The Meaning of Ecclesiastes 11:3 Explained

Ecclesiastes 11:3

KJV: If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be.

YLT: If the thick clouds are full of rain, On the earth they empty themselves; And if a tree doth fall in the south or to the north, The place where the tree falleth, there it is.

Darby: If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth; and if a tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be.

ASV: If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth; and if a tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there shall it be.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

If the clouds  be full  of rain,  they empty  [themselves] upon the earth:  and if the tree  fall  toward the south,  or toward the north,  in the place  where the tree  falleth,  there it shall be. 

What does Ecclesiastes 11:3 Mean?

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 11:3 mean?

If are full of the clouds rain upon the earth they empty [themselves] and if falls a tree to the south or the north in the place where falls the tree there it shall lie
אִם־ יִמָּלְא֨וּ הֶעָבִ֥ים גֶּ֙שֶׁם֙ עַל־ הָאָ֣רֶץ יָרִ֔יקוּ וְאִם־ יִפּ֥וֹל עֵ֛ץ בַּדָּר֖וֹם וְאִ֣ם בַּצָּפ֑וֹן מְק֛וֹם שֶׁיִּפּ֥וֹל הָעֵ֖ץ שָׁ֥ם יְהֽוּא

יִמָּלְא֨וּ  are  full 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: מָלֵא 
Sense: to fill, be full.
הֶעָבִ֥ים  of  the  clouds 
Parse: Article, Noun, common plural
Root: עָב 
Sense: darkness, cloud, thicket.
גֶּ֙שֶׁם֙  rain 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: גֶּשֶׁם  
Sense: rain, shower.
עַל־  upon 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
הָאָ֣רֶץ  the  earth 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
יָרִ֔יקוּ  they  empty  [themselves] 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: רִיק  
Sense: to make empty, empty out.
וְאִם־  and  if 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Conjunction
Root: אִם  
Sense: if.
יִפּ֥וֹל  falls 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָפַל  
Sense: to fall, lie, be cast down, fail.
עֵ֛ץ  a  tree 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֵץ  
Sense: tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows.
בַּדָּר֖וֹם  to  the  south 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּרֹום  
Sense: south.
בַּצָּפ֑וֹן  the  north 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: צָפֹון  
Sense: north (of direction), northward.
מְק֛וֹם  in  the  place 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מָקֹום  
Sense: standing place, place.
שֶׁיִּפּ֥וֹל  where  falls 
Parse: Pronoun, relative, Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָפַל  
Sense: to fall, lie, be cast down, fail.
הָעֵ֖ץ  the  tree 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֵץ  
Sense: tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows.
יְהֽוּא  it  shall  lie 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: הָוָה 
Sense: Qal).