New Living Translation
Ecclesiastes 11:5
5Just as you cannot understand the path of the wind or the mystery of a tiny baby growing in its mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the activity of God, who does all things.
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
3When clouds are heavy, the rains come down. Whether a tree falls north or south, it stays where it falls. 4Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest. Just as you cannot understand the path of the wind or the mystery of a tiny baby growing in its mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the activity of God, who does all things. 6Plant your seed in the morning and keep busy all afternoon, for you don’t know if profit will come from one activity or another—or maybe both. 7Light is sweet; how pleasant to see a new day dawning.
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 wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.”
- Psalms 139:14Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
- Ecclesiastes 7:24Wisdom is always distant and difficult to find.
- Ecclesiastes 8:17I realized that no one can discover everything God is doing under the sun. Not even the wisest people discover everything, no matter what they claim.
- Job 5:9He does great things too marvelous to understand. He performs countless miracles.
- Job 26:5“The dead tremble— those who live beneath the waters.
- Job 36:24Instead, glorify his mighty works, singing songs of praise.
- Job 37:23We cannot imagine the power of the Almighty; but even though he is just and righteous, he does not destroy us.
- Job 38:4“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you know so much.
- Job 39:1“Do you know when the wild goats give birth? Have you watched as deer are born in the wild?
- Psalms 40:5O Lord my God, you have performed many wonders for us. Your plans for us are too numerous to list. You have no equal. If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds, I would never come to the end of them.
- Psalms 92:5O Lord, what great works you do! And how deep are your thoughts.
- Psalms 104:24O Lord, what a variety of things you have made! In wisdom you have made them all. The earth is full of your creatures.
- Isaiah 40:28Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding.
- Romans 11:33Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and 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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