the application of this teaching to actual life is abundantly proved by the words that follow, in the solemn and stately passage with which the twelfth chapter opens. The idea all through is that piety should be bound up with the whole lifewith the buoyancy and gaiety of youth, as well as with the decaying hopes and failing strength of age. That religion is not merely a consolation to which we may betake when all other things fail, but all through the food by which the soul is nourished. The fact is put very strongly. If in youth God is not remembered, it will be difficult in age, when the faculties begin to lose their vigor, to think of him for the first time, and consecrate one’s self to him. The mere accumulation of the weaknesses, both physical and mental, which attend the close of life will absorb the attention and Crowd out other thoughts. “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them.” And then he goes on to draw a picture, full of pathos sad solemnity, of the gradual dissolution of human life with the advance of age, of the decay and death into which the strongest fall, even if they endure for many years. One cannot make out all the successive images with equal clearness, but the evident purpose of the whole passage is clear enough. In the evil days the light of the sun, moon, and stars is darkened, and the sky is time after time overcast with returning clouds. The light of youth has fled, and with it the self-confidence and strength by which the life was sustained. Like some household in Egypt when the plague of darkness came down upon it and put an end to all tasks and pleasures, and filled every heart with a paralyzing terror, so is the state of man “perplexed with fear of change.” “The keepers of the house tremble, the strong men bow themselves, the terrified servants cease their labor, none look out of the windows, the street doors are shut, the sound of human bustle and activity dies away, the shrill cry of the storm-bird is heard without, and all the daughters of music are hushed and silent.” And then, in language still more enigmatical, other of the humiliating characteristics of old age are set forthits timidity and irresolution, the blanched hair, the failing appetite. These signs accumulate rapidly; for man goes to his long, his eternal home, and the procession of mourners is already moving along the street. “Remember,” he says, “thy Creator ere the day of death; ere the silver cord be loosened which lets fall and shivers the golden bowl that feeds with oil the flame of life; ere the pitcher be shattered by the spring, and the fountain of life can no longer be replenished; ere the wheel set up with care to draw up from the depths of earth the cool waters give way and fall itself into the well. Therefore remember thy God, and prepare while here to meet him, before that the dust shall return upon the earth dust as it was; for the spirit shall then return to God who gave it.” “It was a gift from him, that spirit. To him it will return. More he says not. Its absorption, the re-entering, of the human unit into the eternal and unknown Spirit, would be a thought, it would seem, alien to a Hebrew. But we must not press his words too far. As just now he spoke of a judgment, but gave us no picture of the sheep on the right hand and the goats on the left, so here he has no more to say, no clear and dogmatic assertion of a conscious and separate future life. ‘Into thy hands I commend my spirit,’ said the trustful psalmist. ‘Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit,’ said he who bowed his head upon the cross, who tasted death for our sakes. Our Preacher leaves the spirit with its Godthat is all, and that is much. ‘God will call us to judgment,’ he has said, and now he adds, ‘The body molders, the split passes back to the God who gave it’ (Bradley). Many are the reasons which might be adduced to give weight to the admonition, “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth. The uncertainty of life, e.g; renders it unwise in any who begin to realize their responsibilities, and to act for themselves, to postpone self-consecration to God. If not done now, when the affections are fresh, when habits are beginning to form, there is risk of its not being done at all. Certainly it is more difficult to make a change, and to enter upon the higher life when the heart is taken up with a love of other things, when the attention and interest are absorbed in other cares. Then, too, love of our Creator and service of him are due from us in the best of our days, in the time of our strength and energy, and not merely when we are weary and worn out with following our own devices, and are anxious merely to escape utter ruin and overthrow. True it is that the repentant prodigal is welcomed when he returns to his Father’s house; the worker beginning even at the eleventh hour receives his wages as though he had been the whole day in the vineyard. But their sense of gratitude, Wonder, and awe at the love which has overlooked their faults and shortcomings is the source of a joy far inferior to that of those who have never wandered, who have served faithfully with all the strength and all the day, upon whom the sunshine of God’s favor has ever rested. Another and final reason why it is wise to remember our Creator in the days of youth is that this is the secret of a happy life. The happiness which is disturbed by remembrance of God is not worth the name. That alone gives satisfactionthe satisfaction after which the Preacher sought so long and in so many quarterswhich springs from communion with God. It alone is intense, it alone is lasting. Arising as it does from the relations of the spirit of man with him who created it, it is raised above all the accidents of time and change. The sooner, therefore, that we begin this life of holy communion and service, the longer period of happiness Shall we know, the surer will be our ground of confidence for the future, when the day comes for leaving the world. “Over against the melancholy circumstances of decay and decline, as the end of life draws on, will be set the bright memories of the past, the consciousness of present help, and the hope of a joyous immortality. Vanity of vanities; all is vanity!’ was the sentence of one whose wisdom sprang only from his experience of an earthly life, and upon whose mind the burden lay of human sorrows and cares. But “a greater than Solomon,” One whose wisdom is Divine, whose power to remove every burden is daily seen, has an infinitely more hopeful message for us. “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you . I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”J.W.
Fuente: The Complete Pulpit Commentary

Ecc 11:1. Cast thy bread upon the waters Cast thy corn before the waters, for thou shalt find it, &c. Desvoex observes, the true design of this verse is so plainly pointed out by the context, that interpreters could not avoid seeing that it is an exhortation to benevolence and liberality; yet few of them understood the letter of the metaphor wherein that exhortation is in a manner wrapped up; and the Chaldee paraphrast would not even allow it to be a metaphor; but, through a very extraordinary synecdoche, made the surface of the water to mean poor sailors, whose ships sail on that surface. It has been observed by several interpreters, that in these words, cast thy lechem, upon the face of the waters, , which is generally translated bread, may as well be translated corn: besides other places, where it has that signification, no other construction can be put on it, Isa 28:28 nor in this place neither, if we consider that Solomon makes use of a proverbial metaphorical sentence, which must have a known, rational, literal sense, independently of the remoter moral application. But to cast one’s bread upon the surface of the waters, where it must be either devoured by the fish, or diluted to nothing, before the waves leave it upon the shore, would be a very odd way of providing for futurity; and I doubt whether one who would try the experiment could find his bread again after many days. But the case is quite otherwise with respect to seed thrown upon the surface of an inundation: When the waters subside, the corn which remains in the mud grows, and is found again many days after, at the time of harvest. This is a very rational construction of Solomon’s words, which the judicious Bishop Lowth, in his 10th Prelection, thinks may be illustrated from Psa 104:14. But there is another, which, if I am not mistaken, has the advantage of being better connected with the other proverbial sentences, wherein the author has in a manner wrapped up his exhortation; and to which, for that reason, I have given the preference in my translation. The words al peni, upon the faces, are often employed for lipni, before the faces, to signify, in presence of, or over against; and the two phrases appear to be synonimous in that sense, by comparing Exo 14:2 with Num 33:7. They are so likewise in some places, especially Gen 32:21 and 2Sa 15:18 in the signification of before, with respect to time. Now, why should not al-peni hammaiim, in the passage before us, be rendered, Before the rainy season? Corn thrown at that time in the ground, which in hot climates is then like dust, may be looked upon as thrown away; and if you consider nothing but the impossibility of its thriving without moisture, it is very natural that you should wait for the wind which will bring clouds and rain (Ecc 11:4.). But the prudent husbandman knows, that in time of drought the clouds are filling, and that as soon as they are full they must pour down rain upon the earth (Ecc 11:3.): therefore he sows the seed in expectation of a crop, which he is not to see immediately, but only after many days. This kind of prudence is that which Solomon recommends with respect to the poor, as may be seen by the whole context.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

