Ecclesiastes
Ecclesiastes 11:4–6
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 formeda in a mother’s womb,
so you cannot understand the work of God,
the Maker of all things.
6Sow your seed in the morning,
and do not rest your hands in the evening,
for you do not know which will succeed,
whether this or that, or if both will equally prosper.
Footnotes
- a 11:5 Or As you do not know the way the spirit comes to the bones
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 |
Ecclesiastes 11:6
| English | Hebrew | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sow | זְרַ֣ע | zə·ra‘ | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular | H2232 sow, scatter seed |
| your seed | זַרְעֶ֔ךָ | zar·‘e·ḵā | Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular | H2233 sowing, seed, offspring |
| in the morning | בַּבֹּ֙קֶר֙ | bab·bō·qer | Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singular | H1242 morning |
| and do not | אַל־ | ’al- | Adverb | H408 prohibition, do not . . ., let not . . . |
| rest | תַּנַּ֣ח | tan·naḥ | Verb - Hifil - Imperfect Jussive - second person masculine singular | H5117 rest |
| your hands | יָדֶ֑ךָ | yā·ḏe·ḵā | Noun - feminine singular construct; second person masculine singular | H3027 hand |
| in the evening | וְלָעֶ֖רֶב | wə·lā·‘e·reḇ | Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Article; Noun - masculine singular | H6153 (sun)set, evening |
| for | כִּי֩ | kî | Conjunction | H3588 burning, branding |
| you do not | אֵֽינְךָ֨ | ’ê·nə·ḵā | Adverb; second person masculine singular | H369 nothing, nought |
| know | יוֹדֵ֜ע | yō·ḏēʿ | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular | H3045 know |
| which | אֵ֣י | ’ê | Interrogative | H335 where? |
| will succeed | יִכְשָׁר֙ | yiḵ·šār | Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | H3787 be advantageous, proper, suitable, succeed |
| whether this | הֲזֶ֣ה | hă·zeh | Article; Pronoun - masculine singular | H2088 this, that |
| or | אוֹ־ | ’ōw- | Conjunction | H176 or |
| that | זֶ֔ה | zeh | Pronoun - masculine singular | H2088 this, that |
| or if | וְאִם־ | wə·’im- | Conjunction | H518 if |
| both | שְׁנֵיהֶ֥ם | šə·nê·hem | Number - masculine dual construct; third person masculine plural | H8147 two |
| will equally | כְּאֶחָ֖ד | kə·’e·ḥāḏ | Preposition-k; Number - masculine singular | H259 one |
| prosper | טוֹבִֽים׃ | ṭō·w·ḇîm | Adjective - masculine plural | H2896 pleasant, agreeable, good |
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
Ecclesiastes 11:6 2 Corinthians 9:10–11 · Isaiah 55:10 · Haggai 1:6–11 · Hosea 10:12 · 2 Corinthians 9:6 · Zechariah 8:11–12 · John 4:36–38 · 1 Corinthians 3:5–7 · Haggai 2:17–19 · 2 Timothy 4:2 · Mark 4:26–29 · Ecclesiastes 9:10
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.