Bible Verses and Early Church Commentary | Historical Christian Faith

[AD 270] Gregory of Neocaesarea on Ecclesiastes 11:1

Moreover, it is a righteous thing to give (to the needy) of your bread, and of those things which are necessary for the support of man's life. For though you seem immediately to waste it upon some persons, as if you cast your bread upon the water, yet in the progress of time your kindness shall be seen to be not unprofitable for you. Also give liberally, and give a portion of your means to many; for you know not what the coming day does. The clouds, again, do not keep back their plenteous rains, but discharge their showers upon the earth. Nor does a tree stand for ever; but even though men may spare it, it shall be overturned by the wind at any rate. But many desire also to know beforehand what is to come from the heavens; and there have been those who, scrutinizing the clouds and waiting for the wind, have had nought to do with reaping and winnowing, putting their trust in vanity, and being all incapable of knowing anything of what may come from God in the future; just as men cannot tell what the woman with child shall bring forth. But sow in season, and thus reap your fruits whenever the time for that comes on. For it is not manifest what shall be better than those among all natural things. Would, indeed, that all things turned out well! Truly, when a man considers with himself that the sun is good, and that this life is sweet, and that it is a pleasant thing to have many years wherein one can delight himself continually, and that death is a terror and an endless evil, and a thing that brings us to nought, he thinks that he ought to enjoy himself in all the present and apparent pleasures of life. And he gives this counsel also to the young, that they should use to the uttermost the season of their youth, by giving up their minds to all manner of pleasure, and indulge their passions, and do all that seems good in their own eyes, and look upon that which delights, and avert themselves from that which is not so. But to such a man I shall say this much: Senseless are you, my friend, in that you do not look for the judgment that shall come from God upon all these things. And profligacy and licentiousness are evil, and the filthy wantonness of our bodies carries death in it. For folly attends on youth, and folly leads to destruction.

[AD 390] Gregory of Nazianzus on Ecclesiastes 11:1

It happens with most people that they give indeed, but they do not do so freely and readily, which is a greater and more perfect thing than the mere act of offering itself. It is far better to be generous to the unworthy for the sake of the worthy than to deprive the worthy out of fear of the unworthy. This seems to have a bearing on our duty of casting bread upon the waters, not that it may be swept away or perish in the eyes of the just examiner, but that it may come to that place where all our goods will be stored up. And [it will] be there to meet us in due time, even though we may think otherwise.

Source: ON THE DEATH OF HIS FATHER, ORATION 18:20

[AD 397] Ambrose of Milan on Ecclesiastes 11:1

Tears are aptly called bread there, where a hunger for justice exists. “Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for justice, for they shall be satisfied.” And so there are tears which are bread and which strengthen the human heart. The maxim of Ecclesiastes is also appropriate to this discussion, “Cast your bread on the face of the water.” For the bread of heaven is there, where the water of grace is; it is right that those from whose belly rivers of living water flow should receive the support of the Word and a nurture of a mystical kind.

Source: THE PRAYER OF JOB AND DAVID 4:2.7

[AD 420] Jerome on Ecclesiastes 11:1

"Send
your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it." He
encourages to mercy since it must be given to all that seek wisdom, and work
well. For just as he sows over the
well-watered fields and awaits the produce of his seed, so too he who is
generous to the needy does not sow the grain of his seed, but bread itself. And he waits for it to grow into his future
profit; and when the day of judgement comes much more will be found to have
grown than was at first sown.
Differently: in each and every man you can see this water, about which
is said, "rivers flow from his stomach, the waters of life" [Ioh. 7, 38.],
lest it should trouble you to display the bread of life, the bread of
reasoning, and of speech. For if you do
this many times you will find that you have not sown the seeds of doctrine in
vain. I think that this is what is
written in Isaiah too: "blessed is he who sows across the water, where the
ox and ass trample" [Is. 32, 20.]. This is also because that teacher (about whom
we have already spoken), is held to be worthy of blessing, because he sows
across the well-watered hearts of his listeners, the hearts of the Jews, as
those of the gentiles in the gathered congregation.

Source: Commentary on Ecclesiastes

[AD 700] Isaac of Nineveh on Ecclesiastes 11:1

When you give, give generously, with a joyous countenance, and give more than you are asked for, since it is said: “Send forth thy morsel of bread toward the face of the poor man, and soon you will find your recompense.” Do not separate the rich from the poor, nor try to discriminate the worthy from the unworthy, but let all persons be equal in your eyes for a good deed.