C. The only true way to happiness in this world and the world beyond consists in benevolence, fidelity to calling, a calm and contented enjoyment of life, and unfeigned fear of God from early youth to advanced age
Ecc 11:1 to Ecc 12:7
1. Of Benevolence and Fidelity to Calling
(Ecc 11:1-6)
1Cast thy bread upon the waters, for thou shalt find it after many days. 2Give a portion to seven, and also to eight, for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth. 3If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth, and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be. 4He that observeth the wind shall not sow, and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap. 5As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all. 6In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand; for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.
2. Of a Calm and Contented Enjoyment of Life
(Ecc 11:7-10)
7Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun : 8But if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity. 9Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes; but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment. 10Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity.
3. Of the Duty of the Fear of God for Young and Old
(Ecc 12:1-7)
1Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them; 2While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain: 3In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened. 4And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low; 5Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears, shall be in the way, and the almond-tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets: 6Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern. 7Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
[Ch. 11 Ecc 11:3.. If it is allowable at all to vary from the text that has come down to us, this may be regarded as equivalent to (comp. Ecc 1:5) there is he, there it is. It might easily arise in writing from the ear, the shewa sound being hardly perceptible. If we regard it as the future of the substantive verb , or , with for , it is not a Syriasm, since the future of the Syriac verb would be or rather .T. L.]
[Ecc 11:5.) with ellipsis of , equivalent to .T. L.]
[Ecc 12:3.. This is called Aramaic, but it is as much Hebrew as it is Aramaic or Arabic. The intensive form, , occurs Hab 2:7. It is one of those rarer forms that are to be expected only in impassioned writing, like this of Solomon, or in any vivid description. Its frequency or rarity would be like that of the word quake, in English, as compared with tremble. The rarer word [as is the case in our language] may be the older one, only becoming more frequent in later dialects according as it becomes common by losing its rarer or more impassioned significance.T. L.]
[on the difference between and Ecc 11:9 the words Ecc 11:10, Ecc 12:3, Ecc 12:5, Ecc 12:6, and and Ecc 12:5, see the exegetical and marginal notes.T. L.]
EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL
The close connection of verses 17 of the 12th chapter with chap. 11 is correctly recognized by most modern commentators; a few, as Hitzig and Elster, unnecessarily add to it also Ecc 12:8. A section thus extended beyond the limits of the 11th chapter concentrates within itself, as the closing division of the fourth and last discourse, all the fundamental thoughts of the book, and in such a manner that it almost entirely excludes the negative and skeptical elements of earlier discussions and observations [only that the words return again in Ecc 11:8; comp. Ecc 11:10], and therefore lets its recapitulation very clearly appear as a victory of the positive side of its religious view over the gloomy spectre of doubt, and the struggles of unbelief (comp. Int. 1, Obs. 2). The entire section may be clearly divided into three subdivisions or strophes, the first of which teaches the correct use of life as regards actions and labor, the second concerns enjoyment, and the third the reverence and fear of God, with an admonition to these respective virtues.
2. First Strophe, first half. Ecc 11:1-3. An admonition to benevolence, with reference to its influence on the happiness of him who practices it. Hitzig, instead of finding here an admonition to beneficence, sees a warning against it, an intimation that we hope too much for the good, and arm ourselves too little against future evil; but every thing is opposed to this, especially the words and sense of Ecc 11:3, which see.Cast thy bread upon the waters.That is, not absolutely cast it away (Hitzig), nor send it away in ships (as merchandise) over the water (Hengstenberg), but give it away in uncertainty, without hope of profit or immediate return. The admonition is in the same spirit as that in Luk 16:9; Pro 11:24 f. The Greek aphoristic poets have the expression to sow on the water; as Theog., Sent. 105. Phocyllides[1] 142 c.
The entire sentence (most probably as derived from this source) is found in Ben Sira (Buxtorf, Florileg. Heb., page 171), and among the Arabians as a proverb: Benefac, projice panem tuum in aquam; aliquando tibi retribuetur (Diez, Souvenirs of Asia, II., 106).For thou shalt find it after many days. is here clearly used in the sense of finding again. literally, in the fullness of days, within many days. Comp. Psa 5:6; Psa 72:7, etc. The sense is without doubt this: Among the many days of thy life there will certainly come a time when the seeds of thy good deeds scattered broadcast will ripen into a blessed harvest. Comp. Gal 6:9; 2Co 9:6-9; 1Ti 6:18-19; also Pro 19:17 : He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord.
Ecc 11:2. Give a portion to seven and also to eight.That is, divide thy bread with many; for seven and eight are often used in this sense of undetermined plurality, as in Mic 5:4; comp. also three and four, Pro 30:15 ff.; Amo 1:3; Amo 2:1 ff.Hitzig runs entirely counter to the text, and does violence to the usual signification of saying: make seven pieces of one piece, divide it so that seven or eight pieces may spring from it, which admonition would simply be a rule of prudence (like the maxim followed by Jacob, Gen 32:8) not to load all his treasures on one ship, that he might not be robbed of every thing at one blow. This thought comports neither with the context nor with Ecc 11:6, where the sense is entirely different.For thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.That is, what periods of misfortune may occur when thou wilt pressingly need strength by community with others; comp. Luk 16:9.
Ecc 11:3. If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth.Not that evil or misfortune occurs from stern necessity, or in immutable course [Hitzig, and also Hengstenberg, who here sees announced the near and irrevocable doom of the Persian monarchy], but exactly the reverse: let the good that thou doest proceed from the strongest impulse of sympathy, so that it occurs, as from a natural necessity, that rich streams of blessings flow forth from thee; comp. Joh 7:38; also Pro 25:14; Sirach 35:24; also the Arabian proverbs in the grammar of Erpenius, ed. Schultens, p. 424. Pluvia nubis co-operiens, dum dona funderet, etc.And if the tree fall toward the south or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth there it shall be.This is apparently a parallel in sense to the second clause of Ecc 11:2, and therefore refers to the irrevocable character of the doom, or the Divine decree that overtakes man [Hitzig, Hengstenberg, etc.; also Hahn, who, however, translates the last clause thus: One may be at the place where the tree falls, and consequently be killed by it]. But it seems more in accordance with the text, and with the introduction [not with but with the simple copula ] to find the same sense expressed in this second clause as in the first, and consequently thus: the utility of the tree remains the same, whether it falls on the ground of a possessor bordering it to the north or the south; if it does not profit the one, it does the other. And it is just so with the gifts of love; their fruit is not lost, although they do not always come to light in the manner intended (Elster; comp, also Vaihinger and Wohlfarth, etc.). Geier and Rosenmueller are quite peculiar in the thought that the falling tree is the rich man, who is here warned of his death, after which he can do no more good deeds (similar to this are the views of Seb. Schmidt, Starke, Michaelis, etc.). a secondary Aramaic [2] form of and therefore literally equivalent to: it will be, it will lie there; for which consult Ewald, 192 c, as well as Hitzig on this passage. There is no grammatical foundation for the assertion that it is a substantive to be derived from an obsolete verb and explained by the word break [ there occurs the break or fracture of the tree, as says Starke].
3. First strophe, second half. Ecc 11:4-6. An admonition to zealous, careful, and untiring performance in ones calling [ , not to faint, as before he was warned , to be earnest in well doing, Gal 6:9]. He that observeth the wind shall not sow.A warning against timid hesitancy and its laming influence on effective and fruitful exertion. He whom the weather does not suit, and who is ever waiting for a more favorable season, misses finally the proper period for action. The second clause expresses the same admonitory thought regarding excessive considerateness.
Ecc 11:5. As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her who is with child.[Zckler renders way of the wind. See the excursus appended, p. 150.T. L.]That is, as thou canst not comprehend nor see through the mysteries of nature. That the origin and pathway of the winds is in this regard proverbial, is shown by Joh 3:8 [comp. above, Ecc 1:6]. For the formation of the bones in the womb of the mother as a process peculiarly mysterious and unexplainable, comp. Psa 139:13-18.Even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.The works or action of God are, of course, His future dealing,[3] which is a mystery absolutely unknown and unfathomable by men; wherefore all success of human effort can neither be known nor calculated in advance. Who maketh all; for this comp. Amo 3:6; Mat 10:28-29, Eph 3:20, etc.
[The Unknown Way of the Spirit and of Life.Ecc 11:5.As thou knowest not the way of the Spirit, nor how the bones do grow, etc. The words are rendered here by Zckler, Stuart, and Hitzig, the way of the wind. There would be good reason for this from the verse preceding; but what follows points to the sense of spirit, although the word was undoubtedly suggested by what was said in Ecc 11:4 of the wind. The best way, however, is to regard the double idea of wind and spirit as being intended here, as in our Saviours language, Joh 3:8. About the words following there can be no mistake. The process described is set forth as the peculiar work of God, a Divine secret which human knowledge is challenged ever to discover. Thou knowest not the way of the spirit [ Gen 6:3, my spirit, that I have given to man], nor how the bones do grow, that is, how that spirit, or life, reorganizes itself each time, clothes itself anew in the human system, making the bones to grow according to their law, and building up for itself a new earthly house in every generic transmission. This is the grand secret, the knowledge and process of which God challenges to Himself. Science can do much, but it can never discover this. We may say it boldly, even as Koheleth makes his affirmation, science never will discover this; for it lies above the plane of the natural; and in every case, though connected with nature, demands a plus power, or some intervention, however regulated by its own laws, of the supernatural. The Bible thus presents it as Gods challenged work [comp. Gen 2:7; Gen 6:3; Job 33:14; Psa 139:13; Jer 1:5], the same now as in the beginning when the Word of life first went forth, and nature received a new life power, or, rather, a rising in the old. The passage of life from an old organism to a new is as much a mystery as ever. We mean the transition from the last enclosing matter of the former, through the moment of disembodiment, or material unclothing (see note, Gen., p. 170), when it takes that last matter of the previous organization, or of the seed vessel, or seed fluid, and immediately makes it the commencing food, the first material it uses in building up the new house in which it is to dwell. In respect, too, to the mystery of supernatural origin, it is as much a new creation as though that unclothed and immaterial power of life [whether in the vegetable or in the animal sphere] had for the first time begun its manifestation in the universe. It is the same Word, sounding on in nature, or, as the Psalmist says, running very swiftly, , , , , , , ; Wis 7:23-24. It is the transmission, not merely of an immaterial power (though even as a power science can only talk about it or find names for its phenomena), but also of a law and an idea ( as well as , an intelligent working we may say) representing, in this dimensionless monad force the new life exactly as it represented the old in all its variety, whether of form or of dynamical existence,in other words, transmitting the species, or the specific life, as that which lives on, and lives through, and lives beyond, all the material changes that chemistry has discovered or can ever hope to discover. Science may show how this life is affected in its manifestations by the outward influences with which it comes in contact, the changes that may seem to enter even the generic sphere, and it may thus rightly require us to modify our outward views in respect to the number and variety of strictly fundamental forms; but the transmission itself of the species (however it may have arisen or been modified) into the same form again of specific life, or the carrying a power, a law, and an idea, in a way that neither chemical nor mechanical science can ever trace,this is the Divine secret towards which the Darwinian philosophy has not made even an approach. Its advocates know no more about it, than did the old philosophers who held a theory precisely the same in substance, though different in its technology. They talked of atoms as men now talk of fluids, forces, and nebular matter; but give them time enough, or rather give them the three infinities of time, space, and numerical quantity of conceivable forms, and they would show us how from infinite incongruities falling at last into congruity and seeming order, worlds and systems would arise, though their form, their order, and the seeming permanence arising from such seeming order, would be only names of the states that were; any other states that might have arisen being, in such case, equally entitled to the same appellations. Like the modern systems, it was all idealess, without any intervention of intelligence either in the beginning or at any stages in the process. It is astonishing how much, in the talk about the Darwinian hypothesis, these two things have been confounded,the possible outward changes in generic forms, and the inscrutable transmission of the generic life in the present species, or in the present individual. The theory referred to is adapted only to an infinity of individual things, ever changing outwardly, and which, at last, fall into variety of species through an infinite number of trials and selections, or of fortunate hits after infinite failures. It makes no provision, however, for one single case of the transmission of the same specific life, either in the vegetable or the animal world. There it has to confess its ignorance, though it treats it sometimes as a very slight ignorance, soon to be removed. How pigeons, taken as an immense number of individual things, undergo an eternal series of outward changes,how existing pigeons spread into varieties, by some being more lucky in their selections than othersall this it assumes to tell us. But in the presence of the great every day mystery, the wonderful process that is going on in the individual pigeons egg, invisibly, yet most exactly, typing the pigeon life that now is, it stands utterly speechless. One of its advocates seems to regard this as a very small matter, at present, indeed, not fully understood as it will be, but of little consequence in its bearing on the great scheme. It has its laws undoubtedly, but the principle of life, he maintains, is chemical,that is, it is a certain arrangement of matter. Now this we cannot conceive, much less know. We are equally baffled whether we take into view the grosser (as they appear to the sense) or the more ethereal kinds of matter, whether as arranged in greater magnitudes, or in the most microscopic disposition of atoms, molecules, or elementary gases constituted by them. We may attempt still farther to etherealize by talking of forces, motions [motions of what ?] heat, magnetism, electricity, etc. They are still but quantities, matters of more or less. And so the modern chief of the positive school has boldly said: all is quantity, all is number; life is quantity, thought is quantity (so much motion); what we call virtue is quantity; it can be measured. And so all knowledge is ultimately mathematics, or the science of quantity. There is nothing that cannot, be reduced, in its last stages, to a numerical estimate. There is, moreover, just so much matter, force, and motion in the universe,ever has been, ever will be. And there is nothing else. But how life, a thing in itself dimensionless, to say nothing of feeling, thought, and consciousness, can come out of such estimates is no more conceivable of one kind of matter, however moving, than it is of another. Still more do we fail to imagine how it can, in any way, be the result of figure, arrangement, position, quantity, or of , , as Leucippus and Democritus called their three prime originating causalities [see Aristot., Met. II. 4]. But so it is, they still continue to insist, though chemistry has searched long and could never find it, or even the way to its house, as is said, Job 37:20, of the light. Prof. Haeckel, of Jena, in his Natrliche Schpfungsgeschichte maintains that all organized beings are potentially present in the first matter of the nebular system. He looks upon all the phenomena of life as a natural sequence of their chemical combination, as much as if they were conditions of existence, though the ultimate causes are hidden from us. There may be some truth in what is said about conditions [for conditions are not causes], but it is the other remark that demands attention: though the ultimate causes may be hidden from us. Ho seems to regard this as a very slight circumstance, which ought to have little effect on the great argument of what calls itself the exact, and positive philosophy. There is yet indeed an unimportant break in the chain; a link or two is to be supplied; that is all, they would say. But what data have we for determining what is lacking before the full circuit of knowledge is completed ? A most important inquiry this: how great is the separation made by the unknown? Is it a few inches, or a space greater than the stellar distances? Is it a thin partition through which the light is already gleaming, or is it a vast chasm, compared with which any difference between the most ancient and the most modern knowledge is as nothing ? Is it something that may be passed over in time, or is it the measureless abyss of infinity which the Eternal and Infinite Mind alone can span? They are yet hidden from us, he says. Is there the least ray of light in the most advanced science that shows us that we are even approaching this mysterious region of causality? Is there any reason to think that we know a particle more about it than Aristotle did, or those ancient positivists who talked of , , and , or any of those profound thinkers of old whose better reasoned atheism Cudworth has so fully refuted in his great work? And yet this professor of exact science talks of his monera, the prototypes of the protista, and how from these came neutral monera, and from these, again, vegetable and animal monera, just as freely as though he knew all about it from his inch of space and moment of time, or had not just admitted an ignorance which puts him at an inconceivable distance from that which he so confidently claims to explain. For it should be borne in mind that science has not merely failed to discover the principle of life, as positive knowledge; she cannot, even conceive it; she cannot form a theory of it which does not run immediately into the old mechanical and chemical language of number and quantity, out of which she cannot think, nor talk, without bringing in the supernatural, and that, too, as something above her province. After what is told us about the monera, etc., the writer proceeds to say: this once established, from each of the archetypes, we have a genealogy developed which gives us the history of the protozoan and animal kingdoms, etc., as though any thing had been established, and he had not admitted his ignorance of a prime truth without which he cannot take a step in the direction in which he so blindly hastes. There is nothing new in this, in substance, though there may be much that is novel in form and technology. It is the old philosophy of darkness. It is as true of this modern school as it was of the old cosmologists of whom Aristotle first said it, , that they generate all things out of Night. This bringing every thing out of the nebular chaos through mechanical action and chemical affinities, and these grounded on nothing else than , , and , is nothing more than the Hesiodean generations, or the Love and Discord, the attractions and repulsions, of Empedocles. It is the pantogony of these old world builders, but without their splendid poetry.
All organized beings in the first nebular matter, and that from eternity! Then, of course, there has been no addition in time, no plus quantity, or plus power, or any plus idea combined with power; for that would be something which previously was not. Newton was in the toadstool; for what is not in cannot come out, or be developed; and so every toad-stool now contains a Newton; every fungus contains an academy of science, or a school of positive philosophy. The carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, or still earlier and more formless matter out of which this thinking arises, is there, only in a different and , perhaps. There has been no more addition to nature in the physical development of the rationalist commentator than in that of the (Exo 8:17; Psa 105:31) or Egyptian lice, whose immediate production he regards as beneath the dignity of any supposed Divine or supernatural action. And so there can be no real or essential difference in rank. The kinnim were as much in the first matter as the phosphorus that thinks in the brain of the theologian; they had as high and as old a place. The idea, too, of the kinnim was there, and all the machinery of their development; so that there was no saving of means or labor; their immediate genesis would cost no more, or be any more of a belittling work, than their mediate, or developed production. These insignificant creatures were provided for from all eternity. But providing means foreseeing, foreknowing; and language revolts. We cannot consistently talk atheism or materialism in any human dialect; God be thanked for such a provision in the origin and growth of speech. We can, indeed, say in. words, as one of the boldest of this godless school has said, ohne Phosphor kein Gedanke, without phosphorus no thought; but then we must give up the word idea as, in any sense a cause originating; for there could be no idea antecedent to the phosphoric matter, or that order and position of it, out of which idea, or the development of thought, was to arise; that is, any idea of phosphorus before phosphorus. There is, then, nothing eternal, immutable, undeveloped, or having its being in itself, and to which, as an ideal standard, the terms higher and lower can be referred to give them any meaning. For all risings of matter, or form, to higher forms regarded as any thing else than simply unfoldings of previous matter, or previous arrangements of forces, are creations as much as any thing that is supposed first to commence its being as a whole; since more from less involves the maxim de nihilo, as well as something from nothing in its totality. If they were in that previous matter without a new commandment, a new word, and a plus activity accompanying it, then they are not truly a rising. They are no more, in quantity, than what they were; and quantity is all. Quality, according to Comte, is but a seeming; it is not a positive entity, but only , , and , an arrangement of matter. The potentiality, then, has all that there is, or can be, in any actuality. Even that inconceivable power which causes any potentiality to be thus potential, is, itself, only a potentiality included in the infinite sum of potentiality, which, as a whole, is also, in some way, caused to be what it is, and as it is. We say, in some way; for to say for some reason, would, at once, be bringing in a new word, and a new idea, utterly foreign to this whole inconceivable scheme. According to the other philosophy, Reason is in the beginning, (John 1.; Pro 8:22). But here reason is junior to matter, something developed, and which could, therefore, neither as intelligens nor as intellectum, be made a ground of that from which itself proceeds. We can never get out of this labyrinth; for the moment we bring in a plus quantity, or a plus activity, or a plus idea, or any thing seeming to be such, we only have a new causative potentiality, and that demanding another, which is potential of it, and so on ad infinitum; the infinity, too, not proceeding from the highest downward, but from the lowest state [or that which is next to nothing], as being the first possible manifestation of being in the universe of conceivable things. Again, it may be asked, why has not this infinite potentiality, in this infinite time, developed all things potential, so that pigeons should long since have become arch-angels, and our poor, earthly, dying race long since risen to be as gods. Or how, if we shrink from that, are we to avoid the converse conclusion, that the whole state of things now actual, now developed, is still infinitely low, and that the highest and best in the sphere of soul, and thought, and reason, is not only as yet undeveloped, but infinitely far in condition, and eternally far in time, from its true actuality,if, in such a scheme, highest and best have any real meaning. It makes the lowest and most imperfect first, the best and perfect last, or at such an infinite distance that it may be said they never come. Religion and the Scriptures just reverse this. They put soul first, mind first, the Personal first, the all Holy, the all Wise, the all Righteous, the all Perfect, first, whilst every seeming imperfection contributes to the manifestation of the infinite excellency and infinite glory of the one separate personal God who is first of all and over all.
How poor the science of Koheleth, it may be said, and yet he has propounded here a problem having regard to one of the most common events of life, but which the ages are challenged to solve: As thou knowest not the way of the spirit, or even how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child, even so thou knowest not the work of God who worketh all, the all, the great paradigm which He is bringing out in space and time [ch. Ecc 3:14], and for those moral and spiritual ends to which the natural, with all its changes, and all its developments, is at every moment subservient In one sense, indeed, it has no plus quantities. All is provided for in Him who is the A and the , the First and the Last, the , the Beginning and the End. All that God doeth is for the olam, the Great Eternity [Ecc 3:14]. Nothing can be added to it or taken from it; but this, instead of excluding the supernatural, or shutting all things up in nature, necessitates the idea that there is a world above nature, a power, or rather an Eternal Word [ (Col 1:17)] in whom all things consist, or stand together. This Word still speaks in nature. There, still abides its constant voice, [1Ki 19:12], susurrus aur tenuis, its thin still voice, that is heard after the fire and the wind, its whisper word, as Job calls it, Job 26:14; and then again there is the going forth of its mighty thunder voice, which none but God can understand, speaking in its great periodic or creative utterances, as it did of old, and as it shall speak again, when it calls for the new heavens and the new earth, giving to nature its new movement and its still holier Sabbath. It is this greater utterance that brings into the natural development its plus powers and plus ideas, not from any undeveloped physical necessity, but from a Divine fullness, not arbitrarily, but from its own everlasting higher law.
Throughout all the seeming nature there remains this mysterious, generative, life-giving process in the vegetable, the animal, and especially in the human birth, as a constant symbol of the supernatural presence, or of the old unspent creative force, still having its witness in continually recurring acts, ever testifying to the great Divine secret that baffles science, and to the explanation of which she cannot even make an approach.
There is an allusion to this mystery of generation, Psa 139:13 : Thou didst possess my reins [claim them as thine own curious work], thou didst overshadow me in my mothers womb. So also in Psa 139:15 : My substance was not hid from thee, my bone, the same symbolic word that is here employed by Koheleth. In fact, it was ever so regarded by the earliest mind, as it must be by the latest and most scientific. Koheleth simply expressed the proverbial mystery of his day. It existed in the thinking and language of the most ancient Arabians; as is evident from the use Mohammed makes of it in the Koran. His mode of speaking of it shows that it was a very old query that had long occupied the thoughts of men. Hence his adversaries are represented as proposing it to him as a test of his being a true prophet (see Koran Sur. 17. 78): They will ask thee about the spirit ( ); say: the spirit is according to the command of my Lord, and ye have been gifted with knowledge but a very little way. When he says the spirit is by the command of my Lord, he has reference to a distinction that was made (and very anciently it would seem) between the creation of spirit, and that of matter, or nature strictly. The latter was through media, steps, or growth, whilst spirit was immediate, by the command of God, according to the language of Psa 33:9, or the frequent expression in the Koran which so closely resembles it, , be, and it was. Al. Zamakhshari, in his Commentary, p. 783, 2, tells us that the Jews bid the Koreish ask Mohammed three questionsone about the mystery of the cave and the sleepers, one about Dhu l Karnein, and the third, this question about the spirit. If he pretended to answer them all, or if he answered neither of them, then he was no true prophet. He answered the first two, but confessed his ignorance of the human soul, as being something the knowledge of which God had reserved to Himself. Then he told them that there was the same reserve in their law (the Old Testament) which revealed to them nothing about the way of the spirit, . If Mohammed knew any thing about the Bible (and there is but little reason in the contrary supposition), then it may bereasonably thought that in what is thus said of him by the Koranic commentator, he had reference to such passages as this of Ecclesiastes (compare also Ecc 3:21, , who knoweth the spirit, etc.), or to the general reserve of the Old Testament respecting the soul, or in a more special manner to Gen 2:7; Gen 6:3, where there are ascribed to God the more direct creation of, and a continued property in, the human spirit. This would seem, too, from Psa 104:29, to be asserted, in some sense, even of the animal creation.T. L.]
Ecc 11:6. In the morning sow thy seed.The sowing of seed is here a figurative designation of every regular vocation or occupation, not specially of benevolence; comp. Job 4:8; Psa 126:5; 1Co 9:10-11.And in the evening withhold not thine hand.Literal, towards evening (), i.e., be diligent in thy business from the early morning till the late evening, be incessantly active.For thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that. , not what, but whether; the expression refers, as it seems, to the double labor, that of the morning and that of the evening. We are to arrange labor with labor, because the chances are equal, and we may therefore hope that if one fails, the other may succeed. God may possibly destroy one workand who knows which ? (comp. Ecc 5:6); it is well if thou then hast a support, a second arrow to send (Hitzig).Or whether they shall both be alike goodi.e., whether both kinds of labor produce what is really good, substantial and enduring, or whether the fruit of the one does not soon decay, so that only the result of the other remains. together, as in Ezr 6:20; 2Ch 5:13; Isa 65:25.
4. Second strophe. Ecc 11:7-10. Admonition to calmness and content, ever mindful of divine judgment, and consequently to the cheerful enjoyment of the blessings of this life.Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun. Hitzig correctly gives the connection with the preceding: The tendency of the advice in Ecc 11:1-6 (mainly in Ecc 11:6) to secure guaranties in life, is justified in Ecc 11:7. Life is beautiful and worthy of receiving care. Elster is less clear and concise: Such an energy of mental activity (as that demanded in Ecc 11:1-6) will only be found where there is no anxious calculation about the result; but where man finds alone in the increased activity of his mental powers, (?) and in the intense striving after an eternal goal, his satisfaction and reward, etc. The light here stands for life, of which it is the symbol. (Comp. Psa 36:9; Psa 49:19; Psa 56:13; Job 3:20). And so the expression: to behold the sun, for which see not only Psa 36:9; Joh 11:9, but also passages in classic authors, e. g., Euripides, Iphig. in Aul. Ecc 1218: ; also Hippol. Ecclesiastes 4 : ; Phoeniss: .
Ecc 11:8. But if a man live many years. here greatly increases the intensity of thought (comp. Job 6:21; Hos 10:5); it is consequently to have no closer connection with the following ; comp. Pro 2:3; Isa 10:22, etc.And rejoice in them all; [Zckler renders: Let him rejoice in them all];[4] therefore daily and constantly rejoice, in harmony with the apostolic injunction, . See the Doctrinal and Ethical to know how this sentence is to be reconciled, in Koheleths sense, with the truth that all is vanity, and at the same time to be defended against the charge of Epicurean levity.Yet let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many. is here the relative, not the causal ; comp. the Septuagint: , . The days of darkness are those to be passed after this life in Scheol, the dark prison beneath the earth (Ecc 9:10), the days when we shall no longer see the pleasant light of the sun, or the period of death; comp. Job 10:21, f.; Job 14:22; Psa 88:12, etc.All that Cometh is vanity; that is, that cometh in this world; everything that exists in this life, consequently all men especially; comp. Ecc 6:4; Joh 1:9. Nevertheless the translation should not be in the masculine; the Septuagint is correct: , . The sense given by Vaihinger and Elster is too broad : All future things are vanity. But even this is more correct than the Vulgate and Luther, who refer to the past.
Moreover the clause is a confirmation of what precedes, though used without a connective, and therefore making a still greater impression.
Ecc 11:9. Rejoice, O young man in thy youth.Here we again have a vividly emphatic omission of the connective. That which the previous verse recommended in general, is now specially addressed to youth as that period of life especially favorable to cheerful enjoyment, and therefore, in accordance with Gods will, especially appointed thereto. But the necessary check is indeed immediately placed upon this rejoicing, by the reminder of the duty to forget not that God will bring to judgment. in does not give the cause or object of rejoicing, but, as also in in the following clause (comp. Isa 9:2), the period and circumstances in which it is to occur.And let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, [5] For this expression comp. Ecc 1:17; Ecc 3:18; Ecc 7:25, etc. The heart delights the whole man in proportion as it itself is , that is, of good cheer.And walk in the ways of thine heart, i.e., in the ways in which it will go; follow it. Comp. Isa 57:17 and for the thought above Ecc 2:10.And in the sight of thine eyes, i. e., so that thy observation of things shall form the rule for thy conduct, (comp. Ecc 3:2-8). This is in accordance with the Kri , which is attested by all versions and manuscripts; the ketib which is preferred by Hengstenberg and others, would designate the multitude of the objects of sight as the rule for walking, which, as Hitzig correctly observes, would be an intolerable zeugma. We moreover decidedly condemn the addition of before : and not according to the sight of thine eyes, as is found in the Codex Vaticanus of the Septuagint, and in the Jewish Haggada; for the passage in Num 15:39, that probably furnished the inducement to this interpolation, is not, when rightly comprehended, in antagonism with the present admonition; for quite as certain[6] as the allusion is there to amorous looks of lust, is it here, on the contrary, to an entirely innocent use of sight, and one well-pleasing to God.But know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee to judgment. Comp. Job 11:6. The judgment () is very certainly not merely to be considered as one of this world, consisting of the pains of advanced age (Hitzig), described in Ecc 12:1, ff., or of human destinies as periods of the revelation of divine retributive justice in general (Clericus, Winzer, Knobel, Elster, etc.). The author rather has in view the judgment in the absolute sense, the great reckoning after death, the last judgment, as the parallels Psa 143:2; Job 14:3; Job 19:29, etc.,[7] incontestably show (comp. also Heb 9:27; Heb 10:27); the preludes of the final judgment belonging to this life come into view only as subordinate. Neither Ecc 11:8 of this chapter, nor Ecc 9:10 are opposed to this; for Koheleth in these teaches not an eternal, but only a long sojourn in Scheol. Our interpretation receives also the fullest confirmation in Ecc 3:17 as in Ecc 12:7; Ecc 12:14.
Ecc 11:10. Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart. The positive command to rejoice, is here followed by the warning against the opposite of rejoicing sorrow, dissatisfaction; the Septuagint, Vulgate, Geier, etc., most unfittingly render it anger, just as the following, which means evil, misfortune, they render, wickedness, (, malitia). The recommendation to cheerfulness instead of sadness and melancholy (comp. Mal 3:14; Isa 58:3) is here clearly continued; comp. Ecc 9:7, ff. For in the second clause, comp. Ecc 5:6.For childhood and youth are vanity. The figure ( a later expression for ; comp. the Talmudic , and the thing compared( also a later word) are here, as in Ecc 5:2; Ecc 7:1, connected by a simple copula. Koheleth would have written more clearly, but less poetically and effectively if he had said for as the dawn of the morning so is the period of youth all vanity (i.e., transitory, fleeting, comp. Ecc 7:6; Ecc 9:9).
[Koheleths Description of Old Age, chap. 12.The imagery and diction of this remarkable passage show it to be poetry of the highest order; but it presents a very gloomy picture. Even as a description of the ordinary state of advanced life, it is too dark. It has no relief, none of those cheering features, few though they may be, which Cicero presents in his charming treatise De Seneclute. As a representation of the old age of the godly man, it is altogether unfitting. Compare it with the , the good old age of Abraham and David, Gen 15:15,1Ch 29:28, the serene old age of Isaac, the honored old age of Jacob, the hale old age of Moses and Joshua. See how Isaiah (Isa 40:30-31) describes the aged who wait upon the Lord: The youths may faint and be weary, even the young men may utterly fail, but they who wait on Jehovah shall renew their strength, they shall mount up on wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. A more direct contrast is furnished by the striking picture of aged saints, Psa 92:15 : They are like the grandval cedars of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing (more correctly, still resinous and green) evergreens; or, as Watts has most beautifully paraphrased it,
The plants of grace shall ever live;
Nature decays, but grace must thrive;
Time that doth all things else impair,
Still makes them flourish, strong and fair.
Laden with fruits of age they show,
The Lord is holy, just and true;
None that attend His gates shall find,
A God unfaithful or unkind.
Another very striking contrast to this is that picture which Solomon twice gives us in the Pro 16:31; Pro 20:29, the hoary head a crown of glory when found in the way of righteousness. But one supposition remains; the picture here given is the old age of the sensualist. This appears, too, from the connection. It is the evil time, the day of darkness that has come upon the youth who was warned in the language above, made so much more impressive by its tone of forecasting irony. It is the dreary old age of the young man who would go on in every way of his heart, and after every sight of his eyes,who did not keep remorse from his soul, nor evils from his flesh and now all these things are come upon him, with no such alleviations al often accompany the decline of life. Such also might be the inference from the words with which the verse begins : Remember thy Creator while the evil days come not ( ). It expresses this and more. There is a negative prohibitory force in the : So remember Him that the evil days come notbefore they come, implying a warning that such coming will be a consequence of the neglect. Piety in youth will prevent such a realizing of this sad picture; it will not keep off old age, but it will make it cheerful and tolerable, instead of the utter ruin that is here depicted.
Another argument is drawn from the character of the imagery. The general representation is that of the decay of a house, or rather of a household establishment, as a picture of man going to his eternal house, his , . This earthly house ( , 2Co 5:1) is going to ruin, but the style of the habitation is so pictured as to give us some idea of the character of the inhabitant. It is not the cottage of the poor, nor the plain mansion of the virtuous contented. It is the house of the rich man (Luk 16:19) who has fared sumptuously (, splendidly) every day. The outward figure is that of a lordly mansion,a palace or castle with its keepers, its soldiers, or men of might, its purveyors of meal and provisions, its watchers on the turrets. It is a luxurious mansion with its gates once standing wide open to admit the revellers, now closing to the street. The images that denote these different parts of the body, the different senses or gates of entrance to the soul, are all so chosen as to indicate the kind of man represented. It is the eye that looked out for every form of beauty, the mouth (the teeth) that demanded supplies of the most abundant and delicious food. It is the ear that sought for singing women, , the loudest and most famed of the daughters of song. And so, too, the appurtenances at the close of the description, the hanging lamps, the golden bowl, the costly fountain machinery all falling into ruin, present the game indications of character, and of the person represented.
Another very special mark of this may be traced in the expression Ecc 11:5, rendered, desire shall fail, rather, shall be frustrated, still raging but impotent. How characteristic of the old sensualist, and yet how different from the reality in the virtuous old age that has followed a temperate and virtuous youth! See how Cicero speaks of such failure of desire as a release, a relief, instead of a torment: libenter vero istinc, tanquam a domino furioso, profugi; De Senectute, 47. This view is rendered still stronger, if we follow those commentators who would regard as denoting an herb used for the excitement of failing desire: It shall fail to have its effect. The meaning seems plain, however, as commonly taken, and there is, perhaps, no good reason for departing from the etymological sense. Everything goes to show that Watts has rightly paraphrased the passage
Behold the aged sinner goes,
Laden with guilt and heavy woes,
Down to the regions of the dead.
The soul returns murmuringly to God, as though with its complaint of the cruel and degrading treatment it had received from the fleshly nature in the earthly house, or as a wailing ghost driven away (see Pro 14:32), naked and shivering into the uncongenial spiritual sphere.
It is in view of such a life, and such a death, that we see the force of the closing exclamation O vanity of vanitiesall vanity ! As a finale to the life and death of the righteous, even if the writer, like Solon, had had reference only lo this world, it would have seemed inharmonious and out of place. If we regard it, however, as Solomons picture of himself repenting in extremis, then may we indulge a more cheerful hope in regard to its close, though still with the wail of vanity as its mournful accompaniment. One thing seems almost certain. Such a description as this, so sad, so full of feeling, must have been written by one who had had some experience of the situation described. There is a pathos about it that indicates personality, and a personal repentance. If so, no one is so readily suggested as the king of Israel, whose fall into sensuality and idolatry is so vividly described, 1 Kings 11, where the divine judgments upon him are also fully set forth. His repentance is not there mentioned, but it may be because this book of Koheleth, which he left behind him as his brief spiritual autobiography, contained such ample evidence of the fact.T. L.].
5. Third strophe. Ecc 12:1-7. An admonition to fear God during youth, and not to leave his till old age, the period when approaching death announces itself through many terrorshere depicted in a series of poetical figures drawn from the various realms of nature and human life.Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth. For the plural see Ecc 5:8 preceding. The word remember () is, of course, a remembering with becoming reverence, as well as with a feeling of gratitude for the many blessings received. It is therefore substantially the same with the fear expressly recommended in Ecc 12:13, and in substance, at least, in Ecc 11:9, second clause.While the evil days come not. Literally, until not, i.e.,before; just as in Ecc 11:2 and in the later recapitulation Ecc 11:6. The evil days and the years following are naturally the years of old age, of the period immediately preceding death, in contradistinction to the joyous period of youth.
Ecc 11:2. While the sun, or the light,[8] or the moon or the stars be not darkened. The darkening of the sun and the light must here be synonymous with the diminishing and the saddening of the joys of life, as is experienced in advanced age. A more special interpretation of the sun and the light, as well as of the moon and the stars (only added to finish the description), is inadmissible, and leads to platitudes, as is the case with Glassius, Oeting, and F. W. Meyer, who think of the darkening powers of the mind or with Wedel, who would interpret the sun by the heart, the moon by the brain, the stars by the bowels(!), and the clouds and rain, even, by the catarrhal rheums of old age(!). Moreover the darkening of sun, moon and stars is a favorite figure for seasons of misfortune, punishment and judgment; comp. Jos 3:4; Jos 2:10; Amo 8:9; Isa 13:10; Eze 32:7; Act 2:20; Rev 6:12. The same is also found in classic authors, e.g., Catullus Ecc 8:3; Fulsere quondam candidi tibi soles; Martial Epigr. Ecc 5:20, Ecclesiastes 11 : Bonosque soles effugere atque abire sentit.Nor the clouds return after the rain. That is, one calamity follows another, one season of misfortune begins where the other ceases. The rainy season, or winter, is therewith described, in contrast to the mere showers or passing thunder storms of summer. Old age is symbolized as the winter[9] (or autumn of life, as it has previously been termed the approaching night; comp. Job 29:3; where the mature age of man is designated as the days of autumn ( ). So we too sometimes speak of the evening, the autumn, and the winter of life.
Ecc 11:3-5. A more intimate figurative description of old ages infirmity and proximity to death. This is here represented under the figure of a house whose inhabitants, formerly cheerful and animated, now become weak, inactive and sad. Umbreit and Elster condemn this view as harsh and devoid of taste, and consider the passage rather as a poetic description of the day of death, which is represented under the figure of a fearful tempest, see especially Gurlitt, Studien und kritiken, 1865, II., p. 331, ff. (comp. p. 27, preceding). Comp. also the subsequent remarks under the head of Doctrinal and Ethical.In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble. The human body is often compared to a house [10] or a tent, e. g., Isa 38:12; Wis 9:15; Job 4:19; 2Co 5:1, ff.; 2Pe 1:13, f. So also in profane writings, e. g., in the Arabian poet Hariri, (Rueckerts Ed., p. 293); in Virgil, Eneid VI., 734. The keepers of the house are the arms with the hands, that are intended to protect the body, but which become tremulous in aged persons. These are considered as outside of the house, but as closely belonging to it. For the use of the hands as protection and armor for the body, comp. Galen, de usu partium I., (4 Opp. ed. Kuehn T., III., p. 8).And the strong men shall bow themselves. That is, evidently the legs, which in old age lose their muscular power; whilst in the young, strong man they may be compared to marble columns, (comp. Son 5:10), they now shrink and become feeble, and crooked. Comp. the crooked knees of Job 4:4; the weak knees of Psa 109:24; the feeble knees, Isa 35:3; Heb 12:12; also 3Ma 4:5. Men of strength, is, on the contrary, a designation for valiant warriors: Jdg 20:44; 2Sa 11:16; 2Ki 24:16; and to these especially strong legs are very necessary: see Psa 147:10; 2Sa 1:23, etc.And the grinders cease[11] because they are few. the grinding maids are to be construed as referring to the teeth, as is also shown by for they have become few, and by the subsequent mention of the sound of the mill, i.e., of the human speech proceeding from the wall of the teeth (Ecc 11:4). The closeness of the comparison between human teeth and a mill is proved by the designation grinders,[12] for the molar teeth in many languages, e.g., in the Syriac (), in the Greek ( ) in the Latin (molares). The feminine form is in allusion to the customof all antiquity, according to which female slaves performed the grinding with hand-mills (Exo 11:5; Job 31:10; Isa 47:2; Mat 24:41), and is also in harmony with the use of (tooth) as feminine, occurring in Pro 25:19.And those that look out of the windows be darkened. These are the eyes,[13] that are here the more fittingly designated as , because the eye is feminine, and since the eyelids, in other passages compared to the threads of a net (Pro 6:25), are here clearly compared to the bars of a grate or to the grating (), and since also it was very natural to present the eyes, the most noble of all our organs, as the mistresses of the house, who look quietly out into the exterior world, but the teeth on the contrary as the servants or slaves. Comp. Cicero Tusc. I., Ecc 20: Oculi quasi fenestr sunt animi; foramina ilia, qu patent ad animum a corpore, callidissimo artificio natura fabricata est; also Lactantius, de opif. Dei, c. 8; Clemens, Stromata, VII., p. 685, . See also the Cabalistic theory of the seven openings or doors of the head, of which the two sockets of the eyes are the most elevated and distinguished (Jezira, c. 4; comp. Talmud tract, Schabb. p. 152, Colossians 1; Buxtorf, Florileg. p. 320). Those looking out of the windows are said to be darkened with reference to the feebleness of sight in old persons, e. g., Isaac (Gen 27:1), Jacob (Gen 48:10), Eli (1Sa 3:2), Ahia (1Ki 14:4),etc.; comp. also Psa 119:23; Lam 5:17; Deu 34:7.
Ecc 11:4. And the doors shall be shut in the streets. Namely, the mouth[14] whose upper and lower lips are compared to the two sides or folds of a door (); comp. Psa 141:3; Mic 7:5; Job 41:6. literally, on the street, points to the function of the mouth as a means of communication with the outer world, whether by the reception of food or the sending out of words or other sounds. As the latter reference is not so close, and would anticipate the subsequent clause, we are doubtless to think of the mouth as the organ of eating, and the shutting of the doors as an allusion to the feeble appetite of old men, [in this Ewald id correct, in opposition to Knobel, Vaihinger, etc.]. Herzfeld and Hitzig are entirely too artificial: the lips of the toothless mouth cling together; but Hengstenberg also says: the shutting of the doors refers to the difficulty of hearing in old men, a common infirmity with them that would not be wanting here (?!).When the sound of the grinding is low. Zckler translates: the voice of the mill. The mill is the teeth, according to Ecc 11:3; its voiceis not, however, the noise caused by the chewing of foodwhich would be very harsh and unnatural (contrary to Ewald, et al.), but human speech breathed out, as it were, from the wall of the teeth [ ], that voice which in old age usually becomes weaker and lower.And he shall rise up at the voice of the bird. Zckler translates: and it seems like the voice of the sparrow. Ewald and Hitzig are correct [in regard to the impersonal rendering of ] with reference to Isa 29:24, where also a weak voice is compared to the low chirping, if not of the sparrow, at least of some other small birds. It is usually rendered (Sept., Vulg., Luther, Knobel, Vaihinger, etc.: and he rises up at the voice of the birds, i.e., in the early morningwhich might also afford an allusion to the sleeplessness of old men. But it is more than doubtful whether should express this sense of early rising. Instead of we should in that case have expected . And early rising is by no means a general custom of old men, andwhat seems more weighty than all the restthe context requires a reference to the low, whispering speech of old men; see the following clause. For in the sense here given to it, comp. Zep 3:8; 1Sa 22:13.And all the daughters of music shall be brought low, that is, all the songs in which the old man endeavors to join, but which he utters only with a trembling, and scarcely audible voice. The daughters of a thing means in Hebrew style its special or specific announcement or utterance; comp. the Rabbinic as well as the expression Son of fruitfulness, Isa 5:1, etc. Hitzig is correct, and Hengstenberg substantially so, who understands by the daughters of song the qualities required in singing. But Knobel is arbitrary, who, with Herzfeld, sees in the singers only singing birds (according to which the failing here described would be the deafness of the old man); Vaihinger sees an allusion to the organs of singing; and, finally, Umbreit and Elster understand the passage to be about the low flight of birds, and their uneasy fluttering at an approaching thunder storm.
Ecc 11:5. The discourse continues to depend on at the beginning of the third verse, if not grammatically, at least logically.Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high; i.e., of ascending an eminence which would be difficult on account of their sunken chests, and short breath; a remark in sympathy with what precedes concerning the feeble voice of old men. Nearly all modern commentators are correct on this point, as is now Ewald, who formerly translated: when they shall be afraid of the Lofty One, that, is of God, the one supremely lofty.And fears shall be in the way; namely, threaten them, meet them, who are too lame and weak easily too avoid such frights. For the abstract form of the plural , see Ewald, 179, a.And the almond tree shall flourish. Thus we must, without doubt, translate the words , for (Hiphil of ). For this compare Ewald, 15, a.; 141, b. The almond tree bears its blossoms in the midst of winter,[15] and on a naked, leafless stem, and these blossoms (reddish or flesh-colored in the beginning) seem at the time of their fall exactly like white snow-flakes; (Bodenstedt, 1001 Days in the Orient, II., p. 237). In this way the almond blossom is a very fitting symbol of old age with its silvery hair, and its wintry, dry, barren and unfruitful condition. Ewald, Heiligstedt, Vaihinger, and Gurlitt, are correct; the first-named makes an appropriate reference to Philo, de vita Mosis iii. 22.Hengstenbergs view is too far-fetched in finding in the words (according to Jer 1:11) the wakefulness, or sleepless nights of hoary old age; whilst Schrder, Gesenius, Dietrich, et al., consider as intrans. Fut. Hiph. from , and render: And the almond is despised (by the toothless old man who cannot bite it); others undertake emendations, e.g., Gaab, who reads is despised, Hitzig, who points it and thus obtains the scarcely intelligible sense: And the Almond tree refuses, i.e., does not permit the weak old man to obtain its fruit (which is to be understood according to the analogy of the Son 7:9). Still others, finally, force an unusual sense on the word as Hahn, who understands and translates it the waking, referring it to the human mind; the waking one acquires pinions, which is about equivalent to saying: The previously half-wakened spirit is, in the moment of death, released unto clear life and full liberty (against which explanation is the absence elsewhere of any Hiphil denominative from pinionAnd the Grasshopper shall be a burden (Zckler renders burdensome), on account of its singing and chirping, or also on account of its hopping flight and creeping. literally, locust, but here more fittingly translated by grasshopper, because, in rendering, locust, it is most probably the comparative smallness, as in Isa 40:22; Num 13:31, which is mainly considered (as though we should say: And the gnat becomes a burden, or the fly). For (fut. Hithpa of ) to become a burden, comp. Gesenius in the Thesaurus. Kimchi is correct regarding this, and he is followed by Gurlitt, especially among modern authors, and approximately also by Gesenius and Hengstenberg, of whom, however, the former thinks of the burdensomeness of the locust as an article of food, whilst the latter prefers to have locust understood figuratively in the sense of influences hostile to life. The numerous remaining hypotheses are to be decidedly rejected; they are divided into two groups, according as they interpret the locust as a symbol of the old man himself, that is as to the form of his body, or seek to alter the sense of by peculiar explanations. To the former group belong the Septuagint, Vulgate, Syriac, etc., which agree in the signification that the locust becomes fat (swells up), and understand the whole, though in opposition to the true signification of as a biblical representation of the corpulency of old men; and 2. those of Luther, Geier, Vaihinger, etc., who explain locust to mean the crooked or bent skeleton and spinal column of man in old age, and therefore translate: The locust is burdened; and 3. that of Hitzig: And the jumper permits himself to be carried, i.e., the one formerly hopping merrily about can no longer walk: 4. that of Oetinger: the locust becomes a burden to itself, i.e., drags its body about with difficulty; 5. those of Ewald, Heiligstedt, and Hahn, who agree in making locust point to the inner body, or to the mind of man (Ewald): and the locust rises, namely to fly; Heiligstedt: et tollit se ad volandum locusta; Hahn: And the locust unburdens itself, which is equivalent to our expression: And the butterfly bursts its cocoon. Among the second class we may count such illustrations as the Chaldaic, and that of Aben Ezra: when the ankle-bones become thick; that of Bochart, when the bones of the legs become heavy; and of Knobel: and the breathing is a burden (the last two on the basis of a peculiar signification of derived from the Arabic).[16]And desire shall fail, that is, when neither the appetite nor sexual desire can be excited by so strong a stimulant as the caper-berry. As has the meaning of Caper () by the testimony of the oldest translators as well as of the Rabbins (comp. Buxtorf, Lex Rabb. et Talm., p. 12, 2098), and as the use of the berries or buds of the caper-bush undoubtedly stimulate the appetite, and, according to the ancient oriental representation a voluptuous desire (comp. also Plutarch, Sympos., 6; Winer, Real Lexicon, Art. Caper), the correctness of this interpretation is not to be doubted, and Luthers translation: and all desire fails, appears at least consonant with the sense. Varying interpretations: 1) Septuagint, Vulgate, Syriac, Arabic; Rosenmueller, Heiligstedt, Ewald, Vaihinger: and the caper bursts, i. e., the spirit presses forth as a kernel from the husk; 2. Vers. Veneta ( ) Abulwalid, Luther, Hengstenberg, etc.: Since desire fails; 3. Schmidt, Dderlein, etc.: since the turtledove, the messenger of spring is despised; 4. Hahn: Since the poor one (fem, of ) bursts forth, i. e., since the imprisoned soul bursts its prison, its mortal coil, etc. Knobel, Hitzig, and Gurlitt are correct among the modern writers.Because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets. Clearly a parenthesis by which the previous description of the infirmities of age, especially that contained in the last three clauses, is strengthened by pointing to the imminent approach of death for the old man. Man passeth away, () i. e., he is on the point of going; comp. Gen 19:13-14, etc. His long home is the grave, from which there is no more return to earthly life (comp. Job 7:10; Psa 49:12; Isa 14:18, etc.). The same appellation is also found in Tob 3:6; Targ. Jonath. in Jes. 42:11; among the Egyptians (Diodorus Sic., Ecc 1:51). among the Arabians (Koran, Sur. 41:28) and the Romans (domus terna; marmorea domus, Tibull. Carm., III., 2, 22).
[The Eternal House.
Ecc 11:5. . Zcklers interpretation of this striking expression is scanty and misleading. It cannot, any more than Sheol, mean the grave simply. Without insisting upon the fact that the Hebrews had for that a distinct term (), when nothing more was intended (see Bibelwerk Gen. 536), it may be said that the context almost immediately following is at war with such an idea. The expression here, had it stood alone, might have been regarded, perhaps, as a figurative one for extinction of all being. The long home might have been thought to denote the dark house of bodily dissolution and spiritual nothingness; though still it would be a question whether language, thus implying residence, permanence, and something like continuance of self-hood, could ever, even in figure, have arisen from such a nihility of conception. What is said, however, in Ecc 11:7, forbids it altogether. The being of man, though one and inseparable in personality, is there regarded as locally divided: The dust goes down to the earth, the spirit returns unto God who gave it. Now to predicate this residence of the dissolving dust alone does not satisfy the conception. The passage, Job 7:10, to which Zckler refers, has no application, whatever; Isa 14:18 is only a highly figurative representation of the remains of monarchs, lying in state, or in their splendid mausoleums, and the of Job 30:23, the house of meeting, or of the assembly, which he might more properly have cited, has the same meaning as in this place; and every argument against regarding it as the mere place of deposit for the decomposing remains, which are not man in any sense, is as applicable to the one place as to the other. There is equal difficulty in regarding it as any separate mansion of the spirit by itself. Neither can be said to be man, the personality, the self-hood, when separately viewed; and yet it is man himself that has gone to the house of his olam, or rather to his olamic house; since the pronoun in belongs to the whole compound taken as one epithet. God is spoken of as the , the dwelling-place of His people (see Psa 90:1), but that cannot be the sense intended here; neither, on the other hand, can the spirits return to God be regarded as a pantheistic absorption, as Zckler well shows. No theism was ever more clear of such an idea, or more opposed to Buddhism, whether in its ancient eastern, or its modern transcendental form, than that of the old Hebrews. Although in the Old Testament God is represented as (Num 16:22) God of spirits, yet it would seem to go even to the extremes in setting forth His distinct and incommunicable personality, His unapproachable holiness, that is, His separation from all things, and all beings, even the highest whom He has created, or to whom He has given being. As it cannot, therefore, apply separately, either to the soul or the body, the term beth-olam must denote something consistent with such a modified being of both. It is clear, then, that it cannot express locality, nor even duration as such, but a state of being, unknown except as obscurely defined in what follows (Ecc 11:7), though positive as a fact. This state of being is so called in distinction from the present being upon earth. Although the idea of place is thus excluded, yet the word is used as suggested by the previous figure of the decaying mansion. The earthly house, , is dissolved, and now man goes to the , the olamic house, not under the law of space and time, the house not made with hands,whatever it may mean, whether the same as, or less than, Paul intends by the use of similar language. The term beth-olam, however it may have been suggested here, is in striking accordance with the corresponding classical Greek usage of (Homeric, , ) representing the other world, or the other condition of being, as a house, a home, or abode, though unseen and unknown. This was its pure primary sense and usage, denoting state alone, though afterwards the poetry and mythology gave it scenery and locality. here corresponds to Hades in etymological significance, as well as in its manner of usage. It is the hidden, the unmeasured, as that is the unseen. The idea of time, though in general inseparable, from , is not here predominant. It certainly does not denote an absolute, endless eternity. And so another phrase, , as used in Greek (Diodorus, Xenophon, and Plato; see Gen. p. 587) is etymologically the unseen, though coming to be used for eternal, or onian, through the near relation, and frequent blending of the Hadean and the onian, or olamic conceptions.
The view, then, of this phrase which is least liable to objection, or on which we can most safely rely, is that which is content with regarding it as simply the antithesis of this present worldly state of being. There is suggested the same rendering (world) which we have given Ecc 1:11; Ecc 3:11; Ecc 9:7. It is the other world in distinction from this, whether regarded as lying parallel or as succeeding. It is the house in which the dead (who yet have some unknown being) are to abide, while the world lasts (even this world) as we have rendered Ecc 9:7, in the Metrical Version.
Whilst the world lasts, no portion more have they,
In all the works performed beneath the sun.
In the same manner also, in our modern language, do we speak of this world, and the other world. We use the latter term in two ways; 1) as the great world, or olam, which, as a whole, is historically to succeed this as a whole that shall have passed away; or 2) as the world into which each individual goes at death,as though the finishing with this were virtually the entrance into that, although its historical manifestation for all men collectively may yet be far remote. Our mode of speech has not come from the Bible,certainly not from the English Bible,for its general mode of translating vaguely by forever and everlasting, and its avoiding the rendering world, are unfavorable to it. It is a thought born in the modern as in the ancient mind, and existing from the earliest ages. It was accompanied by no knowledge, yet none the less tenaciously held. It was the goal of the Patriarchs pilgrimage idea. They were going to Sheol, to the other world, yet all unknowing as Abraham was, when, at the command of God, he went out from Mesopotamia: , Heb 9:8. So went they out (from this world), confiding in God, hoping for a better country, yet not knowing whither they went, or having the least conception, perhaps, of the mode of being that was to follow.
We are simply told of the fact: man goes to the olam, the beth-olam, to the other world, and there the Old Testament leaves him; and leaves the interpreter to give it as high or as low a sense as his spiritual-mindedness or lack of spiritual-mindedness may lead him to prefer. It speaks of it as a state, but throws no light upon it as a mode of being. It is not wholly a blank, but in almost everything we deem of highest worldly importance, it is set forth as the opposite of the present life. These images, however, of stillness, unknowingness, (not to say unconsciousness), inactivity, want of interest, in a word, lack of vitality, as we would call it, and which would seem to reduce it almost to an embryo existence (see Ecc 9:5, and note p. 129), may be because the impossibility of our conceiving it aright, and the consequent veil of reserve which the old Scripture throws over the whole subject, leaves little else to the picturing imagination than a description of negatives. Any premature development in the other direction might have falsely stimulated the fancy, and led the divinely guarded people of God into many of those wild conceptions which so deform the Heathen mythologies of Hades, or the world of the dead.
In respect to other great ideas, however, as connected with such a state, the Old Testament is by no means silent. In some places it would seem to speak of death as though it were the end of man, as indeed it is of life, like the present. But again, it sets forth duties to God and man that cannot be measured by time, a law for the spirit, so searching, so high and holy as to seem incompatible with a mere finite earthly animal being; it speaks of relations to Deity, of awful accountabilities, that have no meaning, or that greatly collapse in their significance, if there be not for man another olam, another and greater state of being, either in itself, or to which it is preparatory. It never turns aside to explain any such seeming inconsistencies. Sublime in its reserve, in its types and shadows, in its mere hints of a post-mundane human destiny, as in its clearest announcements, this most suggestive Old Scripture goes on its majestic way, fearing no charge of contradiction, taking no pains to make any explicit provision against Sadducean cavils, and leaving the matter wholly to that spiritual discernment which the Saviour manifested (Mat 22:23-33) against those who sought to entangle him with verbal and casuistical difficulties. One great truth of this kind stands prominently out. It is the idea of a judgment, somewhere, and at some time in the great on of ons, the kingdom of God. This is especially the case in Koheleth, and all that is dark in the book is relieved by this one thought so firmly adhered to, so positively stated, so distinct in itself, or as a fact, yet so undefined in time, locality, and circumstance, as to make it extremely difficult for one who should demand attention to these in defending its consistency.T. L.]
The mourners going about the streets, is a vivid description of the preparations for a great funeral, which are often made by his heirs for a mortally sick old man even before his decease. With this explanation, (agreeing substantially with Hitzig) it is not necessary, with Hengstenberg, to consider as relative future, and therefore to translate: The mourners will soon go about. For the mourning customs of the ancient Hebrews consult Amo 5:16; Isa. 15:33; Jer 9:16 ff.; Mat 9:23; Mat 11:17, etc.
Verses 6 and 7, following the description of hoary age, give that of his final end in death, and in such a way that the dissolution of the spiritual-bodily organism is first described in Ecc 11:6 in a variety of figures, and then literally or in accordance with its inner nature. In syntactical relation the two verses run parallel with Ecc 11:2, the construction there begun with before, being taken up again.Or ever the silver cord be loosedi. e., before the thread of life is ruptured. The thread of life is here designated as a silver cord, and not as a tent-cord (which keeps the tent from falling together, see Job 4:21; Isa 38:12), because the author imagines the living one, or rather his living organism, as a golden lamp hanging by a silver cord, as the sequel shows. Both figures, however, point, through the noble metals of which they speak, to human life as a valuable and noble possession; comp. the association of gold and silver in Pro 25:11.Read [17] discessit longe recessit (gives way), not (is unbound), as the Kri has it; nor as it stands in the text, nor [is torn asunder] (Pfannkuche), nor as Hitzig has it. These emendations are rendered unnecessary by the simplicity and perspicuity of the text.Or the golden bowl be broken, is literally equivalent to fountain (comp. Son 4:12 with Jos 15:19 and Jdg 1:15); in Zec 4:3 it signifies a vessel for oil, or an oil lamp, and is so to be considered here. The human body is therefore considered as a vessel in which is contained, as in a lamp, the oil, the blood, which is the supporter of the soul or of life [comp. Lev 17:14]. Like the precious oil of Zec 4:3, which is called golden oil, so is the blood the noble, precious fluid in the human organism; and with reference to it as the condition of life and health, the organism itself is called the golden bowl. Hengstenberg and Hitzig both maintain that this expression of the author here seems to be materially affected and modified by this possage in Zec 4:2 ff.And the pitcher broken at the fountain.The pitcher [] is not identical with the golden bowl, and therefore a figurative designation of the whole body, but only of a special organ of it; of that one, namely, with which we draw air or breath, that is, nourish the body from the fountain of all life that surrounds it. The previous figure is now abandoned, or rather insensibly changed into one nearly allied to it; the burning flame of the golden lamp becomes the invisible inner flame of the process of respiration, whose physical organ is the lungs. Its destruction in death is figuratively described as the breaking () of the pitcher at the fountain, from which it had hitherto daily drawn water,wherein there clearly appears an amplification of the expression as compared with the preceding form; comp. in Isa 42:3.Or the wheel broken at the cistern.Not a new figure, but only a more special illustration of the one just presented. The wheel at the fountain is the cistern wheel by which the bucket is raised or lowered, and cannot have a specific reference to any definite organ of the body, but symbolizes organic life itself in its continuous circle, just as the wheel of birth of Jam 3:6 ( ) based probably on this passage. The cistern () is not materially different from the fountain () and likewise means the air surrounding man and affording the most indispensable of all conditions of life, namely, breath; it does not mean the whole world, as Hengstenberg maintains, or the grave, as some others think. is moreover the same as at the fountain, comp. 1Sa 20:25; 2Sa 2:9 ff. Observe also the passive instead of the earlier active, ; it means that the golden bowl breaks, as it were, of its own accord, as soon as the silver cord that holds it is loosed; but the wheel is broken, is destroyed at the same time with the whole machinery of life, by an act of violence operating from without.[18]In oldercommentators there are many arbitrary physiological and anatomical interpretations of the respective points of the description: Melanchthon sees in the silver cord the nerves and sinews, in the golden fountain the heart, and in the pitcher at the fountain, the great vein over the liver; Praun [Physico- Anatomica Analysis, Cap. XII., Ecclesiastes] thinks the silver cord the lacteal vessel of the breast, and Witsius the golden bowl the brain, whilst Wedel makes it the heart, and Hottinger refers it to the gall. Since Harveys discovery of the circulation of the blood, many have seen this pictured in the golden bowl as in the fountain (Jablonski, Hansen, Michaelis, Starke, Scheuchzer, etc.), and have mingled many strange things with it, e. g.: the pitcher is the liver (Witsius), or the lymph (Wedel), or the stomach (Hottinger), or the chyle (Praun, Scheuchzer); the wheel signifies the kidneys, urinary passages, and bladder (Wedel), or the peristaltic motions of the bowels (Scheuchzer), or the motion of the lungs (Sibel, Jablonski). Look especially at Starke on this passage, and also at the Exegetical monographs quoted on page 27.Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was.Namely, as dust; comp. Gen 3:19; Psa 104:29; Job 34:15, to which passages, especially the first named, Koheleth conforms in expression. For the form comp. Ewald, 343 b.And the spirit shall return unto God who, gave it.[19]Namely, as the life-giving principle in the human organism, comp. Gen 2:7; Psa 104:30; Isa 42:5; Jer 38:16. This passage does not expressly affirm a personal immortality of the human soul, but it also does not deny it; for that the author is thinking of a pantheistic floating of the soul in the universal spirit, and that, separated into individual existence, this particle of the Divine breath poured forth into the world by God will again be drawn to Him, and thus again unite with His breath, the soul of the world (Hitzig)all this, only rationalistic extravagance, can find in this passage. Koheleths earlier testimonies rather show him to have thought of the return of the spirit to God as an entrance into the presence and eternal communion of God, and not as an absorption by God. And the arrival of the departed ones into the dark Scheol separating them from Divine light and life, so depicted in chap. 9, evidently appears to him only a provisional and intermediate condition which will finally be followed by an eternal existence with God after that judgment (Ecc 11:9). Compare Vaihinger: According to this the coming to God seems, in the conception of the Preacher, to be gradual, and the view in Psa 49:6 to have been in his mind, viz.: that the good will be liberated from Scheol, and, after being acquitted in the judgment, will live blessed in God, Psa 17:15, whilst the wicked will be cast back into Scheol after the judgment, and there eternally remain, Psa 49:15;[20] Luk 16:22 ff. Hengstenberg says: It is impossible that at the period of death the hitherto so marked difference between the just and the wicked will be suddenly effaced. The sharp earnestness with which the judgment of this world is every where announced, and especially in this book, decides against this. After all this, after the impressive emphasizing of the retributive justice of God, in which the entire book ends in 11:14, the return of the soul to God can only be that spoken of by the Apostle in 2Co 5:10; Rom 14:10; Heb 9:27. It is noteworthy also that the Avesta, of all the religious documents of the ancient heathen the one which is most nearly allied to the Old Testament revelation, and most in harmony with it, contains an assertion quite similar to the one before us:When the body dies here below, it mingles with the earth, but the soul returns to heaven. (Bundehesch, p. 384.) Something allied to this is found in some of the Greeks, e.g., Phokyllides, , and in Euripides Fragments [but more distinctly in the Drama of the Suppliants, Ecc 535: ( ) .T. L.]
DOCTRINAL AND ETHICAL
(With Homiletical Hints.)
This section properly contains the net result of the religious speculation of the Preacher; and in it the positive ground thoughts of the entire book arrive at their fullest development, and most striking and definite expression. This is externally seen in the style, hitherto at times, languid, of prosaic latitude, and unharmonious, but now rising to the loftiest strains, and clothed with the richest figurative adornments. Chap. 10 had distinguished itself from the preceding by its greater wealth of figures and ingenious expressions; but now, from the very beginning of chap. 11, figure crowds on figure in a still more remarkable degree, until, in the introductory verses of the 12th chapter, or the third, strophe of this section, the figurative ornament of speech rises to a fullness of the most profound, vivid, and surprising comparisons, which here and there almost give the impression of excessive and tumid accumulation. And yet the single figurative expressions need only correct illustrations and fitting insertion into the combination of the whole, in order to stand justified against every suspicion of absence of taste or presence of excess, and to bring out into clearer light the object of the picture, viz., the many tribulations of age, the premonitions of approaching death, and finally the very process of lifes dissolution itself; all this, too, more vividly than is elsewhere in Holy Writ effected, at least in so restricted a space. It shows an imperfect comprehension of this most interesting and original of all the descriptions in the book, that several commentators, especially Umbreit and Elster, mistake the gradual progress of the described symptoms of dissolution from the commencement of senile feebleness till death, and, by means of an allegorical perversion, force on the details concerning old age as the forerunner of death (Ecc 11:3-5), a direct reference to death itself. The usual conception of these verses, according to which they describe the body of man, together with its organs, as they grow old under the figure of a household sinking into decay and dissolution, is precisely that which justifies the praise ever given to the author as the representative of a wisdom endowed with unusual penetration in the sphere of theological and anthropological research. That characterizing of Koheleth originating with Origen, and adopted by Hieronymus, giving to it the signification of a compendium of the physics of Solomon, (just as Proverbs contains the quintessence of his ethics, and the Song, the logic or dialectios of the wise kingcomp. the General Introduction to the Solomonic writings) appears very especially justified by this passage; but this can only be the case when it is understood on the basis of the above developed, and only just comprehension of it as a description of the sad autumn and winter of the corporeal life of this world, and therewith as a foundation for the conception of human nature as a manifoldly significant image of the universe in general.
Beneficent, prosperous, industrious, and cheerful labors in life, afford the strongest security for lasting happiness, and to this fundamental thought of the section, the description in question holds the double relation that, on the one hand, it is to present and confirm the preceding admonition to a cheerful enjoyment of the pleasures of lifes spring and summer, by reference to the contrast between these and the terrors of the autumn and winter of life, whilst, on the other hand, it is to present the basis for the farther admonition to that continual fear of God, which was necessarily to form the crowning termination and final goal of all the practical precepts of the author.Comp. Ewald, p. Ecc 324: The numerous tribulations of old age, and the mournful signs of approaching death, are described in the most striking figures, in order the more pressingly to admonish to a cheerful enjoyment of life at the proper period; but, at the same time, there appears most significantly the other truth by which the former receives its full light and correct limits, namely, that this very joy in life must not be blind and thoughtless, but thoughtful and conscious in remembrance of the eternal judgment over all things;a truth which is indeed to be understood in every stern view of life, and which, therefore, has been only cursorily touched at an earlier period, (Ecc 3:12; Ecc 3:17; Ecc 8:12 ff.), but which is purposely alluded to here, in order to avoid any possible misunderstanding before the final close.In view of the fearful earnestness of this concluding reference to death and eternity, every suspicion of Epicureanism, or of a frivolous, skeptical, and materialistic disposition, as a background for the preceding counsels to enjoy life, must disappear; and this the more so, since that which precedes this admonition to enjoyment of life testifies clearly enough of the deep seriousness and purity of the authors ethical views. For the admonition at the commencement of the 11th chap. (Ecc 11:1-3) which reminds us of that in Psa 112:9, counseling a profuse benevolence, mindful of no loss and of no gain, appears clearly as a true fruit of faith in a holy, just, and paternally loving God, but which could never spring from an Epicurean, skeptical, or fatalistic view of the world. The subsequent admonition to an unwearied fulfilment of our calling, unmindful of the future yet cautious and conscientious (Ecc 11:4-6), proceeds not from a dull, melancholy resignation, or a loathing despair of life, but simply and alone from a childlike yielding to the will of God, and obedient subjection to His counsels as the only wise. Indeed, even in the reference to the sweetness of light, and the loveliness of life under the sun, with which (in Ecc 11:7) he paves the way to that injunction to cheerful enjoyment, there is nothing in any way Epicurean, or that shows a one-sided, earthly, irreligious disposition. There is rather nothing expressed therein but the deep religious feeling of a pure joy in the beauty of the works of God, and an inwardly thankful appreciation of the proofs therein offered of His boundless goodness; a feeling that forms a contrast quite as opposite to all fatalism and gloomy atheistical materialism, as to every kind of moral levity, or thoughtless desire for enjoyment. See Elster, p. Ecc 125: The deep feeling for the beauty and loveliness of life, which Koheleth expresses in this verse, shows us that it was not a bitter discontent based on a dull insensibility of the inward spirit; but his grief lies therein that with this deep feeling for beauty which human existence bears within itself, he painfully encounters, on the one hand, the fact that men are mutually cheating each other out of the real profit of life, whilst, on the other, he perceives that this existence is fleeting and transitory, and that he has foreclosed the hope of a future clearing up of human destiny because the view of a life after death seems to him utterly dark and uncertain (? ?).The period which man is permitted to seize in the present, must now appear to him only so much the more important; and the only sure thing remaining to man must seem to him to be the holding fast of eternity by the highest activity in this particular period. Therefore to verse 8 there is again joined the admonition to pleasure, whose nature and character are clearly enough depicted in what precedes, as free from everything low and common, and rather as depending on the Most High and Eternal One.
Add to all this the fact, that the author marks the youthful vivacity and cheerfulness of life, which he recommends, expressly as a disposition to be tempered and purified by the thought of the retributive justice of God (Ecc 2:9) and that there is ever present as the final aim of every earthly-human development (according to Ecc 2:7), an eternal sojourn of the immortal soul with a holy and just Goda thought which Elster in the passage just quoted is clearly wrong in denying (see the exegetical illustrations to this passage),adding this, and there results from it most conclusively that character of his ethical wisdom which is in conformity with revelation, and indeed directly belonging to revelation. We see especially the divinely inspired and incomparable nature of the religious truths of this section, in which the devout meditation of the author has reached its highest point, and after vanquishing doubt and hostility, combines its positive results into a chain of the purest ethical maxims, and the most profound physicotheological observations.
Homily on the Entire Section: The fear of God is the foundation of all true virtue, and all lasting joys.Or: The fear of the Lord is the beginning and end of all wisdom.Or: Live so in thy youth that old age brings to thee not terrors, but only the desire of relief from the yoke of this earthly life, and the joyful hope of an eternal existence with God.Or: Use the morning of thy life profitably, that its evening may be calm and blissful; sow good seed in the spring-time of thy life, that thou mayest have a good harvest in the autumn.
HOMILETICAL HINTS ON SEPARATE PASSAGES
Ecc 11:1-3. Luther (Ecc 11:1):Be liberal whilst you can; use wealth in doing all the good in your power; for if you live long you shall receive a hundredfold.Cartwright:The universal instability of all things should excite you to munificence, whatever may happen in respect to you or the riches you may possess. Credit it for gain, whatever you may save from the flames and conflagration, as it were, by bestowing it upon the poor.Starke (Ecc 11:2):In giving alms we are not to look too closely at the worthiness of the individuals. God permits His sun to rise on the just and the unjust!Von Gerlach:Collect not thy treasures by gathering in, but rather by giving out, by a denial of self! Psa 112:9; 2Co 9:9.
Ecc 11:4-6. Hieronymus:In season, out of season, the word of God is to be preached; and so without thought of clouds, or fear of winds, even in the midst of tempests, may we sow (the word). We are not to say this time is convenient, another unsuitable, since we know not what is the way of the Spirit that controls all.
Hansen:In the distribution of his good deeds a man should not be too timorous; the left hand should not know what the right hand doeth.Lange (Ecc 11:5):One cannot know how much good God may effect for the perfection of the faith, even among the dissolute poor!Starke (Ecc 11:6):Do not delay thy amendment until an advanced age; begin early to fear God; thou wilt never repent of it. It is, however, better to repent even in age than to continue in ones sins. But he who fears God from youth up, will find his reward so much the more glorious, Rev 2:10.Hengstenberg (Ecc 11:6):Be incessantly active. In seasons of destitution be so much the more active, because just then many things may miscarry. The more doubtful the result, so much the less should we lay our hands in our lap.
Ecc 11:7-8. Melanchthon:Whilst God permits, reverently use His gifts; when He takes away, patiently submit; as Paul says, Let the peace of God dwell in your hearts.Cramer:Because man has a desire for natural light, and shuns darkness, he should, therefore, practice the works of light, and shun those of darkness. It is a piece of ingratitude that we think more of our past evil days than of the good ones. We must thank God for both: Job 2:10.Hengstenberg:However great are the sorrows of this life, however manifold its vanities, and sad its circumstances, it is nevertheless true that life is a good, and it is the office of the word of God to impress this truth when gloomy despondencey has gained the ascendency. Disgust of life is also sinful under the New Testament law. A pious spirit will find out the sunny side in this earthly existence, and rejoice in it with heart-felt gratitude.
Ecc 11:9-10. Luther:When the heart is in a right state no joy will harm, provided only it be true joy, and not merely a corrupting mirth. Enjoy it, then, if there is any thing pleasant for the sight or hearing; provided you sin not against God.Zeyss:If thou wilt be preserved against the sadness of the world, thou must carefully guard thyself against its causes, i.e., the ruling sins and vices, and accustom thy heart to the genuine fear of God, Sir 1:17.Wolle:He who would rejoice in the best bloom of his youth, must become acquainted with the Lord Jesus betimes, the fairest among the children of men, and make his heart a temple of the Holy Spirit, Sir 51:18 ff.Wohlfarth:That your youth may gladly enjoy youth, that the tempter may not destroy its roses and cast it into endless woe, have God before your eyes, ye young men and maidens, and remember the serious words: Every one who forgets Him, He will summon to judgment.
Ecc 12:1-5. Luther:Holy Writ calls consolation and happiness light, and tribulation darkness, or night. For boys, for youth, for manhood, there is joy. After rain comes the beautiful sunshine, i.e., although at times there may be tribulation, yet joy and consolation follow. But age has no joy; the clouds return after the rain; one misfortune follows another.Cramer (Ecc 12:1):Who would be devout must begin betimes; for it is unseemly to offer the dregs of life to God, after having given his blooming youth to the devil.[Matthew Henry (Ecc 12:5):Man goes to his long home. At death he goes from this world and all the employments and enjoyments of it. He has gone home; for here he was a stranger and a pilgrim. He has gone to his rest, to the place where he is to fix. He has gone to the house of his world, so some would render it; for this world is not his. He is gone to his house of eternity (Beth olamo). This should make us willing to die, that at death we go home; and why should we not long to go to our Fathers house? Ecc 12:6. Death will dissolve the frame of nature, and take down the earthly house of this tabernacle. Then shall the silver cord by which the soul and body were wonderfully fastened together be loosed, that sacred knot untied, and those old friends be forced to part. Then shall the golden bowl which held for us the waters of life be broken; then shall the pitcher with which we used to fetch up water, for the constant support of life, and the repair of its decays, be broken, even at the fountain; so that it can fetch up no more; and the wheel, all those organs that serve for the collecting and distributing of nourishment, shall be shattered, and disabled to do their office any more. The body has become like a watch when the spring has broken; the motion of all the wheels is stopped; they all stand still; the machine is taken to pieces; the heart beats no more, nor does the blood circulate.
Ecc 12:7 :So death resolves us into our first principles. Man is a ray of heaven united to a clod of earth; at death these are separated, and each goes to the place whence it came.T. L.]
Ecc 12:6-7. Luther:It is not defined where the spirit goes, but only that it returns to God from whom it came. For as we are ignorant of the source whence God made the spirit, so also we know not whither (or to what) it returns. Comp. Hengstenberg: The view that the individual soul returns to God, is supported by the fact that it had its origin immediately from God. According to this passage, creationism must be true, although it is a truth which, for certain significant reasons that favor traducianism, can only be regarded as a partial, or one-sided one. It is important that the two apparently opposing views should be reconciled by something common to both.
Zckler:Not a few older theologians have endeavored to interpret this passage (Ecc 12:7) in the interest of a one-sided creationism; e g., Hieronymus, who says: They are to be contemned who hold that souls are sown with bodies, and are born, not from God, but from the bodies of the parents. But since the flesh returns to earth, and the spirit to God who gave it, it is clear that God not man, is the parent of souls. To this the traducianist replies: Koheleth treats, in this verse, solely of the creation of the first man (or the first humanity)* and of his relation to God (and so, at least by intimation, Luther on this passage, and Cartwright in Hengstenberg, p. 258); but they are not able thereby to remove the partial creationistic sense of the passage. Compare Hengstenberg and Vaihinger.
Wolle:Unblessed is the old age and death of those who grow old in the service of sin. On the contrary, a conscience kept pure from youth up, lightens and sweetens both the toils of age and the bitterness of death, Job 27:6.Berleb. Bible:Souls come from eternity into the world as to a stage. There they manifest their persons (their masks) their affections, and their passions, whatever is in them of good or bad. When they have, as it were, sufficiently performed their parts, they again disappear, and lay off the persons that they have represented, and stand, naked as they are, before the divine tribunal. Universal as is the decree that all men are to return to God, there is, nevertheless, a great difference in them. The most return to him as to their offended Lord; but some as to the All-merciful, their friend and father. Because then this coming to God is certain and unavoidable, it should be our most necessary care that we are every moment concerned as to how we may come to Him rightly.Vaihinger:The divine judgment of the life and conduct of men, as mentioned in Ecc 11:9, is only rendered possible by the personal return of the spirit to God. Therefore in youth must we think of our Creator, and live in His fear (Ecc 3:14; Ecc 5:7); for the spirit does not become dust with the body; it returns not to the universal force of nature, but because it is from God it returns to God, to be judged by Him, e g., either to be blessed or condemned.
*[There is a sense in which creationism may be held in respect to the animal, and even the vegetable life. It is not irrational, it is not unscriptural, to suppose that in every true genesis there is a going on of the old unspent creative power, or word, acting in a plane above the ordinary mechanical and chemical laws which God has given to nature. In a still higher sense may this be held of the human generation,of the individual as well as of the first generic man (see Psa 139:13-16; Jer 1:4). And yet such a view is consistent with a doctrine of traducianism that connects every man with the first man, not by an arbitrary forensic decree, or appointment from without, but by a vital union, a psychological continuance of the same being, however great the mystery it may involve. There is a school of theologians who say that in some way, by Gods appointment, we are so connected with Adam that we sin in consequence of his sin, and suffer in consequence of his sin, though each succeeding human soul is born separate and pure. There is another school that brands this with heresy, or treats it as evasive, and claims for itself a higher orthodoxy on account of the use of the words federal headship, imputation, etc., whilst they equally affirm that Adams posterity are not morally guilty in respect to the first sin. It is a representative, a forensic guilt, though involving the most tremendous consequences. Any essential difference between these is not easily discerned. Both make it a matter of outward and arbitrary institution, as long as there is denied any such psychological and ontological connection between us and the first man as grounds this federal headship and imputation, as well as this certain consequence as a fact, on a remoter and deeper union. The first class of terms are very precious ones, and sustained by the figures and analogies of Scripture, but their meaning collapses, or becomes arbitrary, when we put nothing beyond them as a fact, however inexplicable that fact may be. Holding to such deeper union, we become, indeed, involved in a metaphysical mystery, but we get free from the moral mystery, which is a much more important thing.T. L.]
Footnotes:
[1][The heathen sentiment of Phocyllides is as nearly the direct opposite of Solomons as language could express, although it contains the same phrase here: . Do no favor to a bad man; you might as well sow in the sea.T.L.]
[2]See the text note.
[3][This is an unwarranted limitation. It refers evidently to Gods dealing in nature, present and past, as well as future; and especially to the mystery of generation.T. L.]
[4] [Ecc 11:8. . To take this as an exhortation: Let him rejoice, etc., would not seem very congruous to what follows: let him remember the days of darkness, which is certainly not a joyful thought. Our English translators have inserted the conjunction: and in them all rejoice, which gives the spirit of the passage, although there is no in the Hebrew. The better way is to regard the particles and as affecting both the futures, the second as well as the first, whilst the third, introduced by the conjunction, is the one exhortation of the sentence, to which the others are preparatory: For if a man shall live many years, if he shall rejoice in them all, or as it is elliptically, yet most literally, expressed in the Metrical Version
Yet if a man live many years, in all of them rejoice,
The days of darkness let him not forget.
Or it may be the imperative style with the conditional aspect: let him live, let him rejoice, (that is, though he live, though he rejoice) yet let him remember, etc. In such a rendering there is no discord in the thought.T. L.]
[5][Ecc 11:9. , a rising upon the word childhood, as is seen by the parallelism. It is the period of commencing manhood. Its etymological sense would be the choice period of life, from primary sense, that of exploring, proving (the keen eye), hence choosing, selecting that which is most precious. From this the idea of excellence, superiority. In the noun , it is taken collectively for the youth, the choice young men, as in Isa 40:29, where, in the parallelism it is a rising on , the youths shall be weary, even the young men shall utterly fall. Here it is an abstract noun in the fem, plural, to denote intensity. We have the masculine plural in the same way, Num 11:28. It is of the same form, in the masculine, with an intensive form to denote extreme feebleness of age. This is the direct opposite.T. L.]
[6][How is it certain, unless it be that the hard necessities of this exegesis demand such an assertion? The two expressions are precisely alike, both in their letter and their spirit. There is nothing said, Num 15:39, about amorous looks, since the word applies to any evil desire, any going away after the eye (see Psa 73:27), and is often used of idolatry. The term , which is so much used of female beauty, suggests the idea here, more than any thing in the other passage. Everywhere else this kind of language, following the heart, the desires of the heart, going after the eye, the sense (compare Job 31:7), is used in malam partem, and to give it just the contrary sense here, as something well pleasing to God, is to abandon every safe guide in interpretation. See the remarks on the solemn and sorrowful irony of this passage, in connection with Ecc 9:7-9 : Note on the Alleged Epicureanism of Koheleth; p. 132.T. L.]
[7][Still more striking allusions to such a judgment may be found Psa 1:5; Job 21:30, the , the , the dies ir (irarum) to which the wicked are reserved; as also to Psa 49:15, the morning () in which the just shall triumph.T. L.]
[8][Ecc 11:2. Whilst the sun or the light. This is not a tautology; nor does it mean the light as an element. That would be too abstract for such a writing as this. Aben Ezra gives a good interpretation in referring it to the morning light that precedes the sun rising. This is essentially the same with the light of the sun, but is phenomenally and poetically different.T.L.]
[9][Ecc 11:2. And the clouds return after the rain. There is no need of regarding this as denoting the winter season. It represents the subjective state of the old man. In youth the sunshine is predominant. The cloudy days are little remembered. The sun is ever coming out, or as it is expressed in the beautiful language of 2Sa 23:4, it is ever , clear shining after rain. In old age, especially the old age of the sensualist, who has no spiritual sun to cheer him, it is just the reverse. The clouds seem ever coming back. It is all dark, or the intervals of sunshine seem brief and evanescent.T. L.]
[10][Ecc 11:3. , The keepers of the house. Hitzig recognizes the comparison, throughout, of the human body to a house, but he trifles when he says, that this is suggested by the mention of the rain in Ecc 11:2, and that the figure is used because a house is made of loam and white bricks that are dissolved and worn away by the showers. Every thing goes to show that there is had in view, rather, the decay of some lordly mansion, the richly furnished house of some Dives, who had fared sumptuously every day, or of a castle with its apparatus of war and luxury, as we have said p. 153.T. L.]
[11] [Ecc 11:4. When the sound of the grinding is low. In Ecc 11:3 the , or female servants who grind the meal in the rich mansion, undoubtedly represent the teeth; that is, the term is directly metaphorical. Here, on the other hand, , the grinding, or the mill, is not so much metaphorical as illustrative. It is to be taken, therefore, in its primary sense as a fact showing the old mans dullness of hearing. The most familiar and household sounds, such as that of the grinding mill, are faintly distinguished. The making it represent the mouth masticating, as a mill grinding, has given rise to a great many disagreeable and very unpoetical images, marring, as Stuart admits, the otherwise admirable propriety, or keeping, of the picture. The mill, it is said, is the old mans collapsed mouth; the low sound of the grinding is the mumbling noise made by his feeble chewing, the sinking daughters of song are his feeble piping. Commentators seem to have vied with each other here in the exercise of their ingenuity. Some of these most unpoetical critics have referred the low grinding sound to the rumbling noises in the belly and stomach arising from poor digestion (see their names in Geier, also the commentators cited in Poles Synopsis). Stuart say truly: none of these interpretations (whether referring to the chewing or the piping or the digestion) are very inviting, and yet he is not prepared to give any other. He says well that eating seems to be dispatched in the 3d verse, and there is an incongruity in supposing it to be again introduced here. The incongruity is all the greater from bringing this lowest part of the human economy (even if it had not already had place enough) between the two noblest senses; for what follows ( ), undoubtedly refers to the hearing; or else (which would indeed be most strange) there is no notice taken at all of this most important function. We would not hesitate, therefore, to refer this clause also to that sense. There is, too, a wonderful pictorial propriety in it, when we consider the important part which this grinding, and its constant sound, must have borne in an ancient wealthy mansion. From the want of outside mills, this domestic occupation was in continual demand for the daily provisioning; and, in a large house, or castle, it must have employed a great many servants. It was generally done by women, and to this our Saviour refers, Mat 24:41, Luk 17:35 : Two women shall be grinding together. They must have been constantly at work to supply the demand for bread at every meal. Day and night the sound of the grinding was heard, like that which proceeded from the tired and drowsy female slaves in the house of Ulysses; as described in the Odyssey XX., Ecc 109:
, ,
, ,
, , .
The rest had lain them down to sleep, their weary task was done;
One still kept on the ceaseless toil, the weakest of them all; When suddenly she stopped the mill, and spake aloud the sign.
The account is very touching. It is very late at night, and near the dawn. These poor wearied creatures, who had been grinding all day for the rapacious suitors, finish their long tasks, one after another, and lie down, overcome by fatigue and drowsiness, until one alone is left in her late hour of toil. In answer to the prayer of Ulysses, Zeus had given the signal thunder in the early cloudless sky. Startled at the sound she stops the mill, and hails it as a signal of deliverance, whilst Ulysses recognizes her words as an auspicious omen.
There was hardly any part of the day or night when this work was not going on with its ceaseless noise. It was, indeed, a, sign, then, that the senses were failing in their office (), when this familiar, yet very peculiar, sound of the grinding had ceased to arrest the attention, or had become low and obscure.
When the hum of the mill is faintly heard,
And the daughters of song are still.
It is from this, too, that the words , which have been so much misunderstood, get their clearest exposition. has for its subject, not the old man, but the sound of the grinding, the last grammatical antecedent, and it presents a contrast, as Hitzig says, with preceding, as well as with following. Though it rise to the sparrows noteattain unto, as , with following, is used Zep 3:8, 1Sa 22:13, Mic 2:8, referring not so much to loudness, or volume of sound, as to that sharp, shrill noise which was ever ringing in the ears of others. Its real sound, shrill as the sparrows voice, is put in contrast with the dull droning sound that reaches the old mans ears. What follows would seem to put this interpretation beyond doubt. The term daughter () is used in Hebrew, not as Zckler takes it, but to intensify, to give the very best of a thing. , daughters of song, then, does not necessarily mean singers, though it may have that sense, but may be understood of the loudest, songs, or the loudest voices in the song. They are faintly heard; they sink down. The sound they make to the old man is exactly represented by the same word, Isa 29:4, where we have also used as it is here: And thou shalt speak low out of the ground ( ) and thy speech shall sound low ( shall sink down) out of the dust, and thy voice shall be as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and shall whisper out of the dust. See Metrical Version.T. L.]
[12][Ecc 11:3. , The grinders fail. It is rendered cease in our E. V. Zckler, feiern, to rest, keep holiday. Gesenius, the same, feriati sunt. it is one of the words of this book reckoned to the later Hebrew. It is common, however, to all Shemitic tongues, and there is no reason why it should be regarded as either unhebraic, or as late in the Hebrew. Those who argue from its rare, or single, occurrence, should show that there is any other place in the scanty Hebrew writings we have, where it would have been more suited to the idea than the word or words used. The rendering of Zckler and Gesenius would make it synonymous with , but this is not its sense in the Arabic and Syriac, and an examination of passages would show how unsuitable it would have been as a substitute for , to cease, rest, keep holiday, in any of the many places where the latter occurs. Its true sense is to fail, or rather, to be worn out, to become useless. It may, therefore, be regarded as an old Hebrew word, but as used in this place only, because it is the only one in which its peculiar sense was required.T. L.]
[13] [Ecc 11:3. And they who look out of the windows be darkened ( ). All agree that this means the eyes in respect to the body; but what does it stand for in the figure, or parallel representation of the mansion? To this Zckler does not advert except in what he says about the mistresses, which is very inadequate and unpicturesque. His remarks, too, about the eyelids, and the threads of a net, with his reference to Pro 6:25, are fanciful prettinesses, which seem out of place in so serious yet so animated a description. The question is, what places and persons are meant? There is something here instructive of the character of the house that is pictured. As it had its strong men, its , so these are the castle-watchers who look out from the turrets, or rather, at or by the turrets ( instead of ). If we are to be governed by the gender of , we should think of women employed for that purpose, which would suit well enough,the strong men being otherwise employed but the gender may have been controlled by the thought of the thing represented, the eyes, which in Hebrew, are feminine. The word, , does not mean the ordinary windows of a house (), but some opening high up, in the roof, or in a turret. This is shown from all its uses, as in Gen 7:11; Gen 8:12, 2Ki 7:19, Isa 24:15, Mal 3:10, in all of which places it is rendered the windows of heaven (supposed openings in the sky) Hos 13:3, where it means chimneys, and Isa 9:8, where it is used diminutively for the openings in the dove houses. Here, therefore it must mean turret windows or openings, where the watchers are stationed, and this is in harmony with the usual sense of the verb , to lie. in wait, to watch. There is a striking pictorial propriety in this which has led to similar representations by other ancient writers. Thus the sight (says Plato in the Timus, 90 A), as the noblest of the senses, is placed in the highest part . So Cicero De Nat. Deorum, II., 140, Sensus autem, interpretes ac nuntii rerum, in capite, tanquam in arce, collocati sunt: The senses, as interpreters and messengers of things without, are placed in the head as in a watch tower. And this, he says, is especially true of the eyes as watchers: nam oculi, tanquam speculatores, altissimum locum obtinent, ex quo plurima conspicientes fungantur suo munere. Compare also Xenophon Memorabilia Lib. I., Ecc 4:11, where we have the same idea as in the well-known passage from Ovid Met. I., Ecc 85:
Os homini sublime dedit, clumque tueri,
Jussit, et erectos ad sidera tollere vultus.T. L.]
[14][Ecc 11:4. And the doors shall be shut in the streets; or rather, the doors to the street (the street doors) are shut (becoming shut, closing; see Metrical Version). The reference of this to the mouth, which began with Jerome, has been the occasion of much false interpretation, both here and in what follows. The dual number is just as applicable to the eyes and ears as to the lips. It agrees, therefore, far better with the whole context, to take it as Hengstenberg does, of the ears closing to sounds, or rather, of all the senses, as the avenues to the outer world. To say that this is too remote or abstract a sense for Koheleth, is to overlook the whole scope of this most thoughtful representation, and to fail in appreciating the spirit of its grand poetry. The old sensualist, he who had lived so much abroad, and so little at home, is shut in at last. Again, the language is inconsistent with the other and more limited view. With no propriety could the mouth be called the street door, through which the master of the house goes abroad: especially when regarded, as this interpretation mainly regards the mouth, in its eating or masticating function. It is rather the door to the interior, the cellar door, that leads down to the stored or consumed provision, the stomach, or belly. The word whether we render it in the street, or to the street, would be altogether out of place in such a narrow view, and more especially since has such a wide meaning (platea, wide place, foras, abroad), comp. Ecc 5:5, Pro 7:5, Cantic. Ecc 3:2. T. L.]
[15] [Ecc 11:5. , Zckler well defends here the old interpretation. The other mode of exegesis gives a poor and mean image, marring the poetry, and exceedingly farfetched as a supposed trait of old age; whereas the comparison of the hoary head to a flowering tree is very striking, as well as natural. The old mans mouth, and eating powers had been treated of before (ad nauseam, we might say, if, with some critics, we allow a second reference to it in Ecc 11:4, as well as in Ecc 11:3), whilst it would indeed be a wonder if so marked a characteristic as the gray head had been wholly omitted. By changing the punctuation to these critics would render it the almond disgusts; it is too hard a nut for the the old mans teeth to crack; or the almond disgusts, because it is sour grapes to the old man; it grows so high he cannot get at it. For other incongruous imagery, see Hitzig and Stuart. In regard to the orthography, whilst for (see Num 23:22, Psa 39:6, Psa 22:22) presents a parallel to or for , the other view of for is wholly unexampled. The objection from the color of the almond blossoms is well answered by Zckler. These difficulties settled, what can be more striking than the metaphor! A good parallel to it is found in Sophocles Electra 42, where it is said of the Tutor,
, , :
Theyll know thee not,
Through age and time thus blossomed;
Nor even have suspicion who thou art.
Some would explain this of the flowers and garlands he is supposed to wear as a messenger: but the critical reader must see that this would be altogether out of keeping with the circumstances, as there detailed, and especially with the sad message he was supposed to bear. The other objection, made by Bothe, that it would be a tautology with (age), is very trifling. It is the very nature of poetry thus to intensify, and often by what would be tautology in prose. Wunder gives an explanation from Fr. Jacobsius, which refutes completely his own criticism, and that of Bothe. He cites examples that put the meaning of Sophocles beyond a doubt; as from Cyril c. Julian VI., p. 157, ; and another, where the same figure is applied to the beard, De Chryse senc Christodor. Ecphr. Ecc 90:
.
Modern poetry has the same metaphor.T. L.]
[16][Most of these hypotheses seem absurd, and all of them inconsistent with the simplicity and directness of the whole picture. After all, none of them seem so obvious as that which is given by some Jewish commentators, and suggests itself directly from our common English Version: namely, that it is a hyperbolical expression of feebleness. He cannot bear the least weight.T. L.]
[17][The Ktib, or text as it stands in Niphal, , is better, since it has something of a passive or rather deponent sense: is partedparts, intransitively, or parts itself,elongabitur. It is the idea of giving way from stretching, or attenuation. The other various readings and renderings, as Zckler says, are useless.T. L.]
[18] [Zcklers general comment here is judicious and safe. Attempts to be more particular are apt to mislead into fanciful error. And yet there remains the impression from the whole, and especially from the evident particularity in the first four verses, that certain parts or functions of the body are directly intended by the golden bowl, the bucket at the spring, and the wheel at the cistern. The ancients had more knowledge of the human anatomy than we give them credit for. The Egyptians must have learned much from their continual processes of embalming. It would appear also from Homers minute and varied descriptions of wounds, and especially in passages from Aristotle and Plato that show even a scientific knowledge of the human system. There is, for example, a passage of some length in the Timus, extending from 70 B to 76 E, containing quite a full description of the more vital internal parts and their uses, with some things much resembling what we find her. In the assigning, too, of different spiritual powers and affections to different parts of the body, as though it were a kind of civil corporation, the author of the Timus reminds us of John Bunyan and his town of Mansoul. Solomon s golden bowl, too, is suggested, when we read in the Timus how the the divine seed of life was moulded into a round shape, and made the , or brain: and there are other things about the fluids and their , or circulations, that call up what is here said about the wheel and the fountain. Neither is there to be ridiculed and wholly rejected the idea which some have entertained that Solomon referred to the circulation of the blood. We need not suppose that he had anticipated Harveys great discovery; but the general idea that the human system had its period [or, to use Aristotles language before quoted, p. 46, that every organism was in the nature of a cycle, something going round and returning into itself] was a very early one. It came not so much from scientific or inductive observation, as from a sort of a priori thinking: so it must be; to constitute a living, or even an organic thing, there must be some such going round and round, to keep it from running out or perishing. It was this mode of thinking that showed itself in language, as in the Rabbinic and the , the wheel of generation of Jam 3:6, to which. Zckler refers.
As a lesson, however, to those who are inclined to be extravagant here, nothing can be more judicious than the remarks of Maimonides in the Preface to his More Nevochim, where he tells those who would demand a minute explanation of every part of a mashal or parable such, for example, as Pro 7:6-23that they will either miss the general thought, or get wearied in seeking particular illustrations of things that cannot be explained, and thus utterly fail in their vain attempt to get from the writer what perhaps never came into his mind.
On the whole, therefore, we cannot expect to get a much better interpretation of this passage than that early one given by Jerome: Funiculus autem argenti candidam hanc vitam, et spiramen quod nobis de clo tribuilur, ostendit; Phiala quoque aurea animam significat, qu illuc recurrit unde descenderat, etc.: The silver cord denotes the pure life and respiration [inspiration] which was given to us from heaven; the golden bowl also means the soul which returns whence it had descended; the breaking of the bucket at the fountain, and the shattering of the wheel at the cistern, are enigmatical metaphors of death; for as when the bucket which is worn out ceases to draw, and the wheel by which the waters are raised is broken, the flow of the water is in tercepted,so also when the silver cord (of life) has parted, the stream of vitality returns back to its fountain, and the man dies.
There must, however, be kept in mind the general parallel with the rich mansion of the voluptuary; and in this aspect the golden bowl is undoubtedly the lamp depending from the ceiling by the silver cord, as is described in the neid I. 726.
Dependent lychni laquearibus aureis
Incensi, et noctem flammis funalia vincunt;
and which finally wears out and gives way. So the fountain and the cistern are the costly and curious water-machinery which such a mansion required for domestic drinking, and for irrigation. All is pictured as now in ruin, or going to ruin, like the curious circulating machinery of the human body with which it is compared. In regard to the reading of the text, we cannot do better than to retain the Ktib and, pointed as it is, in the Niphal. From the sense of distance comes easily that of elongation (elongabitur), and thence of giving way, or parting. The words and although they differ etymologically, are probably chosen only for the sake of variety.T. L.]
[19][Compare Ecc 3:21, and the marginal note, page 71, on the expression, who knows the spirit of man that goeth up, etc.T. L.]
[20][See the remarks on this passage Psa 49:15and the , the morning, or dies retributionis, in the Introd to Genesis 1, Bibelwerk, Genesis, page 142, and marginal note.T. L.]
Fuente: A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures, Critical, Doctrinal, and Homiletical by Lange

