The Meaning of Ecclesiastes 11:2 Explained

Ecclesiastes 11:2

KJV: Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.

YLT: Give a portion to seven, and even to eight, For thou knowest not what evil is on the earth.

Darby: Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.

ASV: Give a portion to seven, yea, even unto eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Give  a portion  to seven,  and also to eight;  for thou knowest  not what evil  shall be upon the earth. 

What does Ecclesiastes 11:2 Mean?

Verse Meaning

This proverb advocates diversifying your investments, rather than putting all of your resources in one place.
""Seven or eight" is a Hebrew numerical formula called X, X + 1. It occurs frequently in Proverbs (chaps6 , 30) and in the first two chapters of Amos. Here it is not to be taken literally but means "plenty and more than plenty," "the widest possible diversification within the guidelines of prudence...." Seven means "plenty," and eight means, "Go a bit beyond that."" [1]

Context Summary

Ecclesiastes 11:1-10 - Live Not For Today Alone
The casting of bread upon the waters is an allusion to the oriental custom of casting rice-grains on the fields, when they lie submerged beneath the annual inundation of such a river as the Nile. To the inexperienced eye, this would seem the prodigality of waste, but the husbandman knows full well that he will meet his seed again with abundant returns. So it is in life, whether we befriend young boys and girls, or distribute tracts, or speak kind and loving words, or invest our money in philanthropic enterprise, we are casting our bread upon the waters to find it after many days in this world or the next.
But how wise the advice not to be always considering the winds and clouds, Ecclesiastes 11:3-4. There is considerable hazard in the life of the farmer. If he waits until all the conditions are favorable, he will never begin. So with our work for God. We must risk something. Often the word spoken at an apparently untoward moment will prove to be the word in season, while that spoken under the most favorable conditions will yield no return at all. God gives it a body as, and when, and how it pleaseth Him. [source]

Chapter Summary: Ecclesiastes 11

1  directions for charity
7  death in life and the day of judgment
9  in the days of youth

What do the individual words in Ecclesiastes 11:2 mean?

Give a serving to seven and also to eight for not you do know what will be evil on the earth
תֶּן־ חֵ֥לֶק לְשִׁבְעָ֖ה וְגַ֣ם לִשְׁמוֹנָ֑ה כִּ֚י לֹ֣א תֵדַ֔ע מַה־ יִּהְיֶ֥ה רָעָ֖ה עַל־ הָאָֽרֶץ

תֶּן־  Give 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
חֵ֥לֶק  a  serving 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֵלֶק 
Sense: portion, share, part, territory.
לְשִׁבְעָ֖ה  to  seven 
Parse: Preposition-l, Number, masculine singular
Root: שֶׁבַע  
Sense: seven (cardinal number).
וְגַ֣ם  and  also 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
לִשְׁמוֹנָ֑ה  to  eight 
Parse: Preposition-l, Number, masculine singular
Root: שְׁמֹנֶה  
Sense: eight, eighth.
תֵדַ֔ע  you  do  know 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
יִּהְיֶ֥ה  will  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
רָעָ֖ה  evil 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
הָאָֽרֶץ  the  earth 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.