Source: ASCETICAL HOMILIES 4

[AD 397] Ambrose of Milan on Ecclesiastes 11:2

The Old Testament took note of this number eight, called by us in Latin an octave, for Ecclesiastes says, “Give a portion to those seven, and also to those eight.” The seven of the Old Testament is the eight of the New, since Christ arose and the day of the new salvation has shed light upon all. It is the day of which the prophet says, “This is the day which the Lord has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it.”

Source: LETTER 50, TO HORONTIANUS

[AD 397] Ambrose of Milan on Ecclesiastes 11:2

The seventh day symbolizes the mystery of the law, the eighth that of the resurrection, as you have in Ecclesiastes.

Source: LETTER 84, TO IRENAEUS

[AD 398] Didymus the Blind on Ecclesiastes 11:2

The one who “gives a part to the seven” commits to the Old Testament, which was before the arrival of the Savior. The number seven indicates the institution of the sabbath. The one who “gives a part to the eight” is the one who believes in the resurrection of the Savior, since he came after the sabbath.The Jews who “give a part to the seven” have not “given a part to the eight” and therefore they were not saved. The heretics … rejected the law and the Old Testament; since they did not “give a part to the seven,” they miss the goal.

Source: COMMENTARY ON ECCLESIASTES 317:15

[AD 420] Jerome on Ecclesiastes 11:2

"Give a portion to seven, and also to eight;
for you do not know what evil shall be upon the earth. "And in Ezekiel there are found seven or eight steps
leading up to the temple. [Ez. 40, 26.31.] And after the 'ethical' Psalm, that is one
hundred and eighteen, all the psalms are of fifteen steps by which we are first
taught the law, and when the seventh is finished, we then climb to the Gospel
through the 'eight steps' [Ier. 'ogdoadem']. Therefore it is taught that we should believe
with equal respect in each, the same for the old as for the new. The Jews dedicated their seventh part,
believing in the Sabbath, but did not dedicate that eighth, denying the
resurrection on the day of the Lord. On
the other hand, heretics, Marcion and Manichaeus and all who rip up the ancient
law with their savage mouths, dedicate their eighth part, taking up the
Gospel. But they do not save as holy the
seventh, spurning the old law. For we
are not able to understand the worthy crucifixions, the worthy punishments
already in mind, which are reserved for those who are moved to wickedness on
earth, that is for the Jews and the heretics, and for those denying the other
of the two. The Hebrews understand this
passage in this way: keep both the Sabbath and the rite of circumcision, for if
you do not adhere to these wickedness will come over you unexpectedly. " "

Source: Commentary on Ecclesiastes

[AD 430] Augustine of Hippo on Ecclesiastes 11:2

Before the Lord’s resurrection there was rest for the departed but resurrection for none: “Rising from the dead he dies no more, death has no more dominion over him.” But after such resurrection had taken place in the Lord’s body, so that the head of the church might foreshadow what the body of the church hopes for at the end, then the Lord’s day—that is the eighth, which is also the first—began to be observed.

Source: LETTER 55

[AD 665] Fructuosus of Braga on Ecclesiastes 11:2

They need not be hesitant to pray at their own special hours, that is, the second, fourth, fifth, seventh, eighth, tenth, and eleventh, inasmuch as seven or eight are harmonious with the words of Solomon: “Make seven or eight portions.” [This is] in order that they may be able to climb through the sevenfold grace of the Spirit and the eight beatitudes on the day of resurrection with unhampered tread up the ladder of Jacob by its fifteen steps to the region of heaven, where Christ is resplendent above.

Source: GENERAL RULE FOR MONASTERIES 10

[AD 397] Ambrose of Milan on Ecclesiastes 11:3

He who reads much and also understands is filled; he who has been filled sheds water upon others. So Scripture says, “If the clouds be full, they will pour out rain upon the earth.”

Source: LETTER 15, TO CONSTANTIUS

[AD 398] Didymus the Blind on Ecclesiastes 11:3

This sentence obviously is meant in a figurative and spiritual sense.…The south is in many ways distinguished from the north geographically, but also in a spiritual sense: The bride in the Song of Songs says, “Awake, O north wind, and come, O south wind!” So she sends the evil power away. The evil power was within her. When the evil was active, that is, the evil regarding faith and vocation, then she had the north wind living within. When she “turned away from evil” and went to the doing of good, she called for the south wind. Pay attention to the occasion: “Blow upon my garden that its fragrance may be wafted abroad,” [she says to the south wind]; the north wind does not do this. She uses the terms in a quite physical sense, since the “cold wind” is called “north wind.” The cold wind closes the openings of the trees, the so-called invisible pores, so that the elements of fragrance are kept inside. But when the warm south wind blows through the garden of the soul, … then the pores are widened.

