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Nazarene Commentary 2000©

21^st Century Paraphrase of the Hebrew Scriptures© –
21^st Century Version of the Christian Scriptures© [NCMM]

ECCLESIASTES

CHAPTER ELEVEN:
BUSINESS AND YOUTH

Summary

Solomon gives advice on a variety of subjects, beginning with using wisdom in farming and business. Youth should enjoy they fleeting life for dark days are coming and then God’s judgment.

Ecclesiastes 11:1-6 – Wise Business

EC11:1 Send your grain away on the surface of the waters. After many days you will acquire it. 265

265

Send your grain away on the surface of the waters. After many days you will acquire it: Or, ASV: Cast thy bread upon the waters; for thou shalt find it after many days; BAS: Put out your bread on the face of the waters; for after a long time it will come back to you again; MOF: trust your goods far and wise at sea, till you get good returns after a while; NEB: send your grain across the seas, and in time you will get a return. There are two views: some see it as a counsel regarding charity, while others note the context and apply it to wise business ventures. On charity compare Deuteronomy 15:10; Nehemiah 8:10; Esther 9:19; Proverbs 19:17; 22:19. The subject of charity was a major theme of the Nazarene. [Luke 6:30-35]

EC11:2 Engage in seven or eight ventures, for you have no idea what kind of misfortunes and hardships may happen on earth. 266

266

Engage in seven or eight ventures, for you have no idea what kind of misfortunes and hardships may happen on earth: Or, BAS: Give a part to seven or even to eight, because you have no knowledge of the evil which will be on the earth; MOF: take shares in several ventures; you never know what will go wrong in this world; NEB: divide your merchandize among seven ventures, eight maybe, since you do not know what disasters may occur on earth; NET: divide your merchandise among seven or even eight investments. That is, it is better to have ten smaller customers or clients than one large one. Some will apply the words to the charity of the previous verse.

EC11:3 When the clouds are completely saturated they will bring a downpour upon earth. 267 Whether it be to the south or north a tree falls where it is found. 268

267	When the clouds are completely saturated they will bring a downpour upon earth: Or, BAS: If the clouds are full of rain, they send it down on the earth. The analogy may be to business ventures or charity. If it is going to rain it will rain.

268

Whether it be to the south or north a tree falls where it is found: Or, BAS: and if a tree comes down to the south, or the north, in whatever place it comes down, there it will be. It is possible the analogy is to winds from one direction or another, but whatever direction or cause, the tree still falls. Things in life can fall or land one way or the other, but they still fall.

EC11:4 The person who watches the wind will never plant seed, and the person who watches the clouds will never harvest. 269

269

The person who watches the wind will never plant seed, and the person who watches the clouds will never harvest: Or, BAS: He who is watching the wind will not get the seed planted, and he who is looking at the clouds will not get in the grain; JB: keep watching the wind and you will never sow, star at the clouds and you will never reap. There seems always a reason not to do something, waiting until just perfect circumstances. The industrious person charges ahead despite inclement conditions. [Proverbs 20:4] The word for “wind” here is the Hebrew ROACH and the Greek PNEUMA.

EC11:5 You can no more understand all the creative work of The God than you can understand the course of the life-breath as bones form in a pregnant woman’s womb. 270

270

You can no more understand all the creative work of The God than you can understand the course of the life-breath as bones form in a pregnant woman’s womb: Or, BAS: As you have no knowledge of the way of the wind, or of the growth of the bones in the body of her who is with child, even so you have no knowledge of the works of God who has made all; JPS: As thou knowest not what is the way of the wind, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child; even so thou knowest not the work of God who doeth all things; LAM: as you do not know the path of the wind, and the manner of a woman who is with child; even so you do not know the works of the LORD who makes all; BER: even as you do not know how the wind blows, or how the embryo develops in the womb of a pregnant woman, so you do not know the works of God who makes everything; NAB: just as you know not how the breath of life fashions the human frame in the mother’s womb, so you know not the work of God. The LXX Greek uses PNEUMATOS [spirit/wind/breath] and TOU THEOU [The God]. [Job 10:11; 26:14; Psalm 40:5; 139:13, 15] Return to Ecclesiastes 8:17. Starting here Solomon begins to address youth and their coming “days of darkness.”

