שַׁלַּ֥ח לַחְמְךָ֖ עַל־פְּנֵ֣י הַמָּ֑יִם כִּֽי־בְרֹ֥ב הַיָּמִ֖ים תִּמְצָאֶֽנּוּ׃
(Ecclesiastes 11:1)
Send your bread upon the surface of the waters, for in many days you will find it.
This proverb from Qohelet uses vivid imagery. The command encourages an action whose result will appear later. The Hebrew grammar is simple but elegant, combining an imperative command with a future promise.
Interlinear Overview
| Hebrew | Literal Meaning | Function |
|---|---|---|
| שַׁלַּח | send / cast | Imperative command |
| לַחְמְךָ | your bread | Direct object |
| עַל־פְּנֵי | upon the surface of | Prepositional phrase |
| הַמָּיִם | the waters | Object of preposition |
| כִּי | for / because | Conjunction introducing explanation |
| בְרֹב | in many | Time expression |
| הַיָּמִים | the days | Completes time phrase |
| תִּמְצָאֶנּוּ | you will find it | Future result |
Morphology (Word-by-Word)
| Word | Root | Form | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| שַׁלַּח | ש־ל־ח | Piel imperative masculine singular | send / cast | Command directed to a single listener |
| לַחְמְךָ | ל־ח־ם | Noun masculine singular + suffix 2ms | your bread | Suffix -ךָ = “your” |
| עַל | — | Preposition | upon / over | Introduces location |
| פְּנֵי | פ־נ־ה | Noun construct plural | surface / face of | Forms a construct phrase |
| הַמָּיִם | מ־י־ם | Noun masculine plural with article | the waters | Plural form commonly used for water |
| כִּי | — | Conjunction | for / because | Introduces explanation |
| בְרֹב | ר־ב־ה | Preposition + noun | in many | Expresses large quantity |
| הַיָּמִים | י־ו־ם | Noun masculine plural with article | the days | Completes time phrase |
| תִּמְצָאֶנּוּ | מ־צ־א | Qal imperfect 2ms + suffix 3ms | you will find it | Future promise; suffix refers back to “bread” |
Key Hebrew Grammar Insights
- Imperative + Promise Structure: The verse begins with a command (שַׁלַּח) and ends with a future assurance (תִּמְצָאֶנּוּ).
- Construct Phrase: פְּנֵי הַמָּיִם literally means “faces of the waters,” an idiom meaning “surface of the waters.”
- Suffix Reference: The suffix -נּוּ in תִּמְצָאֶנּוּ refers back to the object (“it,” meaning the bread).
- Time Expression: בְרֹב הַיָּמִים literally “in many days,” meaning after a long time.
The Flow of Hebrew Wisdom
This verse uses concrete imagery to communicate a principle:
- An action taken now
- A result discovered later
Hebrew expresses this through a simple grammatical structure:
Command → Explanation → Future Outcome
Even with only nine words, the verse demonstrates how Biblical Hebrew communicates wisdom through concise grammar and striking imagery.
