Ecclesiastes 11:6

KJV1611 – Modern English

In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening do not withhold your hand, for you do not know which will prosper, either this or that, or whether both will be equally good.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

בַּבֹּ֙קֶר֙ זְרַ֣ע אֶת־זַרְעֶ֔ךָ וְלָעֶ֖רֶב אַל־תַּנַּ֣ח יָדֶ֑ךָ כִּי֩ אֵֽינְךָ֨ יוֹדֵ֜ע אֵ֣י זֶ֤ה יִכְשָׁר֙ הֲזֶ֣ה אוֹ־זֶ֔ה וְאִם־שְׁנֵיהֶ֥ם כְּאֶחָ֖ד טוֹבִֽים׃

Transliteration

In-the-bōqer zĕraʿ [direct object marker]-zarʿeḵā and-to-the-ʿereḇ not-tannaḥ yādeḵā because you-not yôdēaʿ which this yiḵšār whether-this or-this and-if-both-of-them as-one ṭôḇîm

Grammar Details

• *bōqer*: noun, masculine singular - morning
• *zĕraʿ*: qal imperative, masculine singular - sow
• *zarʿeḵā*: noun, masculine singular with 2nd person masculine singular suffix - your seed
• *ʿereḇ*: noun, masculine singular - evening
• *tannaḥ*: hiphil jussive, 2nd person masculine singular - let rest
• *yādeḵā*: noun, feminine singular with 2nd person masculine singular suffix - your hand
• *yôdēaʿ*: qal participle, masculine singular - knowing
• *yiḵšār*: qal imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular - it will succeed/prosper
• *ṭôḇîm*: adjective, masculine plural - good

Word Meanings

• *bōqer*: morning/dawn
• *zĕraʿ*: sow/scatter seed
• *zarʿeḵā*: your seed/your offspring
• *ʿereḇ*: evening/sunset
• *tannaḥ*: let rest/withdraw/hold back
• *yiḵšār*: will succeed/prosper/be right

Other Translations

• Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

  Sow your seed in the morning and do not withhold your hand in the evening, for you do not know which will prosper—whether this or that, or if both will equally thrive.

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  In the morning{H1242} sow{H2232} thy seed,{H2233} and in the evening{H6153} withhold{H3240} not thy hand;{H3027} for thou knowest{H3045} not which{H335} shall prosper,{H3787} whether this or that, or whether they both{H8147} shall be alike{H259} good.{H2896}

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  In the morning{H1242} sow{H2232}{(H8798)} thy seed{H2233}, and in the evening{H6153} withhold{H3240}{(H8686)} not thine hand{H3027}: for thou knowest{H3045}{(H8802)} not whether{H335} shall prosper{H3787}{(H8799)}, either this or that, or whether they both{H8147} shall be alike{H259} good{H2896}.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  Cease not thou therfore with thy handes to sowe thy sede, whether it be in ye mornynge or in the euenynge: for thou knowest not whether this or that shall prospere, & yf they both take, it is the better.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  In the morning sowe thy seede, and in the euening let not thine hand rest: for thou knowest not whither shall prosper, this or that, or whether both shalbe a like good.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  Ceasse not thou therefore with thy handes to sowe thy seede, whether it be in the morning or in the euening: for thou knowest not whether this or that shall prosper, and if they both take, it is the better.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both [shall be] alike good.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  In 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.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  In the morning sow thy seed, And at even withdraw not thy hand, For thou knowest not which is right, this or that, Or whether both of them alike `are' good.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thy hand; for thou knowest not which shall prosper, whether this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thy hand; for thou knowest not which shall prosper, whether this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  In the morning put your seed into the earth, and till the evening let not your hand be at rest; because you are not certain which will do well, this or that--or if the two will be equally good.

• World English Bible (2000)

  In 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.

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  Sow your seed in the morning, and do not stop working until the evening; for you do not know which activity will succeed– whether this one or that one, or whether both will prosper equally.

Referenced Verses

• Eccl 9:10 : 10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave where you go.
• 2 Tim 4:2 : 2 Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and exhort with all patience and teaching.
• Isa 55:10 : 10 For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and does not return there, but waters the earth, and makes it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
• Hos 10:12 : 12 Sow for yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, until he comes and rains righteousness on you.
• Hag 1:6-9 : 6 You have sown much, and bring in little; you eat, but do not have enough; you drink, but are not filled; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages earns wages to put them into a bag with holes. 7 Thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways. 8 Go up to the mountains, bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it and be glorified, says the LORD. 9 You looked for much, but indeed it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? says the LORD of hosts. Because of My house that is in ruins, while each of you runs to his own house. 10 Therefore the heavens above you withhold the dew, and the earth withholds its fruit. 11 For I called for a drought on the land and the mountains, on the grain and the new wine and the oil, on whatever the ground brings forth, on men and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.
• Hag 2:17-19 : 17 I struck you with blight and mildew and hail in all the labors of your hands; yet you did not turn to Me, says the LORD. 18 Consider now, from this day forward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the day that the foundation of the LORD'S temple was laid, consider it. 19 Is the seed yet in the barn? Indeed, the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not yielded fruit. From this day I will bless you.
• Zech 8:11-12 : 11 But now I will not be to the remnant of this people as in the former days, says the LORD of hosts. 12 For the seed shall be prosperous; the vine shall give its fruit, and the ground shall give its increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things.
• Mark 4:26-29 : 26 And he said, The kingdom of God is as if a man should cast seed into the ground; 27 and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he does not know how. 28 For the earth yields fruit by itself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. 29 But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.
• John 4:36-38 : 36 And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. 37 For in this the saying is true, One sows and another reaps. 38 I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors.
• Acts 11:20-21 : 20 And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Greeks, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.
• 1 Cor 3:5-7 : 5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom you believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? 6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the growth. 7 So then neither is he that plants anything, neither he that waters; but God that gives the growth.
• 2 Cor 9:6 : 6 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly; and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
• 2 Cor 9:10-11 : 10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower also provides bread for your food, and multiplies your seed sown, and increases the fruits of your righteousness; 11 Being enriched in everything to all bountifulness, which through us produces thanksgiving to God.
• Eccl 9:1 : 1 For all this I considered in my heart, even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God. No one knows either love or hatred by all that is before them.