Ecclesiastes 11:4 kjv
He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.
Ecclesiastes 11:4 nkjv
He who observes the wind will not sow, And he who regards the clouds will not reap.
Ecclesiastes 11:4 niv
Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.
Ecclesiastes 11:4 esv
He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap.
Ecclesiastes 11:4 nlt
Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant.
If they watch every cloud, they never harvest.
Ecclesiastes 11 4 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Prov 20:4 | The sluggard does not plow in the autumn; he will seek at harvest and have nothing. | Warns against idleness leading to lack. |
| Prov 28:19 | Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty. | Rewards diligent work. |
| Matt 25:25 | So I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. | Paralyzing fear leads to wasted potential. |
| Luke 19:20 | Then another came, saying, 'Lord, here is your mina... I was afraid.' | Fear preventing productive use of resources. |
| 2 Tim 4:2 | Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season... | Readiness to act despite conditions. |
| Phil 4:6 | Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication... | Calls to trust instead of worry. |
| Matt 6:27 | And which of you by being anxious can add a single cubit to his span of life? | Anxiety is unfruitful. |
| Jas 4:13-14 | Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town... whereas you do not know what tomorrow will bring. | Highlights human inability to control future. |
| Jas 4:15 | Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that." | Submit plans to God's will, act anyway. |
| Eph 5:16 | Making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. | Urges seizing present opportunities. |
| Col 4:5 | Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. | Prudent action, recognizing limited opportunity. |
| Ps 126:5 | Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy. | Effort and patience bring reward. |
| Gal 6:7 | Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. | Universal principle of sowing and reaping. |
| 2 Cor 9:6 | The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. | Relationship between effort and outcome. |
| Prov 14:23 | In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty. | Action is essential for profit. |
| Prov 13:4 | The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied. | Sluggard's desire unfulfilled due to inaction. |
| Hag 1:6 | You have sown much, and harvested little... | God may withhold blessing, but the human call is to act. |
| Luke 13:6-9 | Parable of the fig tree: expectation of fruit, consequence of barrenness. | Responsibility to produce fruit. |
| Jn 12:24 | Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. | Sacrifice and risk precede growth/fruitfulness. |
| Deut 28:12 | The LORD will open to you his good treasury, the heavens, to give the rain... | God controls conditions, human duty is to act. |
| Eccl 9:10 | Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work... in Sheol... | Urges immediate, vigorous action. |
Ecclesiastes 11 verses
Ecclesiastes 11 4 Meaning
Ecclesiastes 11:4 conveys a foundational principle for living wisely in an unpredictable world: paralyzing hesitation due to excessive caution or waiting for perfect conditions inevitably leads to inaction and a complete lack of results. It champions diligence and risk-taking in life's endeavors, recognizing that the ideal moment rarely arrives, and a discerning faith requires action despite uncertainties.
Ecclesiastes 11 4 Context
Ecclesiastes chapter 11 opens with advice to live generously ("Cast your bread upon the waters") and diversely ("divide your portion among seven or even eight"), recognizing the unpredictability of the future. Qoheleth, the Teacher, is exploring how one should live meaningfully and joyfully given the pervasive "vanity" or fleeting nature of life "under the sun." This verse specifically functions as a warning against being paralyzed by life's inherent uncertainties. It reinforces the broader theme that while humans cannot comprehend or control God's sovereign plan or future events (as highlighted in vv. 5-6), they are still called to diligent action, wise living, and the responsible use of their time and resources. The agricultural imagery resonates deeply with the original agrarian society of ancient Israel, making the principle instantly relatable.
Ecclesiastes 11 4 Word analysis
Whoever watches: The Hebrew verb is ra'ah (רָאָה), meaning "to see," but here implying close observation, scrutiny, or waiting to perceive the outcome. This is not casual looking but a persistent focus on conditions as a prerequisite for action.
the wind: The Hebrew word is ruach (רוּחַ). It primarily means "wind," but also "spirit," "breath," or "invisible force." Here, it signifies unpredictable atmospheric conditions, representing factors outside human control that are erratic, unseen, and uncertain. One cannot control the wind's direction or strength.
will not plant: The verb is lo' yizra' (לֹא יִזְרַע), "will not sow/plant." This signifies an act of initiation. If a farmer waits for perfectly still air, free from any possibility of hindering wind, he will never sow seeds, missing the appropriate season entirely. It implies procrastination or complete inaction.
whoever looks: Again, ra'ah (רָאָה) is used, implying an intense and perhaps apprehensive gaze. This gaze is not proactive planning but rather reactive avoidance, fixated on potential impediments.
at the clouds: The Hebrew is ba-'ananim (בֶעָנָנִים), "at the clouds." Clouds signify potential rain (or lack thereof), adverse weather, or general meteorological uncertainty. Farmers depend on rain but also fear too much or too little, or ill-timed storms. Fixating on every cloud formation signifies overthinking or analyzing every potential problem before taking action.
will not reap: The verb is lo' yiqtzor (לֹא יִקְצֹר), "will not harvest/reap." This signifies the final stage of the agricultural cycle – receiving the desired outcome or fruit. Without the initial act of planting (implied by "watching the wind"), there will be nothing to harvest. This emphasizes the direct consequence of inaction: the absence of results or rewards.
"watches the wind" / "looks at the clouds": These phrases, in parallel structure, vividly portray a person who is hyper-focused on uncontrollable variables and potential obstacles. This extreme caution leads to paralysis, as there will always be some adverse condition or risk.
"will not plant" / "will not reap": These phrases represent the cause-and-effect relationship. The inability to initiate a task ("plant") due to over-caution directly leads to the complete absence of a desired outcome ("reap"). There's no harvest without prior sowing.
Ecclesiastes 11 4 Bonus section
The tension in Ecclesiastes between God's inscrutable sovereignty (e.g., God makes everything beautiful in its time, yet no one can find out what God has done from beginning to end, Eccl 3:11) and the call to human responsibility is strongly present in this verse. While God controls the weather and life's conditions, the human mandate is to act. This verse implicitly pushes back against any form of fatalism that would suggest human effort is futile because outcomes are predestined. Instead, it posits that God works through human diligence. The imagery of "wind" (ruach) also has broader theological connotations, sometimes referring to God's Spirit or an elusive divine mystery. Here, it speaks more to the natural unpredictability that the wise must navigate rather than an explicitly theological referent to God's presence, though God is ultimately sovereign over all natural phenomena. This wisdom applies not just to physical labor but to any sphere of life requiring initiative and perseverance.
Ecclesiastes 11 4 Commentary
Ecclesiastes 11:4 distills a vital truth: effective living and productive enterprise demand courageous action in the face of life’s inherent uncertainties. The agricultural metaphor brilliantly illustrates that delaying or abandoning efforts due to waiting for perfect conditions is a path to complete failure. Just as a farmer cannot predict or control every gust of wind or every cloud in the sky but must sow and cultivate nonetheless, so too must individuals proceed with their ventures despite imperfect knowledge or unforeseen circumstances. Qoheleth, though often perceived as pessimistic, repeatedly urges diligent work and enjoyment of the present gifts of God. This verse is a prime example, advocating for a proactive posture in the unknown. It warns against a "what if" mentality that calcifies into inaction. True wisdom, it suggests, involves understanding what is within human control (action, diligence) and what is not (the future, external conditions), and then choosing to act faithfully within that sphere of influence, trusting God with the outcomes.
Practical examples include:
- A student perpetually researching "the best" career path without ever starting university.
- An individual delaying an important conversation until the "perfect moment" which never arrives.
- A church leader waiting for every member to agree before initiating a ministry.