God’s Word Translation
Ecclesiastes 11:5
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 11:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.
- English Standard Version (ESV)As you do not know the way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything.
- New King James Version (NKJV)As you do not know what is the way of the wind, Or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child, So you do not know the works of God who makes everything.
Context of Ecclesiastes 11:5
3If 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. Just 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. 6Plant your seed in the morning, and don’t let your hands rest until evening. You don’t know whether this field or that field will be profitable or whether both of them will ⌞turn out⌟ equally well. 7Light is sweet, and it is good for one’s eyes to see the sun.
Read all of Ecclesiastes 11Ecclesiastes 11:5 word by word
כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר אֵֽינְךָ֤ יוֹדֵ֙עַ֙ מַה־דֶּ֣רֶךְ הָר֔וּחַ כַּעֲצָמִ֖ים בְּבֶ֣טֶן הַמְּלֵאָ֑ה כָּ֗כָה לֹ֤א תֵדַע֙ אֶת־מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר יַעֲשֶׂ֖ה אֶת־הַכֹּֽל׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- As thou knowestיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
- the wayדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: journeyH1870
- of the spiritרוּחַrûach · spiritH7307
- how the bonesעֶ֫צֶם‛etsem · boneH6106
- in the wombבֶּ֫טֶןbeţen · belly: wombH990
- of her that is with childמָלֵאmâlê' · fullH4392
- not the worksמַעֲשֶׂהma‛ăώeh · deed: workH4639
- of Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- who makethעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to makeH6213
Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 11:5
- John 3:8The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you don’t know where the wind comes from or where it’s going. That’s the way it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
- Psalms 139:14I will give thanks to you because I have been so amazingly and miraculously made. Your works are miraculous, and my soul is fully aware of this.
- Ecclesiastes 7:24Whatever wisdom may be, it is out of reach. It is deep, very deep. Who can find out what it is?
- Ecclesiastes 8:17then I saw everything that God has done. No one is able to grasp the work that is done under the sun. However hard a person may search for it, he will not find ⌞its meaning⌟. Even though a wise person claims to know, he is not able to grasp it.
- Job 5:9He does great things that ⌞we⌟ cannot understand and miracles that ⌞we⌟ cannot count.
- Job 26:5“The souls of the dead tremble beneath the water, and so do the creatures living there.
- Job 36:24Remember that you should praise his work. People have sung about it.
- Job 37:23The Almighty, whom we can’t reach, is great in power and judgment, has more than enough righteousness, and does not oppress.
- Job 38:4“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me if you have ⌞such⌟ insight.
- Job 39:1“Do you know the time when the mountain goats give birth? Do you watch the does when they are in labor?
- Psalms 40:5You have done many miraculous things, O Lord my God. You have made many wonderful plans for us. No one compares to you! I will tell others about your miracles, which are more than I can count.
- Psalms 92:5How spectacular are your works, O Lord! How very deep are your thoughts!
- Psalms 104:24What a large number of things you have made, O Lord! You made them all by wisdom. The earth is filled with your creatures.
- Isaiah 40:28Don’t you know? Haven’t you heard? The eternal God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, doesn’t grow tired or become weary. His understanding is beyond reach.
- Romans 11:33God’s riches, wisdom, and knowledge are so deep that it is impossible to explain his decisions or to understand his ways.
Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 11:5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5As thou knowest not - the way of the spirit - Why God should have permitted such an such persons to fall into want, and how they came into all their distresses, thou canst not tell, no more than thou canst how their soul is united to their body, how it came to inform that body, or how the child was formed in the womb of its mother. Nor canst thou discern the end which God has in view in these things. He maketh all, every thing is open to him; and take…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. 5God's actions are often unpredictable and mysterious. Our task is to work whenever we have the chance (see Proverbs 12:11; 24:27).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. spirit--How the soul animates the body! Thus the transition to the formation of the body "in the womb" is more natural, than if with Maurer we translate it "wind" (Ec 1:6; Joh 3:8). bones ... grow--(Job 10:8, 9; Psa 139:15, 16). knowest not the works of God--(Ec 3:11; 8:17; 9:12).Read the comment
Topics related to Ecclesiastes 11:5
In the dictionaries
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
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