Ecclesiastes 11:3
New International Version
If clouds are full of water, they pour rain on the earth. Whether a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where it falls, there it will lie.

New Living Translation
When clouds are heavy, the rains come down. Whether a tree falls north or south, it stays where it falls.

English Standard Version
If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves on the earth, and if a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it will lie.

Berean Standard Bible
If the clouds are full, they will pour out rain upon the earth; whether a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where it falls, there it will lie.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
If the clouds are full of rain, They empty themselves upon the earth; And if a tree falls to the south or the north, In the place where the tree falls, there it shall lie.

New American Standard Bible
If the clouds are full, they pour out rain on the earth; and whether a tree falls toward the south or toward the north, wherever the tree falls, there it lies.

NASB 1995
If the clouds are full, they pour out rain upon the earth; and whether a tree falls toward the south or toward the north, wherever the tree falls, there it lies.

NASB 1977
If the clouds are full, they pour out rain upon the earth; and whether a tree falls toward the south or toward the north, wherever the tree falls, there it lies.

Legacy Standard Bible
If the clouds are full, they empty the rain upon the earth; and whether a tree falls toward the south or toward the north, wherever the tree falls, there it lies.

Amplified Bible
If the clouds are full [of rain], they empty themselves on the earth; and if a tree falls toward the south or toward the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it lies.

Christian Standard Bible
If the clouds are full, they will pour out rain on the earth; whether a tree falls to the south or the north, the place where the tree falls, there it will lie.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
If the clouds are full, they will pour out rain on the earth; whether a tree falls to the south or the north, the place where the tree falls, there it will lie.

American Standard Version
If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth; and if a tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there shall it be.

Contemporary English Version
Rain clouds always bring rain; trees always stay wherever they fall.

English Revised Version
If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if a tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there shall it be.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
If the clouds are full of rain, they will let it pour down on the earth. If a tree falls north or south, the tree will remain where it fell.

Good News Translation
No matter which direction a tree falls, it will lie where it fell. When the clouds are full, it rains.

International Standard Version
If the clouds are full of rain, they will pour out on the earth; if a tree falls toward the south or the north, wherever it falls, there it will lay.

Majority Standard Bible
If the clouds are full, they will pour out rain upon the earth; whether a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where it falls, there it will lie.

NET Bible
If the clouds are full of rain, they will empty themselves on the earth, and whether a tree falls to the south or to the north, the tree will lie wherever it falls.

New Heart English Bible
If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves on the earth; and if a tree falls toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falls, there shall it be.

Webster's Bible Translation
If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree falleth towards the south, or towards the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be.

World English Bible
If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves on the earth; and if a tree falls toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falls, there shall it be.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
If the thick clouds are full of rain, "" On the earth they empty [themselves]; And if a tree falls in the south or to the north, "" The place where the tree falls, there it is.

Young's Literal Translation
If the thick clouds are full of rain, On the earth they empty themselves; And if a tree doth fall in the south or to the north, The place where the tree falleth, there it is.

Smith's Literal Translation
If the clouds shall be filled with rain, they shall pour out upon the earth: and if the tree shall fall in the south or in the north, the place the tree shall fall, there it shall be.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
If the clouds be full, they will pour out rain upon the earth. If the tree fall to the south, or to the north, in what place soever it shall fall, there shall it be.

Catholic Public Domain Version
If the clouds have been filled, they will pour forth rain upon the earth. If a tree falls to the south, or to the north, or to whatever direction it may fall, there it shall remain.

New American Bible
When the clouds are full, they pour out rain upon the earth. Whether a tree falls to the south or to the north, wherever it falls, there shall it lie.

