Ecclesiastes 11:1

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 of the Nile, or in any marshy ground. When the waters receded, the grain in the alluvial soil sprang up (). "Waters" express multitudes; so ; ; also the seemingly hopeless character of the recipients of the charity; but it shall prove at last to have been not thrown away ...

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 thou hast done, from the good thou hast further to do. It is not lost, but well laid out. We have reason to expect evil, for we are born to trouble; it is wisdom to do good in the day of prosperity. Riches cannot profit us, if we do not benefit others. Every man must labour to be a blessing to that place where the providence of God casts him. Wherever we are, we may find good work to do, if we have but hearts to do it. If we magnify every little difficulty, start objections, and fancy hardships, we shall never go on, much less go through with our work. Winds and clouds of tribulation are, in God's hands, designed to try us. God's work shall agree with his word, whether we see it or not. And we may well trust God to provide for us, withou...

CHAPTER XI _Give alms to all_, 1-4. _The works of God unknown to man_, 5. _Diligence necessary_, 6. _Prosperity frequently succeeded by adversity_, 7, 8. _There will be a day of judgment_, 9, 10. NOTES ON CHAP. XI Verse Ecclesiastes 11:1. _CAST THY BREAD UPON THE WATERS_] An allusion to the _sowing of rice_; which was sown upon muddy ground, or ground covered with water, and trodden in by the feet of cattle: it thus took root, and grew, and was _found after many days_ in a plentiful harvest. Give alms to the poor, and it will be as seed sown in good ground. God will cause thee...

The verse means: “Show hospitality, even though the corresponding return of hospitality to you may seem improbable; nevertheless, be hospitable in faith.” Compare Luke 14:13; Hebrews 13:2. Some interpreters (not unreasonably) understand by “bread” the seed from the produce of which bread is made. Seed cast upon the fertile soil flooded by the early rains would be returned to the sower in autumn with large increase....

EXPOSITION Approaching the end of his treatise, Koheleth, in view of apparent anomalies in God's moral government, and the difficulties that meet man in his social and political relations, proceeds to give his remedies for this state of things. These remedies are (1) beneficence and active life (Ecclesiastes 11:1); (2) joyful light-heartedness (Ecclesiastes 11:7); (3) piety (Ecclesiastes 11:10-Ecclesiastes 12:7)....

CAST THY BREAD UPON THE WATERS,.... As the wise man had often suggested that nothing was better for a man than to enjoy the good of his labour himself, he here advises to let others, the poor, have a share with him; and as he had directed in the preceding chapter how men should behave towards their superiors, he here instructs them what notice they should take of their inferiors; and as he had cautioned against luxury and intemperance, he here guards against tenacity and covetousness, and exhorts to beneficence and liberality: that which is to be given is "bread", which is put for all the necessaries of life, food and raiment; or money that answers all things, what may be a supply of wants, a support of persons in distress; what is useful, profitable, and beneficial; not stones or scorpions, or what will be useless or harmful: and it must be "thy" bread, a man's own; not independent of G...

Ecclesiastes 11:1. _Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days._ Hoard not thy bread; for if thou dost, it will mildew, it will be of no use to thee. Cast it on the waters; scatter it abroad; give it to the unworthy men if need be. Some here have seen an allusion to the casting of seed into the Nile when it overflowed its banks. When the waters subsided, the corn would grow, and be gathered in «after many days.» Ecclesiastes 11:2. _Give a portion to seven,_ And if that be a perfect number, give beyond it, Ecclesiastes 11:2. _And also to eight;_ Give to more than thou canst afford to give to. Help

CHAPTER 11 _ 1. Proverbs concerning man's work(Ecclesiastes 11:1)_ 2. The vanity of life (Ecclesiastes 11:7) Ecclesiastes 11:1. These continued proverbs concern the work of man and begin with exhortations to charity and are followed by the wise acknowledgement that no one knows the works of God, who is the maker of all. All this knowledge is within the compass of the natural man. Ecclesiastes 11:7. After these philosophic proverbs he comes back to his former finding--vanity. So to speak he sums up life in one verse, “Truly the light is sweet and a pleasant thing i

ECCLESIASTES 11:1 TO ECCLESIASTES 12:8. CLOSING COUNSELS. It is well to do and to get all one can, in the way of industry and pleasure, before old age draws on. Ecclesiastes 11:1 and Ecclesiastes 11:2 are best taken as referring either to merchandise or generosity, though bread has also been interpreted as seed sown on irrigated land (_cf._ Ecclesiastes 11:4 and Ecclesiastes 11:6) or even as human semen, and...

BREAD. Put by Figure of speech _Metonymy_ (of Effect), App-6, for the seed from which it is produced. UPON. upon the surface of. IT. the profit or result of it....