Ecclesiastes 11:6

Ecclesiastes 11:6 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let your hands not be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well.
• English Standard Version (ESV)In the morning sow your seed, and at evening withhold not your hand, for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good.
• New King James Version (NKJV)In the morning sow your seed, And in the evening do not withhold your hand; For you do not know which will prosper, Either this or that, Or whether both alike will be good.

Context of Ecclesiastes 11:6

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. Sow 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.

Ecclesiastes 11:6 word by word

בַּבֹּ֙קֶר֙ זְרַ֣ע אֶת־זַרְעֶ֔ךָ וְלָעֶ֖רֶב אַל־תַּנַּ֣ח יָדֶ֑ךָ כִּי֩ אֵֽינְךָ֨ יוֹדֵ֜ע אֵ֣י זֶ֤ה יִכְשָׁר֙ הֲזֶ֣ה אוֹ־זֶ֔ה וְאִם־שְׁנֵיהֶ֥ם כְּאֶחָ֖ד טוֹבִֽים׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• In the morningבֹּ֫קֶרbôqer · morningH1242
• sowזָרַעzâra‛ · to sowH2232
• thy seedזֶ֫רַעzera‛ · seedH2233
• and in the eveningעֶ֫רֶב‛ereb · eveningH6153
• withholdיָנַחyânach · to restH3240
• not thine handיָדyâd · handH3027
• for thou knowestיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• not whetherאַי'ay · where?H335
• shall prosperכָּשֵׁרkâshêr · to succeedH3787
• either this or that, or whether they bothשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
• alikeאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
• goodטוֹבţôb · pleasantH2896

Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 11:6

• Ecclesiastes 9:10Whatever you find to do with your hands, do it with all your might, because there is neither work nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom in the grave, the place where you will eventually go.
• Isaiah 55:10The rain and snow fall from the sky and do not return, but instead water the earth and make it produce and yield crops, and provide seed for the planter and food for those who must eat.
• Hosea 10:12Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap unfailing love. Break up the unplowed ground for yourselves, for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers deliverance on you.
• Mark 4:26He also said, “The kingdom of God is like someone who spreads seed on the ground.
• John 4:36The one who reaps receives pay and gathers fruit for eternal life, so that the one who sows and the one who reaps can rejoice together.
• 2 Corinthians 9:6My point is this: The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generously.
• 2 Timothy 4:2Preach the message, be ready whether it is convenient or not, reprove, rebuke, exhort with complete patience and instruction.
• Ecclesiastes 9:1So I reflected on all this, attempting to clear it all up. I concluded that the righteous and the wise, as well as their works, are in the hand of God; whether a person will be loved or hated – no one knows what lies ahead.
• Haggai 1:6You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but are never filled. You drink, but are still thirsty. You put on clothes, but are not warm. Those who earn wages end up with holes in their money bags.’”
• Haggai 2:17I struck all the products of your labor with blight, disease, and hail, and yet you brought nothing to me,’ says the Lord.
• Zechariah 8:11But I will be different now to this remnant of my people from the way I was in those days,’ says the Lord who rules over all,
• Acts 11:20But there were some men from Cyprus and Cyrene among them who came to Antioch and began to speak to the Greeks too, proclaiming the good news of the Lord Jesus.
• 1 Corinthians 3:5What is Apollos, really? Or what is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, and each of us in the ministry the Lord gave us.
• 2 Corinthians 9:10Now God who provides seed for the sower and bread for food will provide and multiply your supply of seed and will cause the harvest of your righteousness to grow.

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 11:6

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6In the morning sow thy seed - Be ready at all times to show mercy; begin in the morning, continue till the evening. Thou knowest not the most worthy object; it is enough that God knoweth; and if thy motive be good, he will applaud and reward thee; not according to the worthiness or unworthiness of the object of thy charity, but according to the motive which induced thee to relieve him.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. 1-6All profitable activities involve risk. We should act wisely and trust God for the outcome.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 66. morning ... evening--early and late; when young and when old; in sunshine and under clouds. seed--of godly works (Ho 10:12; 2Co 9:10; Ga 6:7). prosper--(Is 55:10, 11). both ... alike--Both the unpromising and the promising sowing may bear good fruit in others; certainly they shall to the faithful sower.Read the comment

Topics related to Ecclesiastes 11:6

• Agriculture
• Economics
• Industry
• Seed

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