New Revised Standard Version
When clouds are full, they empty rain on the earth; whether a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it will lie.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth; and if a tree fall toward the south or toward the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it shall be.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
If clouds will fill up, they will cast rain upon Earth, and if a tree has fallen unto the South or unto the place of the North, where the tree has fallen, there it will be
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
If the clouds be full of rain, They empty themselves upon the earth; And if a tree fall in the south, or in the north, In the place where the tree falleth, there shall it be.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
If the clouds be filled with rain, they pour it out upon the earth: and if a tree fall southward, or if it fall northward, in the place where the tree shall fall, there it shall be.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Cast Your Bread upon the Waters
2Divide your portion among seven, or even eight, for you do not know what disaster may befall the land. 3If the clouds are full, they will pour out rain upon the earth; whether a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where it falls, there it will lie. 4He who watches the wind will fail to sow, and he who observes the clouds will fail to reap.…

Cross References
Job 37:11-13
He loads the clouds with moisture; He scatters His lightning through them. / They swirl about, whirling at His direction, accomplishing all that He commands over the face of all the earth. / Whether for punishment or for His land, He accomplishes this in His loving devotion.

Matthew 7:17-18
Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. / A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.

James 3:12
My brothers, can a fig tree grow olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

Luke 6:43-44
No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. / For each tree is known by its own fruit. Indeed, figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor grapes from brambles.

Proverbs 11:28
He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like foliage.

Galatians 6:7-8
Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return. / The one who sows to please his flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; but the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

Hosea 10:12-13
Sow for yourselves righteousness and reap the fruit of loving devotion; break up your unplowed ground. For it is time to seek the LORD until He comes and sends righteousness upon you like rain. / You have plowed wickedness and reaped injustice; you have eaten the fruit of lies. Because you have trusted in your own way and in the multitude of your mighty men,

Isaiah 55:10-11
For just as rain and snow fall from heaven and do not return without watering the earth, making it bud and sprout, and providing seed to sow and food to eat, / so My word that proceeds from My mouth will not return to Me empty, but it will accomplish what I please, and it will prosper where I send it.

Matthew 12:33
Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is known by its fruit.

Jeremiah 17:8
He is like a tree planted by the waters that sends out its roots toward the stream. It does not fear when the heat comes, and its leaves are always green. It does not worry in a year of drought, nor does it cease to produce fruit.

Psalm 1:3
He is like a tree planted by streams of water, yielding its fruit in season, whose leaf does not wither, and who prospers in all he does.

2 Corinthians 9:6
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.

Genesis 8:22
As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night shall never cease.”

Mark 4:26-29
Jesus also said, “The kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seed on the ground. / Night and day he sleeps and wakes, and the seed sprouts and grows, though he knows not how. / All by itself the earth produces a crop—first the stalk, then the head, then grain that ripens within. ...

Romans 2:6-8
God “will repay each one according to his deeds.” / To those who by perseverance in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality, He will give eternal life. / But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow wickedness, there will be wrath and anger.


Treasury of Scripture

If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves on the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it shall be.

the clouds

1 Kings 18:45
And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel.

Psalm 65:9-13
Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it: thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is full of water: thou preparest them corn, when thou hast so provided for it…

Isaiah 55:10,11
For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: …

if the tree

Matthew 3:10
And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

Luke 13:7
Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?

Luke 16:22-26
And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; …

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Ecclesiastes 11
1. directions for charity
7. death in life and the day of judgment
9. in the days of youth














If the clouds are full of rain
The imagery of clouds full of rain speaks to the certainty of natural processes. In Hebrew, the word for "clouds" is "עָבִים" (avim), which often symbolizes divine provision and judgment. The fullness of the clouds suggests an inevitability, much like the certainty of God's promises and the natural order He established. This phrase encourages believers to trust in God's timing and provision, knowing that just as rain is inevitable when clouds are full, so is the fulfillment of God's will.

they will empty themselves upon the earth
This phrase highlights the natural consequence of the clouds' fullness. The Hebrew verb "רָקַק" (raqaq) implies a pouring out or emptying, which can be seen as a metaphor for the outpouring of God's blessings or judgments. It serves as a reminder that actions and conditions have consequences, and that God's creation operates under His sovereign design. For the believer, this is a call to live in alignment with God's principles, understanding that what is sown will eventually be reaped.

and if a tree falls to the south or to the north
The falling of a tree is a metaphor for the finality and permanence of certain events in life. In Hebrew, "עֵץ" (etz) for "tree" often symbolizes strength and life. The direction of the fall, whether to the south or north, suggests that some outcomes are beyond human control, much like the divine will. This phrase encourages believers to accept the sovereignty of God in life's circumstances, trusting that He directs the course of events according to His perfect wisdom.

in the place where it falls, there it will lie
This concluding phrase emphasizes the permanence and unchangeability of certain outcomes. The Hebrew word "מָקוֹם" (maqom) for "place" signifies a fixed position or situation. Once a tree falls, its position is set, much like the finality of God's judgment or the consequences of one's actions. For the believer, this serves as a sobering reminder to live wisely and righteously, knowing that some decisions and actions have lasting effects that cannot be altered.