EC11:6 Begin to plant your seed in the morning and do not ease up until dusk because you have no idea which effort will succeed, or whether all of it will be productive. 271

271

Begin to plant your seed in the morning and do not ease up until dusk because you have no idea which effort will succeed, or whether all of it will be productive: Or, BAS: In the morning put your seed into the earth, and till the evening let not your hand be at rest; because you are not certain which will do well, this or that—or if the two will be equally good. A clear exhortation to begin work early and stay at it until late. It is impossible to predict the final outcome and hard work increases the chance of success. Return to Ecclesiastes 9:10. [Proverbs 27:1] Compare 2 Corinthians 9:6; Colossians 3:23; James 4:14.

Ecclesiastes 11:7-10 – Enjoy Your Youth

EC11:7 Surely the light of life is something sweet to be savored, and so a person should find pleasure in experiencing life in the sunlight. 272

272	Surely the light of life is something sweet to be savored, and so a person should find pleasure in experiencing life in the sunlight: Or, BAS: Truly the light is sweet, and it is good for the eyes to see the sun. Return to Ecclesiastes 7:11. [Job 33:28]

EC11:8 Though a person live a very long time – rejoicing through all of it – keep in mind the dark days of death because they will be very long and completely futile. 273

273

Though a person live a very long time – rejoicing through all of it – keep in mind the dark days of death because they will be very long and completely futile: Or, BAS: But even if a man’s life is long and he has joy in all his years, let him keep in mind the dark days, because they will be great in number. Whatever may come is to no purpose; LXX: All that comes is vanity. Return to Ecclesiastes 2:11; 4:8; 5:18; 8:15. Compare Ecclesiastes 12:2.

EC11:9 Let the young rejoice while they are young. 274 Permit your heart to enjoy gladness in your early youth. 275 Let your conscience motivate your lifestyle, and enjoy what pleases your eyes. 276 However, be aware that everything you do will be brought before the judgment of The God. 277

274	Let the young rejoice while they are young: Or, BAS: Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; AMP: Rejoice, O young man, in your adolescence; NEB: delight in your boyhood; TAY: Young man, it’s wonderful to be young. Youthfulness should be enjoyed to the full for it passes very quickly.

275

Permit your heart to enjoy gladness in your early youth: Or, BAS: let your heart be glad in the days of your strength; GDS: let your mind be glad in the days of your vigor; AMP: let your heart cheer you in the days of your full-grown youth; NEB: make the most of the days of your youth; TAY: enjoy every minute.

276

Let your conscience motivate your lifestyle, and enjoy what pleases your eyes: Or, BAS: go in the ways of your heart; LXX: walk in the ways of thy heart blameless; GDS: walk in the ways of your mind; NET: follow the impulses of your heart. In Hebrew the “heart” may represent both the mind and the conscience, or that which motivates a person. “Let your conscience be your guide” is proper counsel if the conscience is trained. See the notes on Romans 2:15. On the matter of the “desire of the eyes” note 1 John 2:15, 16. The next phrase qualifies this enjoyment of youth.

277

However, be aware that everything you do will be brought before the judgment of The God: Or, BAS: but be certain that for all these things God will be your judge; LXX: yet know that for all these things God [HO THEOS] will bring thee into judgement. The subject of judgment has already been mentioned at Ecclesiastes 3:17 and will be repeated in the conclusion at Ecclesiastes 12:14. See notes on Romans 2:6, 15, 16; 14:12 or the Biblical Article God and Judgment.

EC11:10 So remove vexing irritations from your heart 278 – brushing off bodily pain 279 – for youthfulness and the prime of life are fleeting and completely futile. 280

278

So remove vexing irritations from your heart: Or, BAS: So put away trouble from your heart; KJV: remove sorrow; KNX: resentment; LAM: anger; BER: banish grief from your mind; NET: banish emotional stress from your mind. The Nazarene echoes this same advice at Matthew 6:34. If youth learn this lesson early it will lengthen their days and make their life considerably more pleasant.

279	Brushing off bodily pain: Or, ASV: put away evil from thy flesh; BAS: and sorrow from your flesh; BER: keep pain from your body; RSV: put away pain from your body. At some point in life pain becomes an ever present enemy, and learning to cope with it will improve life.

280

For youthfulness and the prime of life are fleeting and completely futile: Or, ASV: for youth and the dawn of life are vanity; BAS: because the early years and the best years are to no purpose; JPS: for childhood and youth are vanity; LXX: for youth and folly are vanity; KNX: youth and pleasures, they are so quickly gone; LAM: youth and ignorance are vanity; BER: transitory. Compare Ecclesiastes 12:8. Youth may be very impatient for life to move along, and then suddenly wake up and wonder where the time went.