Ecclesiastes · WEB-C
Ecclesiastes
11
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Cast your bread on the waters; for you shall find it after many days. See also: Ecclesiastes 11:6Proverbs 19:17Matthew 10:42Give a portion to seven, yes, even to eight; for you don’t know what evil will be on the earth. See also: 1 Timothy 6:18-19Job 5:19Psalms 112:9If 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. See also: Psalms 65:9-131 John 3:17Isaiah 55:10-11He who observes the wind won’t sow; and he who regards the clouds won’t reap. See also: Proverbs 20:4Proverbs 3:27Proverbs 22:13As 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. See also: John 3:8Psalms 92:5Ecclesiastes 8:17In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening don’t withhold your hand; for you don’t know which will prosper, whether this or that, or whether they both will be equally good. See also: 2 Corinthians 9:10-11Isaiah 55:10Haggai 1:6-11Truly the light is sweet, and it is a pleasant thing for the eyes to see the sun. See also: Ecclesiastes 7:11Matthew 5:45Psalms 84:11Yes, if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many. All that comes is vanity. See also: John 12:35Deuteronomy 32:29Ecclesiastes 7:14Rejoice, young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth, and walk in the ways of your heart, and in the sight of your eyes; but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment. See also: Ecclesiastes 12:141 John 2:15-16Ecclesiastes 12:1Therefore remove sorrow from your heart, and put away evil from your flesh; for youth and the dawn of life are vanity. See also: 2 Corinthians 7:12 Timothy 2:22Ecclesiastes 1:2
See also: Cross references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), derived in part from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
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Notes · Haydock (1859, public domain)9 notes
Notes in English 19th-century Catholic commentary by Fr. George Leo Haydock, shown as published.
These notes keep the polemics of their time: some speak harshly of the Jewish people or of other Christians. The Church teaches otherwise today. The Jewish people may not be blamed for the death of Christ (Nostra Aetate 4; Catechism 597–598), and Christians of other communities are our brothers and sisters in the Lord (Unitatis Redintegratio 3). Christian unity
Ecclesiastes 11:1
Ver. 1. Waters. Sow thy seed where it may produce a good crop. C. --- Be charitable to all. Lu.
vi. 30. Indiscrete faciendum bene. S. Jer. --- Assist those in distress, (C.) even though they may be ungrateful, or unable to make a return. Lu. xiv. 12. T. --- In this third part we are exhorted to serve God with perseverance. Of all virtues, the works of mercy avail most. Matt. xxv. W.
↑ 1Ecclesiastes 11:2
Ver. 2. Eight. To as many as thou art able, (C.) especially to those who are of the household of faith, (Gal. vi. 10. H.) whether under the old or the new Testament, signified by the numbers, seven and eight. W. S. Jer. --- Mandatum accipis octo illis partem dare, fortasse benedictionibus, (S. Amb. in Lu. vi. n.
49.) which intimates, that we must apply ourselves to the pursuit of all virtues, as the number eight denotes perfection. C.
↑ 2Ecclesiastes 11:3
Ver. 3. If the tree fall, &c. The state of the soul is unchangeable, when once she comes to heaven or hell: and the soul that departs this life in the state of grace, shall never fall from grace; as on the other side, a soul that dies out of the state of grace, shall never come to it. But this does not exclude a place of temporal punishment for such souls as die in the state of grace: yet not so as to be entirely pure; and therefore they shall be saved, indeed, yet so as by fire.
1 Cor. iii. 13. 14. 15.
Ch. --- After death, none can merit. W. --- "He who shall not have cultivated his field, (the soul) shall after this life experience the fire of purgation, or eternal punishment." S. Aug. de Gen. con.
Man. iii. 20. H. --- The souls in purgatory have their names inscribed in heaven, like the ancient saints, who were detained in the bosom of Abraham. C. ---
They fall, therefore, to the south. Let people dispense their alms to all, as the clouds rain upon the just and unjust, (H.) upon the cultivated and the barren land, and let them do it before death. They know not how soon it may lay them low. C. --- By looking at the branches of a tree, we may conclude which way it will fall; so we may form a judgment of our future state, by reflecting on our present dispositions. "Our branches are our desires, by which we stretch ourselves to the south, if they be spiritual," &c. S.
Bern. ser. xlix. The liberal are not concerned where they bestow charity. People will gather up the fruit both on the north and south, and they who have given alms will find them (Abenezra; Mercer.) laid up in the heavenly tabernacles. H.
--- This agrees with the sequel. C.
↑ 3Ecclesiastes 11:4
Ver. 4. Reap. Those who are too circumspect in their alms-deeds, will often pass over such as stand in need, (S. Jer.) and people who reflect on the difficulties of a virtuous life, will never begin. S. Greg. iii. Past. xvi. and Mor.
xxvii. 5.
↑ 4Ecclesiastes 11:5
Ver. 5. Spirit. In a man, or of the wind. Why then wouldst thou judge of the merit of thy petitioner? or pretend to determine why God has made thee rich and him poor?
↑ 5Ecclesiastes 11:6
Ver. 6. Better. Be kind to all during life. Gal. vi. 10. C. --- Do good, both in youth and in old age, (W.) lest, if thou shouldst grow remiss, all would be lost. S. Jer.
↑ 6Ecclesiastes 11:8
Ver. 8. And the. Heb. "for they are many. What comes to pass is vanity." Mont.
--- Nothing can more effectually repress the love of this world. Eccli. vii. 40.
After Solomon has presented the objections of the wicked, he comes to this conclusion.
↑ 8Ecclesiastes 11:9
Ver. 9. Eyes. He speaks ironically, (C.) or exhorts to spiritual joy and moderation. S. Greg. Mor.
xxiv.
↑ 9Ecclesiastes 11:10
Ver. 10. Anger. All turbulent passions, and evil or carnal pleasures. S. Jer.
↑ 10License: Notes by Fr. George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), from the Douay-Rheims Bible with Haydock's commentary (first ed. Thomas Haydock, Manchester/Dublin, 1811–1814; New York: Edward Dunigan & Brother, 1859); New Testament notes compiled with Fr. Benedict Rayment. Public domain. Digital text: "The Haydock Bible", Internet Archive (archive.org/details/TheHaydockBible), uploaded 2011 under the Public Domain Mark. · Credits and licenses