Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 11:4–5

⁴He who watches the wind will fail to sow,

and he who observes the clouds will fail to reap.

⁵As you do not know the path of the wind,

or how the bones are formed^a in a mother’s womb,

so you cannot understand the work of God,

the Maker of all things.

Footnotes

a 11:5 Or As you do not know the way the spirit comes to the bones

Read all of Ecclesiastes 11

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Ecclesiastes 11:4

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
He who watches	שֹׁמֵ֥ר	šō·mêr	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct	H8104 keep, watch, preserve
the wind	ר֖וּחַ	rū·aḥ	Noun - common singular	H7307 breath, wind, spirit
will fail	לֹ֣א	lō	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
to sow	יִזְרָ֑ע	yiz·rā‘	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H2232 sow, scatter seed
and he who observes	וְרֹאֶ֥ה	wə·rō·’eh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H7200 see
the clouds	בֶעָבִ֖ים	ḇe·‘ā·ḇîm	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - common plural	H5645 dark cloud, cloud-mass, thicket
will fail	לֹ֥א	lō	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
to reap	יִקְצֽוֹר׃	yiq·ṣō·wr	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H7114 be short

Ecclesiastes 11:5

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
As	כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר	ka·’ă·šer	Preposition-k; Pronoun - relative	H834 particle of relation
you do not	אֵֽינְךָ֤	’ê·nə·ḵā	Adverb; second person masculine singular	H369 nothing, nought
know	יוֹדֵ֙עַ֙	yō·w·ḏê·a‘	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H3045 know
the path	דֶּ֣רֶךְ	de·reḵ	Noun - common singular construct	H1870 way, road, distance, journey, manner
of the wind	הָר֔וּחַ	hā·rū·aḥ	Article; Noun - common singular	H7307 breath, wind, spirit
or how the bones	כַּעֲצָמִ֖ים	ka·‘ă·ṣā·mîm	Preposition-k; Noun - feminine plural	H6106 bone, substance, self
in a mother’s	הַמְּלֵאָ֑ה	ham·mə·lê·’āh	Article; Adjective - feminine singular	H4392 full
womb	בְּבֶ֣טֶן	bə·ḇe·ṭen	Preposition-b; Noun - feminine singular construct	H990 belly, body, womb
so	כָּ֗כָה	kā·ḵāh	Adverb	H3602 thus
you cannot	לֹ֤א	lō	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
understand	תֵדַע֙	ṯê·ḏa‘	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H3045 know
the work	מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה	ma·‘ă·śêh	Noun - masculine singular construct	H4639 deed, work
of God	הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים	hā·’ĕ·lō·hîm	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H430 God
the Maker	יַעֲשֶׂ֖ה	ya·‘ă·śeh	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H6213 do, make
of all things	הַכֹּֽל׃	hak·kōl	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H3605 the whole, all

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

Ecclesiastes 11:4 Proverbs 20:4 · Proverbs 3:27 · Proverbs 22:13

Ecclesiastes 11:5 John 3:8 · Psalm 92:5 · Ecclesiastes 8:17 · Romans 11:33 · Isaiah 40:28 · Psalm 139:13–16 · Psalm 104:24 · Ecclesiastes 7:24 · Job 36:24–33 · Job 26:5–14 · Job 5:9 · Psalm 40:5

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.