Ecclesiastes 11:5

Bishops' Bible (1568)

Nowe like as thou knowest not the way of the spirite, nor howe the bones do growe in the wombe of her that is with chylde: Euen so thou knowest not the workes of God, which is the workmaster of all.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר אֵֽינְךָ֤ יוֹדֵ֙עַ֙ מַה־דֶּ֣רֶךְ הָר֔וּחַ כַּעֲצָמִ֖ים בְּבֶ֣טֶן הַמְּלֵאָ֑ה כָּ֗כָה לֹ֤א תֵדַע֙ אֶת־מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר יַעֲשֶׂ֖ה אֶת־הַכֹּֽל׃

Transliteration

As-which you-not yôdēaʿ what-dereḵ the-rûaḥ as-ʿăṣāmîm in-beṭen the-mĕlēʾāh thus not tēdaʿ [direct object marker]-maʿăśēh the-ʾĕlōhîm which yaʿăśeh [direct object marker]-the-all

Grammar Details

• *yôdēaʿ*: qal participle, masculine singular - knowing
• *dereḵ*: noun, masculine singular construct - way of/path of
• *rûaḥ*: noun, feminine singular - wind/spirit
• *ʿăṣāmîm*: noun, feminine plural - bones
• *beṭen*: noun, feminine singular construct - womb/belly of
• *mĕlēʾāh*: adjective, feminine singular - full/pregnant woman
• *tēdaʿ*: qal imperfect, 2nd person masculine singular - you will know
• *maʿăśēh*: noun, masculine singular construct - work/deed of
• *ʾĕlōhîm*: noun, masculine plural - God
• *yaʿăśeh*: qal imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular - he will do/make

Word Meanings

• *dereḵ*: way/path/journey
• *rûaḥ*: wind/breath/spirit
• *ʿăṣāmîm*: bones/substance/essence
• *beṭen*: womb/belly/inner part
• *mĕlēʾāh*: full one/pregnant woman
• *maʿăśēh*: work/deed/action
• *ʾĕlōhîm*: God/gods/divine being

