Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things. New Living Translation Just as you cannot understand the path of the wind or the mystery of a tiny baby growing in its mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the activity of God, who does all things. English Standard Version As you do not know the way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything. Berean Standard Bible As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the bones are formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things. King James Bible 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. New King James Version As you do not know what is the way of the wind, Or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child, So you do not know the works of God who makes everything. New American Standard Bible Just as you do not know the path of the wind, and how bones are formed in the womb of the pregnant woman, so you do not know the activity of God who makes everything. NASB 1995 Just as you do not know the path of the wind and how bones are formed in the womb of the pregnant woman, so you do not know the activity of God who makes all things. NASB 1977 Just as you do not know the path of the wind and how bones are formed in the womb of the pregnant woman, so you do not know the activity of God who makes all things. Legacy Standard Bible Just as you do not know the path of the wind and how bones are formed in the womb of the pregnant woman, so you do not know the work of God who works all things. Amplified Bible Just as you do not know the way and path of the wind or how the bones are formed in the womb of a pregnant woman, even so you do not know the activity of God who makes all things. Christian Standard Bible Just as you don’t know the path of the wind, or how bones develop in the womb of a pregnant woman, so also you don’t know the work of God who makes everything. Holman Christian Standard Bible Just as you don’t know the path of the wind, or how bones develop in the womb of a pregnant woman, so you don’t know the work of God who makes everything. American Standard Version 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. Aramaic Bible in Plain English Because you do not know the way of the wind, for as the way of her who is pregnant of conception, so you will not know the works of LORD JEHOVAH, all that he made Brenton Septuagint Translation Among whom none knows what is the way of the wind: as the bones are hid in the womb of a pregnant woman, so thou shalt not know the works of God, even all things whatsoever he shall do. Contemporary English Version No one can explain how a baby breathes before it is born. So how can anyone explain what God does? After all, God created everything. Douay-Rheims Bible As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones are joined together in the womb of her that is with child: so thou knowest not the works of God, who is the maker of all. English Revised Version 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. GOD'S WORD® Translation Just as you don't know how the breath of life enters the limbs of a child within its mother's womb, you also don't understand how God, who made everything, works. Good News Translation God made everything, and you can no more understand what he does than you understand how new life begins in the womb of a pregnant woman. International Standard Version Just as you do not understand the way of the spirit in the womb of a pregnant mother, so also you do not know what God is doing in everything he makes. JPS Tanakh 1917 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. Literal Standard Version As you do not know what [is] the way of the spirit, | How—bones in the womb of the full one, | So you do not know the work of God who makes the whole. Majority Standard Bible As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the bones are formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things. New American Bible Just as you do not know how the life breath enters the human frame in the mother’s womb, So you do not know the work of God, who is working in everything. NET Bible Just as you do not know the path of the wind, or how the bones form in the womb of a pregnant woman, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything. New Revised Standard Version Just as you do not know how the breath comes to the bones in the mother’s womb, so you do not know the work of God, who makes everything. New Heart English Bible As you do not know what is the way of the wind, nor how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child; even so you do not know the work of God who does all. Webster's Bible Translation As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor the structure of the parts of conception in her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all. World English Bible As you don’t know what is the way of the wind, nor how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child; even so you don’t know the work of God who does all. Young's Literal Translation As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, How -- bones in the womb of the full one, So thou knowest not the work of God who maketh the whole. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Cast Your Bread upon the Waters…4He who watches the wind will fail to sow, and he who observes the clouds will fail to reap. 5As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the bones are formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things. 6Sow your seed in the morning, and do not rest your hands in the evening, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or if both will equally prosper.