Ecclesiastes 11:5

Coverdale Bible (1535)

Now like as thou knowest not the waye of the wynde, ner how ye bones are fylled in a mothers wombe: Euen so thou knowest not the workes of God, which is the workemaster 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 he wyl, and thou hearest his sounde: but thou canst not tell whece he commeth, and whither he goeth. So is euery one, that is borne of the sprete.
• Eccl 8:17 : 17 I vnderstode of all ye workes of God, that it is not possible for a man, to attayne vnto ye workes that are done vnder ye Sonne: and though he bestowe his laboure to seke them out, yet can he not reach vnto the: yee though a wyse man wolde vndertake to knowe them, yet might he not fynde them.
• Ps 92:5 : 5 O LORDE, how glorious are thy workes, thy thoughtes are very depe.
• Ps 104:24 : 24 O LORDE, how manifolde are thy workes, right wysely hast thou made the all: yee the earth is full of thy riches.
• Ps 139:13-16 : 13 I wil geue thakes vnto the, for I am woderously made: maruelous are thy workes, and that my soule knoweth right well. 14 My bones are not hyd from the, though I be made secretly, and fashioned beneth in the earth. 15 Thine eyes se myne vnparfitnesse, they stonde all writte i thy boke: 16 my dayes were fashioned, when as yet there was not one of them
• Eccl 7:24 : 24 then she was before, yee & so depe that I might not reach vnto her.
• Job 5:9 : 9 which doth thinges, that are vnsearcheable, and marueles without nobre:
• Job 26:5-9 : 5 The giauntes & worthies yt are slayne, & lye vnder ye worlde wt their copanions: 6 yee & all they which dwell beneth in the hell are not hyd fro him, & the very destruccion it self ca not be kepte out of his sight. 7 He stretcheth out ye north ouer the emptie, & hageth ye earth vpo nothinge. 8 He byndeth ye water in his cloudes, that they fall not downe together. 9 He holdeth back his stole, that it caa not be sene, and spredeth his cloudes before it. 10 He hath copased the waters wt certayne boundes, vntill the daye & night come to an ende. 11 The very pilers of heaue treble & quake at his reprofe. 12 He stilleth the see with his power, & thorow his wy?dome hath he set forth ye worlde. 13 With his sprete hath he garnished the heaues, & with his hande hath he wounded the rebellious serpet. 14 This is now a shorte summe of his doynges. But who is able sufficiently to rehearce his workes? Who can perceaue and vnderstonde ye thondre of his power?
• Job 36:24-33 : 24 O considre how greate and excellent his workes be, whom all men loaue and prayse: 25 yee wondre at him, and yet they se him but afarre of. 26 Beholde, so greate is God, that he passeth oure knowlege, nether are we able to come to ye experiece of his yeares. 27 He turneth ye water to smaldroppes, he dryueth his cloudes 28 together for to rayne, so that they poure downe and droppe vpon men. 29 He can sprede out the cloudes (a couerynge off his tabernacle) 30 and cause his light to shyne vpo them, and to couer the botome of the see. 31 By these thinges gouerneth he his people, and geueth the abundaunce of meate. 32 In ye turnynge of a hande he hydeth the light, & at his commaundement it commeth agayne. 33 The rysinge vp therof sheweth he to his frendes and to the catell.
• Job 37:23 : 23 It is not we that can fynde out the allmightie: for in power, equite and rigtuousnesse he is hyer then can be expressed.
• Job 38:4-39:30 : 4 Where wast thou, when I layed ye foundacions of the earth? Tell planely yff thou hast vnderstondinge. 5 Who hath measured it, knowest thou? Or, who hath spred ye lyne vpon it? 6 Where vpon stode the pilers of it? Or, who layed ye corner stone? 7 where wast thou when the mornynge starres gaue me prayse, ad when all the angels of God reioysed? 8 Who shutt the see with dores, when it brake forth as a childe out off his mothers wombe? 9 When I made the cloudes to be a coueringe for it, and swedled it with ye darcke? 10 when I gaue it my comaundement, makynge dores & barres for it, 11 sayenge: Hither to shalt thou come, but no further, and here shalt thou laye downe thy proude and hye wawes. 12 Hast thou geue the mornynge his charge (as soone as thou wast borne) and shewed the dayespringe his place, 13 yt it might take holde of the corners of the earth, & yt the vngodly might be shake out? 14 Their tokes & weapes hast thou turned like claye, & set the vp agayne as the chaunginge of a garment. 15 Yee thou hast spoyled the vngodly off their light, & broke the arme of the proude. 16 Camest thou euer into the groude of the see, Or, hast thou walked in ye lowe corners of ye depe? 17 Haue the gates of death bene opened vnto the or hast thou sene the dore of euerlastige treasure? 18 Hast thou also perceaued, how brode ye earth is? Now yf thou hast knowlege of all, 19 the shewe me where light dwelleth, and where darcknes is: 20 yt thou mayest bringe vs vnto their quarters, yf thou cast tell the waye to their houses. 