You can skip to local navigation, content or closing (global) navigation.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge: Ecclesiastes 11

Chapter 11

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

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:

thy bread

Deuteronomy 15:7-11 Proverbs 11:24,25 22:9 Isaiah 32:8

waters

Heb. face of the waters.

Isaiah 32:20

for

6 Deuteronomy 15:10 Psalms 41:1,2 126:5,6 Proverbs 11:18 19:17 Matthew 10:13,42 25:40 Luke 14:14 2 Corinthians 9:6 Galatians 6:8-10 Hebrews 6:10

Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.

a portion

Nehemiah 8:10 Esther 9:19,22 Psalms 112:9 Luke 6:30-35 1 Timothy 6:18,19

seven

Job 5:19 Proverbs 6:16 Micah 5:5 Matthew 18:22 Luke 17:4

for

Daniel 4:27 Acts 11:28-30 Galatians 6:1 Ephesians 5:16 Hebrews 13:3

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.

the clouds

1 Kings 18:45 Psalms 65:9-13 Isaiah 55:10,11 1 John 3:17

if the tree

Matthew 3:10 Luke 13:7 16:22-26

He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.

Proverbs 3:27 20:4 22:13

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.

thou knowest not what

John 3:8

nor

Psalms 139:14,15

even

7:24 8:17 Job 5:9 26:5-14 36:24-33 37:23 38:4-41 39:1-41 Psalms 40:5 92:5 104:24 Isaiah 40:28 Romans 11:33

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.

sow

9:10 Isaiah 55:10 Hosea 10:12 Mark 4:26-29 John 4:36-38 2 Corinthians 9:6 2 Timothy 4:2

thou knowest

9:1 Haggai 1:6-11 2:17-19 Zechariah 8:11,12 Acts 11:20,21 1 Corinthians 3:5-7 2 Corinthians 9:10,11

prosper

Heb. be right.

Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun:

the light

Job 33:28,30 Psalms 56:13 Proverbs 15:30 29:13

a pleasant

7:11 Psalms 84:11 Matthew 5:45

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.

if a man

6:6 8:12

rejoice

3:12,13 5:18-20 8:15

yet

7:14 12:1-5 Deuteronomy 32:29 Job 10:22 14:10 15:23 18:18 Jeremiah 13:16 Joel 2:2 Matthew 22:13 John 12:35 Jude 1:18

All that

2:1-11,15,17,19,21-23,26 4:8,16 5:15,16 6:11

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.

Rejoice

1 Kings 18:27 22:15 Luke 15:12,13

in thy youth

12:1 1 Kings 18:12 Lamentations 3:27

walk

Numbers 15:30 22:32 Deuteronomy 29:19 Job 31:7 Psalms 81:12 Jeremiah 7:24 23:17 Jeremiah 44:16,17 Acts 14:16 Ephesians 2:2,3 1 Peter 4:3,4

in the sight

2:10 Genesis 3:6 6:2 Joshua 7:21 2 Samuel 11:2-4 Matthew 5:28 1 John 2:15,16

know

3:17 12:14 Psalms 50:4-6 Acts 17:30,31 24:25 Romans 2:5-11 14:10 1 Corinthians 4:5 2 Corinthians 5:10 2 Peter 3:7 Hebrews 9:27 Revelation 20:12-15

Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity.

remove

12:1 Job 13:26 Psalms 25:7 2 Peter 3:11-14

sorrow

or, anger.

Psalms 90:7-11

and put

Job 20:11 2 Corinthians 7:1 2 Timothy 2:22

for

1:2,14 Psalms 39:5 Proverbs 22:15