Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days. BREAD - bread-corn. As in the Lord's prayer, all things needful for the body and soul. Solomon reverts to the sentiment in . WATERS - image from the custom of sowing seed by casting it from boats into the overflowing waters... [ Continue Reading ]
Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth. PORTION - of thy bread. TO SEVEN - the perfect number. TO EIGHT - even to more than seven; i:e., to many (so "waters," ), nay, even to very many in need (). FOR THOU KNOWEST NOT WHAT EVIL - t... [ Continue Reading ]
If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be. CLOUDS - answering to "evil" (); meaning, When the times of evil are fully ripe, evil must come; and speculation... [ Continue Reading ]
_HE THAT OBSERVETH THE WIND SHALL NOT SOW; AND HE THAT REGARDETH THE CLOUDS SHALL NOT REAP._ No JFB commentary on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
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. THOU KNOWEST NOT ... WAY OF THE SPIRIT - how the soul animates the body. Thus the transition to the formation of the body... [ Continue Reading ]
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. MORNING ... EVENING - early and late; when young and when old; in sun shine and under clouds. SOW THY SEED - of go... [ Continue Reading ]
Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun: LIGHT - of life (; ). IS SWEET. Life is enjoyable, especially to the godly. No impatience because of present trials, and the vanity of earthly goods, should make us forget that life is a blessing and an opport... [ Continue Reading ]
But if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity. BUT IF A MAN LIVE MANY YEARS, (AND) REJOICE IN THEM ALL. So Vulgate, supplying 'and.' Rather, as Chaldaic, Syriac, and Arabic, translate, without e... [ Continue Reading ]
Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment. REJOICE - not advice, but warning. So 1 Kings 22:15 is irony; i... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity. SORROW - i:e., the lusts that end in "sorrow," opposed to "rejoice," and "heart cheer thee" (Ecclesiastes 11:9); i:e., "Remove" all "the ways of thine heart:" "remove," etc., is thus opp... [ Continue Reading ]