NOTES for Ecc 11:1-10
1 Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days. |
2 Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth. |
3 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. |
4 He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap. |
5 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. |
6 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. |
7 Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun: |
8 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. |
9 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. |
10 Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity. |
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What remains for a person in a life where meaning cannot be obtained and God's providence cannot be found? As it appears, all that remains is simply to live, to live as though this meaning exists and God's providence still somehow, by ways unknown to human beings, acts in the world while remaining hidden from people. No one knows his fate, nor does he know how circumstances will unfold or how affairs will go, but this is not a reason for a passive stance in life (vv. 3-5). It is impossible to foresee everything, but it is important to do everything possible so that the task set before one may be accomplished (vv. 1-2).
The wisdom of life to which Ecclesiastes came turned out, in essence, to be quite simple and understandable: you do not know the will of God or the ways of providence, so do everything to achieve success and leave the rest to God (v. 6). Such a worldview bears little resemblance to the fiery faith of the prophets or the confident calm of the sages, but this is not surprising: we are speaking of the worldview of a person who understands that the world cannot be changed, and that righteousness and wisdom are valued in it too little for anyone to hope for their triumph. Nothing can be guaranteed, but it is important to do everything possible. And of course one must never miss an occasion to rejoice when God gives a person such an opportunity: after all, joyful days in life are far fewer than sorrowful ones, so it would be a pity to miss even one of those joyful days (vv. 7-8).
Of course, joy must not be such that the person rejoicing forgets God, but as it appears, for Ecclesiastes the fear of God, remembrance of judgment, and joy are compatible things (vv. 9-10), perhaps because the joy he speaks of is inseparable from the joy a person experiences in God's presence.
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