DISCOURSE: 844
LIBERALITY ENCOURAGED
Ecc 11:1. Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.
WHILST, in the purity of its precepts, the inspired volume exceeds all other books upon the face of the earth, it excels all other compositions in the variety and richness of the images under which it exhibits our duty and urges the performance of it. The image under which liberality is here inculcated is well understood in countries where the heat of the climate, uniting with periodical inundations, enables the husbandman to proceed in a mode of agriculture unknown to us in the colder regions of the globe. In Egypt, for instance, where the Nile overflows the country periodically to a vast extent, it is common for men to cast their seed, their rice especially, upon the waters, whilst yet they are at a considerable depth. This might seem to be folly in the extreme: but experience proves, that, instead of losing their seed, they find it again, after many days, rising into an abundant crop. Such shall be the return which we also shall find to our efforts, if we exert ourselves,
I.
For the relief of mens bodily wants
Liberality to the poor is strongly insisted on in the Holy Scriptures. It is inculcated,
1.
In a way of precept
[Exceedingly clear and strong were the injunctions which God gave on this subject to his people of old [Note: See Deu 15:7-11 and cite the whole.] So, under the New Testament dispensation, we are enjoined to labour with our own hands; and to lay by us weekly, in proportion as God has prospered us, for the purpose of relieving others [Note: Eph 4:28. 1Co 16:2.] Nay, so obvious is this duty, that the man who lives not in the practice of it must be an utter stranger to the love of God in his soul [Note: 1Jn 3:17.]: for if he love not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen [Note: 1Jn 4:20.]?]
2.
In a way of example
[The good Samaritan shews us how we ought to exercise generosity, even towards those who, by reason of particular differences and distinctions, may appear to be most remote from us [Note: Luk 10:33-37.]. The widow, in giving her mite, which was all that she possessed, might be thought to have acted a very wild and extravagant part, especially when she gave it for a purpose to which it could bear no proportion, namely, the repairing of the temple: yet is that commended to us, by our Lord himself, as an example highly to be admired, and universally to be followed [Note: Mar 12:42-43.]. As for the Macedonians, who were proposed as an example to the Corinthians, their generosity exceeded all belief: for when in great affliction, and in a state of deep poverty, they abounded unto the riches of liberality, and of their own selves, without any solicitation on the part of the Apostle, besought him with much entreaty to take upon him the distribution of their alms [Note: 2Co 8:1-4.]. Nothing can give us a higher idea of the excellence of charity than this.]
3.
In a way of encouragement
[God assures us, that whatever we give to the poor, we lend unto the Lord; and that he will, in one way or another, repay us again [Note: Pro 19:17.]. He will repay us, even in a way of temporal prosperity: for the giving of the first-fruits of all our increase to the poor is the way, not to empty our barns, but to fill them with plenty, and to make our presses burst out with new wine [Note: Pro 3:9-10.]. Still more will he repay us in a way of spiritual prosperity; since, if we draw out our soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul, he will satisfy our souls in drought, and make fat our bones, and make us like a watered garden, or like a spring of water, whose waters fail not [Note: Isa 58:10-11.]. Even with eternal rewards will he repay us, recompensing, at the resurrection of the just, the smallest services we have rendered his people [Note: Luk 14:14.], and not suffering even a cup of cold water to be left without its appropriate reward [Note: Mat 10:42.].
I say then, with assured confidence in reference to this matter, Cast your seed upon the waters; and you shall find it after many days.]
But we may understand our text as encouraging our exertions also,
II.
For the advancement of mens mental improvement
To this the same image is applied by the prophet Isaiah; who gives us this additional information, that persons, previous to their casting of their seed upon the waters, send forth their oxen and their asses to tread the ground with their feet, in order the better to prepare the earth for its reception: Blessed are ye who sow beside all waters, that send forth thither the feet of the ox and the ass [Note: Isa 32:20.]. Now this refers to the publication of the Gospel in every place, however untoward the circumstances, or hopeless the appearance. And we can bear witness to the truth of the prophets observation: for in many places, and on many hearts, where there has been as little prospect of success as could well be conceived, God has given efficacy to the word of his grace; and the handful of corn sown upon the top of the mountains has sprung up, so that the fruit thereof has shaken like the woods of Lebanon; and those of the city where it has been cast have flourished like the piles of grass upon the earth [Note: Psa 72:16. If this be a subject for Missions, this idea must be enlarged, and all that follows it be omitted.].
To Infant Schools, for the promotion of which I now more immediately address you, the text is peculiarly applicable; since nothing can be supposed more hopeless than any attempt to benefit the rising generation, from the ages of two to five or six. But I must say, that, if you cast your seed upon these waters, you shall find it again, in very abundant benefits conferred on all the poorer classes of society
[What a relief is it to the mother to have her infants duly attended to through the day; whilst she, instead of having her hands tied by the care of them, is enabled to earn bread for their support! What a benefit, too, is it to her elder daughter; who would otherwise have her time occupied in attending upon her younger brothers and sisters, and be thereby deprived of education for herself, whilst she was discharging that important office! This is of immense importance, because it secures to all the children of the poor the same advantages; the elder and the younger being alike partakers of the benefits thus freely accorded to them.
But to the children themselves the benefits are incalculably great. We cannot but have seen, times without number, what depraved habits are contracted by the children of the poor when playing about the streets or lanes of a town without control. At home, for the most part, they see nothing but evil; and abroad, they practise it in every way with sad proficiency, lying, swearing, quarrelling, the very pests of the neighbourhood wherein they dwell. As for any thing good, they learn it not; having no good principles instilled into them, and no good examples set before them. But by being brought into a school at the early age of two or three years, they are kept from all those temptations to which they would otherwise be exposed; and have their conduct watched over, their tempers corrected, their habits restrained, their principles improved, their whole deportment brought into subjection to good instruction and to well-ordered authority. They are insensibly taught, by the example of others, what could not have been infused into them by mere abstract precept; and they acquire, by imitation, habits of order and docility, which they could not by any other method have obtained. Now, then, who shall estimate the value of this to the children themselves? or who shall say, What benefit shall, in a course of years, arise to the whole community from such institutions as these, if they be generally established and well supported? I have not spoken respecting religious advantages accruing to the children, because it may be supposed that they are not at that early age capable of religious instruction. But is it nothing, to prevent the soil being overrun with briars and thorns, and to have it improved by the infusion of moral principles? In fact, a childs religion consists chiefly in the fear of God, and in an habitual regard to his all-seeing eye: and this is implanted in their minds to vast advantage, by the entire system of discipline to which they are subjected, as well as by the distinct instructions which are given them. And though it is but too probable that they may afterwards lose the impressions which are then made upon their minds, yet they can never forget the general idea, that it was well with them when they were so disciplined and so instructed. Nor is the influence which they may carry home into their domestic circles, a trifling matter: for when their parents hear them giving an account of the lessons they have learnedlessons of meekness and patience, of truth and honesty, of purity and lovethey may themselves be put to shame, and acquire very important hints for their own improvement.]
I beg leave, then, to recommend to your support this important institution
I would recommend it,
[First, for the sake of the rising generation, on whom it will confer so great a benefit Next, for the sake of those who have set on foot this benevolent plan. None but persons of very enlarged minds could ever have devised such means of benefiting the poor. To instruct such infants would, to any common understanding, have appeared as hopeless a task as that of casting bread upon the waters. Yet experience has proved its vast utility; and shewn, that if such institutions were to prevail in every town, a most extensive benefit would be conferred on the whole community. Shall, then, persons capable of adorning and instructing the highest ranks in society not meet with support, when they employ their talents in contriving means for benefiting the poor? Surely every person ought to bear testimony to the worth and excellence of such designs; and to give them, the beat tribute of applause, their active concurrence, and their most liberal support.
Lastly, for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ himself, I would urge upon you the support of this beneficent institution: for he counted not little children beneath his notice; but took them up in his arms, and put his hands upon them and blessed them, and declared that every attention that was paid to such infants would be regarded by him as paid to himself [Note: Mat 18:2; Mat 18:5.]. If, then, you have any love to the Saviour, who himself assumed a state of infancy for youyea, and died upon the cross for youshew it by your liberality on this occasion. Let all endeavour to cultivate the ground. Let him that hath an ox, send forth his ox; and let him that hath an ass, send forth his ass. Let every one, according to his ability, contribute to help forward this good work, without intermission and without despondency. To every one amongst you I would say, In the morning sow thy seed; in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good [Note: ver. 6.]]