21 Knewest thou (when thou wast borne) how olde thou shuldest be? 22 Wentest thou euer in to the treasuries off the snowe, or hast thou sene ye secrete places of the hale: 23 which I haue prepared agaynst the tyme of trouble, agaynst the tyme of batell & warre? 24 By what waye is the light parted, & the heate dealt out vpon earth? 25 Who deuydeth the abundauce of waters in to ryuers, or who maketh a waye for the stormy wether, 26 yt it watereth & moystureth ye drye & baren grounde: 27 to make the grasse growe in places where no body dwelleth, & in the wildernes where no ma remayneth? 28 Who is the father of rayne? Or, who hath begotten the droppes of dew? 29 Out of whose wobe came the yse? who hath gendred the coldnes of ye ayre? 30 yt the waters are as harde as stones, & lye congeeled aboue the depe. 31 Hast thou brought ye vij. starres together? Or, art thou able to breake the Circle of heaue? 32 Cast thou bringe forth the mornynge starre or the euenynge starre at couenient tyme, & coueye the home agayne? 33 Knowest thou the course off heaue, yt thou mayest set vp the ordinaunce therof vpo earth? 34 Morouer, cast thou lift vp thy voyce to ye cloudes, yt they maye poure downe a greate rayne vpo the? 35 Canst thou thodre also yt they maye go their waye, & be obediet vnto the, sayege: lo, here are we? 36 Who geueth sure wisdome, or stedfast vnderstodinge? 37 who nombreth the cloudes in wisdome? who stilleth ye vehement waters of the heaue? 38 who turneth the clottes to dust, & the to be clottes agayne? 39 Huntest thou the praye fro the Lyon, or fedest thou his whelpes 40 lyege in their denes & lurkinge in their couches? 41 who prouydeth meate for the rauen, whe his yonge ones crie vnto God, ad fle aboute for want of meate? 1 Knowest thou the tyme when the wilde gotes brige forth their yoge amoge the stony rockes? Or layest thou wayte when the hindes vse to fawne? 2 Rekenest thou the monethes after they ingendre, yt thou knowest the tyme of their bearinge? 3 Or when they lye downe, when they cast their yonge ones, & when they are delyuered off their trauayle & payne? 4 How their yoge ones growe vp & waxe greate thorow good fedinge? 5 who letteth the wilde asse go fre, or who lowseth the bodes of the Moole? 6 Vnto who I haue geuen the wyldernes to be their house, & the vntilled londe to be their dwellinge place. 7 That they maye geue no force for the multitude off people in the cities, nether to regarde the crienge of the dryuer: 8 but to seke their pasture aboute the moutaynes, & to folowe vpon the grene grasse. 9 Wyll the vnicorne be so tame as to do ye seruyce, or to abyde still by thy cribbe? 10 Cast thou bynde ye yock aboute him in thy forowes, to make him plowe after the in ye valleis? 11 Mayest thou trust hi (because he is stroge) or comitte thy labor vnto hi? 12 Mayest thou beleue hi, yt he wil brige home yi corne, or to cary eny thinge vnto yi barne? 13 The Estrich (whose fethers are fayrer the ye wynges of the sparow hauke) 14 whe he hath layed his egges vpon the grounde, he bredeth them in the dust, 15 and forgetteth them: so that they might be troden with fete, or broken with somme wilde beast. 16 So harde is he vnto his yong ones, as though they were not his, and laboureth in vayne without eny feare. 17 And that because God hath taken wisdome from him, & hath not geuen him vnderstondinge. 18 When his tyme is, he flyeth vp an hye, and careth nether for horse ner man. 19 Hast thou geuen the horse is strength, or lerned him to bowe downe his neck with feare: 20 that he letteth him self be dryuen forth like a greshopper, where as the stoute neyenge that he maketh, is fearfull? 21 he breaketh ye grounde with the hoffes of his fete chearfully in his strength, and runneth to mete the harnest men. 22 He layeth asyde all feare, his stomack is not abated, nether starteth he a back for eny swerde. 23 Though the quyuers rattle vpon him, though the speare and shilde glistre: 24 yet russheth he in fearsly, and beateth vpon the grounde. He feareth not the noyse of the trompettes, 25 but as soone as he heareth the shawmes blowe, tush (sayeth he) for he smelleth the batell afarre of, ye noyse, the captaynes and the shoutinge. 26 Commeth it thorow thy wysdome, that the goshauke flyeth towarde the south? 27 Doth the Aegle mounte vp & make his nest on hye at thy commaundement? 28 He abydeth in the stony rockes, ad vpon the hye toppes of harde mountaynes, where no man can come. 29 From thence maye he beholde his praye, and loke farre aboute with his eyes. 30 His yonge ones are fed with bloude, and where eny deed body lyeth, there is he immediatly.
• Ps 40:5 : 5 O LORDE my God, greate are yi wonderous workes which thou hast done: & in thy thoughtes towarde vs there maye none be lickened vnto the.
• Isa 40:28 : 28 Knowest thou not, or hast thou not herde, that the euerlastinge God, the LORDE which made all the corners of the earth, is nether weery nor faynt, and that his wisdome can not be comprehended:
• Rom 11:33 : 33 O the depenesse of the riches, both of the wyssdome and knowlege of God? How incomprehensible are his iudgmentes, and his wayes vnsearcheable?