SEV Biblia, Chapter 11:3
Si las nubes fueren llenas de agua, sobre la tierra la derramarán; y si el árbol cayere al mediodía, o al norte, al lugar que el árbol cayere, allí quedará.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Ecclesiastes 11:3
Verse 3. If the clouds be full of rain. - Act as the clouds; when they are full they pour out their water indifferently on the field and on the desert. By giving charity indiscriminately, it may be that thou wilt often give it to the unworthy: but thou shouldst ever consider that he is an object of thy charity, who appears to be in real want; and better relieve or give to a hundred worthless persons, than pass by one who is in real distress.
Where the tree falleth, there it shall be. - Death is at no great distance; thou hast but a short time to do good. Acquire a heavenly disposition while here; for there will be no change after this life. If thou die in the love of God, and in the love of man, in that state wilt thou be found in the day of judgment. If a tree about to fall lean to the north, to the north it will fall; if to the south, it will fall to that quarter. In whatever disposition or state of soul thou diest, in that thou wilt be found in the eternal world. Death refines nothing, purifies nothing, kills no sin, helps to no glory. Let thy continual bent and inclination be to God, to holiness, to charity, to mercy, and to heaven: then, fall when thou mayest, thou wilt fall well.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 3. If the clouds be full of rain, they empty [themselves] upon the earth , etc.] They do not retain it; sad would it be for the earth if they did; but they let it down softly and gently, in plentiful showers upon each of the parts of the earth without distinction, by which it is refreshed, and made fruitful; nor are they losers by it, for they draw up great quantities again out of the ocean, and so constantly answer the ends for which they are appointed. And so rich men, who are full of the good things of this world, should not keep them to themselves, and for their own use only; but should consider they are stewards under God, and for others, and should be like the full clouds, empty themselves; and give to those who want of what God has given them, freely and cheerfully, bountifully and plentifully, and that without respect of persons, imitating their God and Creator, who sendeth rain upon the just and the unjust, ( Matthew 5:45); and such in the issue are no losers, but gainers; they fill again as fast as they empty; and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be ; where the seed falls, and it grows up into a plant, and to a tree, there it continues, whether to the north or to the south; and so accordingly brings forth fruit, and such as it is men partake of it; to which purpose Jarchi, and who applies it to the disciple of a wise man, who is profitable in the place where he is, not only in life, but after death: or where the fruit of a tree fall, “there they are”, so Aben Ezra reads the last clause in the plural number; that is, there are persons enough to gather the fruit; and so where a rich man is, there are poor enough about him to partake of his bounty: or as when a tree is cut down, let it fall where it will, there it abides, and is no more fruitful; so when a man is cut off by death, as he was then, so he remains; if a gracious and good man, and has done good, he is like a tree that falls to the south, he enters into the paradise of God, the joys of heaven; and if not a good man, and has not done good, he is like a tree that falls to the north, he goes into a state of darkness, misery, and distress; (see Revelation 22:11,14,15); or however, be this as it will, he is no more useful in this world; and therefore it becomes men to do all the good they can in health and life, for there is none to be done in the grave where they are going: or else the sense is, that as when a tree falls, whether it be to the south or to the north, it matters not to the owner, there it lies, and is of the same advantage to him; so an act of beneficence, let it be done to what object soever, a worthy or an unworthy one, yet being done with a view to the glory of God and the good of men, it shall not lose its reward: and so this is an answer to the objection of some against giving, because they do not know whether the object proposed is deserving: though some think the same thing is intended by these metaphorical expressions, as is suggested in the latter part of ( Ecclesiastes 11:2), that evils or calamities may come upon men like heavy showers of rain, which wash away things; or like storms and tempests of rain, thunder and lightning, which break down trees, and cause them to fall to the north or to the south; and thus in like manner by one judgment or another men may be stripped of all their substance, and therefore it is right to make use of it while they have it.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Exhortation to liberality. (Eccl. 11:1-6) An admonition to prepare for death, and to young persons to be religious. (Eccl. 11:7-10)
Eccl. 11:1-6 Solomon presses the rich to do good to others. Giv freely, though it may seem thrown away and lost. Give to many. Excus not thyself with the good thou hast done, from the good thou has further to do. It is not lost, but well laid out. We have reason to expect evil, for we are born to trouble; it is wisdom to do good in the day of prosperity. Riches cannot profit us, if we do not benefi others. Every man must labour to be a blessing to that place where the providence of God casts him. Wherever we are, we may find good work to do, if we have but hearts to do it. If we magnify every littl difficulty, start objections, and fancy hardships, we shall never go on, much less go through with our work. Winds and clouds of tribulatio are, in God's hands, designed to try us. God's work shall agree with his word, whether we see it or not. And we may well trust God to provide for us, without our anxious, disquieting cares. Be not weary in well-doing, for in due season, in God's time, you shall reap, Gal. 6:9.
Eccl. 11:7-10 Life is sweet to bad men, because they have their portio in this life; it is sweet to good men, because it is the time of preparation for a better; it is sweet to all. Here is a caution to think of death, even when life is most sweet. Solomon makes a effecting address to young persons. They would desire opportunity to pursue every pleasure. Then follow your desires, but be assured tha God will call you into judgment. How many give loose to every appetite and rush into every vicious pleasure! But God registers every one of their sinful thoughts and desires, their idle words and wicked words If they would avoid remorse and terror, if they would have hope an comfort on a dying bed, if they would escape misery here and hereafter let them remember the vanity of youthful pleasures. That Solomon mean to condemn the pleasures of sin is evident. His object is to draw the young to purer and more lasting joys. This is not the language of on grudging youthful pleasures, because he can no longer partake of them but of one who has, by a miracle of mercy, been brought back in safety He would persuade the young from trying a course whence so few return If the young would live a life of true happiness, if they would secur happiness hereafter, let them remember their Creator in the days of their youth __________________________________________________________________
Original Hebrew
אם 518 ימלאו 4390 העבים 5645 גשׁם 1653 על 5921 הארץ 776 יריקו 7324 ואם 518 יפול 5307 עץ 6086 בדרום 1864 ואם 518 בצפון 6828 מקום 4725 שׁיפול 5307 העץ 6086 שׁם 8033 יהוא׃ 1933