Fuente: Charles Simeon’s Horae Homileticae (Old and New Testaments)

CONTENTS
The Preacher, now drawing, nigh to the close of his sermon; is here laying down certain rules for the regulation of the conduct, which under grace, may tend to lessen human vanity, and soften the evils of life.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days. (2) Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.
The opening of this Chapter, in the precept given, seems to be figurative. Casting bread upon the waters, is perhaps intended to imply an act of grace, or of charity, given in a way, as our Lord hath marked, so secret that the left hand knoweth not what the right hand doeth: Mat 6:3 . Like seed sown in the field, it lays hid for awhile. Its product is in future, not now. Preachers of the gospel of Christ, may find great beauty, as well as great encouragement, in these precepts blended with promises. How often, indeed, after many days and years do they find the fruit of their labours. Precious Jesus! how blessed is it to have an eye to thee in all things – to make thy glory our sole aim – and thy salvation of sinners the one design of all our poor services!
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

Sowing and Reaping
Ecc 11:1

By general consent the primary reference of the text is to the Egyptian custom of scattering seed upon the oozy soil formed by the overflowing of the Nile. To the thoughtful mind there is a remarkable resemblance between the laws of the physical and the moral harvest:
I. The Natural Harvest. The golden grain once more gathered in reveals:
a. The power of God. Think of the vast machinery that He employs to produce our daily bread.
b. The wisdom of God. The electric telegraph, the steam engine, and all the other wonderful inventions of men are clumsy when compared with the skill of God in rearing a stalk of corn.
c. The goodness of God. Every autumn the race is within a month of starvation. But though so near the end of our food supplies we have never passed or even reached the verge of universal famine. Seed time and harvest have never failed.
II. The Spiritual Harvest. We will look at the same three aspects of the Lord’s work in the moral world:
a. The power of God. Never doubt who grasps the sceptre. ‘The Lord reigneth.’ Neither let us fret or despair because we think the kingdom of God is spreading slowly.
b. The wisdom of God has its supreme manifestation in the plan of salvation. Christ is the only founder of a religious system who does not speak with a provincial accent, because he is a teacher sent from God. In Christ are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
c. The goodness of God. He delighteth not in the death of the wicked. He will love all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.
Ecc 11:1-2
It is ‘Cast thy bread upon the waters’. All we can do is to cast the bread. The waters run and sway to and fro, and swallow the bread. But we have nothing to do but to cast it. ‘In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thy hand, for thou knowest not which shall prosper.’ And we have nothing to do but sow. Fifty years of preaching seems like fifty years of beating the air; yet every Truth has a vitality like a grain of corn. And though we never may know it, many a Truth strikes root.
Cardinal Manning.
References. XI. 1. J. Hamilton, The Royal Preacher, p. 197. T. C. Finlayson, A Practical Exposition of Ecclesiastes, p. 239. H. J. Wilmot-Buxton, Sunday Lessons for Daily Life, p. 325. E. A. Askew, Sermons Preached in Greystoke Church, p. 225. XI. 1-6. R. Buchanan, Ecclesiastes: its Meaning and Lessons, p. 391.
Ecc 11:4
We ought to gather in souls as the farmer gathers under a lowering sky in autumn, believing that the storm may next day rush down upon his fields.
A. A. Bonar.
The man who will not work becomes an astrologer.
Arabian Proverb.
There is no greater impediment of action than an over-curious observance of decency, and the guide of decency, which is time and season. For, as Solomon saith, He that observeth the wind shall not sow: a man must make his opportunity as oft as find it.
Bacon.
See also Bacon’s Essays, lii.
Weather-wise
Ecc 11:4

Work was once the recreation of Paradise; it is now the stern necessity of daily life. It is the tax we pay for life.
I. The text exhibits the indolent and undecided.
a. Inaction may spring from indolence.
b. Spiritual idleness prevails.
c. Excessive prudence may apply to some churches, to spiritual prospects, to conversion of individuals.
II. Folly seen when we consider that the present alone is ours. God is frugal of time; gives but one moment at a time; does not give a second until He withdraws the first The best way to prepare for the last moment is to use the present well.
III. Regularity of nature encourages the farmer, but it may mislead those who think that length of day must be theirs, that gracious opportunity must come with constancy of the seasons. God has a right to set bounds beyond which we cannot pass.
J. R. Gregory, Harvest and Thanksgiving Services, p. 192.
The Fault of Over-prudence
Ecc 11:4

Just as a man may fail through too much zeal, so may a man fail through too much prudence.
I. Apply our text to the important matter of our bodily health. If a man is always thinking of his health, the chances are he will have a sorry harvest. I am not speaking of reasonable care; I am speaking of morbid and worrying anxiety.
II. Apply our text to the difficulties that beset our daily work, for we may so fix our eyes upon these difficulties that all the strength is taken from the arm. Genius is prodigal, and scatters its pearls abroad; genius, like childhood, is equal to its problem. It is men of the one talent and mediocre mind who are tempted to the sin of over-prudence. I have known so many average men who failed, because they were waiting for an impossible perfection.
III. Apply our text to moral effort, and to the battles we fight against besetting sins. Sometimes in such hours we fail through recklessness, but far more often through some over-prudence. There are times when it is folly to observe the winds. There are times when it is madness to regard the clouds. Past failures all that your friends may say ‘What is that to thee? Follow thou Me.’ In all high venture there is a glorious blindness blindness to everything except the beckoning hand.
IV. Our text has notable application in the great work of national reform. A certain disregard of obvious difficulties, and all that would discourage lesser spirits, has ever been one mark of great reformers whether in the Church or in the State.
It is an easy thing to make fun of the enthusiast who is so terribly in earnest that he is not wise. But I will tell you the man who is a thousand times more fatal to any cause in Church and State than the enthusiast, and that is the man who always eyes the clouds and spends his days in shrinking from the wind.
V. Apply our text to the great matter of decision for Christ Jesus. Think of Peter when he walked upon the sea to get to Christ. ‘Lord, if it be Thou, bid me come to Thee,’ and Jesus across the water cried to Peter, ‘Come’; whereupon Peter leaped out of the ship and walked upon the water to his Lord. Then he regarded the clouds how the wild rack was flying! He observed the wind how boisterous it was! and so observing, he began to sink, and had to cry,’ Lord, save me, or I perish’.
G. H. Morrison, The Wings of the Morning, p. 207.
Illustration. When told that Duke George of Saxony was lying in wait for him, ‘I would go, said Luther, ‘if it rained Duke Georges’. When told that the devil would catch him if he went to the diet, ‘I would go if there were as many devils in Worms as there are tiles upon the housetops’. The winds were bitter and the clouds black as midnight, and Luther sowed and reaped because he disregarded them.
G. H. Morrison, The Wings of the Morning, p. 213.
References. XI. 4. J. Bateman, Sermons Preached in Guernsey, p. 223. J. L. Richardson, Sermons for Harvest, p. 76. H. P. Liddon, Old Testament Outlines, p. 163. Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xxxviii. No. 2264. XI. 6. Spurgeon, Evening by Evening, p. 266. XI. 6-10. Ibid. Sermons, vol. lii. No. 3001.
Ecc 11:7
Beside this passage one may set the conversation between Lavengro and Mr. Petulengro, the gipsy, in the twenty-fifth chapter of Borrow’s Lavengro: ‘Life is sweet, brother.’
‘Do you think so?’
‘Think so! There’s night and day, brother, both sweet things; sun, moon, and stars, brother, all sweet things; there’s likewise a wind on the heath. Life is very sweet, brother; who would wish to die? Wish to die, indeed! A Rommany chal would wish to live for ever.’
‘In sickness, Jasper?’
‘There’s the sun and stars, brother.’
‘In blindness, Jasper?’
‘There’s the wind on the heath, brother; if I could only feel that, I would gladly live for ever.’
Ecc 11:7
‘A pleasant thing it is to behold the sun,’ these first Gothic builders would seem to have said to themselves; and at Amiens, for instance, the walls have disappeared; the entire building is composed of its windows.
Pater’s Miscellaneous Studies, p. 110.
The great sunlit square is silent silent, that is, for the largest city on earth. A slumberous silence of abundant light, of the full summer day, of the high flood of summer hours whose tide can rise no higher. A time to linger and dream under the beautiful breast of heaven, heaven brooding and descending in pure light upon man’s handiwork. If the light shall thus come in, and of its mere loveliness overcome every aspect of dreariness, why shall not the light of thought, and hope the light of the soul overcome and sweep away the dust of our lives?
Richard Jefferies, Sunlight in a London Square.

Reference. XI. 7. S. Gregory, How to Steer a Ship, p. 126.
Ecc 11:8
Dean Stanley ‘told me that except the phrase he could hardly remember an instance in which a classical writer referred to the setting sun; the fact was, that they disliked the idea of sunset, and recoiled from the end of everything. Whether he was right nay, whether he was quite serious in this opinion, I am not certain. At any rate, in modern as well as in ancient times, the finifugal tendency, as we may call it, is apparent. It takes manifold forms and disguises. It is especially noticeable in friends who, like Shelley, have a morbid abhorrence of wishing one good-bye; who feel this abhorrence strongly in proportion as they like one, and are fearful that they will never see one again; and who, though truthful in other matters, will resort to any evasion or artifice to throw dust in one’s eyes as to the day of their departure.’
Tollemache’s Safe Studies, p. 374.
Ecc 11:8
‘Would you judge of the lawfulness or unlawfulness of pleasure,’ she said, ‘take this rule: whatever weakens your reason, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, or takes off the relish of spiritual things; in short, whatever increases the strength and authority of your body over your mind, that thing is sin to you, however innocent it may be in itself.’ Well might Wesley consult upon such questions a mother who was capable of reasoning and writing thus. His father expressed a different opinion: ‘All men,’ he said, ‘were apt to verge towards extremes, but mortification was still an indispensable Christian duty. If the young man will rejoice in his youth, let him take care that his joys are innocent; this, only this, remember, that for all these things God will bring him into judgment.’
Southey’s Life of Wesley.

The old rigid order in Greece breaks down; a new power appears on the scene. It is the Athenian genius, with its freedom from restraint, its flexibility, its bold reason, its keen enjoyment of life. Well, let it try what it can do. Up to a certain point it is clearly in the right; possibly it may be in the right altogether. Let it have free play, and show what it can do. In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand; for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good. Whether the old wine is good, or the new wine, or whether they are both of them good, and must both of them be used, cannot be known without trying. Let the Athenians try, therefore, and let their genius have full swing. ‘Rejoice; walk in the ways of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes; but know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.’ In other words, your enjoyment of life, your freedom from restraint, your clear and bold reason, your flexibility, are natural and excellent; but on condition that you know how to live with them, that you make a real success of them.
M. Arnold (Speech at Eton).
Ecc 11:9 to Ecc 12:1

When I first entered Ranelagh, it gave an expansion and gay sensation to my mind, such as I never experienced anywhere else. But… it went to my heart to consider that there was not one in all that brilliant circle that was not afraid to go home and think.
Johnson to Boswell.

