
Text -- Ecclesiastes 11:4 (NET)




Names, People and Places, Dictionary Themes and Topics



collapse allCommentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per phrase)
Wesley -> Ecc 11:4
Wesley: Ecc 11:4 - -- He who neglects the necessary works of sowing and reaping, because the weather is not exactly suitable to his desires will lose his harvest. Whereby h...
He who neglects the necessary works of sowing and reaping, because the weather is not exactly suitable to his desires will lose his harvest. Whereby he intimates, that men will never do good here, which is expressed by sowing, and consequently not receive good hereafter, which is called reaping, if they be discouraged from it by every doubt and difficulty.
JFB -> Ecc 11:4
JFB: Ecc 11:4 - -- Therefore sow thy charity in faith, without hesitancy or speculation as to results, because they may not seem promising (Ecc 9:10). So in Ecc 11:1, ma...
Therefore sow thy charity in faith, without hesitancy or speculation as to results, because they may not seem promising (Ecc 9:10). So in Ecc 11:1, man is told to "cast his bread corn" on the seemingly unpromising "waters" (Psa 126:5-6). The farmer would get on badly, who, instead of sowing and reaping, spent his time in watching the wind and clouds.
Clarke -> Ecc 11:4
Clarke: Ecc 11:4 - -- He that observeth the wind shall not sow! - The man that is too scrupulous is never likely to succeed in any thing. If a man neither plough nor sow ...
He that observeth the wind shall not sow! - The man that is too scrupulous is never likely to succeed in any thing. If a man neither plough nor sow till the weather is entirely to his mind, the season will in all probability pass before he will have done any thing: so, if thou be too nice in endeavoring to find out who are the impostors among those who profess to be in want, the real object may perish, whom otherwise thou mightest have relieved, and whose life might have been thereby saved. Those very punctilious and scrupulous people, who will sift every thing to the bottom in every case, and, before they will act, must be fully satisfied on all points, seldom do any good, and are themselves generally good for nothing. While they are observing the clouds and the rain, others have joined hands with God, and made a poor man live.
TSK -> Ecc 11:4

collapse allCommentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per Verse)
Barnes -> Ecc 11:3-6
Barnes: Ecc 11:3-6 - -- "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 t...
"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 inclination of the falling tree, and the direction of the wind, are beyond his control, though the result of his work is affected by them. The common application of the image of the fallen tree to the state of departed souls was probably not in the mind of the inspired writer.
Spirit - The same Hebrew word (like
Poole -> Ecc 11:4
Poole: Ecc 11:4 - -- He who neglects or delays the necessary works of sowing and reaping, because the weather is not exactly suitable to his desires, may possibly lose h...
He who neglects or delays the necessary works of sowing and reaping, because the weather is not exactly suitable to his desires, may possibly lose his harvest; whereby he intimates what is easily understood out of the foregoing verses, that men will never do good here, which is expressed by sowing, Psa 112:9 2Co 9:6 , and consequently not receive good hereafter, Which is called reaping , Gal 6:7,8 , if they be discouraged and hindered from it by every doubt or difficulty, such as covetous worldlings object to themselves, that others either do not want their charity, or with abuse it, that they may possibly need it hereafter.
Haydock -> Ecc 11:4
Haydock: Ecc 11:4 - -- Reap. Those who are too circumspect in their alms-deeds, will often pass over such as stand in need, (St. Jerome) and people who reflect on the diff...
Reap. Those who are too circumspect in their alms-deeds, will often pass over such as stand in need, (St. Jerome) and people who reflect on the difficulties of a virtuous life, will never begin. (St. Gregory iii. Past. xvi., and Mor. xxvii. 5.)
Gill -> Ecc 11:4
Gill: Ecc 11:4 - -- He that observeth the wind shall not sow,.... Who before he sows his seed is careful to observe where the wind is, from what corner it blows, and forb...
He that observeth the wind shall not sow,.... Who before he sows his seed is careful to observe where the wind is, from what corner it blows, and forbears sowing until it is down or changes, lest it should be troublesome unto him in sowing, or blow away his seed, and waits for a better season; such a man may lose his seedtime and never sow at all, and his grain in his barn may be devoured by vermin, or be destroyed by one accident or another, and so he may lose both his seed and his crop;
and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap; which are uncertain signs of weather; and if a man gives heed to them, and puts off his sowing from time to time, for the sake of better weather, as he may never sow, so it is impossible that he should reap; and if he sows, and when his grain is ripe and forbears to reap because of the clouds, lest his grain should be wet, may never reap at all: and so it is with respect to liberality; if a man will raise difficulties, and make objections, and attend unto them; if he puts off giving till such an affliction is removed from him and his family, or that is grown up; or such an estate is obtained, or he has got to such an amount of riches, or till more proper and deserving objects present, with twenty things more of the like kind; if he defers giving on such accounts, or through fear of want, which may possess his mind for various reasons, he may never give nor get, yea, never do any good work; for, if nothing is done till all difficulties are removed, no good thing will ever be done.

expand allCommentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes
NET Notes -> Ecc 11:4
NET Notes: Ecc 11:4 This proverb criticizes those who are overly cautious. The farmer who waits for the most opportune moment to plant when there is no wind to blow away ...
Geneva Bible -> Ecc 11:4
Geneva Bible: Ecc 11:4 He that observeth the ( d ) wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.
( d ) He who fears inconveniences when need requires...

expand allCommentary -- Verse Range Notes
TSK Synopsis -> Ecc 11:1-10
TSK Synopsis: Ecc 11:1-10 - --1 Directions for charity.7 Death in life,9 and the day ofjudgment in the days of youth, are to be thought on.
MHCC -> Ecc 11:1-6
MHCC: Ecc 11:1-6 - --Solomon presses the rich to do good to others. Give freely, though it may seem thrown away and lost. Give to many. Excuse not thyself with the good th...
Matthew Henry -> Ecc 11:1-6
Matthew Henry: Ecc 11:1-6 - -- Solomon had often, in this book, pressed it upon rich people to take the comfort of their riches themselves; here he presses it upon them to do good...
Keil-Delitzsch -> Ecc 11:4
Keil-Delitzsch: Ecc 11:4 - --
"He who observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap."The proverb is not to be understood literally, but in the...
Constable: Ecc 6:10--11:7 - --III. THE LIMITATIONS OF WISDOM 6:10--11:6
Clues in the text indicate the value and purpose of 6:10-11:6. The phr...

Constable: Ecc 9:1--11:7 - --C. Man's Ignorance of the Future 9:1-11:6
The emphasis in this section (9:1-11:6) is on what man does no...
