Ecclesiastes 11

General context

The hearer is told to cast his bread upon the waters and find it after many days, and to give a portion to seven and also to eight, because he does not know what evil will come upon the earth. Full clouds empty themselves on the earth, and a tree that falls toward the south or the north lies where it falls. Whoever watches the wind will not sow, and whoever regards the clouds will not reap. As the hearer does not know the way of the spirit or how bones grow in the womb of a woman with child, so he does not know the works of God who makes all. He is to sow his seed in the morning and not withhold his hand in the evening, since he does not know which will prosper or whether both will be alike good. The light is called sweet, and seeing the sun pleasant for the eyes; but if a man lives many years and rejoices in them all, he is to remember the days of darkness, for they will be many, and all that comes is vanity. A young man is told to rejoice in his youth, let his heart cheer him, and walk in the ways of his heart and the sight of his eyes, but to know that for all these things God will bring him into judgment. He is therefore to remove sorrow from his heart and put away evil from his flesh, for childhood and youth are vanity.

Cited passages: Ecclesiastes 11:1, Ecclesiastes 11:2, Ecclesiastes 11:3, Ecclesiastes 11:4, Ecclesiastes 11:5, Ecclesiastes 11:6, Ecclesiastes 11:7, Ecclesiastes 11:8, Ecclesiastes 11:9, Ecclesiastes 11:10

Ecclesiastes 11 (KJV)

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Historical context

The chapter contains no first-person report; the Preacher's I have seen does not appear, and every verse is either instruction to thou or a general statement. The addressee is unnamed, and from verse 9 is addressed as O young man. No place, person or event is named. The text does not explain what casting bread upon the waters means or what the portion given to seven and to eight is; it states the instructions and gives the reason, that the hearer does not know what evil will come. The comparisons with the way of the spirit and the growth of bones in the womb are given as things the hearer does not know, and the works of God who maketh all are placed in the same category. The days of darkness are not identified beyond the statement that they shall be many. The judgment of verse 9 is stated as something the young man must know, that God will bring thee into judgment, without saying when or how; the chapter that follows returns to this at its close.

Cited passages: Ecclesiastes 11:9, Ecclesiastes 11:1, Ecclesiastes 11:2, Ecclesiastes 11:5, Ecclesiastes 11:8, Ecclesiastes 12:14

Literary context

The chapter is built on what the hearer does not know: thou knowest not what evil shall be, thou knowest not the way of the spirit, thou knowest not the works of God, thou knowest not whether shall prosper. Each admission of ignorance is joined to an instruction to act anyway, to give, to sow, to withhold not thine hand. The images are drawn from weather and the field: clouds that empty themselves, a tree lying where it fell, wind and clouds that stop the sower and reaper, seed sown morning and evening. At verse 7 the images turn to light, and the chapter sets the sweetness of the sun against the many days of darkness, then youth against judgment in a single verse whose rejoice is answered by but know thou. The pleasure of the eyes in seeing the sun stands against the book's opening complaint that the eye is not satisfied with seeing. The closing line, childhood and youth are vanity, uses the book's refrain, and its command to remember the days of darkness leads into the next chapter's opening command to remember the Creator in the days of youth.

Cited passages: Ecclesiastes 11:2, Ecclesiastes 11:5, Ecclesiastes 11:6, Ecclesiastes 11:3, Ecclesiastes 11:4, Ecclesiastes 11:7, Ecclesiastes 11:8, Ecclesiastes 11:9, Ecclesiastes 1:8, Ecclesiastes 11:10, Ecclesiastes 12:1

Key moments

1. Bread upon the waters (Ecclesiastes 11:1). The hearer is told to cast his bread on the waters and find it after many days.
2. The wind-watcher does not sow (Ecclesiastes 11:4). Whoever watches the wind will not sow, and whoever regards the clouds will not reap.
3. The works of God unknown (Ecclesiastes 11:5). As bones grow unseen in the womb, so the works of God are not known to the hearer.
4. Sow morning and evening (Ecclesiastes 11:6). The hearer is to sow at both ends of the day, since he does not know which will prosper.
5. Remember the days of darkness (Ecclesiastes 11:8). A man who rejoices in many years is to remember that the days of darkness will be many.
6. Rejoice, and know judgment (Ecclesiastes 11:9). The young man is told to rejoice in his youth and to know that God will bring him into judgment.

For reflection

The young man is told to walk in the ways of his heart and the sight of his eyes, and in the same breath to know that God will bring him into judgment for all these things. Does the chapter present judgment as a limit on the rejoicing it commands, or as part of the same instruction?