Глава 11

1–6. An exhortation to charity. 7–10. A call to enjoy life. Chapters Ecclesiastes 9.1–12 provide a summary of Ecclesiastes’ previous thoughts on the conditions for a happy life. There are three such conditions: good deeds, innocent pleasures and complete devotion to Divine Providence. The first condition is revealed in Eccl 11.1–6, the second in Eccl 11.7–10, and the third in Eccl 12.1–7. Eccl.11:1. Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again. In figurative expressions, Ecclesiastes calls for the broadest charity, alien to any calculation for personal gain (“across the waters”). Every sacrifice will eventually bear fruit for the donor. Some interpreters think that Ecclesiastes here encourages his contemporaries to commercial enterprise, to bold commercial operations at sea. But, as can be seen from other places in the book, Ecclesiastes tried to quickly restrain the excessive enterprise of rich people, who spent their entire lives worrying about increasing their wealth. It is clear from the next verse that this is about charity. Eccl.11:2. Give us part seven or even eight, because you don’t know what kind of trouble will happen on earth. “Seven and even eight” indicate the fullest possible number of people with whom one should share one’s property. Eccl.11:3. When the clouds are full, they will pour rain on the earth; and if a tree falls to the south or north, then it will remain where it falls. "If the clouds are full, they will pour rain on the earth." Every sacrifice returns again to the donor, just as water that has evaporated on earth, having filled the clouds, falls to the ground again. The image of rain clouds usually in the Bible symbolizes mercy, charity (Proverbs 25.14; Sir 35.23). And if a tree falls to the south or north, then it will remain where it falls. In the moral world, as in the physical world, certain causes always cause certain actions and, generally speaking, a person reaps only where and what he sows, with the same necessity as a fallen tree remains in the exact place where it fell. Eccl.11:4. He who watches the wind must not sow; and whoever looks at the clouds will not reap. When doing good, a person should not show excessive prudence, caution and suspiciousness, so as not to be left without any harvest, like one who watches the wind and clouds too diligently. Eccl.11:5 Just as you do not know the ways of the wind and how the bones are formed in the womb of a pregnant woman, so you cannot know the work of God, who does all things. Eccl.11:6. In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening do not let your hand rest, because you do not know whether one or the other will be more successful, or whether both will be equally good. Not knowing the ways of God, not being able to foresee where his activity will be fruitful, a person must use every moment for good activity. Eccl.11:7. Sweet is the light, and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun. Eccl.11:8. If a person lives for many years, then let him have fun throughout all of them, and let him remember the dark days, of which there will be many: all that will happen is vanity! Eccl.11:9. Rejoice, young man, in your youth, and let your heart taste joy in the days of your youth, and walk in the ways of your heart and according to the vision of your eyes; just know that for all this God will bring you to judgment. Ecclesiastes 11:10. And remove sorrow from your heart, and turn away evil from your body, because childhood and youth are vanity. In these verses, Ecclesiastes calls for cheerfulness and joy before dark days come. A person should enjoy everything that is pleasant and beautiful in the world, remembering, however, the righteous judgment of God. “Let him remember the dark days.” Dark days, in contrast to all the years of life lived, mean the days of being in Sheol. “Walk in the ways of your heart and according to the vision of your eyes,” that is, follow the suggestions of your heart and eyes, as long as it is not contrary to the truth of God. LXX saw in these words a contradiction with Numbers 15.39, where it is forbidden to “go after your heart and your eyes,” and therefore, before the words: “in the vision of your eyes,” they added the denial μή (glory - “not”). This denial, however, is unnecessary, since from the context it is clear that Ecclesiastes speaks only about such desires of the heart that are not contrary to the Divine commandments. You might be interested in: