Ecclesiastes 11:6
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The verse isn't just saying to work diligently from morning to night; it's highlighting that we don't know which specific act of sowing—whether early or late in our lives, or through various means—will bear the most fruit. This encourages us to engage in good deeds consistently, because even the seemingly less promising efforts might yield a harvest, or perhaps both will prove equally valuable.
In the morning sow your seed, and at evening withhold not your hand, for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Following advice to be generous even when unsure of the outcome, the Teacher urges continuous good deeds throughout life, from youth to old age. This counsel comes after an exhortation to embrace life and do good while we have the opportunity, acknowledging that we don't control the results of our efforts. The verse directly addresses the uncertainty of which specific act of kindness will bear fruit, or if all efforts will prove equally valuable.
Life's opportunities to do good aren't confined to youth or perfect circumstances. God calls us to action at every stage.
Solomon uses the imagery of 'morning' and 'evening' not just to describe the start and end of a day, but the entirety of life. It's a call to continuous action.
Early and Late
Constant Activity
The point is not to pick one time over the other, but to embrace both. Life is a continuous opportunity for sowing seeds of kindness, diligence, and righteousness, regardless of age or situation.
We pour our efforts into good deeds, but how often do we truly know which ones will bear the most fruit?
The latter part of the verse reveals a profound truth about our limitations: 'for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good.'
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Unseen Impact
We often evaluate success based on visible results. We might think a grand gesture will have a bigger impact than a small, consistent one. Solomon reminds us this isn't necessarily true.
Understand the original words
zara` · Hebrew Verb
To plant or scatter seed, often used metaphorically in Scripture for actions, words, or efforts that yield a harvest or result in the future. It implies diligence and reliance on God for the outcome.
This passage echoes Ecclesiastes' call to persistent good deeds, reminding us not to grow weary in sowing, as a harvest will come in its own time.
2 Corinthians 9:10This verse directly connects sowing and provision, illuminating the 'seed' in Ecclesiastes as referring to our generous acts that God multiplies.
Matthew 13:3-9Jesus' parable of the sower illustrates the uncertainty of results in our efforts, showing how different 'soils' (situations or people) receive the 'seed' (God's word or our actions) in varied ways.
John 9:4This verse speaks to working diligently while it is still day, mirroring the urgency and continuous effort called for in Ecclesiastes 11:6, as opportunities to 'sow' are finite.
Proverbs 19:17This proverb offers a divine perspective on generosity, assuring that whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, reinforcing the idea that our 'sowing' has eternal value even if earthly results are unknown.
jfbEcclesiastes 11:6: "In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good."
- morning … evening—early and late; when young and when old; in sunshine and under clouds.seed—of godly works (Ho 10:12; 2Co 9:10; Ga 6:7).prosper—(Isa 55:10, 11).both … alike—Both the unpromising and the promising sowing may bear good fruit in others; certainly they shall to the faithful sower.
ellicottEcclesiastes 11:6: "In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good."
(6) Prosper. —The word is used again in Ecclesiastes 10:10 and Esther 8:5 , and belongs to modern Hebrew. (Comp. Galatians 6:7-8 .)
The verse isn't just saying to work diligently from morning to night; it's highlighting that we don't know which specific act of sowing—whether early or late in our lives, or through various means—will bear the most fruit. This encourages us to engage in good deeds consistently, because even the seemingly less promising efforts might yield a harvest, or perhaps both will prove equally valuable.
Following advice to be generous even when unsure of the outcome, the Teacher urges continuous good deeds throughout life, from youth to old age. This counsel comes after an exhortation to embrace life and do good while we have the opportunity, acknowledging that we don't control the results of our efforts. The verse directly addresses the uncertainty of which specific act of kindness will bear fruit, or if all efforts will prove equally valuable.
Following advice to be generous even when unsure of the outcome, the Teacher urges continuous good deeds throughout life, from youth to old age. This counsel comes after an exhortation to embrace life and do good while we have the opportunity, acknowledging that we don't control the results of our efforts. The verse directly addresses the uncertainty of which specific act of kindness will bear fruit, or if all efforts will prove equally valuable.
"In the morning sow your seed, and at evening withhold not your hand, for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good." — The verse isn't just saying to work diligently from morning to night; it's highlighting that we don't know which specific act of sowing—whether early or late in our lives, or through various means—wi…
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Last reviewed October 2026