Referenced Verses

• John 3:8 : 8 The wynde bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sounde therof: but canst not tell whence it commeth, and whither it goeth. So is euery one that is borne of the spirite.
• Eccl 8:17 : 17 I vnderstoode of all the workes of God, but it is not possible for a man to attayne vnto the workes that are done vnder the sunne: and though he bestowe his labour to seeke them out, yet can he not reach vnto them: yea though a wyse man would vndertake to know them, yet shall he not finde them.
• Ps 92:5 : 5 O God howe glorious are thy workes? thy thoughtes are very depe.
• Ps 104:24 : 24 O God howe manyfolde are thy workes? thou hast made them al in wisdome, the earth is ful of thy ryches.
• Ps 139:13-16 : 13 For thou hast my reynes in thy possession: thou didst couer me in my mothers wombe. 14 I wyll confesse it vnto thee, for that thy doynges are to be dreaded, I am made after a marueylous sort: thy workes be marueylous, and that my soule knoweth ryght well. 15 The substaunce of my body was not hyd from thee: when I was made in secrete and fashioned with distinct members in my mothers wombe. 16 Thyne eyes dyd see me when I was most imperfect: and in thy booke were written euery day of them wherin the partes of my body were shaped, and no one of them were knowen vnto thee.
• Eccl 7:24 : 24 yea and so deepe, that I might not reache vnto her.
• Job 5:9 : 9 Whiche doth great thinges and vnsearcheable, and maruels without number.
• Job 26:5-9 : 5 Are not dead thinges shapen vnder the waters, and thinges by the waters side? 6 He is naked before him, and the very destruction it selfe can not be hyd out of his sight. 7 He stretcheth out the noorth ouer the emptie place, and hangeth the earth vpon nothing. 8 He byndeth the water in his cloudes, & the cloude is not broken vnder them. 9 He holdeth backe the face of his throne, and spreadeth his cloude before it. 10 He hath compassed the waters with certayne boundes, vntill the day and night come to an ende. 11 The very pillers of heauen tremble and quake at his reproofe. 12 He stilleth the sea with his power, and through his wysdome smyteth he the strength therof. 13 His spirite hath garnished the heauens, & his hand hath made the crooked serpent. 14 Lo, this is now a short summe of his wayes: but howe litle a portion heare we of hym? who can vnderstande the thunder of his power?
• Job 36:24-33 : 24 Remember that thou do magnifie his worke which men do praise, 25 All men see it, yea men do beholde it a farre of. 26 Beholde, so great is God that he passeth our knowledge, neither can the number of his yeres be searched out. 27 Sometime he restrayneth the rayne, and againe he sendeth rayne by his cloudes: 28 Which rayne the cloudes do droppe, and let fall aboundantly vpon men. 29 Who can consider the spreadinges out of his cloudes, the coueringes of his tabernacle? 30 Behold, he doth stretch his light vpon it, and couereth the bottome of the sea. 31 For by these gouerneth he his people, and geueth them aboundance of meate. 32 With the cloudes he hydeth the light, and at his commaundement it breaketh out: 33 Which dashing vpon the next cloudes, shew tokens of wrath.
• Job 37:23 : 23 It is the almightie, we can not finde him out: he is excellent in power and iudgement, and aboundaunt in iustice: he afflicteth not.
• Job 38:4-39:30 : 4 Where wast thou when I layed the foundations of the earth? Tell playnely, if thou hast vnderstanding. 5 Who hath measured it, knowest thou? or who hath spread the lyne vpon it? 6 Whereupon are the foundations set? or who layed the corner stone thereof? 7 Where wast thou when the morning starres praysed me together, and all the children of God reioyced triumphantly? 8 Who shut the sea with doores, when it brake foorth as out of the wombe? 9 When I made the cloudes to be a covering for it, and swadled it with the darke: 10 When I gaue it my commaundement, making doores and barres for it, 11 Saying, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shalt thou laye downe thy proude and hie waues. 12 Hast thou geue the morning his charge since thy dayes, and shewed the day spring his place, 13 That it might take holde of the corners of the earth, and that the vngodly might be shaken out of it. 14 They are fashioned as is the clay with the seale, and all stand vp as a garment. 15 The vngodly shall be disapointed of their light, and the arme of the proude shalbe broken. 16 Camest thou euer into the grounde of the sea, or walkedst in the lowe corners of the deepe? 17 Haue the gates of death ben opened vnto thee? or hast thou seene the doores of the shadowe of death? 18 Hast thou also perceaued how brode the earth is? If thou hast knowledge of all this: 19 Then shewe me the way where light dwelleth, & where is the place of darkenesse? 20 That thou shouldest receaue it in the boundes thereof, and know the pathes to their houses. 21 Knewest thou afore thou wast borne how olde thou shouldest be? 22 Wentest thou euer into the treasures of the snow, or hast thou seene the secrete places of the hayle, 23 Which I haue prepared against the time of trouble, against the time of battaile and warre? 