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.
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.
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
nor
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
rejoice
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.
and put
Job 20:11 2 Corinthians 7:1 2 Timothy 2:22