Ecclesiastes — Chapter 11
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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.
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.
1Cast thy bread upon the waters; for thou shalt find it after many days.
2Give a portion to seven, yea, even unto 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 a tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there shall it 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 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.
6In 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.
7Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun.
8Yea, 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.
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 thy 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 youth and the dawn of life are vanity.
1Send your grain overseas, for after many days you will get a return.
2Divide your merchandise among seven or even eight investments, for you do not know what calamity may happen on earth.
3If the clouds are full of rain, they will empty themselves on the earth, and whether a tree falls to the south or to the north, the tree will lie wherever it falls.
4He who watches the wind will not sow, and he who observes the clouds will not reap.
5Just as you do not know the path of the wind or how the bones form in the womb of a pregnant woman, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything.
6Sow your seed in the morning, and do not stop working until the evening; for you do not know which activity will succeed— whether this one or that one, or whether both will prosper equally.
7Light is sweet, and it is pleasant for a person to see the sun.
8So, if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in them all, but let him remember that the days of darkness will be many—all that is about to come is obscure.
9Rejoice, young man, while you are young, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Follow the impulses of your heart and the desires of your eyes, but know that God will judge your motives and actions.
10Banish emotional stress from your mind and put away pain from your body; for youth and the prime of life are fleeting.
1Cast your bread on the waters; for you shall find it after many days.
2Give a portion to seven, yes, even to eight; for you don’t know what evil will be on the earth.
3If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves on the earth; and if a tree falls toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falls, there shall it be.
4He who observes the wind won’t sow; and he who regards the clouds won’t reap.
5As you don’t know what is the way of the wind, nor how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child; even so you don’t know the work of God who does all.
6In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening don’t withhold your hand; for you don’t know which will prosper, whether this or that, or whether they both will be equally good.
7Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to see the sun.
8Yes, if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many. All that comes is vanity.
9Rejoice, young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth, and walk in the ways of your heart, and in the sight of your eyes; but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.
10Therefore remove sorrow from your heart, and put away evil from your flesh; for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.
Summary
The call to bold, joyful action — cast your bread upon the waters, sow in morning and evening since you cannot know which will prosper; rejoice in youth but remember judgment is coming.
Authorship & Background
- Bold Generosity Despite Uncertainty (vv.1-2)
- Act Without Demanding Certainty (vv.3-6)
- Rejoice in Youth — But Remember Judgment (vv.7-10)
Map & Geography
- No specific geographic locations are referenced in this chapter.
Commentary
- Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik emphasizes that vv.1-6 are Ecclesiastes' answer to paralysis: since you cannot control outcomes (ch.9) and cannot understand God's ways (ch.8), the wise response is not inaction but bold, diversified effort. "Cast thy bread" means venture forth — take the risk. Waiting for certainty means never acting. On v.9, Guzik notes that the command to rejoice is not sarcasm or permission for sin — it is a genuine endorsement of youthful joy paired with a genuine warning about accountability. Both halves are equally serious.
- Charles Spurgeon: "Cast thy bread upon the waters — there it seems lost, sunk, gone forever. But after many days, thou shalt find it. So it is with every act of faith and generosity. The seed sown in tears, the gift given when you could barely afford it, the kindness shown to one who could never repay — these are not lost. God keeps perfect accounts. What seems wasted on the waters is being carried by divine currents to the shore of eternal reward."
Reflection
- 1. Act boldly despite uncertainty (v.1). You will never have perfect information. You will never be guaranteed success. Cast your bread anyway. Give generously. Start the venture. Make the phone call. Write the letter. Faith acts without demanding certainty.
- 2. Do not let fear of imperfect conditions paralyze you (v.4). The wind will never be perfectly still. The clouds will never perfectly clear. If you wait for ideal circumstances, you will wait forever. Sow in imperfect conditions — God controls the harvest regardless.
- 3. Diversify your faithful efforts (v.6). You do not know which endeavor will bear fruit. Sow morning and evening — give, serve, invest, work in multiple ways. Let God determine which seeds prosper. Your job is faithful sowing, not guaranteed outcomes.
- 4. Enjoy your youth — but remember accountability (v.9). Joy in your strength and energy is God-given, not sinful. But every joy exists under God's judgment. Freedom is not license. Rejoice fully and live responsibly — these are not contradictions but companions.
- 5. Youth is fleeting; do not waste it (v.10). Remove anxiety ("sorrow from thy heart") and remove sin ("evil from thy flesh") — both steal the brief days of vitality. Time spent in worry or in wickedness is time you cannot recover. Act now while strength remains.