… Cross References John 3:8 The wind blows where it wishes. You hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." Psalm 139:13 For You formed my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother's womb. Psalm 139:15 My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in secret, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Psalm 139:16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; all my days were written in Your book and ordained for me before one of them came to be. Ecclesiastes 1:6 The wind blows southward, then turns northward; round and round it swirls, ever returning on its course. Ecclesiastes 1:13 And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a heavy burden God has laid upon the sons of men to occupy them! Ecclesiastes 3:10 I have seen the burden that God has laid upon the sons of men to occupy them. Treasury of Scripture As you know 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 you know not the works of God who makes all. thou knowest not what John 3:8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. nor Psalm 139:14,15 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well… even Ecclesiastes 7:24 That which is far off, and exceeding deep, who can find it out? Ecclesiastes 8:17 Then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because though a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea further; though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it. Job 5:9 Which doeth great things and unsearchable; marvellous things without number: Jump to Previous Activity Body Bones Child Conception Formed Grow Maker Makes Maketh Mother's Parts Path Pregnant Spirit Structure Understand Way Wind Womb Work WorksJump to Next Activity Body Bones Child Conception Formed Grow Maker Makes Maketh Mother's Parts Path Pregnant Spirit Structure Understand Way Wind Womb Work WorksEcclesiastes 11 1. directions for charity7. death in life and the day of judgment 9. in the days of youth (5) The wording of this passage leaves it ambiguous whether we have here two illustrations of man's ignorance, or only one; whether we are to understand the verse as declaring that we know neither the way of the wind nor the growth of the embryo, or whether, retaining the translation "spirit," we take the whole verse as relating to the latter subject. (Comp. John 3:6.) The word for "her that is with child" occurs in that sense here only in the Old Testament, and in later Hebrew.Verse 5. - As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit. In this verse are presented one or two examples of man's ignorance of natural facts and processes as analogous to the mysteries of God's moral government. The word translated "spirit" (ruach) may mean also "wind," and is so taken here by many commentators (see Ecclesiastes 1:6; Ecclesiastes 8:8; and comp. John 3:8). In this view there would be two instances given, viz. the wind and the embryo. Certainly, the mention of the wind seems to come naturally after what has preceded; and man's ignorance of its way, and powerlessness to control it, are emblematic of his attitude towards Divine providence. The versions, however, seem to support the rendering of the Authorized Version. Thus the Septuagint (which connects the clause with ver. 4), ἐν οῖς ("among whom," i.e. those who watch the weather), "There is none that knoweth what is the way of the spirit (τοῦ πνεύματος);" Vulgate. Quomodo ignoras quae sit via spiritus. If we take this view, we have only one idea in the verse, and that is the infusion of the breath of life in the embryo, and its growth in its mother's womb. Nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child. Our version, by its insertions, has made two facts out of the statement in the Hebrew, which is literally, holy the bones (are) in the womb of a pregnant woman. Septuagint, "As (ὡς) bones are in the womb," etc.; Vulgate, Et qua ratione compingantur ossa in ventre praegnantis, " And in what way the bones are framed in the womb of the pregnant." The formation and quickening of the foetus were always regarded as mysterious and inscrutable (comp. Job 10:8, 9; Psalm 139:15; Wisd. 7:1, etc.). Wright compares M. Aurelius, 10:26, "The first principles of life are extremely slender and mysterious; and yet nature works them up into a strange increase of bulk, diversity, and proportion." Controversies concerning the origin of the soul have been rife from early times, some holding what is called Traducianism, i.e. that soul and body are both derived by propagation from earthly parents; others supporting Creationism, i.e. that the soul, created specially by God, is infused into the child before birth. St. Augustine confesses ('Op. Imperf.,' 4:104) that he is unable to determine the truth of either opinion. And, indeed, this is one of those secret things which Holy Scripture has not decided for us, and about which no authoritative sentence has been given. The term "bones" is used for the whole conformation of the body (comp. Proverbs 15:30; Proverbs 16:24); meleah, "pregnant," means literally, "full," and is used like the Latin plena can here and nowhere else in the Old Testament, though common in later Hebrew. Thus Ovid, 'Metam.,' 10:469 - "Plena patris thalamis excedit, et impia dire "Nunc gravidum pecus est; gravidae sunt semine terrae Hebrew Asכַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר (ka·’ă·šer) Preposition-k | Pronoun - relative Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that you do not אֵֽינְךָ֤ (’ê·nə·ḵā) Adverb | second person masculine singular Strong's 369: A non-entity, a negative particle know יוֹדֵ֙עַ֙ (yō·w·ḏê·a‘) Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular Strong's 3045: To know the path דֶּ֣רֶךְ (de·reḵ) Noun - common singular construct Strong's 1870: A road, a course of life, mode of action of the wind, הָר֔וּחַ (hā·rū·aḥ) Article | Noun - common singular Strong's 7307: Wind, breath, exhalation, life, anger, unsubstantiality, a region of the sky, spirit or how the bones [are formed] כַּעֲצָמִ֖ים (ka·‘ă·ṣā·mîm) Preposition-k | Noun - feminine plural Strong's 6106: A bone, the body, the substance, selfsame in a mother’s הַמְּלֵאָ֑ה (ham·mə·lê·’āh) Article | Adjective - feminine singular Strong's 4392: Full, filling, fulness, fully womb, בְּבֶ֣טֶן (bə·ḇe·ṭen) Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct Strong's 990: The belly, the womb, the bosom, body of anything so כָּ֗כָה (kā·ḵāh) Adverb Strong's 3602: Just so you cannot לֹ֤א (lō) Adverb - Negative particle Strong's 3808: Not, no understand תֵדַע֙ (ṯê·ḏa‘) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular Strong's 3045: To know the work מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה (ma·‘ă·śêh) Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 4639: An action, a transaction, activity, a product, property of God, הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים (hā·’ĕ·lō·hîm) Article | Noun - masculine plural Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative the Maker יַעֲשֶׂ֖ה (ya·‘ă·śeh) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 6213: To do, make of all things. הַכֹּֽל׃ (hak·kōl) Article | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every Links Ecclesiastes 11:5 NIVEcclesiastes 11:5 NLT Ecclesiastes 11:5 ESV Ecclesiastes 11:5 NASB Ecclesiastes 11:5 KJV Ecclesiastes 11:5 BibleApps.com Ecclesiastes 11:5 Biblia Paralela Ecclesiastes 11:5 Chinese Bible Ecclesiastes 11:5 French Bible Ecclesiastes 11:5 Catholic Bible OT Poetry: Ecclesiastes 11:5 As you don't know what (Ecclesiast. Ec Ecc Eccles.) |
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