---
title: "Clarke"
description: "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 wate"
image: "/images/missing.jpg"
url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/clarkes-commentary/ecclesiastes/11"
---

Verse [Ecclesiastes 11:1](../../../kjv/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 *afterwards* to receive it with abundant increase. The *Targum* understands it of giving bread to poor sailors. The *Vulgate* and my *old Bible* have the same idea. *Send thi brede upon men passing waters.*
**

Verse [Ecclesiastes 11:2](../../../kjv/ecclesiastes/11/2). ***Give a portion to seven*** — Never cease giving while thou seest a person in distress, and hast wherewithal to relieve him.
***Thou knowest not what evil*** — Such may be the change of times, that thou mayest yet stand in need of similar help thyself. *Do as* *thou wouldst be done by*.

Verse [Ecclesiastes 11:3](../../../kjv/ecclesiastes/11/3). ***If the clouds be full of rain.*** — Act as the clouds; when they are full they pour out their water indifferently on the *field* and on the *desert*. By giving charity indiscriminately, it may be that thou wilt often give it to the unworthy: but thou shouldst ever consider that he is an object of thy charity, who *appears* to be in real want; and better relieve or give to a *hundred* worthless persons, than pass by one who is in real distress.
***Where the tree falleth, there it shall be.*** — Death is at no great distance; thou hast but a short time to do good. Acquire a heavenly *disposition* while here; for there will be no *change after* *this life*. If thou die in the love of God, and in the love of man, in that state wilt thou be found in the day of judgment. If a tree about to fall lean to the *north*, to the north it will fall; if to the *south*, it will fall to that *quarter*. In whatever *disposition* or *state of soul* thou diest, in that thou *wilt be found* in the *eternal world*. Death *refines nothing, purifies nothing, kills no* *sin, helps to no glory*. Let thy continual *bent* and *inclination* be to God, to holiness, to charity, to mercy, and to heaven: then, fall when thou mayest, thou wilt fall well.

Verse [Ecclesiastes 11:4](../../../kjv/ecclesiastes/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 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 endeavouring 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.

Verse [Ecclesiastes 11:5](../../../kjv/ecclesiastes/11/5). ***As thou knowest not - the way of the spirit*** — *Why* God should have permitted such an such persons to fall into want, and how they came into all their distresses, thou canst not tell, no more than thou canst how *their soul* is united to their body, how it came to *inform* that body, or how the *child* was formed in *the* *womb of its mother*. Nor canst thou discern the *end* which God has in view in these things. *He maketh all*, every thing is open to him; and take heed lest, while pretending motives of scrupulosity and prudence, in not relieving the distresses of those thou pretendest to suspect to be *unworthy*, he does not *see* that a *love* *of money* is the *motive* of thy conduct, and a *want of the bowels of* *mercy* the *cause* why thou drivest this *suspected* beggar from thy door.

Verse [Ecclesiastes 11:6](../../../kjv/ecclesiastes/11/6). ***In the morning sow thy seed*** — Be ready at *all times* to show mercy; begin in the *morning*, continue till the *evening*. Thou knowest not the most worthy object; it is enough that God knoweth; and if thy motive be *good*, he will applaud and reward thee; not according to the *worthiness* or *unworthiness* of the *object* of thy charity, but according to the *motive* which induced thee to relieve him.

Verse [Ecclesiastes 11:7](../../../kjv/ecclesiastes/11/7). ***Truly the light*****is*****sweet*** — Life is dear to every man as the *light of the sun* is to the *eye*. A man would give all that he has for his life, and it is particularly dear to him when he is in ease and affluence: but let each remember that,

Verse [Ecclesiastes 11:8](../../../kjv/ecclesiastes/11/8). ***If a man live many years*** — And even have *prosperity* through the whole; yet the *days of darkness*-times of affliction, weakness, and perhaps *old age, will be many*. If he die not a *violent* death, which no man can wish, he will die a *lingering* *death*; and this is ordinarily attended with many *pains*, and many *sorrows*; therefore let him prepare to meet his God; and to carry this thought through life, that all must terminate in death. The writer of *Ecclesiasticus*, *Eccl 7:36*, has a good saying, similar to this: "Whatsoever thou takest in hand, remember *thy* END; and thou shalt never do amiss;" ουκ αμαρτησεις, *thou wilt not sin*.

Verse [Ecclesiastes 11:9](../../../kjv/ecclesiastes/11/9). ***Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth*** — *Youth* is devoid of cares; and, consequently, of many perplexities and distresses. Were it not so, we should have no *old men*; nay, perhaps not *one* even of *middle age*. It is in the order of a most gracious God, that the *young* should *rejoice* in their *youth*; but they should make such a moderate use of all their enjoyments, that they may not be confounded in the day of judgment. But, O young man, if thou wilt follow the propensities of thy *own heart*, the noisy mirth of the *fool*, and the dissipation of the *profligate - go on*; take thy full swing; but take this with thee, that "for all these things, God will judge thee;" and if the righteous are scarcely saved, where shall the *ungodly* and the *sinner* appear?

Verse [Ecclesiastes 11:10](../../../kjv/ecclesiastes/11/10). ***Therefore remove sorrow*** — כעס *caas, anger*; every kind of violent passion, all filthiness of *the flesh* and spirit. "Childhood and youth are vanity;" they pass away and come to nothing. Eternity alone is permanent; live for eternity.

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