Compare Rasselas, xvi.
We have got a new family life, which is infinitely genial and charming and natural, which gives free vent to the feelings, and cares liberally for culture and advancement in life. Only the sense of obligation, of duty to God, of living forward into eternity, has disappeared.
C. H. Pearson.
See Jowett’s College Sermons, pp. 133 f.
References. XI. 9. J. Thomas, Myrtle Street Pulpit, vol. iii. p. 381. A. Maclaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture Ecclesiastes, p. 391.
Ecc 11:10
We are grateful to anyone who reminds us that there is nothing especially meritorious in gloom. Virtue will not be its own reward unless we have the honesty to admit that we have not given up anything much pleasanter for its sake. Un saint triste est un triste saint . (The nearest thing in English may perhaps be ‘a sad saint is a sorry saint’.) Apparently, too, people are apt to forget that cheerfulness of mind is a habit which requires cultivation like any other.
From The Spectator, 27 August, 1904, p. 281. Compare Dante’s Inferno, vii. 121 f.
References. XII. Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xxxviii. No. 2264. Ibid. vol. 1. No. 3001.
Fuente: Expositor’s Dictionary of Text by Robertson

Bread Upon the Waters
Ecc 11

The allusion in this verse has been considered to be to the Eastern method of sowing grain at the time of the overflowing of rivers. The husbandman is seen throwing his seed upon the waters in the hope that he will find it again in large harvests: the grain is not wasted; it is sown. In a certain sense, the man is engaged in a religious action, in so far as he loses his grain that he may find it, and he commits himself to the certain operation of laws which he neither originated nor can control; in other words, he falls into the system of things, and becomes part and parcel of it, and is in that sense a fellow-worker with God.
Another suggestion has been made: Throw your thin, flat, light cakes upon the water, and though they sink and you seem to get nothing back again, yet you do really get back very considerable results in the form of unselfishness and nobleness of temper. Do your charity hoping for nothing again. This suggestion may be critically correct, but the former is morally true, and is supported by a verse we shall come to presently.
“Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth” ( Ecc 11:2 ).

This verse would seem to teach the thriftiness and prudence of charity. It is profoundly true that charity should be done for its own sake, and is only well done when so done; yet even charity is not charity when it is unduly confined. You say, “Charity begins at home.” Yes, the wise man answers, so it does, but give a portion to eight, that is, to one beyond the family circle, to an outsider for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth, and perhaps this outsider shall be thy best friend in the long-run. You are throwing oranges amongst the boys very good; it is genial so to do, and is much appreciated by your juvenile and clamorous clients. Now there is a little eager-eyed fellow looking on as a stranger, and getting nothing; throw him one; by-and-by that little fellow, when grown a man, will lead you over a place of danger because he remembers the time when you threw him a token of your goodwill. We know not what we are doing. We may be making friends when we have no intention or purpose of doing so. In this, as in other things, it is the unexpected that always happens. If you have before you a project of business you may draw up a list of the friends upon whose patronage you may confidently rely; nay, you may go further, and almost make out the invoice in the name of each, and so cast up the total of your obligation; but when the business really begins you will discover that hardly a friend whose custom you anticipated has come to assist you, but instead thereof come quite a host of strangers, persons upon whose sympathy you had not reckoned, persons indeed who are totally strange to you; and thus from the unexpected quarter you realise your greatest advantages. Do not operate exclusively within a narrow circle. There are good men beyond the lines which your sympathy has drawn or your imagination has dreamed. Wherever there is an opportunity of doing good, do it, independently altogether of all narrow and selfish considerations; thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth, thou canst not tell from what quarter danger may come; the beast of prey may be lurking behind the next bush, or may suddenly spring upon thee from an unseen hiding-place; therefore live the broad, generous, unselfish life; for here, as elsewhere, it is for ever true that whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
“If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be” ( Ecc 11:3 ).

The clouds are not full of rain for their own sake, but for the sake of the earth. So we are not rich for ourselves, but for others, if the true heart, the Christ-heart, be in us. The rain, too, may come just when we do not want it; and trees we prize much may be blown down, and there they will lie just where they fell, perhaps across a beautiful flower-bed, or some furrow of promising wheat. So we work in the midst of commingling blessings and difficulties; the rain just what we need, or just what we do not want; the tree full of fruit in the morning, and torn down by a shattering wind at night-fall. Thus life is a continual discipline and a continual surprise. The sunny wall upon which you are training the peach-tree may fall down just when you have driven the last nail, and there you may stand, a monument of disappointment and despair. It is well to observe how many things there are beyond our control. Who can touch the clouds? Who can command the rain to fall at this hour or at that? Who can say to the descending shower, Thus much, and no more, shalt thou fall upon the earth? The tree, too, is beyond the strength of the man. This is humiliating, but instructive when properly considered. Who can carry away with him the oak of Bashan or the cedar of Lebanon? Other help he must call, for his own personal strength is unequal to the occasion. Thus we are set back continually, rebuked and humiliated, and taught that there is a limit to our proudest strength. We are not now talking of what a multitude of men can do, but of what one man can do. A multitude of men can easily remove the tree, but can all the populations on the face of the globe summon a star to appear, or turn back the tide of the sea, or command the wind in what direction it shall blow? If men would rightly consider the parable of nature, they would never be out of the sanctuary of God. All things are full of doctrine, philosophy, poetry, and consolation, when interpreted by the inspired mind.
“He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap” ( Ecc 11:4 ).

That is to say, in doing your work you must not look at the mere inconveniences, hardships, and possibilities of failure, or you will never do any work at all. If you stand at the door and look at the clouds you will not get your sowing done in the field. A man says he will not go to church because he. may slip down on the road and hurt his foot; he will not take a railway journey because the boiler may burst or a wheel may take fire; he will not open his window in summer because an insect may crawl in. There are people in the world exactly so foolish, though at first this may appear to be simply incredible. Make any proposition to them you please, and they will tell you what difficulties surround it, and what awful possibilities are ahead of it. Such people live in circumstances, events, occurrences, and their imagination is quick on the side of perceiving dangers and losses. These are not the people who should set themselves to lead the world. This will be admitted as a philosophy, and yet, strange to say, these are the people who hinder the progress of society more than any others. If they are not righteous overmuch, they are cautious overmuch. Perhaps they may have a mission in the world; for if all men were courageous, enterprising, audacious, who can tell to what lengths the world might be driven? But we are mingled and commingled together in a strange and often healthful way, so that the strong stimulate the weak, and the weak hold back the strong, and out of this interaction there may come some solidity of wisdom. The distressing point, however, is that men who observe the wind and do not sow, look upon men who sow and do not observe the wind as simply lucky or successful men, and call attention to their own poverty as indicating a harsh aspect of divine providence. When will men cease to lie against God? Take it in this way: A man works night and day, spares no pains, lives that he may accomplish a certain purpose, and by the blessing of heaven upon his toil he carries that purpose to fruition. Another man is indolent, thoughtless, negligent, has no grasp of affairs, is wanting in the stimulus of operating principles of a pure and large quality, and that man comes to poverty, helplessness, and social contempt. What does he do? He looks upon the other man and speaks of luck, good fortune, success; says the wind bloweth where it listeth, and nobody can tell who will be successful and who will be unsuccessful. Talk like that should not be listened to, but should be resented as involving a criminal reflection upon the law of industry and the corresponding law of success. There is a time to sow, and if a man neglect that time he is wrong, cruel, wholly unjust, in regarding the harvests of wiser men as indications of partial grace, or proofs of heaven’s displeasure against himself.
“As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all” ( Ecc 11:5 ).

Work always. Do not spare your labour. The next time you sow may be the best time you ever had. Prosperity must be left to God. It is our place to be content with the work of sowing. Of course we want to see the seed spring up at once, and we think it ought to spring up here better than there, and God is always disappointing us in this expectation by giving us good crops where we look for nothing. “As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit… so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.” You say, This enterprise must succeed; and, lo, it comes to nothing: you say, That other scheme cannot flourish; and, lo, it brings forth profit and honour to you more and more. This passage shows us what we know and what we do not know. We know the art of sowing, and we are called upon to exercise that art liberally and industriously and hopefully; the morning is to see the seed thrown upon all winds and carried to all corners of the field, and the evening is to be as abundant as the morning. There we know what we are doing; we know precisely how much seed we have sown, and we are responsible both for the time at which we sowed it and the quantity which we cast into the ground. Up to that point, how great is man, how wise, how skilful, how able to manage his own affairs! Alas! after that time his wisdom is like a lamp put out, and his strength falls down in utter helplessness. Man cannot tell what shall be the result of his sowing; there he must wait, and watch, and hope; perhaps, indeed, he may venture to pray: but his knowledge cannot carry him into the harvest-time, and assist him in reckoning up how large or small shall be the barn in which he shall garner his grain. Yet there is a gleam of hope running through the very uncertainty of this result “Thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.” There is always room for hope in the industry and discipline of human life. Parents, hope about your children: you cannot tell but the most courageous and audacious boy may be chastened, and be enabled to turn his superabundant energy to gracious uses. Do not give up the stupid boy under the impression that it is hopeless to work upon an unpromising soil; he may at last surprise you by resources wholly unexpected; yea, he may come to be the brightest son in the family and the leader of the whole household. Leave the door open for the prodigal, for he may suddenly return, when the night is stormy and he is tired of the inhospitable wilderness. In delivering great messages of hope to mankind do not limit those messages as to their range of operation; but preach them to all the world, yea, to every creature under heaven: for thou knowest not who shall hear, or who shall forbear, or whether all the world shall listen and attend. We say morning is the time for work, and evening is the time for rest; verily in such a world as this, and in a life so short and urgent, there is no time for rest; even our holiday should be but a period of recruital, that we may do larger work when its sunny hours are past. How glad will be the surprise of many when they see the vast and golden harvest as the result of their honest toil!
“Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun: but if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity” ( Ecc 11:7-8 ).

Let a man put this and that together. You cannot always be young. There is a time of darkness as well as a time of light; but do not be anticipating the darkness, and thus turn away the blessings of the day: nor yet in the time of glory imagine that the brilliance shall continue for ever undimmed, for the days of darkness shall surely be many. Let us make the best of our opportunities. You will not always be energetic, able to travel many miles, to endure many inconveniences, to repel foes of every stature and form: adapt your energies to your labours and opportunities, knowing that the night cometh wherein no man can work. It is mischievous that we should deprive ourselves of immediate blessings because we are sure that days of darkness will come. They will come soon enough; poverty may come, affliction may come, bereavement will certainly come, and as for death its coming is inevitable; but shall a man lose all the advantages of his youth because he is sure that at the end of half a century he will be frail, and will be lingering on the borders of the grave? He is not to allow that anticipation to becloud his life or to discourage his energies, yet he is to make such use of it as will chasten him and sober him, and invest him with that grave dignity which becomes men who have short lives and great responsibilities.
“Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment. Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity” ( Ecc 11:9-10 ).

Let reflection save passion from madness. How, then, is the young man to remove sorrow from his heart and put away evil from his flesh? You have the answer in the whole of the twelfth chapter. Make friends early with God. Live a whole lifetime with God and for God. The time will come when you cannot be actively religious. You will always be able to enjoy religion, but the time of active piety will quickly fly away. Coheleth is not willing that youth should put on the airs and claim the immunities of old age. Whilst a man is young he insists upon his being young in the best sense of the word in the sense of wise laughter, chastened merriment, high joy, exuberant spirits. Coheleth’s young man is to be blessed with cheerfulness; he is to be rich in enthusiasm; he is to be wealthy with hope. But beneath all this, and above it and around it, there are to be certain religious reflections, which will not tame and humiliate, but chasten and ennoble the soul. Coheleth thus does not fear to enforce religious considerateness upon the young mind. How noble a spectacle is a young life of joy consecrated to the service of truth, eager in upholding the claims of all pureness and wisdom! There is no nobler sight in all the earth than consecrated youth, sanctified enthusiasm, exuberant joy, used as a stimulus in sacred service.
Prayer

Almighty God, thou dost work by a purpose far away from our imagination. We cannot follow thy way. We hear the sound of thy going in the great wind, but thou dost not leave one footprint behind. The clouds are the dust of thy feet. Behold, thou art shrouded in darkness and in light, and we cannot come near unto thee. We wonder, we look up, we wait, we adore. We are sure that we know but little, and therefore should speak but little. We know that there must be more to come. All we see is but a beginning, and we are not contented to accept it as a thing complete; it stirs our fancy, it excites our wonder. We know and are confident that all things are moving on to a sublime issue and to a divine completeness; and now we pray for patience to wait, and calmness to stand up and say, This is the Lord: let him do what seemeth him good. We will not thrust our ignorance upon thy way, and display the vanity of our folly by criticising movements we cannot grasp; we will stand back a pace or two and let the Lord go forward, and we will hope that by-and-by we shall know what we know not now. Now we know in part, and we prophesy in part; but when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away: we shall forget the seedtime in the harvest; we shall forget the night sleep in the morning joy, and because of newness of life we shall forget the pain and the weariness of death. We thank thee for all religious hopes, because they ennoble the soul, they constrain us towards a completer patience and a diviner charity; they are not sentiments only, lulling the mind and comforting with irrational consolation; they inspire the strength to deeds of daring; they impel the life in the direction of holy sacrifice for the good of others; they will not allow us to rest in indifference; they inspire us with courage to attempt still broader and nobler service: thus do they prove themselves to be of God; we will not silence their pleading voice, but let all thy gospels and messages sound in our hearts, giving us comfort and courage and hope, and making us noble in faith. Do thou meet with us as we gather together around the holy altar, and speak comfortably to our souls. Tell us just what we want to hear; speak the word we need the most. We shall know thy voice; there is none like it: thy tones shall fill the soul, thy music shall exclude from the ear all other appeals, and we shall rise from our contemplation and our adoration ready to face the world, whether it beat upon us in storm, or attempt to smile upon us as through a cloud. Rock the cradle; make the sick man’s bed; spread a table for the hungry; and in desert places, scorched by heat, find cooling wells for weary travellers. Dry our tears when they hinder our seeing thy face, and let the gracious rain stream from our eyes when through such waters we may the better discern thee. Our life is thine: make it long, short, rugged, even, what thou wilt; but in the eventide may there be light, and in all the way of the soul may there be a movement towards the Cross; in all the agony of penitence, in all the burning fever of shame, in all the distress of despair, may we have some inexpressible comfort arising from the desire at least to see Jesus and touch the Saviour. Then when the desert is passed, and the river is crossed, and winter is left behind, may we hail one another in the summer land, and be one for ever in truest fellowship of soul among the angels and the spirits of the just made perfect. These are our small prayers, our feeble cries, our narrow intercessions, but we hand them to the Saviour, the Priest, the Mighty Pleader, and he will make intercession for us, and complete our prayer with his own desire; then shall our life be rich, and in our whole way there shall be a continual shining sun. Amen.
Fuente: The People’s Bible by Joseph Parker

XXVIII
THE MEANS USED TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM
CONDEMNED AND THE FINAL CONCLUSIONS
Ecc 8:16-12:14

There are three reasons given in Ecc 8:16 to Ecc 9:6 as to why the means used were condemned, to wit: 1. They were wearisome; wore out the life finding the solution (Ecc 8:16 ).
2. Finite wisdom could not fathom it (Ecc 8:17 to Ecc 9:1 ) compare 1Co 1:19 f.
3. Death comes alike to all (Ecc 9:2-6 ) Here comes a bundle of conclusions expressed in Ecc 9:7-10 , thus: (1) Go on and eat and drink; (2) Dress well and keep yourself in trim; (3) Live in domestic felicity with one woman; (4) Do with your might whatever comes to your hand, for no one can work after death.
The fourth reason assigned for failure is that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, nor favor to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all. Everything in life is uncertain and there are snares set for man’s destruction everywhere (Ecc 9:11-12 ).
We find further observations in Ecc 9:13 to Ecc 10:4 illustrating this principle and the conclusion therefrom. This is the case of the poor wise man who delivered a city and was forgotten, yet his wisdom was better than strength. It was a case of wise words in the quiet which are better than the cry of a man who rules among fools. It was true then and it is true now, that “wisdom is better than weapons of war.” “But one sinner destroyeth much good.” Like dead flies in the ointment, he spoils whatever he touches, as his folly outweighs wisdom and honor. In meeting all these things it is well to keep in mind that “gentleness allayeth great offenses.” But there are certain drawbacks to this passive resistance, get forth in Ecc 10:5-15 , as follows:
(1) The promotion of fools. The ruler sets folly in great dignity and puts the more influential in low places. He puts servants on horses and causes princes to walk like servants (Ecc 10:5-7 ).
(2) A man’s labor turns against him. He that digs a pit may fall into it, or whoso breaks through a wall may be bitten by a serpent, or whoso hews out stones may be hurt by them. A dull tool requires more strength, but the wise can direct to more profit. It is too late to send for the charmer after you are bitten by the serpent (Ecc 10:8-11 ).
(3) The foolishness of fools overbalances the wisdom of the wise. The fool begins in foolishness and ends in madness; he multiplies words to no purpose and throws everything into confusion (Ecc 10:12-15 ).
The last reason assigned for condemning the means is that the king may be a child, given to revelry, drunkenness, and slothfulness, and when this is so it is, “Woe unto the land I” What follows is set forth in three proverbs thus: By slothfulness the roof sinketh in; And through idleness of the hands the house leaketh. A feast is made for laughter, And wine maketh glad the life; And money answereth all things. Revile not the king, no, not in thy thought; And revile not the rich in thy bed chamber; For a bird of the heavens shall carry the voice, And that which hath wings shall tell the matter.
If the means of solution be discarded, the first thing to do, then, is to “Cast thy bread upon the waters” (Ecc 11:1 ) which refers to the ancient method of sowing on the overflow of the Nile, which came annually, a-“d covering the seed by driving oxen over them, the only way it could be done. The spiritual significance of this is the investment of a life in doing good.
The second thing to do is to “Give a portion to all” (Ecc 11:2 ), i.e., Do good as you purpose in your heart while opportunity is afforded you. But there is a warning given in Ecc 11:3-5 : Don’t watch the wind and the clouds, for the man who watches the clouds is fearful and will not succeed. Do not hesitate because you do not understand the principles and methods of God’s providences.
The next thing enjoined is to work at all seasons (Ecc 11:6-8 ). Remember there will be dark days, but be diligent in view of the passing of your opportunity. Then comes a solemn warning to the young in Ecc 11:9 to Ecc 12:8 . Let them in their joys, remember the judgment; that God will bring everything into judgment; that old age will come when they will have no pleasure in it if their lives are spent in folly; that the grave and the judgment are the final destiny of man. Here we have in Ecc 12:3-8 , the great figure of the human body, with the following expressions: “The keepers of the house,” which are the hands that have grown weak and palsied; “the strong men,” which are the legs, giving way under old age; “the grinders,” which are the teeth, and most of them gone, having lost them on account of extreme age; “those that look out of the windows,” which are the eyes, having grown dim with age; “the doors,” the mouth which is not closed because of the absence of the teeth; “the grinding,” which is the sound of the chewing, now low because the teeth are gone; “rising up at the voice of a bird,” which is early rising in the morning, at first cock-crowing, because unable to sleep; “the daughters of music,” which are the tongue and the ears, the tongue no longer able to make music and the ears no longer able to hear and appreciate it; “they shall be afraid of that which is high,” which means that he is afraid to go up on anything high, as to ascend a ladder; “terrors shall be in the way,” which means that he is always finding bugbears in the way, such as wagons, carriages, streetcars afraid of things that he did not notice in early life; “the almond-tree shall blossom,” means that he is now covered with silvery locks, very much like the almond-tree just before putting out, covered with its silvery blossoms; “the grasshopper shall be a burden,” which means one of two things, viz: (1) a little weight, as the weight of a grasshopper upon him, becomes a burden; (2) much more probable, that he now, in his stiffness, resembles the grasshopper dragging himself along; “desire shall fail,” i.e., the appetite is almost gone and he does not relish things that he once did; “man goeth to his everlasting, home,” which means his final destiny, he is very near the end now; “mourners go about the streets,” which refers to the hired mourners, according to the custom in the East, or friends and relatives; “before the silver cord is loosed,” i.e., the spinal cord which resembles silver in color; “the golden bowl,” which means the brain pan; “the pitcher is broken at the fountain,” which refers to the heart, very much like a pitcher in shape; “the wheel broken at the cistern,” which refers to the aorta, just above the heart, where it acts like a wheel and pumps the blood up from the heart; “the dust returneth to the earth as it was and the spirit returneth unto God who gave it,” referring to death, at which the body returns to dust of which it was made and the spirit goes to God.
In Ecc 12:9-10 we have an account of what the Preacher did further: “And further, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he pondered, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs. The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words, and that which was written uprightly, even words of truth.”
Then follows a proverb and a warning in Ecc 12:11-12 : “The words of the wise are as goads; and as nails well fastened are the words of the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd. And furthermore, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.”
What, then, the real good thing to do and why? The answer is found in Ecc 12:13-14 : “This is the end of the matter; all hath been heard: Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every work into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”
The impress of this book upon the world’s literature has been marvelous. It has made a most wonderful impress upon the world’s greatest authors. In Shakespeare’s As You Like It and Tennyson’s In Memoriam are many references to this book. In fact, this book exploded the philosophies of the Epicureans and Stoics long before these philosophies were developed by the ancient Greeks.
QUESTIONS

1. What are three reasons in Ecc 8:16 to Ecc 9:6 as to why the means used were condemned ?
2. What conclusions are expressed in Ecc 9:7-10 ?
3. What is the fourth reason assigned in Ecc 9:11-12 ?
4. What are the observations in Ecc 9:13 to Ecc 10:4 illustrating this principle and what are the conclusion therefrom?
5. What are the drawbacks of passive resistance, set forth in Ecc 10:5-15 ?
6. What is the last reason assigned and what are the proverbs based thereon?
7. If the means of solution be discarded, what is the first thing to do and what does it mean?
8. What is the second thing to do and its meaning?
9. What warning given in Ecc 11:3-5 ?
10. What is the next thing enjoined?
11. What is warning to the young in Ecc 11:9 to Ecc 12:8 ?
12. On Ecc 12:3-8 , the great figure of the human body, answers (1) What “the keepers of the house”? (2) What “the strong men”? (3) What “the grinders”? (4) What “those that look out of the windows”? (5) What “the doors”? (6) What “the grinding”? (7) What the meaning of “rising up at the voice of a bird”? (8) What “the daughters of music”? (9) What is the meaning of “they shall be afraid of that which is high”? (10) What is the meaning of “terrors shall be in the way”? (11) What is the meaning of “the almond-tree shall blossom”? (12) What is the meaning of “the grasshopper shall be a burden”? (13) What is the meaning of “desire shall fail”? (14) What is the meaning of “man goeth to his everlasting home”? (15) What is the meaning of “mourners go about the streets”? (16) What is the meaning of “before the silver cord is loosed”? (17) What is the meaning of “the golden bowl”? (18) What is the meaning of “the pitcher is broken at the fountain”? (19) What is the meaning of “the wheel broken at the cistern”? (20) What is the meaning of “the dust returneth to the earth as it was and the spirit returneth unto God who gave it”?
13. What did the Preacher further do?
14. What proverb and what warning is in Ecc 12:11-12 ?
15. What, then, is the real good thing to do and why?
16. What can you say of the impress of this book upon the world’s literature?
17. What are the philosophies exploded in this book?
Fuente: B.H. Carroll’s An Interpretation of the English Bible

Ecc 11:1 Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.

Ver. 1. Cast thy bread. ] Thine own well gotten goods. Alms must not be given, said a martyr, a until it have sweat in a man’s hand. “Let him labour, working with his hands,” saith the apostle, “that he may have to give to him that needeth.” Eph 4:28 And the bountiful man giveth of his bread to the poor, saith Solomon. Pro 22:9 God hateth to have ex rapina holocaustum, a sacrifice of things got by rapine and robbery; Amo 2:8 “With such sacrifices God is not well pleased.” Wherefore, if thou hast of thine own, give; if not, better for thee to gratify none than to grate upon any, saith Augustine. When our Henry III (an oppressing prince) had sent a load of frieze b to the friar minors to clothe them, they returned the same with this message, that he ought not to give alms of what he had rent from the poor, neither would they accept of that abominable gift. c The Hebrew word signifying alms signifies properly justice, to intimate that the matter of our alms should be goods justly gotten. d Hence also the Jews call their alms box Kuphashel tsedaka, the chest of justice. Into this box or basket, if thou cast but bread (so it be thy bread ), brown bread, such as thou hast, and then wait for the Lord, when he will return from the wedding with a full hand, thou shalt be fed supernae mensae copiosis deliciis, as one saith, with the abundant dainties of the heavenly table.

Upon the waters. ] Heb., Upon the face of the waters, where it may seem clearly cast away; as seed sown upon the sea, e or a thing thrown down Avon, as we say, no profit or praise to be had by it. Or upon the waters, i.e., upon strangers (if necessary) whom we never saw, and are never likely to see again. Or, “upon the waters,” i.e., upon such as being hunger bitten, or hardly bestead, do water their plants, being fed “with bread of tears.” as Psa 80:5 To this sense Munster renders the words thus, Mitte panem tuum super facies aquas, sc., emittentes, Cast thy bread upon faces watered with tears; or, “upon the waters,” upon the surface of the waters, that it may be carried into the ocean, where the multitude of waters is gathered together; so shall thine alms, carried into heaven, be found in the ocean of eternity, where there is a confluence of all comforts and contentments. Or, lastly, “upon the waters,” i.e., in loca irrigua, upon grounds well watered – moist and fertile soil, such as is that by the river Nile, where they do but throw in the seed, and they have four rich harvests in less than four months; f or as that in the land of Shinar (where Babel was founded, Gen 11:1-9 ), that returns, if Herodotus and Pliny may be believed, the seed beyond credulity. g

For thou shalt find it after many days. ] Thou shalt “reap in due time, if thou faint not”: slack not, withdraw not thy hand, as Ecc 11:6 . Mitre panem, &c., et in verbo Domini promitto tibi, &c., saith one; Cast thy bread confidently, without fear, and freely, without compulsion; cast it, though thou seem to cast it away; and I dare promise thee, in the name and word of the Lord, Nequaquam infrugifera apparebit beneficentia, h that thy bounty shall be abundantly recompensed into thy bosom. “The liberal soul shall be made fat, and he that watereth shall be watered himself.” Pro 11:25 See Trapp on “ Pro 11:25 “ See also my Common Place of Alms. Non pereunt sed parturiunt pauperibus impensa, That which is given to the poor is not lost, but laid up. Not getting, but giving, is the way to wealth. Pro 19:17 Abigail, for a small present bestowed on David, became a queen, whereas churlish Nabal was sent to his place.
a Acts and Mon., fol. 765.
b A kind of coarse woollen cloth, with a nap, usually on one side only; now esp. of Irish manufacture.
c Daniel’s Hist. , 168.
d . – Buxtorf.
e E .
f Blunt’s Voyage, p. 37.
g Herod., lib. i. c. 193; Plin., lib. vi. c. 26.
h Greg. Thaum.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

Ecclesiastes Chapter 11

In this chapter, or at least its first half, we find not so much warning as exhortation in the dark style of apothegm which the writer delights in.
“Cast thy bread on the face of the waters, for after many days thou shalt find it. Give a portion to seven, and also to eight, for thou knowest not what evil shall be on the earth. If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves on the earth; aid if the tree fall toward the north and toward the south, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be. He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap. As thou knowest not what is the way of the wind, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child; even so thou knowest not the work of God who doeth all. In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not which shall prosper, whether this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good” (vers. 1-6).
Earlier in the book is shown the folly of setting the heart on any object under the sun; and if any understood more deeply what, is in man and in the world, as the writer in fact did, it is only the more profound sorrow. Receiving what God gives and using it all in His fear is wisdom.
Now the Preacher exhorts to liberal action in assured faith, as he may well do who knows that the righteous and the wise and their works are in the hand of God. The waters may be unpromising for bread or even bread-corn; but casting in faith at His word is never in vain. One may have to wait many days, but He cannot fail, and thou shalt find it at length. Again, we are surrounded by need. The poor never pass away, as the world is full. The next word is “give a portion to seven,” not to one here or another there, but all round where need exists. Even so arrest not that you have to the end; for more need may unexpectedly arise. Therefore he says,, and also to eight.” For what does any one know of evil here below? Little indeed; yet we are in an evil world, and for what purpose? Behold the perfection of this in Christ Who went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed by the devil; for God was with Him. Yet was it from a resource above the world, as was plainly proved when He bade the crafty ensnarer show Him a denarius: He had none, but far better which passes not away.
Whether one look up or down, one may see how God orders on the earth for the help of needy man, constant object of His compassion. If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves on the earth; and if a tree fall toward the south or toward north, there it shall be. Goodly sights are they both! Yet God turns them to the use of an ungrateful race. Wherever we may be, we too can serve God by helping man in his wants, as Christ did, the perfect Servant no less than perfect Saviour. Never a cry without an answer of goodness, and as ready to act in the wilderness for man’s need as if He had not invited His disciples apart there to rest awhile, Himself unwearied in love everywhere.
Nor is it true wisdom to trust one’s own prudence, or to be turned aside by objections and difficulties. “He that observeth the wind will not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds will not reap.” Whatever may not be, God is; and God’s word is plain, as to fear Him is wise. Appearances are meant to try faith in a world departed from God, Who worketh hitherto where all is wrong, instead of keeping sabbath as if all were right. So Christ, to the horror and hatred of all who idolize man and the world as they are, could and did say, “I work” even on the sabbath. So ought those that know Him, with a fresh power, besides the sense that all here is vanity.
It is true that man knows little of the wondrous working or the end of God. Why, what does he know of his own being? To say nothing of that which follows death, with its alarm save for the most hardened of unbelievers, what does he know of what precedes birth? “As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, how the bones [grow] in the womb of her that is with child, even so thou knowest not the work of God who doeth all.” But this is no excuse for self-indulgence, no right reason for inertness in the face of appalling need, suffering, sorrow, danger, death, in a world of sin and ruin. It is the louder call to act on His word Who deigns to direct our path in simple faith and earnest love, as we may surely add who confess the Lord Jesus; the spirit of which here dimly led him who saw dimly the Coming One. Therefore follows the word, “In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thy hand; for thou knowest not which shall prosper, whether this or that, or whether they both [shall be] alike good.”
The closing words return to the more wonted strain of chap. 11.
He begins with any, old or young; he winds up with a warning of grave pungent irony to him who in his levity and pride overlooked sin and sorrow, and withdraws for a moment the veil from his coming into God’s judgment. Youth and the prime of life, like all the rest here, are vanity. Jesus Christ, we can add, as the blessed contrast for man now, is “the same yesterday and today and for ever,” never more manifestly God, the true God, and eternal life, than when He became man and tabernacled among us, full of grace and truth. “Upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”
Fuente: William Kelly Major Works (New Testament)

