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

4Whoever keeps watching the wind will not sow and whoever gazes at the clouds will not reap. 5Just as you do not know how the spirit passes into the bones in the womb of a pregnant woman, so you do not know the work of God who makes all things. In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening do not let your hand be idle, for you do not know if this or that will succeed, or if both will prosper together. 7Light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun. 8For if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in them all. But let him remember the days of darkness— for there will be many. Everything 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 your hand finds to do, do with all your strength, for there is no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, where you are going.
• Isaiah 55:10For as the rain and snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without having watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to sow and bread to eat,
• Hosea 10:12Sow for yourselves righteousness. Reap in accord with covenant love. Break up your unplowed ground. For it is time to seek Adonai, until He comes and showers righteousness on you.
• Mark 4:26And He was saying, “The kingdom of God is like when a man spreads seed on the soil
• John 4:36“The reaper receives a reward and gathers fruit for eternal life, so that the sower and reaper may rejoice together.
• 2 Corinthians 9:6The point is this: whoever sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully.
• 2 Timothy 4:2proclaim the Word! Be ready when it is convenient or inconvenient. Confront, rebuke, encourage—with complete patience and instruction.
• Ecclesiastes 9:1For all this I laid on my heart and to ascertain all this: that the righteous and the wise, as well as their works are in the hand of God. Whether love or hatred, no one knows—everything awaits them.
• Haggai 1:6You sowed much but bring in little. You eat but are never satisfied. You drink but not enough to get filled. You put on clothes but no one is warm. And whoever earns wages works for a bag full of holes.”
• Haggai 2:17I struck you with blight and with mildew and with hail—every work of your hands—so you were nothing to Me”—it is a declaration of Adonai.
• Zechariah 8:11But now I will not treat the remnant of this people as in the former days”—it is a declaration of Adonai-Tzva’ot.
• Acts 11:20However, there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who came to Antioch and began speaking to the Hellenists also, proclaiming the Lord Yeshua.
• 1 Corinthians 3:5What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you came to trust—and to each as the Lord gave.
• 2 Corinthians 9:10Now the One who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed and increase the harvest of your righteousness.

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