(3) The world is ruled by fixed laws, the operation of which man has no power to suspend.

Verse 3. - If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth. This verse is closely connected with the preceding paragraph. The misfortune there intimated may fall at any moment; this is as certain as the laws of nature, unforeseen, uncontrollable. When the clouds are overcharged with moisture, they deliver their burden upon the earth, according to laws which man cannot alter; these are of irresistible necessity, and must be expected and endured. And if the tree fall toward the, south, etc.; or, it may be, in the south; i.e. let it fall where it will; the particular position is of no importance. When the tempest overthrows it, it lies where it has fallen. When the evil day comes, we must bend to the blow, we are powerless to avert it; the future can be neither calculated nor controlled. The next verse tells how the wise man acts under such circumstances. Christian commentators have argued from this clause concerning the unchangeable state of the departed - that there is no repentance in the grave; that what death leaves them judgment shall find them. Of course, no such thought was in Koheleth's mind; nor do we think that the inspiring Spirit intended such meaning to be wrung from the passage. Indeed, it may be said that, as it stands, the clause does not bear this interpretation. The fallen or felled tree is not at once fit for the master's use; it has to be exposed to atmospheric influences seasoned, tried. It is not left in the place where it lay, nor in the condition in which it was; so that, if we reason from this analogy, we must conceive that there is some ripening, purifying process in the intermediate state. St. Gregory speaks thus: "For when, at the moment of the falling of the human being, either the Holy Spirit or the evil spirit receives the soul departed from the chambers of the flesh, he will keel, it with him for ever without change, so that neither, once exalted, shall it be precipitated into woe, nor, once plunged into eternal woes, any further arise to take the means of escape" ('Moral.,' 8:30).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
If
אִם־ (’im-)
Conjunction
Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not

the clouds
הֶעָבִ֥ים (he·‘ā·ḇîm)
Article | Noun - common plural
Strong's 5645: An envelope, darkness, a, cloud, a copse

are full,
יִמָּלְא֨וּ (yim·mā·lə·’ū)
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 4390: To fill, be full of

they will pour out
יָרִ֔יקוּ (yā·rî·qū)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 7324: Arm, cast out, draw out, make empty, pour forth out

rain
גֶּ֙שֶׁם֙ (ge·šem)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1653: Rain, shower

upon
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the earth;
הָאָ֣רֶץ (hā·’ā·reṣ)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land

whether
וְאִם־ (wə·’im-)
Conjunctive waw | Conjunction
Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not

a tree
עֵ֛ץ (‘êṣ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6086: Tree, trees, wood

falls
יִפּ֥וֹל (yip·pō·wl)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5307: To fall, lie

to the south
בַּדָּר֖וֹם (bad·dā·rō·wm)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1864: The south, poet, the south wind

or
וְאִ֣ם (wə·’im)
Conjunctive waw | Conjunction
Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not

the north,
בַּצָּפ֑וֹן (baṣ·ṣā·p̄ō·wn)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 6828: Hidden, dark, the north as a, quarter

in the place
מְק֛וֹם (mə·qō·wm)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4725: A standing, a spot, a condition

where [it]
הָעֵ֖ץ (hā·‘êṣ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6086: Tree, trees, wood

falls,
שֶׁיִּפּ֥וֹל (še·yip·pō·wl)
Pronoun - relative | Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5307: To fall, lie

there
שָׁ֥ם (šām)
Adverb
Strong's 8033: There, then, thither

it will lie.
יְהֽוּא׃ (yə·hū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1933: To fall


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OT Poetry: Ecclesiastes 11:3 If the clouds are full of rain (Ecclesiast. Ec Ecc Eccles.)
Ecclesiastes 11:2
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