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Ecc 11:1-5
1Cast your bread on the surface of the waters, for you will find it after many days. 2Divide your portion to seven, or even to eight, for you do not know what misfortune may occur on the earth. 3If the clouds are full, they pour out rain upon the earth; and whether a tree falls toward the south or toward the north, wherever the tree falls, there it lies. 4He who watches the wind will not sow and he who looks at the clouds will not reap. 5Just as you do not know the path of the wind and how bones are formed in the womb of the pregnant woman, so you do not know the activity of God who makes all things.
Ecc 11:1 This is a recurrent proverb in the Bible relating to one’s generosity (rabbinical sources) and God’s gracious response (cf. Deu 15:10; Pro 11:24; Pro 19:17; Pro 22:9; Mat 10:42; 2Co 9:8; Gal 6:9; Heb 6:10).
Ecc 11:2 Divide your portion to seven This either refers to (1) diversifying your wealth (NET Bible #5, p. 1143) or (2) more probably in context, helping many people (cf. Mat 5:42; Luk 6:30).
Ecc 11:2
NASBmisfortune
NKJVevil
NRSV, NJBdisaster
TEVbad luck
This is the term evil (BDB 949). See note at Ecc 2:17 (grievous). It is coming! Act while you can (Ecc 11:4; Ecc 11:6). Give while you can (Ecc 11:1-2). Enjoy while you can (Ecc 11:7-8).
Ecc 11:3 Humans experience, but cannot predict or control, the events of their lives (a recurrent theme in Ecclesiastes), but we can share our wealth in good times and when the dark days come, others will share with us.
Ecc 11:4 At first, this verse of two parallel statements implies a warning against inactivity (i.e., referring to giving from Ecc 11:1-2). However, I prefer the interpretation of the UBS Handbook For Translators, p. 398, which asserts that it is not inactivity (cf. TEV, REB), but timely activity, that is being advocated.
1. Farmers do not sow in a strong wind.
2. Farmers wait until the wind direction denotes rain, not hot desert winds.
3. Farmers sow during rainy periods, but reap during rainless periods.
When one is happy and successful, then give to others. If you wait the dark days may come when you cannot give.
Ecc 11:5
NASB, NKJV,
NJB, LXXwind
REB,
VULGATEspirit
NRSV, JPSOAbreath
TEVlife
Some translations take wind (BDB 924) as spirit or breath, thereby connecting the two lines and relating them both to prenatal activity (cf. KJV, NRSV, TEV, REB, JPSOA, NAB). The interpretive question is, Is there one illustration of mankind’s inability to know, or are there two illustrations in Ecc 11:5?
The big issue is that in some areas (i.e., planting and harvesting times) humans can learn by observation and tradition, but in other areas (mysteries of nature and mysteries of God’s activities) humans cannot know. Wisdom, though good, helpful, and desirable, cannot solve all of life’s unknowns! See Special Topic: Spirit in the Bible .
how bones are formed in the womb See one view expressed in Psa 139:13-16.
so you do not know the activity of God This has been a common theme (cf. Ecc 1:13; Ecc 3:10-11; Ecc 8:17). God and His works and ways cannot be completely known by fallen mankind, but we can trust Him because of what we do know!
NASBall things
NKJVall things
NRSV, TEVeverything
NJBall
This is an idiom for the entire creation (cf. Psa 103:19; Psa 119:91; Jer 10:16).
NIDOTTE, vol. 1, p. 730, lists several other phrases that are used to designate the entire creation:
1. heaven and earth (e.g., Gen 1:1; Psa 115:15; Psa 121:2; Pro 3:19-20
2. the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them (e.g., Psa 24:1-2; Psa 50:12; Psa 89:11; Jer 51:48; 1Co 10:26
3. in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth (e.g., Exo 20:4; Psa 135:6)
Ecc 11:6 sow Sow (used metaphorically of giving) with confidence and leave the results to God (cf. 2Co 9:6). Ecc 11:5-6 are connected by the word know (BDB 393, KB 390, Qal ACTIVE PARTICIPLE).
succeed This Hebrew VERB (BDB 506, KB 503, Qal IMPERFECT) is found only here and in Ecc 10:10 (Hiphil INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT). The NOUN is found only in Ecclesiastes as well (cf. Ecc 2:21; Ecc 4:4; Ecc 5:10), meaning skill, success, or profit. Success is uncertain. It may come (i.e., Ecc 11:7-8) and it may not (i.e., Ecc 11:8 b). When it does, act (i.e., share).
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley

bread. Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Effect), App-6, for the seed from which it is produced.
upon = upon the surface of.
it = the profit or result of it.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

Chapter 11
Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days. Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for you don’t know what evil shall be upon the eaRuth ( Ecc 11:1-2 ).
You don’t know when you’re going to be in trouble, so be generous. Give out a portion to seven or eight people, because there might be a time when you’re going to be needing a handout yourself.
If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree falls toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it shall be. He that observes the wind shall not sow; and he that regards the clouds will not reap. As you know not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so you know not the works of God who makes all ( Ecc 11:3-5 ).
Things that we just don’t understand–how the bones grow in the womb, the way of the spirit. Jesus said, “The wind bloweth where it listeth, thou hearest the sound thereof, but you cannot tell from whence it is coming, or where it is going. So is he that is born of the Spirit” ( Joh 3:8 ). So we don’t know the works of God who makes all.
In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening withhold not your hand: for you know not whether it shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good. Truly the light is sweet, and the pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun: But if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that cometh is emptiness ( Ecc 11:6-8 ).
You might live a lot of years, but remember, you’re going to be dead longer than you’re alive. So you live to be 105, but those that back in the year 547 lived up to 680 even. You know, they’ve been dead a long time. This is what he’s saying. You might see the life for many years, but you’re going to see the darkness longer. Again, that’s life under the sun.
Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of your eyes ( Ecc 11:9 ):
Poor advice.
but know thou, that for all these things God will bring you into judgment ( Ecc 11:9 ).
Do what you want, but just remember, God’s going to judge you.
Therefore remove sorrow from your heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity ( Ecc 11:10 ).
Too soon old, too late smart. Someone said, “It’s a shame that youth has to be wasted on the young.” You think now, though, if you could only go back to your youth with the advantage of all of your experience and advantage of life now, man, what you could do. If you were just a teenager again back in high school with all of your knowledge and understanding at this point. I think of all of the wasted time that I had. I think of all of the opportunities that I had to learn and I didn’t take full advantage of them. It was a crazy thing, but I really didn’t decide to learn until I got into college. And then even at that point I look back to my high school years and I thought, “Oh, how ridiculous that I bragged that I never took a book home from school through high school. What a stupid boast!” Oh, of course, I’ve got my grades for college. But yet, I could have learned so much more. I wasted my youth in many ways. But what can you do? You can’t go back. “
Fuente: Through the Bible Commentary

Ecc 11:1. Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.
Hoard not thy bread; for if thou dost, it will mildew, it will be of no use to thee. Cast it on the waters; scatter it abroad; give it to the unworthy men if need be. Some here have seen an allusion to the casting of seed into the Nile when it overflowed its banks. When the waters subsided, the corn would grow, and be gathered in after many days.
Ecc 11:2. Give a portion to seven,
And if that be a perfect number, give beyond it,
Ecc 11:2. And also to eight;
Give to more than thou canst afford to give to. Help some who are doubtful, some who are outside of the perfect number, and give them a portion, a fair portion. Our Saviour went beyond Solomon; for he said, Give to every man that asketh of thee.
Ecc 11:2. For thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.
Thou knowest not what need there may be of thy help; nor what need may come to thee, and how thou thyself mayest be helped by those whom thou helpest now.
Ecc 11:3. If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth;
The tree falls the way it is inclined; but when it has fallen, there it must be. God grant that you and I may fall the right way when the axe of death hews us down! Which way are we inclined?
Ecc 11:4-5. He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap. As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child; even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.
There are great mysteries which we can never comprehend. God alone knows how the soul comes into the body, or even how the body is fashioned. This must remain with him. We do not know how sinners are regenerated. We know not how the Spirit of God works upon the mind of man, and transforms the sinner into a saint. We do not know. There are some who know too much already. I have not half the desire to know that I have to believe and to love. Oh, that we loved God more, and trusted God more! We might then get to heaven if we knew even less than we do.
Ecc 11:6. In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.
You cannot make the gospel enter into mens hearts. You cannot tell how it does enter and change them. The Spirit of God does that; but your duty is to go on telling it out. Go on spreading abroad the knowledge of Christ; in the morning, and in the evening, and all day long, scatter the good seed of the kingdom. You have nothing to do with the result of your sowing; that remains with the Lord. That which you sow in the morning may prosper, or the seed that you scatter in the evening; possibly God will bless both. You are to keep on sowing, whether you reap or not.
Ecc 11:7. Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun: But if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity.
Take Christ away, and this is a truthful estimate of human life. Put Christ into the question, and Solomon does not hit the mark at all. If we have Christ with us, whether the days are light or dark, we walk in the light, and our soul is happy and glad; but apart from Christ, the estimate of life which is given here is an exactly accurate one a little brightness and long darkness, a flash and then midnight. God save you from living a merely natural life! May you rise to the supernatural! May you get out of the lower life of the mere animal into the higher life of the regenerated soul! If the life of God be in you, then you shall go from strength to strength like the sun that shineth unto the perfect day.
Ecc 11:9. Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.
Young man, will you dare, then, to follow your passions, and the devices of your own heart, with this ate the back, God will bring thee into judgment? Oh no, the advice of Solomon apparently so evil, is answered by warning at the end, which is also true,
Ecc 11:10. Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity.
Remove sorrow, or rather, anger, ambition, or anything else that would cause sorrow, from thy heart; and put away evil from thy flesh. Let not thy fleshly nature rule thee; thou art in the period when flesh is strong towards evil, when vanity is the ruin of many.
This exposition consisted of readings from Ecclesiastes 11-12
Fuente: Spurgeon’s Verse Expositions of the Bible

Ecc 11:1-6
Ecc 11:1-6
In this and the following chapter, we find the conclusion of the author, whom we believe to have been Solomon. It is a conclusive denial of the hopelessness of earlier sayings in the book.
Ecc 11:1-6
“Cast thy bread upon the waters; for thou shalt find it after many days. Give a portion to seven, yea, even unto eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth. If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth; and if a tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there shall it be. He that observeth the wind shall not sow, and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap. As thou knowest not what is the way of the wind, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child; even so thou knowest not the work of God who doeth all. In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thy hand; for thou knowest not which shall prosper, whether this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.”
REMEDY NO 1.
These six verses are, “The first remedy proposed by the author for the perplexities of life, a life which he has repeatedly called “vanity of vanities.” And what is this recommended remedy?
“Cast thy bread upon the waters, etc.” (Ecc 11:1). For more than eighteen centuries, there was never any doubt about what was meant here. Franz Delitzsch noted, during the 19th century, that, “Most interpreters regard this as an exhortation to charity”; and this writer is absolutely certain that the passage could not possibly mean anything else. Nothing could be any more stupid than the New English Bible rendition: “Send your grain across the seas, and in time you will get a return; divide your merchandise among seven ventures, eight maybe, since you do not know what disasters may occur on earth.
Ecc 11:1 and Ecc 11:2 here are parallel, Ecc 11:2 telling us exactly what is meant by, “cast thy bread upon the waters.” “It means to give a portion to seven yea, even unto eight. Why should this be called casting bread upon the waters? Simply because benevolence should be practiced without either any desire or expectation of ever getting it back, exactly as would be the case of casting bread into a raging river.
Similar admonitions to give to the poor abound in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. See Mat 5:42; Mat 5:46; Luk 6:38; Pro 19:7; Psa 112:5, etc.
One must be amazed and outraged at what many recent interpreters and translators are doing to this plain Scripture.
Peterson wrote that the passage, “Advises the undertaking of business ventures.” Fleming agreed that, “It refers to business ventures overseas trade.” Hendry likewise thought that he found here a recommendation for people to take risks in business enterprises, “He who will not venture until he is absolutely sure will wait forever. All such views of this passage are absolutely ridiculous and should be rejected out of hand.
Even the radical and destructive critics of the International Critical Commentary did not subscribe to such foolish interpretations as these. Barton wrote back in 1908, “That bread cannot possibly mean merchandise”; and we find a similar contradiction of this popular error in the very first word of Ecc 11:2 (See below). Barton also noted that by far the most probably correct understanding of this place views it as, “An exhortation to liberality,” pointing out the ancient Arabic proverb upon which the metaphorical words of the text are founded.
“Give a portion to seven, yea, even unto eight, …” (Ecc 11:2). What is the measure of a scholar’s blindness who will read the word “Give,” here as, “Invest your money”? or, “Send your grain overseas”!? That is exactly the way the translators of Good News Bible rendered this verse! “Put your investments in several places, even many places. Oh yes, there is a marginal reference in the American Standard Version indicating that the word translated give may also mean divide; but the three most dependable versions of the Holy Bible, namely, the KJV, the American Standard Version and the RSV, unanimously render the word GIVE. Besides that, the word divide never meant either distribute, diversify, or any similar thing.
Now it is true that a lot of corrupt translations and paraphrases are available; but all of them put together do not have one tenth of the authority of the three standard versions of the Holy Bible just cited.
The remaining verses in this first paragraph (Ecc 11:1-6) are all related to the admonition in the first two verses. Waddey, a very dependable and discerning scholar stresses this.
The mention of the clouds with their rain reminds men that all of their wealth comes via the providence of God; and the mention of the fallen tree is a reminder that death terminates one’s opportunity to give (Ecc 11:3).
“A wind-observer will not sow … a cloud-watcher will not reap” (Ecc 11:4). This is Barton’s rendition of Ecc 11:4. The application is simple enough. If one is never going to give charitable gifts until he is able to predict what good it will do in this or that case; or, if he will wait until he has no suspicions about the need or intentions of the recipient, he will never do anything at all. Of course, the agricultural metaphor here is true exactly as it stands. Get on with the job, no matter what objections might be raised against it!
“Thou knowest not what is the way of the wind, nor how the bones grow in the womb of her that is with child” (Ecc 11:5). The great mysteries of life are beyond our comprehension. The workings of God’s providence are not subject to human understanding; and the future, even for ourselves, is absolutely unpredictable. There is more than a hint in these verses that the benevolent treatment of others by God-fearing people, while we have the ability to do it, might, at some unknown time in the future, be, even for us, the means of our survival.
“Thou knowest not which shall prosper …” (Ecc 11:6 b). In view of all that. is written in these verses, Solomon admonishes us to sow our seed, morning and evening; and this is not speaking of a farming venture, but, “It speaks of the acts of kindness and benevolence that we have opportunity to do.”[13] The apostle Paul used exactly this same metaphor for benevolence in 2Co 9:6-15. He commanded us to, “Do good unto all men” (Gal 6:10), and promised that if we “sow bountifully” we shall also reap “bountifully” (2Co 9:6). Paul’s use of this metaphor for benevolence makes it virtually certain that the sowing here means exactly what it does in the New Testament, practicing liberality.
To teach through precepts and proverbs was characteristic of the wise men of Solomons day. He includes himself in this category (Ecc 12:9). In what is considered among the most beautiful language in the Bible, the Preacher now turns to his final advice. He urges his readers to trust God and work hard! He demonstrates a concern for the happiness of others (note the difference in attitude from that found in Ecc 2:1-11), and urges wise industry, combined with pleasure, before old age makes such activity impossible.
This division, which includes verses one through seven of chapter twelve with chapter eleven, is accepted by most modern commentators. The emphasis is thrilling and exciting: Give of your substance and yourself; above all, make the most of your youth. Enjoy. How badly youth need this lesson today. There is no curtailment from God on approved pleasure. No somber, spiritual straight jacket for the believer. Rejoice, let your heart be pleasant, remove vexation, put away pain, follow the impulses of your heart and desires of your eyes are all admonitions to enjoy life. Just remember, the Preacher warns, God will bring you to judgment. The spirit of this final section under discussion is that one should find the work and happiness which God approves and pursue it with all his strength.
Ecc 11:1-2 These two verses should be considered together. It is possible that the second verse is an explanation of the metaphor in verse one. However, the exact meaning of both verses is much contested. It is highly improbable that the actual meaning and application can be made with any certainty. No less than six distinct explanations have been offered by commentators. Some are so fanciful that they do not merit consideration. The two views which are most generally held are: (1) The traditional Jewish view holds that the lesson is one of charity, and that ones benevolence should be practiced freely without a view to personal return. There is the awareness, however, that should one give freely of his substance, in due season a substantial gain will be forthcoming. (2) The other interpretation encourages the daily pursuit of labor, resigning oneself to the providence of Gods certain control and promise of future reward.
The image of a trading ship is understood as the meaning of cast your bread on the surface of the waters. Cast means send forth and coincides with a merchant sending forth his ships laden with trade goods. One does not know when the ship will return. Often large periods of time lapsed before the ship arrived at home port with goods in trade. Solomon practiced such ventures as it is recorded of him that the king had at sea the ships of Tarshish with the ships of Hiram; once every three years the ships of Tarshish came bringing gold and silver ivory and apes and peacocks (1Ki 10:22). (Cf. Pro 31:14) The idea is that just as the ship returns to reward the one who sent it forth, so God will restore generously the one who demonstrates compassion upon others. A beautiful description of this principle was written by Solomon. He said, He who is gracious to a poor man lends to the Lord, and He will repay him for his good deed (Pro 19:17).
The division into seven parts suggests in the metaphor that one is wise if he does not trust his entire fortune to one ship. The idea is to help many different people. The additional thought of the eight divisions may imply an unlimited number and could be expressed by seven and more. This would be making friends for yourselves by means of the mammon of unrighteousness (Luk 16:9). As one would say today, it is unwise putting all ones eggs in the same basket. The misfortune is thus understood to be an evil that results in loss of possessions or friends, and since one has helped numerous individuals, when his time of need is apparent, help will be forthcoming.
If the saying Cast your bread on the surface of the waters is taken at face value, it would mean that one freely and generously distributes his riches to those in need. It carries the idea of doing good without hope of gratitude or return. (Cf. Luk 6:32-35) Although the motive is pure there is the promise that you will find it after many days. As Ranston said, Be generous, do not be narrow in your liberality; even on the thankless waters scatter broadcast the seeds of kindness; be sure that sooner or later you will be rewarded.”
What if the Preachers intention is not to teach benevolence? What other lesson is justified by these two verses? Assuming continuity in the writing of Ecclesiastes, which has been consistently demonstrated, a close study of the context suggests that the subject at hand is the same subject discussed in chapter ten and obviously pursued in verses three through six of chapter eleven. What is this subject? It is the idea that the way of wisdom is superior to the way of the fool. Although one cannot control the acts of nature (God) or the evil misfortunes produced by fools (sometimes rulers) there is the admonition in in the midst of it all to simply trust God-there are certain things one neither knows nor controls which may have tremendous effects upon his life, yet he must work with all his might and commit himself to Gods providential care. The figure of speech-Cast your bread on the surface of the waters-need not be restricted to a single aspect of ones work or labor. Let it speak to the total picture of industry. Let it encompass charity, but allow more than this. If ones life is lived in its totality according to the righteous rules and principles preached by Koheleth in his book, then the reward will assuredly come to him after many days.
Verse two is simply an admonition to be wise in various activities of life. Allow wisdom to prepare one for the unexpected misfortunes of life which are beyond control. Note how the following verses fortify this argument.
Ecc 11:3 One law of God which alters mans activities upon the earth, and over which man has absolutely no control, is the fact that when the clouds are full, they pour out rain upon the earth. A similar example of the same principle is seen is the fact that a tree remains where it falls. E. M. Zerr comments: This verse is to be considered especially in connection with the last clause of the preceding verse. The laws of nature are fixed so that man should make use of present opportunities for doing good, before some action of nature (which is unseen and unavoidable) cuts off the opportunity.”
Man may fret or even suffer over too much rain or too little, but he cannot control it. The tree falls very likely from the blowing of the wind. Note the use of south and north in this verse as well as in chapter one verse six. The tree could have been a fruit tree in full bloom or a much desired shade tree, but man does not prevent its destruction. The following verse describes how wise men act under such circumstances. One must admit to conditions of life which are beyond his control.
Ecc 11:4 The admonition which states, whatever your hands find to do, verily, do it with all your might (Ecc 9:10), is not heeded by the one who excessively worries over matters he cannot control. Under all circumstances one should do the very best work he can and let God care for him. The wind may threaten to blow away the seeds at sowing time, and the clouds threaten to drop heavy rains to damage or destroy the harvest. (Cf. 1Sa 12:7; Pro 26:1) However, one must employ wise judgment, not fear or inactivity under such circumstances. There is no assurance for the farmer who does the best he can, but he does something.
Some see in the verse a broader application than literal sowing and reaping which would have special meaning for farmers. Luther said it pertains in general to all human activity, but especially to charity. Delitzsch said, The cultivation of the land is the prototype of all labor.” (Cf. Gen 2:15 b) The principle established in verse one and amplified in these verses is applicable to many situations, but it serves the purpose of the Preachers reasoning to view it in the context of the farmer who is always watching the skies and fails to sow his crop.
Ecc 11:5 The Preacher is still discussing the activity of God. One should not stumble over the difficulty of understanding the first part of this verse and miss the obvious. There are two examples presented in the verse which illustrate the mysterious activities of God in nature. The point is made that one can not know what God does. This truth has been previously demonstrated. (Cf. Ecc 1:13; Ecc 3:10-11; Ecc 8:17)
One difficulty is presented by the fact that the word translated wind (ruach) may also be translated spirit. However, the wind has just been under consideration (verse four), and this could very well be a reflection of this same truth. We know, too, that Jesus discussed the subject in Joh 3:18 where He observed that the wind blows where it wishes but man doesnt know where it is going or where it came from. If the wind is misunderstood to be the true meaning, then there are two distinct illustrations.
On the other hand, if ruach is to be translated spirit, then there is but one illustration as the spirit and bones formed in the womb would speak to the mysterious making of a baby-a mystery which even today baffles modern science. (Cf. Psa 139:13-16)
Regardless of which interpretation is preferred, neither the essence nor the application of the lesson is changed. The point is that man does not know the activity of God.
Who makes all things does not speak to the total universe but rather specifically to things mentioned here such as wind and bones in the womb. Zerr observes, The lesson still is that man should make use of present and known advantages, not waiting to figure out the ways of God as to the future.”
Ecc 11:6 The Preacher continues to admonish toward hard work. The positive emphasis sow your seed, and the negative warning, do not be idle, clearly demonstrates his intention. Repetition is a technique used in effective preaching. Restating this theme (Cf. verses three-four) is like hitting the same nail repeatedly until it is well-fastened (Ecc 12:11). The specific explanation is found once again in the figure of the farmer who must work from morning until night, and in addition must trust God as he does not know which effort will succeed. The broader application would encourage one to work diligently at every task he undertakes as this is obviously the overriding message which Solomon relentlessly preaches.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary

The method of worldly wisdom is not that of discretion only; it is, moreover, that of diligence, and this passage urges such diligence. Again, we have taken more than one text out of this passage to preach the truth of God, and therein we do not necessarily do wrong, for there are high spiritual applications of all these things. However, it must be remembered that here they are related to the outlook which has characterized the whole discourse. We have not yet reached, though we are fast approaching it, the point of correction. The whole of this may be summarized by saying that it teaches the necessity for diligence in the midst of the things of this life, “Cast thy bread upon the waters” is an injunction to the toiler that makes harvest possible. “Give a portion to seven” is advice to use all opportunity speculatively, because one does not know what calamities may be ahead, and because it is well to have provided beforehand for such contingencies. All this is followed by advice not to waste time in attempting to decide improbable things; and, finally the words of verses six and seven may be expressed in latter-day language as, “Get at it”; “Keep at it”; “Make hay while the sun shines.” Almost weirdly this section, setting forth the value and method of worldly wisdom, ends in the same wail of disappointment which has characterized the whole of the discourse. “If a man live many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity.”
The last division of the Book begins with the ninth verse of this chapter. Its first word, like the first word of the Manifesto of the King in later days, indicates the true thought and desire of God for man: “Rejoice.” A statement of life which includes all of truth recognized in the discourse, and yet which far transcends the whole of it, is first made. A man is to enter into life, his own life, and his present life, with avidity; and he is constantly to do so in the sight of God, remembering his relationship to God. Judgment here does not mean punishment but verdict. Everything is to be tested first by the supremacy of God. To attempt to find Him through the medium of our self-pleasing use of life is utterly to fail. To enthrone Him first, and then attempt to find life through Him, is to cancel forever the word “vanity.”
Fuente: An Exposition on the Whole Bible

Live not for Today Alone
Ecc 11:1-10
The casting of bread upon the waters is an allusion to the oriental custom of casting rice-grains on the fields, when they lie submerged beneath the annual inundation of such a river as the Nile. To the inexperienced eye, this would seem the prodigality of waste, but the husbandman knows full well that he will meet his seed again with abundant returns. So it is in life, whether we befriend young boys and girls, or distribute tracts, or speak kind and loving words, or invest our money in philanthropic enterprise, we are casting our bread upon the waters to find it after many days in this world or the next.
But how wise the advice not to be always considering the winds and clouds, Ecc 11:3-4. There is considerable hazard in the life of the farmer. If he waits until all the conditions are favorable, he will never begin. So with our work for God. We must risk something. Often the word spoken at an apparently untoward moment will prove to be the word in season, while that spoken under the most favorable conditions will yield no return at all. God gives it a body as, and when, and how it pleaseth Him.
Fuente: F.B. Meyer’s Through the Bible Commentary

