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. As you do not knowThis phrase highlights human limitations in understanding. The Hebrew root for "know" is "yada," which implies an intimate, experiential knowledge. The verse begins by acknowledging that there are mysteries beyond human comprehension, setting the stage for a discussion on divine sovereignty and the limits of human wisdom. the path of the wind
The Hebrew word for "wind" is "ruach," which can also mean "spirit" or "breath." This dual meaning suggests a deeper spiritual truth: just as the physical wind's path is unpredictable, so is the movement of the Spirit. Historically, wind has been a symbol of God's unseen and uncontrollable power, as seen in the creation narrative and the account of Elijah. or how the bones are formed in a mother's womb
This phrase speaks to the miracle of life and the intricate process of human development. The Hebrew word for "bones" is "etsem," which signifies strength and structure. The formation of bones in the womb is a divine mystery, reflecting God's creative power. In ancient times, the womb was seen as a sacred place where God's handiwork was evident, emphasizing the sanctity of life. so you cannot understand
The inability to understand is a recurring theme in Ecclesiastes, pointing to the finite nature of human wisdom. The Hebrew root "bin" for "understand" suggests discernment and insight. This phrase serves as a humbling reminder that human intellect has its limits, especially when it comes to comprehending divine actions. the work of God
This phrase refers to God's sovereign and creative acts. The Hebrew word "ma'aseh" for "work" encompasses deeds, labor, and craftsmanship. It underscores the idea that God's work is purposeful and beyond human scrutiny. Throughout Scripture, God's work is depicted as both majestic and mysterious, inviting believers to trust in His divine plan. the Maker of all things
This title for God emphasizes His role as the Creator. The Hebrew word "asah" for "Maker" conveys the act of fashioning or forming. It affirms God's ultimate authority and power over creation. Historically, this understanding of God as the Creator has been foundational to the Judeo-Christian worldview, reinforcing the belief in a purposeful and ordered universe. Persons / Places / Events 1. Solomon- Traditionally considered the author of Ecclesiastes, Solomon was the son of King David and known for his wisdom. Ecclesiastes is part of the wisdom literature in the Bible. 2. God, the Maker of all things- The verse refers to God as the Creator, emphasizing His sovereignty and the mystery of His works. 3. The Wind- Represents the unseen and unpredictable aspects of life, which humans cannot fully comprehend. 4. A Mother's Womb- Symbolizes the hidden and miraculous process of life formation, which remains beyond human understanding. 5. The Work of God- Encompasses all of creation and the divine plan, which is often inscrutable to human beings. Teaching Points Acknowledging Human LimitationsRecognize that there are aspects of life and creation that are beyond human understanding. This should lead to humility and reverence for God. Trusting in God's SovereigntyEven when we do not understand His ways, we can trust that God, as the Creator, has a perfect plan and purpose for everything. Embracing Mystery in FaithFaith involves accepting the mysteries of God’s work. We are called to live by faith, not by sight, trusting in His wisdom and timing. Valuing Life's MiraclesThe formation of life in the womb is a miracle that reflects God's creative power. This should inspire awe and respect for life at all stages. Living with PurposeWhile we may not understand all of God's work, we are encouraged to live purposefully, making the most of the opportunities God gives us. Bible Study Questions 1. How does acknowledging our limitations in understanding God's work affect our daily walk with Him? 2. In what ways can we cultivate trust in God's sovereignty, especially when facing life's uncertainties? 3. How does the mystery of life formation in the womb influence our view on the sanctity of life? 4. What are some practical ways we can embrace the mysteries of faith in our spiritual journey? 5. How can we apply the principle of living purposefully in light of Ecclesiastes 11:5 and other related scriptures? Connections to Other Scriptures Job 38-39These chapters highlight God's questions to Job, emphasizing human limitations in understanding the natural world and God's creation. Psalm 139:13-16This passage speaks of God's intimate involvement in the formation of life in the womb, paralleling the mystery mentioned in Ecclesiastes 11:5. John 3:8Jesus speaks of the wind as a metaphor for the Spirit, illustrating the mysterious and sovereign work of God in spiritual rebirth. People SolomonPlaces JerusalemTopics Activity, Body, Bones, Child, Conception, Formed, Full, Grow, Growth, Maker, Makes, Maketh, Mother's, Path, Pregnant, Spirit, Structure, Understand, Wind, Womb, WorksDictionary of Bible Themes Ecclesiastes 11:5 1215 God, feminine descriptions
4006 creation, origin
4287 universe
5136 body
5199 womb
5802 care
8355 understanding Ecclesiastes 11:3-5 4854 weather, God's sovereignty Ecclesiastes 11:5-6 6182 ignorance, human situation Library A New Years Sermon to the Young
'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.... Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them.'--ECCLES. xi. 9; xii. 1. This strange, and in some places perplexing Book of Ecclesiastes, is intended to …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy ScriptureSowing in the Wind, Reaping under Clouds
"He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap."--Ecclesiastes 11:4. SOW when the time comes, whatever wind blows. Reap when the times comes, whatever clouds are in the sky. There are, however, qualifying proverbs, which must influence our actions. We are not to discard prudence in the choice of the time for our work. "To every thing there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven." It is well to sow when the weather is propitious. It is wise …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 38: 1892 Of Confession and Self-Examination
Of Confession and Self-examination Self-examination should always precede Confession, and in the nature and manner of it should be conformable to the state of the soul: the business of those that are advanced to the degree of which we now treat, is to lay their whole souls open before God, who will not fail to enlighten them, and enable them to see the peculiar nature of their faults. This examination, however, should be peaceful and tranquil, and we should depend on God for the discovery and knowledge …
Madame Guyon—A Short and Easy Method of Prayer Curiosity a Temptation to Sin.
"Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away."--Proverbs iv. 14, 15. The chief cause of the wickedness which is every where seen in the world, and in which, alas! each of us has more or less his share, is our curiosity to have some fellowship with darkness, some experience of sin, to know what the pleasures of sin are like. I believe it is even thought unmanly by many persons (though they may not like to say …
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VIII 1872-1874. Letter from Rev. A. M. W. Christopher --Letter from Gulf of St. Lawrence-Mrs. Birt's Sheltering Home, Liverpool --Letter to Mrs. Merry --Letter from Canada --Miss
Letter from Rev. A. M. W. Christopher--Letter from Gulf of St. Lawrence-Mrs. Birt's Sheltering Home, Liverpool--Letter to Mrs. Merry--Letter from Canada--Miss Macpherson's return to England-- Letter of cheer for Dr. Barnardo--Removal to Hackney Home. Though human praise is not sought, we cannot but feel peculiar pleasure in giving the following testimony from a servant of the Lord so much revered as the Rev, A. M. W. Christopher of Oxford:-- "Of all the works of Christian benevolence which the great …
Clara M. S. Lowe—God's Answers How the Slothful and the Hasty are to be Admonished.
(Admonition 16.) Differently to be admonished are the slothful and the hasty. For the former are to be persuaded not to lose, by putting it off, the good they have to do; but the latter are to be admonished lest, while they forestall the time of good deeds by inconsiderate haste, they change their meritorious character. To the slothful therefore it is to be intimated, that often, when we will not do at the right time what we can, before long, when we will, we cannot. For the very indolence of …
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great Jesus Attends the First Passover of his Ministry.
(Jerusalem, April 9, a.d. 27.) Subdivision A. Jesus Cleanses the Temple. ^D John II. 13-25. ^d 13 And the passover of the Jews was at hand [We get our information as to the length of our Lord's ministry from John's Gospel. He groups his narrative around six Jewish festivals: 1, He here mentions the first passover; 2, another feast, which we take to have been also a passover (v. 1); 3, another passover (vi. 4); 4, the feast of tabernacles (vii. 2); 5, dedication (x. 22); 6, passover (xi. 55). This …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel How those are to be Admonished who Decline the Office of Preaching Out of Too Great Humility, and those who Seize on it with Precipitate Haste.
(Admonition 26.) Differently to be admonished are those who, though able to preach worthily, are afraid by reason of excessive humility, and those whom imperfection or age forbids to preach, and yet precipitancy impells. For those who, though able to preach with profit, still shrink back through excessive humility are to be admonished to gather from consideration of a lesser matter how faulty they are in a greater one. For, if they were to hide from their indigent neighbours money which they possessed …
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great Jeremiah, a Lesson for the Disappointed.
"Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord."--Jeremiah i. 8. The Prophets were ever ungratefully treated by the Israelites, they were resisted, their warnings neglected, their good services forgotten. But there was this difference between the earlier and the later Prophets; the earlier lived and died in honour among their people,--in outward honour; though hated and thwarted by the wicked, they were exalted to high places, and ruled in the congregation. …
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VIII The Wrath of God
What does every sin deserve? God's wrath and curse, both in this life, and in that which is to come. Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire.' Matt 25: 41. Man having sinned, is like a favourite turned out of the king's favour, and deserves the wrath and curse of God. He deserves God's curse. Gal 3: 10. As when Christ cursed the fig-tree, it withered; so, when God curses any, he withers in his soul. Matt 21: 19. God's curse blasts wherever it comes. He deserves also God's wrath, which is …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments Ecclesiastes
It is not surprising that the book of Ecclesiastes had a struggle to maintain its place in the canon, and it was probably only its reputed Solomonic authorship and the last two verses of the book that permanently secured its position at the synod of Jamnia in 90 A.D. The Jewish scholars of the first century A.D. were struck by the manner in which it contradicted itself: e.g., "I praised the dead more than the living," iv. 2, "A living dog is better than a dead lion," ix. 4; but they were still more …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Ecclesiastes 11:5 NIVEcclesiastes 11:5 NLTEcclesiastes 11:5 ESVEcclesiastes 11:5 NASBEcclesiastes 11:5 KJV
Ecclesiastes 11:5 Commentaries
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