24 By what way is the light parted? and into what land breaketh the east winde? 25 Who deuideth the waters into diuers chanels? or who maketh a way for the lightening and thunder, 26 To cause it to rayne on the earth where no man is, and in the wildernesse where none inhabiteth? 27 To satisfie the desolate and waste grounde, and to cause the budde of the hearbe to spring foorth. 28 Who is the father of the rayne? or who hath begotten the droppes of the deawe? 29 Out of whose wombe came the yce? Who hath gendred the coldnesse of the ayre? 30 That the waters are hidde as with a stone, and lye congealed aboue the deepe. 31 Wylt thou hinder the sweete influences of the seuen starres? or loose the bandes of Orion? 32 Canst thou bring foorth Mazzaroth in their time? canst thou also guide Arctutus with his sonnes? 33 Knowest thou the course of heauen, that thou mayest set vp the ordinaunce thereof vpon the earth? 34 Moreouer, canst thou lift vp thy voyce to the cloudes, that they may powre downe a great rayne vpon thee? 35 Canst thou send the lightninges also, that they may go their way, and be obedient vnto thee, saying, Lo here are we? 36 Who hath put wysdome in the reynes? or who hath geuen the heart vnderstanding? 37 Who numbreth the cloudes in wysdome? who stilleth the vehement waters of the heauen? 38 To cause the earth to grow into hardnesse, & the clots to cleaue fast together? 39 Wylt thou hunt the pray for the lion? or fill the appetite of the lions whelpes, 40 When they couche in their places, and tarie in the couert to lye in wayte? 41 Who prouideth meate for the rauen, when his young ones crye vnto God, and flee about for lacke of meate? 1 Knowest thou the time whe the wylde goates bring foorth their young among the stonye rockes? or layest thou wayte when the hindes vse to calue? 2 Canst thou number the monethes that they go with young? or knowest thou the time when they bring foorth? 3 They lye downe, they calue their young ones, and they are deliuered of their trauaile and paine: 4 Yet their young ones grow vp, and waxe fatte through good feeding with corne: They go foorth, and returne not againe vnto them. 5 Who letteth the wylde asse to go free? or who looseth the bondes of the wylde mule? 6 Euen I which haue geuen the wyldernesse to be their house, and the vntilled land to be their dwelling. 7 They force not for the multitude of people in the citie, neither regarde the crying of the driuer: 8 But seeke their pasture about the mountaines, and folowe the greene grasse. 9 Wyll the vnicorne do thee seruice, or abide still by thy cribbe? 10 Canst thou binde the yoke about the vnicorne in the forowe, to make him plowe after thee in the valleyes? 11 Mayst thou trust him because he is strong, or commit thy labour vnto him? 12 Mayst thou beleue him that he wyll bring home thy corne, or carry any thing vnto thy barne? 13 Gauest thou the faire winges vnto the pecockes, or winges and fethers vnto the Estriche? 14 For she leaueth her egges in the earth, and heateth them in the dust. 15 She remembreth not that they might be troden with feete, or broken with some wilde beaste. 16 So harde is she vnto her young ones as though they were not hers, and laboureth in vaine without any feare. 17 And that because God hath taken wysdome from her, & hath not geuen her vnderstanding. 18 When her time is that she fleeth vp on hie, she careth neither for the horse nor the ryder. 19 Hast thou geue the horse his strength, or learned him to ney coragiously? 20 Canst thou make him afrayde as a grashopper? where as the stoute neying that he maketh is fearefull. 21 He breaketh the grounde with the hooffes of his feete, he reioyceth cherefully in his strength, and runneth to meete the harnest men. 22 He layeth aside all feare, his stomacke is not abated, neither starteth he backe for any sworde. 23 Though the quiuers rattle vpon him, though the speare and shielde glister: 24 Yet rusheth he in fiercely beating the grounde, he thinketh it not the noyse of the trumpettes: 25 But when the trumpettes make most noyse, he saith, tushe, for he smelleth the battaile a farre of, the noyse of the captaines and the shouting. 26 Commeth it through thy wysdome that the Goshauke flieth toward the south? 27 Doth the Egle mount vp, and make his nest on hye at thy comaundement? 28 He abydeth in stony rockes, and dwelleth vpon the hye toppes of moutaines: 29 From whence he seeketh his praye, and loketh farre about with his eyes. 30 His young ones also sucke vp blood: and where any dead body lyeth, there is he.
• Ps 40:5 : 5 Blessed is the man that hath set his hope in God: and turned not vnto the proude, and to such as decline to lyes.
• Isa 40:28 : 28 Knowest thou not, or hast thou not hearde that the euerlasting God, the Lorde whiche made all the corners of the earth, is neither weerie nor fainte? and that his wysdome can not be comprehended?
• Rom 11:33 : 33 O the deepenesse of the ryches both of the wisdome and knowledge of God, howe vnsearcheable are his iudgementes, and his wayes past fyndyng out?