Ecc 11:1
This text is generally regarded as an exhortation to charity, in that restricted sense of the word in which it is equivalent to almsgiving. But it is plainly capable of a far wider extension. It represents by a very striking figure the duties and the consequent hopes of every one of us in every one of our relations towards God and towards man.
I. The text teaches the lesson of obedience to present duty and of patience as to the future result. There is a sowing which is done by each one of us for himself: a sowing to the flesh or else a sowing to the Spirit; and according as our sowing is of the one kind or the other, so will our harvest be one of happiness or of misery. Now we can all understand that to sow to the Spirit is a thing which requires great patience. If we look only at the immediate result, we must be disappointed. It is only “after many days”-“in due season,” as St. Paul expresses the same thought-that we shall reap if we faint not.
II. One great part of this sowing to the Spirit consists in our conduct towards God, the other in our conduct towards one another. (1) Suppose that one of you sets himself heartily to seek God. God never led you to expect that a few hours’ or a few days’ anxiety would set at rest for ever your prospect of salvation. He bids you seek Him, and He assures you that in due time He will be found of you. He bids you trust in His guidance, even when He is unseen. Let your comfort be in every time of hope deferred the animating and stirring exhortation on which we have dwelt: “Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.” (2) Withhold not the word that aims at a brother’s good. It may well be spoken humbly, cautiously, reluctantly, gently; if not, it will lose its influence, and will be wrong in you. You may believe to the very end that it was all in vain; and yet in the sight of a God who sees the heart that one word may have been the turning-point for an immortal soul between life and death. Infinite will be the joy hereafter of having been instrumental but partially, but remotely, in the salvation of but one soul. “Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.”
C. J. Vaughan, Harrow Sermons, 2nd series, p. 509.
I. The charge is, “Cast thy bread upon the waters.” (1) Its first reference is to seed, for this is what is meant by “bread.” “The seed is the word of God.” Only from the lips of Christ and from those whose utterances were instinct with the light of Christ’s own Spirit do we obtain those gleanings of precious and suggestive thought which God will vitalise and make the seeds of heaven. (2) A second reference in the charge is to the sowing: “Cast” the seed. Weeds are self-dispersive, and have a frightful facility of growth; but fruits are God’s blessing on labour. The winds of circumstance may float and scatter the thistledown of sin; but the hand of intelligence and piety must sow the seed of truth. (3) The third reference is to the place where the seed is to be cast: “Cast it upon the waters.” As the seeds fell on the soft and porous soil beneath the water, your hints may drop into yielding and receptive natures.
II. The promise: “Thou shalt find it after many days.” “Thou shalt find it;” therefore you may be at first inclined to think it lost. “After many days;” therefore you need not be strengthless with the chill of discouragement if it should not be found at once. “That which thou sowest is not quickened except it die.” It must pass through the action of some kind of mental chemistry; it must mix with other influences; it must long unfurl and ramify in mystery and silence: and you are not to faint because you are unable to reap in sowing-time.
III. What effects should this charge and this promise have on our faith and practice? (1) We must aim to sow the right seed. The right seed appears to be this alone: teaching in its history and its connections the fact that “Jesus Christ is the Saviour of sinners.” (2) We should aim at the best way of teaching. (3) We should aim to look to the right quarter for success. (4) We should aim to use the right rule for estimating success. (5) Let us aim to obey this message from God in our daily sphere of life.
C. Stanford, Central Truths, p. 315.
References: Ecc 11:1.-New Manual of Sunday-school Addresses, p. 271; Preacher’s Monthly, vol. iii., p. 351; Homiletic Magazine, vol. viii., p. 199; Clergyman’s Magazine, vol. xii., p. 343; J. Hamilton, The Royal Preacher, p. 197. Ecc 11:1-6.-R. Buchanan, Ecclesiastes: its Meaning and Lessons, p. 391; T. C. Finlayson, A Practical Exposition of Ecclesiastes p. 239. Ecc 11:1-10.-Clergyman’s Magazine, vol. v., p. 222.
Ecc 11:3
I. In the first proverb in chap. xi.-“Cast thy bread upon the waters,” etc.-do we not see, no less than in the parable of the sower, the common work of man as a tiller of the ground turned into the symbol and token of his life as an heir of God’s kingdom? The words of the Preacher say to each man in the common daily tasks in which his life is spent, to each in his vocation and ministry, Do that which is right and true always; let acts of kindness be scattered freely. The seed never fails of fruit somewhere or at some time. The harvest may be a long way off, yet after many days thou shalt find.
II. The next verse gives in part the interpretation of the parable, in part presents a new one. “Give a portion to seven;” yes, and if an eighth appear at thy gate, send him not away empty: let him be a welcome guest to thee. Do good not according to the measure which thou appointest to thyself, but to the opportunities that God gives thee.
III. The text is in perfect harmony with this teaching. Before, there was the earnest call to well-doing; here the man who would use his life rightly and be what God meant him to be is warned against the perils of the overanxious, over-reflective temper. All the great thinkers of the world tell us, as with one voice, that the future which God appoints will come, for good or evil, joy or sorrow; that it is unwise in any man to anticipate the worst. Let him do the right thing at the present hour, and then he has done all that in him lies to make his path clear, and he may leave the rest to God. No temper is more fatal to energy, manliness, usefulness, than this of anxiety and fear.
E. H. Plumptre, Kings College Sermons, p. 40.
References: Ecc 11:3.-J. Baldwin Brown, Pulpit Analyst, vol. iii., p. 189. Ecc 11:4.-Preacher’s Monthly, vol. vi., p. 292; H. P. Liddon, Old Testament Outlines, p. 163. Ecc 11:5.-Ibid., vol. x., p. 55.
Ecc 11:6
This text lays a general command upon us all that each in his vocation and calling should, as part of the work of every day, watch for and make use of every possible opportunity of helping those around him in the way to godliness, and, like St. Andrew in the early times of the Gospel, of bringing his brother to Jesus.
I. There are no such things as trifles in the life of a Christian. What we call trivial occasions are the very occasions which the precepts and examples of Scripture would have us turn to account. We must carry our religion about with us, so that its light shall be always shining before men, in such sort as that they shall see it sanctifying our business, and hallowing our pleasures, and pervading our whole character. God’s law is not to be “hidden,” not to be “far off;” but it is to be kept very nigh, “in thy mouth and in thy heart.” So ran the command; and the reason of the injunction was added: “in thy mouth and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.”
II. Jesus Christ never missed an opportunity. He came into the world to seek and to save that which was lost. Men might hear Him gladly, or they might walk no more with Him; they might hear, or they might forbear: but He was so on the watch to draw them to Him that no chance was lost. The more we shrink from trying to lead others to good, the less we are like Christ.
F. E. Paget, Helps and Hindrances to the Christian Life, vol. ii., p. 85.
References: Ecc 11:6.-Clergyman’s Magazine, vol. i., p. 276; Parker, City Temple, vol. i., p. 10; Spurgeon, Evening by Evening, p. 266.
Ecc 11:7
I. Good-temper is the result of a well-ordered character, in which each quality is so tempered as to act well with the rest, and to minister to the rightful and easy activity of the whole. It may be born with a man in whom the elements are kindly mixed; but for the most part it has to be won. And we can only win it by daily sacrifice of the impulsive, impertinent, and selfish demands of our different qualities, appetites, and passions to be first. If we work at this quietly, we shall get our character into harmony; and the result of that is good-temper, sunlight in heart and home.
II. There is another thing which goes with good-temper. It is that freedom is given to each member of the house to grow and express their growth in acts and words, freedom within the limits necessary for the pleasure and good of the rest. We are bound not only to prefer one another, but also to prefer them “in honour:” that is, to try and find out what each in the household does best, and therefore enjoys most; to find out in doing what things they will most shine and delight others, and to help them towards these things; to suppress ourselves in order that we may be able to make others appear in honour, and be better liked, reverenced, and loved by ourselves and all. This is true courtesy. It is its very flower; it is the essence of Christ’s teaching set to music in daily life.
III. If you would have sunlight in your home, see that you have work in it, that you work yourself and set others to work.
Nothing makes moroseness and heavy-heartedness in a house so fast as idleness. What said Christ? “My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.” Sunlight comes with work.
IV. The same results that follow sunshine in nature follow its moral image in a home. In such a home there is: (1) light; we see things as they are, and in their right relations. (2) Colour. The smallest flower shines, and enjoys, and expands in sunlight; the smallest child gives forth its special colour, and scent, and charm, and good in a home which is warm and bright with love.
This is the picture and these are the causes of a sunny home. Truly its light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold its sun. The light that lights it is the same light that enlightens the life of God. His sunlight is love and work; and if we would abide with Him, we must love and we must work.
S. A. Brooke, The Spirit of the Christian Life, p. 204.
Reference: Ecc 11:7.-F. O. Morris, Christian World Pulpit, vol. xxix., p. 214.
Ecc 11:7-8
To most men there is something very hopeless about these words, a hopelessness with which too many of us are familiar. The tone is like that of some clever, old, hardened, unloving man of the world, who says to the young, and the aspiring, and the sanguine, “Ah, it is all very well, hope, and romance, and doing wonders, like infantine diseases a painful necessity; you will soon grow out of them. There is nothing worth caring for very much; and you will soon be old and done for, and then the grave. Vanity of vanities!” This is indeed a gospel of despair. I do not think it is good teaching for the young; and more still, I do not think its prophecies need to be fulfilled. To a large extent we may decide what our old age may be.
I. “Truly the light is sweet.” Yes, to those who have once known what it is, otherwise not. For in practical life, whether we deal with the realm of faith or of morals, we still find men contented dwellers in the darkness. They go on in life with the morals and the religion of their class, with a morality and religion deeply unintelligent. They go on with the work of life, and a Sunday church if quite convenient; and they reach their ambition; and they place their children; and life thins off to the end; and they are dull and drowsy, for the night is spreading over them, and they have had no religious intention to be the light of their light.
II. As in the matter of faith and opinion we need at least one interpretative principle to make us know where we are, so in practice we need one definite intention if the gloom of practical irreligion is to be driven away. That which strikes one in the phenomenon of conversion, wherever it occur, as universally present, is the concentration of the mind to one point, and the new force which comes of the concentration. A man ceases to wander aimlessly in a fog, scarcely hoping to get anywhere, unless it be to heaven when he no longer can be here-get to heaven by unintentionally stumbling into it in the dark. He now knows what he means, he now sees his object, and the path lies straight before him. And so we say that a man has “found peace;” and his character grows strong; and the consistent, well-knit life manifests the workings of a grace Divine.
III. But if men choose darkness rather than light in the matter of religious practice, equally true is it that they do so in the matter of religious faith and thought. The attitude of most men towards a new thought or a new side of an old thought is that of impatience and repugnance; they will not bear to hear it expressed and explained, but drown it in cries more forcible than intelligent. “This man speaketh blasphemy,” said men of Christ; and to many a voice of God the same response has been made.
IV. From Christ we learn a rule of life, and that rule is conscientiousness. And from Christ we gain a saving light of faith for these dark days; and it is that “God is good, and His mercy endureth for ever.” This light is sweeter and better far than the cynicism of disappointed age; it is a light for youth in its gladness, and for the strong man in the plenitude of his powers, and it is indeed a saving light as we feel our way to the sanctuary of the tomb.
W. Page-Roberts, Law and God, p. 52.
Ecc 11:7-9
I. Notice the reality of the contrasts presented in life. Full as life is of pathetic meanings, we are often strangely insensible to them. We may not regard them with indifference, but we fail to realise them. Life is made up of the endless play and vicissitude of circumstance, often rising into a tragic pathos. Men and women are apt to be engrossed with their own little share of life. They are unable to conceive life as a whole even in their own case, its breadth of shadow as well as of light, or how the one is meant to fit into the other, and harmonise the whole to a higher meaning than it would otherwise have. They are content with the passing hour, especially if it be an hour of enjoyment. They feel that the light is sweet, and that it is pleasant for the eyes to behold the sun; and beyond this their thoughts do not carry them. It is needless to say that this is an essentially irreligious frame of mind, barely a rational one. The Preacher warns us to look ever from the present to the future, from the light to the darkness, and even from the opening portals of life to a judgment to come.
II. And this points to the second and still higher view of life suggested in the text. It is not merely full of vicissitudes which should always awaken reflectiveness; but below all its vicissitudes, and behind all its joys and sorrows alike, there lies a law of retribution which is always fulfilling itself. It is only when we rise to this view of life that we rise to a truly moral or religious view of it. We must realise that all the moments of life have a Divine meaning, that they are linked together by spiritual law, and are designed to constitute a spiritual education for a higher sphere. This is the true interpretation of the judgment which God has everywhere set up against life, and especially against its festive moments, as the most dangerous and self-absorbing. The light is acknowledged to be good, and life, pleasant. The young man is acknowledged in his natural freedom. His heart is allowed to cheer him in the days of his youth, and he may walk in the ways of his heart and the sight of his eyes. Life is good and to be enjoyed; yet it is always grave, and the account is always running up against it. The true view is at once earnest and genial, bright yet always thoughtful, looking to the end from the beginning and forecasting the future, yet without anxiety, in the experience of the present.
J. Tulloch, Some Facts of Religion and of Life, p. 232.
Reference: Ecc 11:7-10.-R. Buchanan, Ecclesiastes: its Meaning and Lessons, p. 407.
Ecc 11:9
(with Php 4:4)
We may accept these words as in very deed the counsel of the Preacher, as embodying the wisdom which he had learned from God. As such they assert a truth in which all of us, whether young or old, have some share.
I. They tell those who are called to the work of teaching or of guiding youth that all systems of education which tend to repress or coerce its natural elasticity are at variance with the Divine order as well as with man’s nature.
II. Again, I read in the Preacher’s words a warning against a fault into which as we advance in life we are all liable to fall. We allow the cares and anxieties of middle age to possess us wholly; we are careful and troubled about many things. The grave responsibilities of duty or the eager striving after wealth are dominant in us; and we lose our capacity for enjoyment, and become intolerant of the overflowing life of joy which for us has passed away. And so we lose the blessings which God designed for us in making youth the season of enjoyment and clothing it with so much grace and brightness.
III. But the chief lesson of the words is for those to whom they are addressed. The young man is told that he is to rejoice in his youth. That is God’s gift to him; and he should neither reject it by yielding to dark, sullen, moody thoughts, nor waste it in thoughtless profusion, nor defile it by acts of sin.
IV. There are, however, memorable words that accompany this counsel-words which have sometimes been allowed to darken and overshadow it, but which we must not on that account ignore: “Know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.” That cheerfulness and joy of thine does not exempt thee from the great law of retribution which runs through the whole order of man’s life. These words are designed to regulate and purify that which, in the absence of that remembrance, so soon overpasses its right bounds and becomes tainted with evil.
E. H. Plumptre, King’s College Sermons, p. 1.
Ecc 11:9
Was this a strain of savage irony? Was it the mocking wail of one who had done all these things in the very worst sense you can put upon them, and found out, in unspeakable bitterness of heart, what came of it all? Looking before the text and after it, thinking of the general scope and tendency of the whole book of Ecclesiastes, one would say that all the text conveys is this great truth, which we all find out as we grow older, that the reckoning always comes. There is no harm in rejoicing in hopeful youth; God made youth for that. Only remember for steadying and sobering, not for saddening, that the reckoning will come; that through all these things you are sowing, and that you will reap by-and-bye.
I. Solomon was right in this sense, that for all enjoyment, ay, for all you do, for hard work, and privation, and trial too, the reckoning comes, the painful reckoning; for all these things God will bring you into judgment as for the enjoyments of your early days: and the reckoning may be a very heavy one. Even where the present frost is not the direct outcome of the past sunshine, no more sorrowful experience can be known by any human heart than the awful blankness which is expressed by the one word “gone.” To have had and to have lost-that is Solomon’s judgment in the text.
II. But you will not escape the reckoning, go which way you may. Rejoice or not rejoice, God will bring you into judgment. We must through much tribulation enter into what home soever we may reach at the last. The text does but tell us that the troubles tend to increase towards the journey’s end. There is but one choice we can make, and be sure we shall never repent; it is the choice of Christ, the choice of life and good in Him. Make that choice. As for every other choice you make, you will have to enter into judgment for it. But this will abide the trial of that great day.
A. K. H. B., From a Quiet Place, p. 1.
I. There are perhaps two senses in which a portion of these words might be understood. (1) It may mean that youth is the appointed season of joy and gladness, and that God will have it made so. It may say, Rejoice, O young man-for it is God’s will-in the days of thy youth. Only remember, amidst thy mirth and gladness, that coming judgment which will one day take account of all. (2) Or the sense may be not so much in the spirit of encouragement as of warning. If thou rejoice in thy youth so as to resign thyself without check or reserve to its pleasures, then know thou that, bright as earth may seem to thee, full of joys and tolerant of forgetfulness, yet in due time for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.
II. Each of these interpretations has a just and true meaning. “Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth.” God will have it so. If youth were not a season of joy, of few cares and abounding pleasures, who would live to old age? nay, who would be fit for the burden and heat of life’s middle day? Rejoice then while you may. But if thou wilt forget God and enshrine thyself in the sanctuary which was built and furnished for Him, then take with thee this thought, to be thy counsellor if thou wilt, thy scourge if thou wilt not: that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment; and if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
C. J. Vaughan, Harrow Sermons, 2nd series, p. 523.
What is the Christian application of the words, “Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth “?
I. They may warn those who have the care of youth not to lay too much on the young. Sadden not the hearts which God would not make sad. Let there be at least one period of life on which the memory may rest hereafter gladly, a fountain from which the heart may perpetually renew its faith that unalloyed happiness is not unattainable.
II. Let the young believe, what all experience shows, that it is possible to rejoice in youth and at the same time to remember judgment. For pleasure is not life, but the reflex and incidental evidence to us of the life that is there. And while there are most certainly springs of gladness, which may prove hereafter to be the means of enriching life, let the heart which thinks it can discern such blessings be very careful in the use of them. How much may depend on the strength or weakness shown in this, the experienced alone can tell.
III. Let the young rejoice in youth, for it is the beginning of all things; it has possibilities which may well seem infinite. The strain, the conflict, the dust and strife, the heat and burden of the day, are to come afterwards; meanwhile the young are gathering strength in abundant leisure, that in the evil day they may be able to stand. Let us see that it is strength that they are gathering, and not weakness, and then we will not grudge them the brightness of moments which we can never know again.
IV. Let not the young be too ready to imagine that they are able to stand alone and to be a law unto themselves. It is one of the purest sources of joy in youth that it has the power of leaning upon an example, of looking up with reverence to another. It has the belief in human goodness unimpaired. It would be a sad thing if the disintegration of society were to proceed so far, that even this feeling should lose its freshness.
V. It would be wrong to forget that there are some to whom youth is not a time of joy, to whom their first severe trials come at a time when they are least able to bear them, a time when to feel sorrow is to think it impossible ever to smile again. It would be mockery to teach them to rejoice, perhaps even to speak to them of joy. But in fact life is full of compensations; and though the traces of early sorrow may long remain, yet it may have opened depths within them which long afterwards may become a source of truest blessing.
L. Campbell, Some Aspects of the Christian Ideal, p. 134.
We interpret this verse as a simple precept, containing no irony, nor bitterness, nor threatening, but merely an injunction to Christian joy in youth-Christian joy in youth limited, tested, and directed by the prospect of judgment. When we turn to St. Paul to know the principles on which we are to make our rejoicing a Christian one, we find that in the passages in which he urges the duty of rejoicing he puts forward two principal reasons of joy. The one is in the Epistle to the Philippians: “Rejoice in the Lord;” and the other in the Epistle to the Romans: “Rejoicing in hope.” Consider how these grounds of Christian rejoicing affect the young.
I. “Rejoice in the Lord.” The familiar phrase “in the Lord” is one which really contains very deep and solemn meaning. It signifies that Christians are, in some signal and mysterious manner, “in Christ.” Being in Him, they must stand fast in Him; being in Him, they are alike in Him, whether they are alive on the earth, standing fast in Him, or whether they sleep in Him. In Him they thank God acceptably; in Him it is their life to be. We then are in Christ, and St. Paul tells us that we are to rejoice therein: “Rejoice in the Lord alway, and again I say, Rejoice;” “Rejoice that ye are in the Lord, and being in the Lord, rejoice.” This rejoicing belongs to the young Christian as fully as to the old. If he has not yet had the time or opportunity for great advances towards Christian perfection, at least he is less far removed from the days of his baptismal innocence. Grace is yet unclouded by inveterate sin. His heart is still open to the freshness of early lessons, to the depth of first impressions, to the heartiness of childish duty. Thus he may rejoice in his youth, and let his heart naturally cheer him in the days of his youth.
II. “Rejoicing in hope.” The hopes which are the ground of Christian joy are: (1) the hope that our present state of privilege and blessing “in the Lord” shall continue to us while we live, and (2) that in the final judgment we shall be received to the fulness of that inheritance of which we are heirs already. Hope might almost be called the natural privilege of youth. The loving and happy Christian hope often shines as brightly in infant and youthful hearts as even in mature and aged saints. If it be less of a deliberate and reflective feeling, it is more spontaneous and simple, insomuch that many a child who has been early trained to know God, His constant presence, His power, and His love, leans upon Him and trusts Him with the same unhesitating hope and cheerful confidence with which he trusts his earthly parents.
G. Moberly, Sermons at Winchester College, p. 209.
References: Ecc 11:9.-F. W. Farrar, In the Days of thy Youth, p. 89; G. Dawson, Sermons on Daily Life and Duty, p. 105; W. Spensley, Christian World Pulpit, vol. vii., p. 20; J. Sherman, Thursday Penny Pulpit, vol. iv., p. 97. Ecc 11:9, Ecc 11:10.-R. Dixon, Penny Pulpit, No. 631; B. Jowett, Contemporary Pulpit, vol. vi., p. 204; J. Bennet, The Wisdom of the King, p. 406. 11-C. Bridges, An Exposition of Ecclesiastes, p. 263. 11, 12-G. G. Bradley, Lectures on Ecclesiastes, p. 123.
Fuente: The Sermon Bible

CHAPTER 11
1. Proverbs concerning mans work(Ecc 11:1-6)
2. The vanity of life (Ecc 11:7-10)
Ecc 11:1-6. These continued proverbs concern the work of man and begin with exhortations to charity and are followed by the wise acknowledgement that no one knows the works of God, who is the maker of all. All this knowledge is within the compass of the natural man.
Ecc 11:7-10. After these philosophic proverbs he comes back to his former finding–vanity. So to speak he sums up life in one verse, Truly the light is sweet and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun. It is a great thing to have life. A different strain from his despondency, when life seemed not worth living. Alas! there is another but. But if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity. Yes, let him enjoy himself in the present, but there is a dead fly in the ointment Ecc 10:11). There is looming up the dark future; days of darkness are coming for him–it is the grave, and human reason, philosophy, science nor anything else can bring light into this baffling darkness. All that cometh is vanity! Thank God, through revelation we know that those who believe His revelation, and believe on Him, whom God has sent, who is the propitiation for our sins, who conquered death and the grave–for such, all that cometh is glory!
Is it sarcasm that follows? He calls upon the young man to rejoice in his youth. Have a good time! Walk in the ways of thine heart, that heart out of which nothing but evil can come, and in the sight, not of the all-seeing eye of God, but of thine eyes. Do as you like! Follow my previous advice–be not righteous overmuch; be not too wicked; follow the middle road and enjoy yourself. Then comes a weighty sentence, but know thou that for all these things God shall bring thee to judgment. But is not this revelation? Can the reason of man discover that such will be the case? Reason does know the law in nature that whatsoever a man sows that he shall also reap. Reason beholds this law working not only in nature, which teaches man many things, but also in history, so that the philosopher can say, the history of the world is the judgment of the world.
Fuente: Gaebelein’s Annotated Bible (Commentary)

Giving and Receiving
Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.Ecc 11:1
1. There is considerable difference of opinion as to the sense of this verse of Ecclesiastes. The old interpretation which found in it a reference to the practice in Egypt of sowing seed during the inundation of the Nile is not admissible. The verb shalach is not used in the sense of sowing or scattering seed; it means to cast or send forth. But there are two other explanations of the passage for which much can be said.
(1) The view which Delitzsch has taken is a modification of that formerly held by Martin Geier, J. D. Michaelis and othersnamely, that Koheleth recommends the practice of the prudent merchant, who sends for his merchandise in ships, which go over the face of the waters to distant lands, with the expectation that on their return he will receive his own with an increase. This view is supposed to be confirmed by the statement concerning the good woman in Pro 31:14, She is like the merchants ships; she bringeth her food from afar, and the words of Psa 107:23, They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters. But one sees no reason why Koheleth should suddenly turn to commerce and the trade of a maritime city. Such considerations have no reference to the context or to the general design of the book. Nothing leads to them, nothing comes of them.
(2) The favourite explanation is that the verse inculcates a liberal charityGive your bread to any who chance to need it, and you will at some distant time receive a reward. If we take it so, we have a maxim in due accordance with the spirit of the rest of the work, and one which conduces to the conclusion reached at the end. The bread in the East is made in the form of thin cakes, which would float for a time if thrown into a stream; and, if it be objected that no one would be guilty of such an irrational action as flinging bread into the water, it may be answered that this is just the point aimed at. Do your kindnesses, exert yourself, in the most unlikely quarters, thinking not of gratitude or return, but only of duty. And yet surely a recompense will be made in some form or other.
2. The earliest comment on the passage is that of Ben Sira, who in a maxim of his, extant only in Chaldee, observes, Strew thy bread upon the surface of the water and on the dry land, and thou shalt find it in the end of days. It will be observed in this earliest comment upon the verse that the difficulty of considering the verb to refer to sowing of seed was felt even at that time, and an attempt made to obviate it by translating the word in a sense in which it certainly occurs. Bishop Lowth in his work on Hebrew Poetry has explained the phrase as equivalent to the Greek expression to sow the sea. But the aphorism of Koheleth was not meant as an exhortation to engage in labour though apparently fruitless. Its signification is better conveyed in the Arabic proverb quoted from Diez by several commentators, Do good, cast thy bread into the water, at some time a recompense will be made thee. Delitzsch observes that the same proverb has been naturalized in Turkish, Do good, throw it into the water; if the fish does not know it, God does.
A very suitable parallel is quoted by Herzfeld from Goethes Weststlicher Divan,
Was willst du untersuchen,
Wohin die Milde fliesst!
Ins Wasser wirf deine Kuchen:
Wer weiss, wer sie geniesst!
A similar interpretation is found in Voltaire. Dukes gives in his note the following story, quoted from the Kabus by Diez (Denkwrdigkeiten von Asien, 1 Th. p. 106 ff.), which, whether it be a fact or a fiction, well illustrates the meaning of the Arabic proverb: The caliph Mutewekkil in Bagdad had an adopted son Fettich, of whom he was very fond. As the latter was bathing one day, he sank under the water and disappeared. The caliph offered a large reward to any one who should recover the boys body. A bather was fortunate enough after seven days to discover the boy alive in a cavern in a precipitous mountain by which the river flowed. On investigation, the caliph ascertained that the boy was kept from starving by cakes of bread borne to him over the surface of the water, on which cakes was stamped the name of Mohammed ben Hassan. The caliph, having summoned Mohammed ben Hassan into his presence, asked him what induced him to throw the bread into the water. Mohammed ben Hassan replied that he had done so every day for a whole year in order to test the truth of the Arabic proverb already cited. The caliph, according to the story, was so pleased with his conduct that he made over to him on the spot five villages in the neighbourhood of Bagdad.1 [Note: C. H. H. Wright.]
3. The whole passage in which the text occurs seems to be a protest against that despondency and over-anxiety which are so apt to lower our generosity, and to relax our faithfulness to duty. Beneficence ought to look forward hopefully into the future; but it ought not to be over-calculating. Beneficence without hope loses one of the springs of its energy. Beneficence without thought may cease to be beneficence in anything but the motive, and may positively injure where it desires to bless. But thoughtfulness in well-doing is one thing; anxious calculation is another thing. Such calculation is apt to rob us of hope, and to depress our energy. It is likely also to defeat its own ends. For there are limits to our powers of thought. We cannot with certainty forecast the future, or foretell the results even of our own actions. The ways of God are, many of them, mysterious. It is ours to sow; the harvest is with Him. No doubt we ought to sow as wisely as we can; but we ought also to remember that, with all our wisdom, the harvest may be different from what we anticipate. If we begin to calculate too much, we shall calculate badly. Let us therefore do good as we have opportunity, dealing with present claims rather than with future contingencies, acting with hopeful yet unselfish generosity, and with diligent and thoughtful yet unanxious beneficence. This seems to be the central lesson of the passage before us.
Give not only unto seven, but also unto eight, that is, unto more than many. Though to give unto every one that asketh may seem severe advice, yet give thou also before asking; that is, where want is silently clamorous, and mens necessities not their tongues do loudly call for thy mercies. For though sometimes necessitousness be dumb, or misery speak not out, yet true charity is sagacious, and will find out hints for beneficence. Acquaint thyself with the physiognomy of want, and let the dead colours and first lines of necessity suffice to tell thee there is an object for thy bounty. Spare not where thou canst not easily be prodigal and fear not to be undone by mercy; for since he who hath pity on the poor lendeth unto the Almighty rewarder, who observes no ides [when borrowed money was repaid] but every day for his payments, charity becomes pious usury, Christian liberality the most thriving industry; and what we adventure in a cockboat may return in a carrack unto us. He who thus casts his bread upon the water shall surely find it again; for though it falleth to the bottom, it sinks but like the axe of the prophet, to rise again unto him.1 [Note: Sir Thomas Browne, Christian Morals, 90.]
I
The Precept
Cast thy bread upon the waters.
There can be little doubt that this admonition applies to the deeds of compassion and beneficence which are the proper fruits of true religion. In times of famine, in cases of affliction and sudden calamity, it is a duty to supply the need of the poor and hungry. Almsgiving is the natural, the necessary, expression of a healthy Christian character. The Christian cannot but be communicative of the goods which he has. Almsgiving is not a concession to importunity, by which we free ourselves from unwelcome petitioners; it is not a sacrifice to public opinion, by which we satisfy the claims popularly made upon our place or fortune; it is not an appeal for praise; it is not a self-complacent show of generosity; it is not, in a word, due to any external motive. It is the spontaneous outcome of life.
But there are many other ways in which benevolence may express itself besides almsgiving. The Christian is called upon to care both for the bodies and for the souls of his fellow-mento give the bread of knowledge as well as the bread that perisheth, and to provide a spiritual portion for the enrichment and consolation of the destitute.
1. The Bread of Kindness.Cast seed on the soil, and you may reasonably expect a harvest. But to cast bread upon the waterswhat good can come of that? And yet there are many acts of beneficence which seem quite as unlikely ever to bring any return to the benefactor. We are to be kind to others, even although we can see no ground for hoping that we shall ever be recompensed by them. There are many cases in which simply the need of others ought to be our chief motive in well-doing. It is indeed quite true that mere indiscriminate almsgiving is likely to do harm instead of good. But here, we shall suppose, is a case in which we know a man to be in real need, and we are able really and truly to help him. We are not sure that he will be even grateful to us. We cannot well conceive of our ever coming into circumstances in which we shall need his help. Well, let us cast our bread upon the waters. Let us be generous without calculation. Let us do good to the man without any considerations of personal advantage. Let not our benevolence take the form of a mere investment. However unprofitable to ourselves our well-doing may appear to be, still let us continue to do well.
It surely cannot matter to you whom the thing helps, so long as you are content that it wont, or cant, help you? But are you content so? For that is the essential condition of the whole businessI will not speak of it in terms of moneyare you content to give work? Will you build a bit of wall, supposeto serve your neighbour, expecting no good of the wall yourself? If so, you must be satisfied to build the wall for the man who wants it built; you must not be resolved first to be sure that he is the best man in the village. Help any one, anyhow you can: so, in order, the greatest possible number will be helped; nay, in the end, perhaps you may get some shelter from the wind under your charitable wall yourself; but do not expect it, nor lean on any promise that you shall find your bread again, once cast away; I can only say that of what I have chosen to cast fairly on the waters myself, I have never yet, after any number of days, found a crumb. Keep what you want; cast what you can,and expect nothing back, once lost, or once given.1 [Note: Ruskin, Fors Clavigera, Letter 19 (Works, xxvii. 323).]
(1) Charity, in the sense of the gospel, is disinterested. The design, in every act which is entitled to this name, is to do real good to those who are its objects. The intention of the author of it will invariably be to promote the happiness or to relieve the distresses of the sufferer; not to advance his own reputation, to promote his own selfish purposes, or even to prevent the reproaches of his own conscience. In a word, selfishness, of whatever kind, and in whatever form it may exist, is not charity.
Lady Blanche Balfour was a person whose thoughts were not like other peoples thoughts, and who could do things which other people could not do. The Cotton Famine in Lancashire during the American Civil War stirred her sympathy greatly. As it happened at the time that her establishment was being reduced,probably with a view to her going abroad with her children,she used the opportunity to make a novel proposal to them. They were told that, if they liked to do the work of the house, any money that was saved in this way would go to the help of the distressed people. When they agreed to take this up, the house was divided. The few servants remaining had the use of the still-room at one end of it to prepare their own meals in, and the kitchen was made over to Lady Blanches daughters, who, after the two eldest had a few lessons from the cook before she left, did the family cooking, with only the assistance, for the roughest work, of two quite untrained Lancashire girls, who were brought from amid the idle sorrow of the time in Manchester to stay in Whittingehame House. Lady Blanches sons [of whom the Right Hon. A. J. Balfour is the eldest] had also work of the house which they could do allotted them, such as cleaning of boots and knives. Of course the young ladies were new to cutting up and cooking meat; so the meals at first were very irregularly achieved, and were trying enough even to youthful appetites. They must have been still more trying to Lady Blanche herself, who was really an invalid always. But more than one purpose of hers was served. The help sent to Lancashire was greater by the amount saved in household expenses; her children had the sense of giving this share of help through their own labour and self-denial; and they had besides a discipline of great value, as no doubt their mother intended, in the thorough knowledge acquired of details of housekeeping, and in the check given to dependence on comforts. Others, perhaps, in her circumstances might have imagined and planned such a procedure as this; but few could have carried it through.1 [Note: J. Robertson, Lady Blanche Balfour, 25.]
(2) Bountifulness should distinguish beneficence. The crumbs which fall from the rich mans table, the scraps which are doled out at the servants door, are not to be here accounted of. The liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand. Cast thy bread. Let it not be extorted from you. Let it be given heartily, not by constraint, but willingly. The cheerful giver is the acceptable giver. Freely ye have received, freely give. Even when our own daily bread is scanty, we are to cast some of it upon the waters whenever there is a Divine call to do this. A poor widow, who had been reduced to penury, acted thus one day at Zarephath, a town in the region of Tyre and Sidon. She shared with the prophet Elijah what she thought might possibly be her last meal, and she took him home with her as a guest for many days. The reward of her hospitality, after perhaps nearly two years, was the restoration to life of her dead son in answer to the prophets earnest prayer.
Miss Pipes whole attitude to beneficence of action and expenditure was characteristic. She believed in practical benefit rather than in charity commonly so called. Her gifts in money were numerous and generous, but she took great pains to learn how the money would be used, and often, when some individual or society was doing what seemed to her valuable work, she would send to either an unexpected cheque in assistance of what she approved. The work was just as often scientific, pedagogic, or artistic, as conventionally charitable, and sometimes took the form of help in publication in order to preserve the authors aim from interference; of help in establishing schools, when she approved of those who ventured; of money sent for travelling when the need was educational. These and similar gifts did not interfere with a constant liberality to missions, church-schemes and expenses, to hospitals, work amongst the poor, and especially to such work as Miss Octavia Hill was doing, in which she warmly welcomed the high intelligence, the educative processes, the seeds sown for the future. To her own personal friends she was always and continuously generous, delighting to find out what they needed or wished, and to supply it. Some memoranda of her personal expenditure have escaped destruction, and indicate the splendid proportion of her giving to others compared with her purchasing for herself. For instance, in one year she gave away 288, and spent 14 on dress; in another, while dress cost 90, giving reached 363; in a third, dress amounted to 58 and giving to 406; in a fourth, dress had grown more costly, reaching 100, but giving had increased to 485; and by 1880, dress had sunk to 71, while giving had grown to 789.1 [Note: Life and Letters of Hannah E. Pipe, 194.]
2. The Bread of the Gospel.Though liberality and kindness are the primary lessons of our text, it may well suggest, as in our ordinary conversation it does suggest, every kind of work for God. There is in the world an ever-increasing amount of work done in the spirit of Christian benevolence, efforts on behalf of the young, the outcast, the victims of drink, the criminal, the poor, the afflicted; efforts that at times seem to be fruitless, and often meet with lack of appreciation, often with ingratitude, and at times even with wrath. Those for whom we may have done our best take a base advantage of kindness, or say to us, like the evil spirit of old, Let us alone, and, after all our efforts, are not any the better, but rather the worse. We are inclined to lose heart and hope because we see no fruit of our labours. It is to those in such a condition, who are depressed and think it not worth while to continue, that such words as the text may apply. Our bread is to be cast upon the waters. We are to render serviceservice that often costs muchto thankless people. We must be content to work when our work is unacknowledged, unrequitedeven when it is despised. If we serve men in material things, indifference and ingratitude may be the return; but this is still more likely to be the case when we seek to do them the highest good. People appreciate gold, bread, or raiment sooner than they appreciate efforts to raise their mind and character. Much of the highest, painfullest service wrought for the good of menwork of brain and heartis least appreciated. So many a sincere worker is sad because of the lack of appreciation, and ready to renounce his self-sacrificing work, seeing it is so disregarded.
But let us remember how Gods work and gifts are unappreciated. The multitude crowds into the music-hall and gazes with rapture on some vulgar stage scenery painted in glaring ochres, whilst Gods bright landscapes full of perfect beauty solicit their eye in vain. There is a great crush in the public gardens to witness an exhibition of fire-workssmall tricks in saltpetre; but the eager crowd turns its back on the moon walking in brightness and Gods heaven sown with stars. And men treat Gods government and grace as they do His handiwork, ignoring Him who is wonderful in counsel, excellent in working. Yet for all this He does not suspend His beneficent action; He continues His glorious and generous administration, whatever may be the response of His creatures. He makes His sun to shine upon the evil and the good, His rain to descend upon the just and the unjust, despite the thanklessness of the far greater portion of those who are so richly and undeservedly blessed. How largely the sublime work of the Lord Jesus is unrecognized! Where are the nine? is a mournful question still on our Masters lips. But He does not fail, neither is He discouraged because of the blindness and heartlessness of those whom He suffered to redeem; He pursues the thankless with offers of grace and blessing. We are far too anxious about acknowledgments and congratulations. It is natural, perhaps, that we should suffer some sense of disappointment, but have we not considerations and motives to lift us far above such discontent? It is rather the gratitude than the apathy of men that should leave us mourning. Let us work in the spirit of a noble faith and consecration, knowing that what we give and suffer will be lightly esteemed among men.
It was a saying of Cromwells that he goes farthest who knows not where he is going. He did not forecast his actions and see far ahead, did not, indeed, try to do so. To him the important thing was to get what he regarded as a leading from the Lord. When he was sure of that, all hesitation on his part was gone. It is not business-like to know not whither you are going, and he is not likely to go far who should enter upon business in that fashion. But in the spiritual realm it is different. The great thing there is to follow the Divine leading, and to sow even though it be in tears, trusting Him who gives the command that all will be well, and that in His own good time there shall come a reaping time of joy.1 [Note: J. S. Maver.]
II
The Promise
Thou shalt find it after many days.
This comes in most seasonably on the back of such a precept, and its expressiveness is not instructive merely; it is most encouraging; nothing could be better; it is in every way most worthy of the heartiest consideration and acceptation.
1. The most uncalculating generosity is precisely that which is most certain, in one way or other, to meet with its reward. Thou shalt find it after many days. This is not to be the motive of our acts, but it will in the course of time be the result.
21st September 1863Met at the house of the Rev. C. K. Paul, at Stourminster Marshall, Father Strickland, an English Jesuit, who said to meI have observed, throughout life, that a man may do an immense deal of good, if he does not care who gets the credit for it.1 [Note: Sir M. E. Grant Duff, Notes from a Diary, 18511872, 111.]
If we give because we do not know how soon we may need a gift, and in order that we may by-and-by find the good of it, do not even the heathen and the publicans the same? Well, not many of them, I think. I have not observed that it is their habit to cast their bread on thankless waters. If they forebode calamity and loss, they provide against them, not by giving, but by hoarding; and even they themselves would hardly accept as a model of charity a man who buttoned up his pocket against every appeal, lest he should be yielding to a selfish motive, or be suspected of it. The refined selfishness of showing kindness and doing good even to the evil and the unthankful because we hope to find the good of it is by no means too common yet; we need not go in dread of it. Nor is it an altogether unworthy motive. St. Paul urges us to help a fallen brother on the express ground that we may need similar help some day (Gal 6:1); and he was not in the habit of appealing to base motives. Nay, the very Golden Rule itself, which all men admire even if they do not walk by it, touches this spring of action; for among other meanings it surely has this, that we are to do to others as we would that they should do to us, in the hope that they will do to us as we have done to them. There are other higher meanings in the Rule of course, as there are other and purer motives for Charity; but I do not know that we are any of us of so lofty a virtue that we need fear to show kindness in order to win kindness, or to give help that we may get help when we need it. Possibly, to act on this motive may be the best and nearest way of rising to such higher motives as we can reach.2 [Note: Samuel Cox, The Book of Ecclesiastes, 250.]
2. Some may happily find an almost immediate return, like the mother of Moses when she entrusted her babe to the Nile waters, and her faith was rewarded even beyond her expectations. Others may be like Jonathan, whose unselfish love towards David found a return after he was gone, in Davids kindness to his son, Mephibosheth. And to others the fulness of the return may be still more remote, as when Ruth cast in her lot with Naomi, and thereby came to be privileged to have in the line of her descent the Saviour of the world.
There is a certain beauty and power in the life that is lived and the labours that are wrought with a distant aim in view. There is no such thing as labour for remote ends in the brute creation, but in man you find it, and nothing distinguishes man from man more than the capacity to foresee and work toward a far-distant result. As Ruskin says, It is the far-sight, the quiet and confident patience that, above all other attributes, separate man from man, and near him to his Maker, and there is no action nor art whose majesty we may not measure by this test.1 [Note: J. S. Maver.]
I know a man intimately who has been periodically solicited for loans of money during a long term of years, and who has generally acceded to the request. Of these loans he can recall only one instance of repayment; but the instance is that of a boy whom he relieved in an emergency, and who has lived to be a comfort to his family. The one success has compensated the many failures. The bread which has been cast upon the waters has come back only in fragments; but the fragments have been so precious that they have justified the cost.2 [Note: G. Matheson, Thoughts for Lifes Journey, 232.]
3. However long in coming, the reward will come. Thou shalt find it after many days. Our work shall not be unavailing, our bark shall not be shipwrecked. To do any work with ardour, thoroughness, and perseverance we must have a strong assurance that it will succeed, and in the noblest work we have that assurance. The seed that was sown generations ago is bearing fruit to-day, and it shall be so once more with the seed we sow. The ship that we sent forth with trembling, that is never reported from any foreign port, that is never spoken by a passing sail, that sends no message in sealed bottle on the waves, that is frozen fast in abysses of frost and darkness, shall nevertheless return, bringing treasure beyond all ivory, pearls, or gold. On celestial cliffs we shall hail argosies that we fitted out and sent over stormy seas. Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord; they rest from their labours, and their works do follow them.
Dr. Dwight of America tells how, when the country near Albany was newly settled, an Indian came to the inn at Lichfield, and asked for a nights shelterat the same time confessing that from failure in hunting he had nothing to pay. The hostess drove him away with reproachful epithets, and as the Indian was retiring sorrowfullythere being no other inn for many a weary milea man who was sitting by directed the hostess to supply his wants and promised to pay her. As soon as his supper was ended, the Indian thanked his benefactor, and said he would some day repay him. Several years thereafter the settler was taken a prisoner by a hostile tribe, and carried off to Canada. His life was spared, however, though he himself was detained in slavery. But one day an Indian came to him, and giving him a musket, bade the captive follow him. The Indian never told where they were going, or what was his object; but day after day the captive followed his mysterious guide, till one afternoon they came suddenly on a beautiful expanse of cultivated fields, with many houses rising amongst them. Do you know that place? asked the Indian. Ah, yesit is Lichfield; and whilst the astonished exile had not recovered his surprise and amazement, the Indian exclaimed, And I am the starving Indian on whom at this very place you took pity. And now that I have paid for my supper, I pray you go home. 1 [Note: J. Hamilton, The Royal Preacher, 198.]
There is no labour lost
Though it seem tossed
Into the deepest sea.
In dark and dreary nights,
Mid stormy flash of lights,
It cometh back to thee.
Cometh not as it went,
So strangely warped and bent,
But straight as an arrow new.
And though thou dost not know
How right from wrong may grow,
From false the true
Thou must confess ere long
Sorrow hath broke forth in song
That life comes out of death,
The lily and roses breath
From beds where ugly stains
Were washed below by earthly rains.
Fear not to labour, then,
Nor say, I threw my time away!
It is for God, not men,
To count the cost and pay.
Literature
Askew (E. A.), The Service of Perfect Freedom, 225.
Bradley (G. G.), Lectures on Ecclesiastes, 190.
Cox (S.), The Book of Ecclesiastes (Expositors Bible), 247.
Deane (W. J.), in The Pulpit Commentary, 275.
Finlayson (T. C.), The Meditations and Maxims of Koheleth, 239.
Hamilton (J.), The Royal Preacher, 197 (Works, iii. 190).
Hodgson (A. P.), Thoughts for the Kings Children, 132.
Houchin (J. W.), The Vision of God, 107.
Jerdan (C.), Manna for Young Pilgrims, 152.
Matheson (G.), Thoughts for Lifes Journey, 231.
Pattison (T. H.), The South Wind, 197.
Plumptre (E. H.), Ecclesiastes, 204.
Stanford (C.), Central Truths, 194.
Thomson (E. A.), Memorials of a Ministry, 110.
Thomson (J. R.), in The Pulpit Commentary, 284.
Watkinson (W. L.), Studies in Christian Character, ii. 234.
Wilson (S. L.), Helpful Words for Daily Life, 123.
Wright (C. H. H.), Ecclesiastes in Relation to Modern Criticism and Pessimism, 223.
Christian World Pulpit, xxxviii. 120 (W. J. Hocking).
Church of England Pulpit, xli. 121 (C. A. Jones).
Churchmans Pulpit: Twenty-fifth Sunday after Trinity, xiii. 465 (C. J. Vaughan).
Twentieth Century Pastor, xxxiii. 13 (J. S. Maver).
Fuente: The Great Texts of the Bible

