Ecclesiastes 11:3

Ecclesiastes 11:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)If clouds are full of water, they pour rain on the earth. Whether a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where it falls, there it will lie.
• English Standard Version (ESV)If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves on the earth, and if a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it will lie.
• New King James Version (NKJV)If the clouds are full of rain, They empty themselves upon the earth; And if a tree falls to the south or the north, In the place where the tree falls, there it shall lie.

Context of Ecclesiastes 11:3

1Throw your bread on the surface of the water, because you will find it again after many days. 2Divide what you have into seven parts, or even into eight, because you don’t know what disaster may happen on earth. If the clouds are full of rain, they will let it pour down on the earth. If a tree falls north or south, the tree will remain where it fell. 4Whoever watches the wind will never plant. Whoever looks at the clouds will never harvest. 5Just as you don’t know how the breath of life enters the limbs of a child within its mother’s womb, you also don’t understand how God, who made everything, works.

Ecclesiastes 11:3 word by word

אִם־יִמָּלְא֨וּ הֶעָבִ֥ים גֶּ֙שֶׁם֙ עַל־הָאָ֣רֶץ יָרִ֔יקוּ וְאִם־יִפּ֥וֹל עֵ֛ץ בַּדָּר֖וֹם וְאִ֣ם בַּצָּפ֑וֹן מְק֛וֹם שֶׁיִּפּ֥וֹל הָעֵ֖ץ שָׁ֥ם יְהֽוּא׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• If the cloudsעָב‛âb · cloudH5645
• be fullמָלֵאmâlê' mâlâ' · to fillH4390
• of rainגֶּ֫שֶׁםgeshem · rainH1653
• they emptyרִיקrûq · to emptyH7324
• upon the earthאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• and if the treeעֵץ‛êts · treeH6086
• fallנָפַלnâphal · to fall: fallH5307
• toward the southדָּרוֹםdârôm · southH1864
• or toward the northצָפוֹןtsâphôn tsâphôn · northH6828
• in the placeמָקוֹםmâqôm mâqôm meqômâh meqômâh · placeH4725
• there it shall beהָוָהhâvâ' hâvâh · to beH1933

Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 11:3

• 1 Kings 18:45Gradually, the sky grew darker with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain. Ahab got into his chariot to go back to Jezreel.
• Psalms 65:9You take care of the earth, and you water it. You make it much richer than it was. (The river of God is filled with water.) You provide grain for them. Indeed, you even prepare the ground.
• Isaiah 55:10“Rain and snow come down from the sky. They do not go back again until they water the earth. They make it sprout and grow so that it produces seed for farmers and food for people to eat.
• 1 John 3:17Now, suppose a person has enough to live on and notices another believer in need. How can God’s love be in that person if he doesn’t bother to help the other believer?
• Matthew 3:10The ax is now ready to cut the roots of the trees. Any tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into a fire.
• Luke 13:7He said to the gardener, ‘For the last three years I’ve come to look for figs on this fig tree but haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up ⌞good⌟ soil?’
• Luke 16:22“One day the beggar died, and the angels carried him to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried.

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 11:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3If the clouds be full of rain - Act as the clouds; when they are full they pour out their water indifferently on the field and on the desert. By giving charity indiscriminately, it may be that thou wilt often give it to the unworthy: but thou shouldst ever consider that he is an object of thy charity, who appears to be in real want; and better relieve or give to a hundred worthless persons, than pass by one who is in real distress. Where the tree falleth…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3-6Verses 3-6 “Unforeseen events come from God; and the man who is always gazing on the uncertain future will neither begin nor complete any useful work: but do thou bear in mind that times and circumstances, the powers of nature and the results to which they minister, are in the hand of God; and be both diligent and trustful.” The images are connected chiefly with the occupation of an agricultural laborer: the discharge of rain from the cloud, and the…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3clouds...rain: We can often predict what will happen. a tree...will lie: Our actions sometimes have permanent consequences.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. clouds--answering to "evil" (Ec 11:2), meaning, When the times of evil are fully ripe, evil must come; and speculations about it beforehand, so as to prevent one sowing seed of liberality, are vain (Ec 11:4). tree--Once the storm uproots it, it lies either northward or southward, according as it fell. So man's character is unchangeable, whether for hell or heaven, once that death overtakes him (Re 22:11, 14, 15). Now is his time for liberality, before…Read the comment

Topics related to Ecclesiastes 11:3

• Meteorology and Celestial Phenomena

In the dictionaries

• Childhood
• Empty
• Regard
• Remove

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 11

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings