Christianity

Ecclesiastes 11Cast Thy Bread Upon the Waters

Summary

Ecclesiastes 11 urges bold generosity and action in the face of uncertainty. Cast your bread upon the waters and you will find it after many days; give a portion to seven or eight, since you do not know what disaster may come. Whoever waits for perfect weather will never sow or reap. As no one knows the way of the spirit or how bones grow in the womb, no one knows God's works, so sow morning and evening. Rejoice in youth, but remember that God will bring all into judgment.

Key verse

“Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.”

Ecclesiastes 11:1

Themes

Generosity
Action Under Uncertainty
Joy of Youth
Accountability

Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.

Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.

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.

He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.

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.

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.

Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun:

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.

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.

Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity.

Text: King James Version (1611/1769), public domain.

Across traditions

Islam
Surah Al-Baqarah (2): A Grain of Seven Ears
Quran 2:261 compares spending in God's way to a grain that produces seven ears with a hundred grains each. Like Ecclesiastes 11:1 to 2, it promises that generosity returns in ways beyond calculation.
Christianity
John 3: The Wind Bloweth Where It Listeth
Jesus tells Nicodemus that the wind blows where it wills and no one can tell where it comes from or goes (3:8). Ecclesiastes 11:5 likewise uses the hidden way of the wind or spirit to show the limits of human knowledge.

Questions about Ecclesiastes 11

What does cast thy bread upon the waters mean?

Ecclesiastes 11:1 is usually read as encouraging generous, even risky, giving or investment with the trust that it will return in time. Some interpreters connect it with sea trade.

What does Ecclesiastes 11:4 mean?

It says whoever watches the wind will not sow and whoever regards the clouds will not reap. Waiting for perfect conditions leads to doing nothing.