Cast: That is, says Bp. Lowth, “Sow thy seed or corn on the face of the waters;” in plain terms, sow without any hope of a harvest: do good even to them on whom your benefactions seem thrown away. Dr. Jebb has well illustrated it by the following passages: Vain are the favours done to vicious men;
Not vainer tis to sow the foaming deep.
The deep no pleasant harvest shall afford
Nor will the wicked ever make return. “To befriend the wicked is like sowing in the sea.
These, indeed, invert this precept;
Nor is it extraordinary that they should. “The one, frail human power alone produced,
The other, God.”
thy bread: Deu 15:7-11, Pro 11:24, Pro 11:25, Pro 22:9, Isa 32:8
waters: Heb. face of the waters, Isa 32:20
for: Ecc 11:6, Deu 15:10, Psa 41:1, Psa 41:2, Psa 126:5, Psa 126:6, Pro 11:18, Pro 19:17, Mat 10:13, Mat 10:42, Mat 25:40, Luk 14:14, 2Co 9:6, Gal 6:8-10, Heb 6:10
Reciprocal: Lev 19:25 – General 1Sa 25:11 – give it 2Sa 17:29 – The people 2Ch 18:14 – Go ye up Psa 112:9 – dispersed Pro 3:10 – General Pro 13:7 – that maketh himself poor Pro 14:21 – he that hath Pro 31:20 – she reacheth Ecc 3:6 – and a time to cast Isa 58:7 – to deal Eze 18:16 – but hath Mat 5:42 – General Mat 25:17 – he also Mat 25:35 – I was an Luk 6:38 – and it Luk 11:41 – rather Luk 16:9 – Make Act 2:45 – parted Act 11:29 – to send Rom 12:8 – giveth 1Ti 6:18 – ready
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

UNPROMISING WORK
Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.
Ecc 11:1
I. The text teaches the lesson of obedience to present duty and of patience as to the future result.There is a sowing which is done by each one of us for himself: a sowing to the flesh or else a sowing to the Spirit; and according as our sowing is of the one kind or the other, so will our harvest be one of happiness or of misery.
II. One great part of this sowing to the Spirit consists in our conduct towards God, the other in our conduct towards one another.(1) Suppose that one of you sets himself heartily to seek God. God never led you to expect that a few hours or a few days anxiety would set at rest for ever your prospect of salvation. He bids you seek Him, and He assures you that in due time He will be found of you. (2) Withhold not the word that aims at a brothers good. It may well be spoken humbly, cautiously, reluctantly, gently; if not, it will lose its influence, and will be wrong in you.
Dean Vaughan.
Illustration
How imprudent, how absolutely reckless! Yet the very text itself affirms that we shall find it after many days. It is not lost; the seed has gone away from the granary that it may bring a hundredfold back with it; the little seed that went out as a handful will come back as a cart loaded with sheaves, so that you must enlarge the gateway to give the largest welcome.
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary

Ecc 11:1. Cast thy bread That is, thy seed, which is here called bread, as it is also Job 28:5, and Isa 28:28, because the produce of it makes bread, and the husbandman could ill spare it, wanting it, perhaps, for bread for himself and family; upon the waters That is, either by the rivers sides, or in moist and marshy ground, or even on the waters that cover it, where there might be little prospect of a crop. Solomon here probably alludes to the manner of planting rice in the eastern countries; for, as Sir John Chardin observes in his note on Isa 32:20, They sow it upon the water; and, before sowing, while the earth is covered with water, they cause the ground to be trodden by oxen, horses, and asses, which go mid-leg deep; and this is the way of preparing the ground for sowing. And, as they sow the rice in the water, they transplant it in the water. But, though Solomon alludes to this, it is evident he means in these words to inculcate liberality to the poor. As if he had said, Cast That is, freely and liberally bestow; thy bread That is, thy money, or provisions, or the necessaries of life, of whatever kind; upon the waters Upon the poor, on whom thy bounty may at first, and for a time, appear to be lost. (as the seed does, which a man casts upon the waters,) through their unthankfulness or inability to make thee any returns: yet, thou shalt find it It shall be restored to thee, either by God or men, more certainly than the rice or other seed corn, cast upon the marshy or watery ground, produces fruit in due season: after many days The return may be slow, but it is sure, and will be so much the more plentiful the longer it is delayed. This clause is added to prevent an objection, and quicken us to the duty enjoined.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Ecc 11:1. Cast thy bread upon the waters; for thou shalt find it after many days. The root lechem, designates bread, corn, and all kinds of meat which sustain life. It refers also to what is sown. Psa 104:14. That he may bring forth food out of the earth. In all tropical climates, where the rains are periodical, the husbandman wades into the retiring rivers, where they have overflowed the country, and sows his corn on the waters, which sinks into the muddy depositions of the inundations, and thus procures an earlier vegetation. Then, after a hundred days, he finds his barley ripe, and other grain in due proportion of time. Therefore in all good works, let us sow in hope; for we shall rejoice in the day of harvest, and receive abundance of encrease.
Ecc 11:2. Give a portion to seven, and also to eight. When widows, orphans, and strangers in distress ask bread, forget all fears that thou thyself mayest want. We must all learn to trust in providence; therefore learn to be liberal. There is a God who will repay; and with an abundant blessing on thy cattle, and on thy lands. When God visits the land with short harvests, as he did England in the years 1795, 1799, and 1800, men are then particularly required to feed the hungry, and clothe the naked poor, and in a manner beyond our ordinary means.
REFLECTIONS.
The excellence of religion is charity, and charity that exceeds what is called worldly prudence, that we must be just before we are generous. Certainly the widow that has but a cup of cold water is not required to give more; but this maxim ill becomes a man with his barns full of corn, and his warehouse full of goods. The poor expect benevolence from the professors of benevolence.
Sow thy seed without regarding the course of the winds, or the appearance of a cloud; the first dictates of the heart are the purest. As thou knowest not how the child is formed and grows in the secrets of nature, so ask not the particular causes of the calamities of the hungry; they may be visitations to check the prodigalities of a dissipated age. In charities, do not lay too much stress on known cases of family depression. The cry of hunger can only be answered by bread: thou knowest not the work of God, who maketh all those things. He does not choose to expose the bulk of mankind to the temptations of affluence and wine. He humbles men for their sins, that in the day of trouble they may seek the Lord, and return to their fathers house.
Truly light is sweet; it is health, and joy, and affluence. But though we may have enjoyed these favours for many years, let us not forget that the days of darkness may soon come. The life of man is full of vicissitudes. Our flower must fade, and our leaf must fall; and then it will be a consolation to say as Job did: I was eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame. I was a husband to the widow, and a father to the orphan; the cause which I knew not, I searched out.
It is true, our young people, looking solely at the gaieties of life, think but little of the days of darkness, youth being a time of pleasure; when we talk of deaths to them, among the circle of their acquaintance, they are armed with evasions; the deceased, they say, was aged, or in a sickly state. They see no danger for themselves, and therefore no need of our untimely sermons.
Well, then let the preacher take another text, and preach another sermon. Let him join in harmony with passion, and say, Rejoice, oh young man, in thy youth. Remove sorrow from thy heart, and be all for life and pleasure; go to balls, and be introduced to the world, as in the gayer circles. Study to please, and be devoted to the life of a courtier. But remember, Philip, said the page every morning, remember that thou must die. Remember also, that after death cometh the judgment. Heb 9:27. Shut then thine eyes, oh young man, for a moment, and learn to study all the just relations of mortals to the tomb, to their conscience, and to their God. Seek regeneration for thy giddy and unconscious heart, keep thy flesh as the temple of God, and thy soul as the seat of pure religion; for God will grant this grace to all that ask.
Fuente: Sutcliffe’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Ecc 11:1 to Ecc 12:8. Closing Counsels.It is well to do and to get all one can, in the way of industry and pleasure, before old age draws on. Ecc 11:1 and Ecc 11:2 are best taken as referring either to merchandise or generosity, though bread has also been interpreted as seed sown on irrigated land (cf. Ecc 11:4 and Ecc 11:6) or even as human semen, and Ecc 11:2 and Ecc 11:6 forced into line. The traders venture is to be divided between several ships, for it is unsafe to put all ones eggs in one basket; similarly it is well to make friends with as many folk as possible as insurance against a day of disaster (cf. Luk 16:9). Man is the child of circumstances, he can no more control his fate than the weather (Ecc 11:3); for tree perhaps read stick, and see a reference to divination by throwing a wand into the air and determining ones action by the direction in which it comes to rest (cf. Hos 4:12). The wise farmer (Ecc 11:4) knows that his varied operations must be performed at the proper time whatever the weather threatens; he who waits the more convenient season and ideal conditions gets nothing done. Rain in harvest-time was rare in Palestine but not impossible (1Sa 12:17, Pro 26:1). Man, knowing not the way of the wind (Joh 3:8) nor the mystery of embryology (Psa 139:13-16), cannot hope to understand the operations of Providence in these matters and in all else; all perhaps = both (Ecc 11:5). All he can do (Ecc 11:6) is to peg away at his work from morn till eve, perhaps from youth till age, bearing gains and losses philosophically. Light and life are good, but even while we enjoy them comes the thought of their brevity, and the certainty of Sheol, the underworld of shadows, a future that is unsubstantial reality, vanity, and emptiness indeed. So (Ecc 11:9) make the most of youth, gratify your desires, carpe diem, gaudeamus dum iwvenes sumus (cf. Ecc 9:7-10, 1Co 15:32). Whether we regard Ecc 11:7 to Ecc 12:7 as due to a reviser or not, we must almost certainly see an interpolation in Ecc 11:9 b, but know thou . . . Put away (Ecc 11:10) brooding and melancholy and asceticism (evil), the heyday of life is soon over (vanity), so make the most of it, for the dull days are hastening on (Ecc 12:1 b).
Ecc 12:1 a is also an interpolation, unless with a slight emendation of the Heb. we read, remember thy well, or cistern, i.e. thy wife (Pro 5:18). Yet the injunction in its familiar form is one that we rightly prize; fellowship with God in the early years of life is the safeguard both of youth and age.
Ecc 12:1 b or ever, etc., thus connects with Ecc 11:10; age is drawing on with its lack of zest and of joie de vivre. The allegory of senility in Ecc 12:2-6 is not to be forced into any single line of interpretation, whether anatomical or atmospherical (the approach of night or a storm or winter). The metaphors change and intermingle in accord with the richness of an Oriental imagination (Barton). Make the most of youth, says Qoheleth, while the sun is not darkened . . . (Ecc 12:2); life as it advances loses its brightness and that increasinglysun, moon, stars all fail, and after rain there is no season of clear shining but only the return of the clouds.Arms (keepers), and legs (strong men) grow weak and weary; teeth (grinders, lit. grinding women) and eyes (the women that look through the windows) are alike faint (Ecc 12:3). This verse suggests the inmates of a housetwo sets of men, and two of women, menial and gentle. Because they are few, better, though they are few. The lips (doors Psa 141:3), or perhaps the less honourable parts of the body, are closed, the feeble gums make a poor attempt at mastication; sleep is short, for the old man wakes with the early twitter of the birds (possibly he shall approach to the voice of the bird, i.e. his voice becomes a childish treble); singers, or perhaps their musical notes (daughters of song) are all alike low to him in his deafness; cf. 2Sa 19:35 (Ecc 12:4). A hill terrifies him and indeed any journey, for his breath is scant and his limbs stiff; his whitened hair is like the almond blossom (possibly the almond is rejected, i.e. appetite fails even when coaxed). The smallest thing (Isa 40:22) is a burden, though perhaps the reference of the grasshopper is to the bent and halting gait of old age, or even to sexual intercourse, an interpretation which gains some support from the use of the caper-berry as an aphrodisiac. The explanation which connects the word for caper-berry with a root meaning poor, and renders the chrysalis (grasshopper) lies inert till the soul emerges (for fails read bursts, mg.) is rather far-fetched. The long home is, of course the grave. For mourners cf. Jer 9:17 f., Mar 5:38 (Ecc 12:5). Enjoy youth, for the time comes when the golden lamp bowl (Zec 4:2 f.) falls with a crash because the silver cord that suspends it is snapped, or in homelier metaphor, the pitcher is smashed at the well, or the water-wheel is broken. There is no need to bring in skull, spinal column, or heart; the picture is clearly one of death, especially sudden death. The light goes out, the water is spilt; the long comradeship of body and soul is dissolved.With Ecc 11:7 cf. Gen 2:7; the contrast with Ecc 3:19 f. only illustrates the variety of Qoheleths human moods. His reflections end as they began: Ecc 12:8 is identical with Ecc 1:2.
Fuente: Peake’s Commentary on the Bible

11:1 Cast thy bread upon the {a} waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.
(a) That is, be liberal to the poor, and though it seems to be as a thing ventured on the sea, yet it will bring you profit.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes

4. Wise behavior in view of the uncertain future 11:1-6
"At last the Teacher is approaching the climax of his book. We cannot see God’s whole plan, and there is nothing in this world that we can build on so as to find satisfaction or the key to the meaning of things. Yet we are to fulfill God’s purpose by accepting our daily lot in life as from him and by thus pleasing him make each day a good day. But how can we please him when there is so much we cannot understand? The Teacher has already shown that certain things stand out as right or wrong, and a sensible conscience will see these as an indication of what God desires. This section gives further wise advice in the light of an uncertain future. We must use common sense in sensible planning and in eliminating as many of the uncertainties as we can." [Note: J. S. Wright, "Ecclesiastes," pp. 1188-89.]
Ignorance of the future should lead to diligent work, not despair.
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)

Casting one’s bread on the water probably refers to commercial transactions involving the transportation of commodities by ship, not to charitable acts. [Note: Ibid., p. 1189.]
". . . Eastern bread has for the most part the form of cakes, and is thin (especially as is prepared hastily for guests, . . . Gen. xviii. 6, xix. 3); so that when thrown into the water, it remains on the surface (like a chip of wood, Hos. X. 7), and is carried away by the stream." [Note: Delitzsch, pp. 391-92.]
If you follow the advice in this verse literally, you will experience disappointment. It probably refers to buying and selling.
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)

But in a wise Use and a wise Enjoyment of the Present Life,
Ecc 11:1-8
What that Good is, and where it may be found, the Preacher now proceeds to show. But, as his manner is, he does not say in so many words, “This is the Chief Good of man,” or “You will find it yonder;” but he places before us the man who is walking in the right path and drawing closer and closer to it. Even of him the Preacher does not give us any formal description; but, following what we have seen to be his favourite method, he gives us a string of maxims and counsels from which we are to infer what manner of man he is who happily achieves this great Quest.
And, at the very outset, we learn that this happy person is of a noble, unselfish, generous temper. Unlike the man who simply wants to get on and make a fortune, he grudges no man his gains; he looks on his neighbours’ interests as well as his own, and does good even to the evil and the unthankful. He is one who “casts his bread upon the waters ” (Ecc 11:1), and who “gives a portion thereof to seven, and even to eight ” (Ecc 11:2), The familiar proverb of the first verse has long been read as an allusion to the sowing of rice and other grain from a boat, during the periodical inundation of certain Eastern rivers, especially the Nile. We have been taught to regard the husbandman pushing from the embanked village in his frail bark, to cast the grain he would gladly cat on the surface of the flood, as a type of Christian labour and charity. He denies himself; so also must we if we would do good. He has faith in the Divine laws, and trusts to receive his own again with usury, to reap a larger crop the longer he waits for it ; and, in like manner, we are to trust in the Divine laws which bring us a hundred-fold for every act of self-denying service, and bless our “long patience” with the ampler harvest. But it is doubtful whether the Hebrew usus loquendi admits of this interpretation. It probably suggests another which, if unfamiliar to us, has a beauty of its own. In the East bread is commonly made in thin flat cakes, something like Passover cakes; and one of these cakes flung on the stream, though it would float with the current for a time, would soon sink; and once sunk would, unlike the grain cast from the boat, yield no return. And our charity should be like that. We should do good, ” hoping for nothing again.” We should show kindnesses which will soon be forgotten, never be returned, and be undismayed by the thanklessness of the task. It is not so thankless as it seems. For, first, we shall “find the good of it” in the loftier, more generous temper which the habit of doing good breeds and confirms. If no one else be the better for our kindness, we shall be the better, because the more kindly, for it. The quality of charity, like that of mercy, is twice blessed;
“It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.”
And, again, the task is not so thankless as it sometimes seems; for though many of our kind deeds may quicken no kindness in “him that takes,” yet some of them will; and the more we help and succour the more likely are we to light upon at least a few who, when our need comes, will succour and console us. Even the most hardened have a certain tenderness for those who help them, if only the help meet a real need, and be given with grace. And, therefore, we may be very sure that if we give a portion of our bread to seven and even to eight, especially if they know that we ourselves have stomach for it all, at least one or two of them will share with us when we need bread.
But is not this, after all, only a refined selfishness? If we give because we do not know how soon we may need a gift, and in order that we may by-and-bye “find the good of it,” do not even the heathen and the publicans the same? Well, not many of them, I think. I have not observed that it is their habit to cast their bread on thankless waters. If they forbode calamity and loss, they provide against them, not by giving, but by hoarding; and even they themselves would hardly accept as a model of charity a man who but toned up his pocket against every appeal, lest he should be yielding to a selfish motive, or be suspected of it. The refined selfishness of showing kindness and doing good even to the evil and the unthankful because we hope to find the good of it is by no means too common yet; we need not go in dread of it. Nor is it an altogether unworthy motive. St. Paul urges us to help a fallen brother on the express ground that we may need similar help some day (Gal 6:1); and he was not in the habit of appealing to base motives. Nay, the very Golden Rule itself, which all men admire even if they do not walk by it, touches this spring of action ; for among other meanings it surely has this, that we are to do to others as we would that they should do to us, in the hope that they will do to us as we have done to them. There are other higher meanings in the Rule of course, as there are other and purer motives for Charity; but I do not know that we are any of us of so lofty a virtue that we need fear to show kindness in order to win kindness, or to give help that we may get help when we need it. Possibly, to act on this motive may be the best and nearest way of rising to such higher motives as we can reach. The first characteristic, then, of the man who is likely to achieve the quest of the Chief Good is the charity which prompts him to be gracious, and to show kindness, and to do good, even to the thankless and ungracious. And his second characteristic is the stedfast industry which turns all seasons to account. The man of affairs, who wants to rise, waits on occasion; he is on the watch to avail himself of the moods and caprices of men and bend them to his interest. But he who has learned to value things at their true worth, and whose heart is fixed on the acquisition of the highest good, does not want to get on so much as to do his duty under all the variable conditions of life. Just as he will not withhold his hand from giving, lest some of the recipients of his charity should prove unworthy, so also he will not withdraw his hand from the labour appointed him, because this or that endeavour may be unproductive, or lest it should be thwarted by the ordinances of heaven. He knows that the laws of nature will hold on their way, often causing individual loss to promote the general good. He knows, for instance, that when the clouds are full of rain they will empty themselves upon the earth, even though they put his harvest in peril; and that when the wind is fierce it will blow down trees, even though it should also scatter the seed which he is sowing. But he does not therefore wait upon the wind till it is too late to sow, nor upon the clouds till his ungathered crops rot in the fields. He is conscious that, though he knows much, he knows little of these as of other works of God: he cannot tell whether this or that tree will be blown down; almost all he can be certain of is that, when the tree is down, it will lie where it has fallen, lifting its bleeding roots in dumb protest against the wind which has brought it low. But this too he knows, that it is “God who worketh all;” that he is not responsible for events beyond his control: that what he is responsible for is that he do the duty of the moment whatever wind may blow, and calmly leave the issue in the hand of God. And so he is not “over exquisite to cast the fashion of uncertain evils;” diligent and undismayed, he goes on his way, giving himself heartily to the present duty, “sowing his seed, morning and evening, although he cannot tell which shall prosper, this or that, or whether both shall prove good ” (Ecc 11:3-6). Windy March cannot blow him from his constant purpose, though it may blow the seed out of his hand; nor a rainy August melt him to despairing tears, though it may damage his harvest. He has done his duty, discharged his responsibility: let God see to the rest; whatever pleases God will content him.
This man, then, has learned one or two of the profoundest secrets of wisdom, plain as they look. He has learned that, giving, we gain; and, spending, thrive. He has also learned that a man’s true care is himself; that all that pertains to the body, to the issues of labour, to the chances of fortune, is external to himself; that whatever form these may take, he may learn from them, and profit by them, and be content in them: that his true business in the world is to cultivate a strong and dutiful character which shall prepare him for any world or any fate; and that so long as he can do this, his main duty will be done, his ruling object attained. Totum in eo est, ut libi imperes.
Is not this true wisdom? is it not an abiding good? Pleasures may bloom and fade. Speculations may shift and change. Riches may come and go- what else have they wings for? The body may sicken or strengthen. The favour of men may be conferred and withdrawn. There is no stability in these; and if we are dependent on them, we shall be variable and inconstant as they are. But if we make it our chief aim to do our duty whatever it may be, and to love and serve our neighbour whatever the attitude he may assume to us, we have an aim always within our reach, a duty we may always be doing, a good as enduring as ourselves, and therefore a good we may enjoy for ever. Standing on this rock, from which no wave of change can sweep us, ” the light will be sweet to us, and it shall be pleasant to our eyes to behold the sun,” whatever the day, or the world, on which he may rise (Ecc 11:7). But is all our life to be taken up in meeting the claims of duty and of charity ? Are we never to relax into mirth, never to look forward to a time in which reward will be more exactly adjusted to service? Yes, we are to do both this and that. It is very true that he who makes it his ruling aim to do the present duty, and to leave the future with God, will have a happy because a useful life. He that walks this path of duty
“only thirsting
For the right, and learns to deaden
Love of self, before his journey closes.
He shall find the stubborn thistle bursting
Into glossy purples, which outredden
All voluptuous garden roses.”
The path may often be steep and difficult; it may be overhung with threatening rocks and strewn with “stones of offence;” but he who pursues it, still pressing on “through the long gorge” and winning his way upward,
“Shall find the toppling crags of Duty scaled,
Are close upon the shining table-lands
To which our God Himself is sun and moon.”
Nevertheless, if his life is to be full and complete, he must be able to pluck whatever bright flowers of joy spring beside his path, to find “laughing waters” in the crags he climbs, and to rejoice not only in “the glossy purples” of the armed and stubborn thistle, but in the delicate beauty of the ferns, the pure grace of the cyclamens, and the sweet breath of the fragrant grasses and flowers which haunt those severe heights. If he is to be a Man, rather than a Stoic or an Anchorite, he must add to his sense of duty a keen delight in all beauty, all grace, all innocent and noble pleasure. For the sake of others, too, as well as for his own sake, he must carry with him “the merry heart which doeth good like a medicine,” since, lacking that, he will neither do all the good he might, nor himself become perfect and complete. And it is proof, I think, of the good divinity, no less than of the broad humanity, of the Preacher that he lays much stress on this point. He not only bids us enjoy life, but gives us cogent reasons for enjoying it. ” Even/’ he says, ” if a man should live many years, he ought to enjoy them all.” But why? ” Because there will be many dark days,” days of old age and growing infirmity in which pleasures will lose their charm; days of death through which he wall sleep quietly in the dark stillness of the grave, beyond the touch of any happy excitement (Ecc 11:8). Therefore the man who attains the Chief Good will not only do the duty of the moment; he will also enjoy the pleasure of the moment. He will not toil through the long day of life till, spent and weary, he has no power to enjoy his “much goods,” or no time for his soul to “make merry the glad.” While he is “a young man,” he will “rejoice in his youth, and let his heart cheer him,” and go after the pleasures which attract youth (Ecc 11:9). While his heart is still fresh, when pleasures are most innocent and healthful, easiest of attainment and unalloyed by anxiety and care, he will cultivate that cheerful temper which is a prime safeguard against vice, discontent, and the morose fretfulness of a selfish old age.
Fuente: Expositors Bible Commentary

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