Source: COMMENTARY ON ECCLESIASTES 321:1

[AD 420] Jerome on Ecclesiastes 11:3

"If the clouds are full of rain, they empty
themselves upon the earth: and if the tree falls toward the south, or toward
the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it shall be. "Keep the commandments that have been taught to you
above so that the clouds above you will break open in rain. For wherever you have made your home and seat
for the future, whether to the east or facing the north, when you die you will
remain there. Differently: as I have
said above 'send your bread over the water and divide it to all who ask'. Since when the clouds are full they pour
their riches down on mortals, and you are as a tree: however aged you may be,
you will not live forever, but one day suddenly struck by the storm of death
like a storm of winds, there where you fall you will lie forever. The time of your end will come whether you
may be stiff and savage, or mild and merciful.
Differently: God is addressed in the Psalms: "you are truth up to
the clouds" [Ps. 35, 6.],
and in Isaiah God warns the sinner of the vineyard, "I will command the
clouds not to rain down" [Is. 5, 6.]. Therefore the clouds are as prophets or holy
men, who have amassed many talents in their mind, so that he can rain his
teachings of doctrine down on others and say, "their speech should be
awaited just as rain, and they will pour out rain across the earth" [Deut. 32, 2.],
to which is replied, "let the earth hear the words of my mouth" [Deut. 32, 1.]. But this follows: "and if a tree falls
to the east, or to the north, in the place where it falls, there it will
remain." We can take the example of
the book of Hebrews, in which is written, "God will come to Teyma" [Heb. 3,3.],
which some interpreters have taken to mean that God will come from the south,
and when I come to think about it the south is always used in a good
context. This can be seen in Song of
Songs: "arise oh north" that is 'return' and 'go away'; "and
come O south wind" [Cant. 4, 16.]. Therefore a tree, if in this life it falls
and is cut in its state of mortality, either must sin before while it stands
and is then placed in the north afterwards, or if the south winds takes away
all its worthy fruit, it will lie wounded in the south. The text does not mean any tree, but only if
it lies to the north or south. This
means the same as that which is written: "I will say to the north wind,
come, and to the south wind, do not hold back" [Is. 43, 6.]. Nowhere teaches about the south wind and the
east wind together, saying that they blow, since it is fitting for them to be
among those regions, because they are blown afterwards to the south and
east. Therefore it blows from the north
to the south and the south wind blows its inhabitants to the east. And they are not able to blow out if they
remain in their ancient palaces.

Source: Commentary on Ecclesiastes

[AD 1781] Richard Challoner on Ecclesiastes 11:3

If the tree fall: The state of the soul is unchangeable when once she comes to heaven or hell: and a soul that departs this life in the state of grace, shall never fall from grace: as on the other side, a soul that dies out of the state of grace, shall never come to it. But this does not exclude a place of temporal punishments for such souls as die in the state of grace: yet not so as to be entirely pure: and therefore they shall be saved, indeed, yet so as by fire. 1 Cor. 3. 13, 14, 15.

[AD 420] Jerome on Ecclesiastes 11:4

"He that observes the wind shall not sow; and
he that regards the clouds shall not reap.
"He who considers
what is good for him and does not give out to all who ask him, often destroys
what he ought to receive. [Cfr. Luc 6, 30.] Differently: he who proclaims the word of God
at the time when the people listen freely and a second wind of rumour comes, he
is a negligent and lazy farmer. But
favourably or not in his career he must proclaim the word of God [Cfr II Tim. 4, 2.];
and he must not think of the storm of adverse clouds in his time of faith. This is written in Proverbs: "just as
the rains are heavy and unyielding, so are they who leave wisdom and praise
impiety" [Prov. 28, 3.4.]. Therefore you must sow your seeds in the
middle of a storm without thinking of the clouds and without fearing the
winds. And you must not say, 'that time
was convenient, this of no use', when we do not know which way and which will
is the one spirit of giving.

