SEV Biblia, Chapter 11:5
Como tú no sabes cuál es el camino del espíritu, o cómo crecen los huesos en el vientre de la mujer encinta, así ignoras la obra de Dios, el cual hace todas las cosas.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Ecclesiastes 11:5
Verse 5. As thou knowest not-the way of the spirit - Why God should have permitted such an such persons to fall into want, and how they came into all their distresses, thou canst not tell, no more than thou canst how their soul is united to their body, how it came to inform that body, or how the child was formed in the womb of its mother. Nor canst thou discern the end which God has in view in these things. He maketh all, every thing is open to him; and take heed lest, while pretending motives of scrupulosity and prudence, in not relieving the distresses of those thou pretendest to suspect to be unworthy, he does not see that a love of money is the motive of thy conduct, and a want of the bowels of mercy the cause why thou drivest this suspected beggar from thy door.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 5. As thou knowest not what [is] the way of the spirit , etc.] If indeed a man could foresee and be assured of seasonable weather for sowing and reaping, or a proper opportunity for doing good, all circumstances agreeing, it would be right to wait for it, and take it; but as these things are not in our power, nor within the compass of our knowledge, we should take the first opportunity of doing good, and leave the issue to divine Providence: as in many things in nature we are and should be content to be ignorant of them, and leave them with God, who brings them about by his secret power and providence: as, for instance, we know not “the way of the spirit”, or “of the wind” f261 , as some render it; from whence it comes and whither it goes, where and when it will subside, or what wind will blow next; or of the spirit or soul of man, how it enters into the body. So the Targum, “how the spirit of the breath of life goes into the body of an infant:” whether it is by traduction, as some, which is not likely; or by transfusion, or by creation out of nothing, or by formation out of something preexistent, and by an immediate infusion of it: or, “what is the way of the breath”; of the breath of a child in the womb, whether it breathes or not; if it does, how? if not, how does it live? or what is the way of the soul out of the body, how it goes out of it when the body dies; [nor] how the bones [do grow] in the womb of her that is with child ; or is “full”, pregnant, big with child: or “in the womb that is full” f262 ; full of liquids, and yet bones are separated from them, grow out of them, and in them, and are hardened; all which how it should be is unknown: “bones” are mentioned because they are the more solid and substantial parts of the body, the basis and strength of it; and because it may seem more difficult how any part of the seed should harden into them, while other parts are converted into skin and flesh; even so thou knowest not the works of God, who maketh all ; the Targum adds, in wisdom; as men are ignorant of many of the works of nature, so of those of Providence, especially which are future; as whether men shall be rich or poor, have days of prosperity or adversity; what their latter end will be, whether they shall not stand in need of the assistance of others, it may be of them or theirs to whom they now give; or what will be the issue of present acts of beneficence and liberality; these, with many other things of the like kind, should be left with God. Some understand this of the work of grace and conversion, which is a secret and difficult work, only wrought by the power and grace of God; and may be begun, or shortly will, in a poor person, judged an unworthy object of charity for supposed want of it, a thing unknown.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Exhortation to liberality. (Eccl. 11:1-6) An admonition to prepare for death, and to young persons to be religious. (Eccl. 11:7-10) Eccl. 11:1-6 Solomon presses the rich to do good to others. Giv freely, though it may seem thrown away and lost. Give to many. Excus not thyself with the good thou hast done, from the good thou has further to do. It is not lost, but well laid out. We have reason to expect evil, for we are born to trouble; it is wisdom to do good in the day of prosperity. Riches cannot profit us, if we do not benefi others. Every man must labour to be a blessing to that place where the providence of God casts him. Wherever we are, we may find good work to do, if we have but hearts to do it. If we magnify every littl difficulty, start objections, and fancy hardships, we shall never go on, much less go through with our work. Winds and clouds of tribulatio are, in God's hands, designed to try us. God's work shall agree with his word, whether we see it or not. And we may well trust God to provide for us, without our anxious, disquieting cares. Be not weary in well-doing, for in due season, in God's time, you shall reap, Gal. 6:9.
Eccl. 11:7-10 Life is sweet to bad men, because they have their portio in this life; it is sweet to good men, because it is the time of preparation for a better; it is sweet to all. Here is a caution to think of death, even when life is most sweet. Solomon makes a effecting address to young persons. They would desire opportunity to pursue every pleasure. Then follow your desires, but be assured tha God will call you into judgment. How many give loose to every appetite and rush into every vicious pleasure! But God registers every one of their sinful thoughts and desires, their idle words and wicked words If they would avoid remorse and terror, if they would have hope an comfort on a dying bed, if they would escape misery here and hereafter let them remember the vanity of youthful pleasures. That Solomon mean to condemn the pleasures of sin is evident. His object is to draw the young to purer and more lasting joys. This is not the language of on grudging youthful pleasures, because he can no longer partake of them but of one who has, by a miracle of mercy, been brought back in safety He would persuade the young from trying a course whence so few return If the young would live a life of true happiness, if they would secur happiness hereafter, let them remember their Creator in the days of their youth __________________________________________________________________
Original Hebrew
כאשׁר 834 אינך 369 יודע 3045 מה 4100 דרך 1870 הרוח 7307 כעצמים 6106 בבטן 990 המלאה 4392 ככה 3602 לא 3808 תדע 3045 את 853 מעשׂה 4639 האלהים 430 אשׁר 834 יעשׂה 6213 את 853 הכל׃ 3605