Source: Commentary on Ecclesiastes

[AD 604] Gregory the Dialogist on Ecclesiastes 11:4

For what is expressed by the wind but the temptation of malignant spirits? And what are denoted by the clouds which are moved of the wind but the oppositions of bad people? The clouds, that is to say, are driven by the winds, because bad people are excited by the blasts of unclean spirits. He, then, that observes the wind sows not, and he that regards the clouds reaps not, because whosoever fears the temptation of malignant spirits, whosoever [fears] the persecution of bad people and does not sow the seed of good work now, neither does he then reap handfuls of holy recompense.

Source: PASTORAL CARE 3:15

[AD 700] Isaac of Nineveh on Ecclesiastes 11:4

Let not much wisdom become a stumbling-block to your soul and a snare before you; but trusting in God, manfully make a beginning upon the way that is filled with blood, lest always you be found wanting and naked of knowledge of God. For he who is fearful or watches the winds, sows not.

Source: ASCETICAL HOMILIES 6

[AD 420] Jerome on Ecclesiastes 11:5

"As you do not know what is the way of the
spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even
so you know not the works of God who makes all.
"Just as you do
not know the way of the spirit and of the soul entering a child, and are
unknowing of the types of bone and veins in the stomach of a pregnant
woman. It is hard to know how the human
body is formed from the simplest elements into the many varied forms and limbs,
and from the very same seed, one makes soft our hair, another makes our bones
hard; one connects the veins, another links the nerves together. Thus you cannot know the work of God, who has
made all things. From this he teaches
that the variety of things in the world must not be feared, and you must not
fear the winds and the clouds, which as we have mentioned above must be
judged. But although the sower ought to
reap in the course of his career, he ought to save the outcome for the
judgement of the Lord. " "

Source: Commentary on Ecclesiastes

[AD 604] Gregory the Dialogist on Ecclesiastes 11:5

Yet his work is not known, because even those who preach him venerate his impenetrable judgments. They therefore both know him whom they preach, and yet do not know his works: because they know by grace him by whom they were made, but cannot comprehend his judgments that are wrought by him above their understanding.

Source: MORALS ON THE BOOK OF JOB 5:27.6

[AD 311] Peter of Alexandria on Ecclesiastes 11:6

Let us turn now and ponder the word just as the natural philosopher has said, and let us know its power. “Sow your seed,” he said, “in the morning hour and do not cease in the evening hour.” And I say according to my dull mind, “The morning hour is the young childhood of man, and the evening hour is old age.” For infancy is in need of teaching and instruction for everyone so that they escape sin. Likewise moreover, he will continue to remember the sin into which he has fallen in the morning hour, which is his childhood, and he will not set his heart on his own teaching but will be first to the church, the school for little and great, and he will listen to the Scriptures inspired by God, that he might not be unmindful or fall but become new again through repentance. The word extends to us, too, we who are called “bishop” and “presbyter” and “teacher,” that we might continue to abide in the word of teaching every day from morning until evening every day, just as it is written, “Speak [and] do not be silent.” I am speaking with you, he said, personally, so that you will not be ashamed. I will sow in you the Word of God, the seed of truth and life from the morning hour to the evening hour.

Source: HOMILIES ON RICHES 1:6-7

[AD 420] Jerome on Ecclesiastes 11:6-8

"In the morning sow your seed, and in the
evening withhold not your hand: for you know not whether shall prosper, either
this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good. Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant
thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun:
But if a man lives many years, and rejoices in them all; yet let him
remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that which comes is
vanity. "Do not choose which good deeds you do, but once you
have started doing good, never stop. The
evening will reveal the justice of the morning, and the sunrise will collect
the mercy of the evening. For it is
uncertain which work pleases God more, and by what means you will obtain the
fruit of righteousness. But it can
happen that not one but each one will please God. Another meaning could be that both in
childhood and in old-age you will have equal work. Do not say therefore, "I worked while I
was able, I ought to rest in old-age", for you do not know whether you
please God more in youth or in age. And
the thrift of youth too is of no use if old-age is taken up by indulgence. For the righteous has erred, not even his
former virtues can free him from death.
And if you always do well according to each interpretation and work
equal amounts in each age, you will see God the Father, the sweetest light; you
will see Christ, the sun of righteousness.
More precisely if you live for many years and always have good things or
do good deeds, you will still know that you are going to die, and the coming of
darkness will continually surround you: you will despise the present things as
if they were transient, frail and failing.
Symmachus has interpreted the end of this idea in this way: if a man
lives for many years and if he has been happy in all this he ought to remember
the days of darkness, since they will be many, in which all will cease. Differently: in another place in the
Scripture God promises, saying, "I will give you timely rain and rain that
is late" [Deut. 11, 14.]. I will irrigate you with rain: the Old and
the New Testament. He warns about this
here so that we may read about the ancient law, lest we hate the Gospel, and in
this way ask about the spiritual understanding in the old text; lest we think
that what we read in the Gospels and apostles is only to be taken at face
value. For we do not know when more
knowledge and grace is divested to us by God, and he who is happy, who joined
both together to make it like one. For
he who has followed this will see the light, will see Christ, the light of justice. And if he lives for several years and with
knowledge of the Scriptures he will know the greatest happiness and enjoyment,
and he is forced more to this toil by the memory of his future judgement. Since the time of eternal darkness will come,
and perpetual punishments will be in stone for those who have not sown in the
morning and in the evening, and joined both in vain; they have not seen the
light or the sun, whence the light itself comes.

Source: Commentary on Ecclesiastes

[AD 398] Didymus the Blind on Ecclesiastes 11:8

In the spiritual sense [this saying] is even more valid, for “young men” are those who are strong because they have the Word of God and because they have power against evil. John, for example, writes, “I write to you, young people, because you are strong and the Word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.” He certainly does not write to a certain age group in a physical sense but to a soul made young, since it has “clothed [itself] with the new self.”

Source: COMMENTARY ON ECCLESIASTES 335:5

[AD 604] Gregory the Dialogist on Ecclesiastes 11:8

He shows himself to live with prudence and circumspection. Considering the shortness of the present life, he does not look to the furtherance but to the ending of it, so as to understand from the end, that delights, while life is passing, amount to nothing. For so it is said by Solomon: “But if a man should live many years and rejoice in them all, yet let him remember the time of darkness, and the days that will be many; and when they come, the past will be convinced of vanity.”

Source: MORALS ON THE BOOK OF JOB 2:9.92

[AD 420] Jerome on Ecclesiastes 11:9-10

"Rejoice, O young man, in your youth; and let
your heart cheer you in the days of your youth, and walk in the ways of your
heart, and in the sight of your eyes: but know, that for all these things God
will bring you into judgement. Therefore remove sorrow from your heart, and put
away evil from your flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity. "

<h2>CHAPTER 12</h2>

Source: Commentary on Ecclesiastes

[AD 604] Gregory the Dialogist on Ecclesiastes 11:9

One statement is introduced [by Solomon] through his impersonation of the weak, while the other is added from the dictates of reason, for he immediately discusses the dictates of reason and shows the advantage of a house of mourning. “For that is the end of every man,” he says, “and the living should take it to heart.” And again he writes, “Rejoice, O young man, while you are young.” While a little later he adds, “The dawn of youth is fleeting.” In criticizing what he has just recommended, he indicates clearly that the former pronouncement proceeded from carnal desires, while the latter was based on a true judgment.

Source: DIALOGUE 4:4

[AD 373] Ephrem the Syrian on Ecclesiastes 11:10

Put sorrow far from your flesh and sadness from your thoughts, except only that for your sins you should be constant in sadness. Cease not from labor, not even though you are rich, for the slothful person gains manifold guilt by his idleness.

Source: HOMILY ON ADMONITION AND REPENTANCE 15

[AD 398] Didymus the Blind on Ecclesiastes 11:10

In Scripture the spirit is continuously called “heart.”The passage therefore means: Even if we sometimes are caught up in anger, this “anger” should not be allowed into the “heart,” so that the anger does not become a permanent condition. And when suddenly a desire comes up in the part of the soul which deals with desire, this desire should not be transferred to the spirit and to the part of the soul that deals with reason. Otherwise it becomes a permanent condition and not just an affect or a precondition for this affect, but simply evil.… If “anger is banished from your heart,” you will not do evil through the members of your body. Whoever is caught by anger often fights and may even decide to kill. Thus, if you “banish anger from your heart,” then evil, which comes about through deeds, will vanish as well.

Source: COMMENTARY ON ECCLESIASTES 337:20

[AD 430] Augustine of Hippo on Ecclesiastes 11:10

Therefore, if anger has held out with most shameful boldness in the heart of any one of you until these holy days, now at least let it depart. [Thus] your prayer may proceed in peace and … may not stumble, tremble, or become mute under the pricking of conscience when it has come to that passage where it must say, “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive also our debtors.”

Source: SERMON 208:2