King James Version

Ecclesiastes 11:3

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.

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Hebrew

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אִםimoh thatאִםconjunction — “oh that”H518used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrogative, whether?; or conditional, if, although; also Oh that!, when; hence, as a negative, not(and, can-, doubtless, if, that) (not), [phrase] but, either, [phrase] except, [phrase] more(-over if, than), neither, nevertheless, nor, oh that, or, [phrase] save (only, -ing), seeing, since, sith, [phrase] surely (no more, none, not), t…יִמָּלְא֨וּyimalevbe at an endמָלֵאverb, niphal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “be at an end”, an unfinished actionH4390to fill or (intransitively) be full of, in a wide application (literally and figuratively)accomplish, confirm, [phrase] consecrate, be at an end, be expired, be fenced, fill, fulfil, (be, become, [idiom] draw, give in, go) full(-ly, -ly set, tale), (over-) flow, fulness, furnish, gather (selves, together), presume, replenish, s…הֶעָבִ֥יםheavimthe cloudעָבdefinite article, noun, common, both genders, plural, absolute — “the cloud”, the ordinary formH5645properly, an envelope, i.e. darkness (or density, 2 Chronicles 4:17); specifically, a (scud) cloud; also a copseclay, (thick) cloud, [idiom] thick, thicket. Compare H5672 (עֲבִי).גֶּ֨שֶׁם֙geshemshowerגֶּשֶׁםnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “shower”, the ordinary formH1653a showerrain, shower.עַלalaboveעַלpreposition — “above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…הָאָ֣רֶץhaaretsthe earthאֶרֶץdefinite article, noun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “the earth”, the ordinary formH776the earth (at large, or partitively a land)[idiom] common, country, earth, field, ground, land, [idiom] natins, way, [phrase] wilderness, world.יָרִ֔יקוּyariqvemptyרוּקverb, hiphil, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “empty”, an unfinished actionH7324to pour out (literally or figuratively), i.e. empty[idiom] arm, cast out, draw (out), (make) empty, pour forth (out).וְאִםveimand oh thatאִםconjunction, conjunction — “and oh that”H518used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrogative, whether?; or conditional, if, although; also Oh that!, when; hence, as a negative, not(and, can-, doubtless, if, that) (not), [phrase] but, either, [phrase] except, [phrase] more(-over if, than), neither, nevertheless, nor, oh that, or, [phrase] save (only, -ing), seeing, since, sith, [phrase] surely (no more, none, not), t…יִפּ֥וֹלyipolfallנָפַלverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “fall”, an unfinished actionH5307to fall, in a great variety of applications (intransitive or causative, literal or figurative)be accepted, cast (down, self, (lots), out), cease, die, divide (by lot), (let) fail, (cause to, let, make, ready to) fall (away, down, -en, -ing), fell(-ing), fugitive, have (inheritance), inferior, be judged (by mistake for H6419 (פָּלַל…עֵ֛ץetstreeעֵץnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “tree”, the ordinary formH6086a tree (from its firmness); hence, wood (plural sticks)[phrase] carpenter, gallows, helve, [phrase] pine, plank, staff, stalk, stick, stock, timber, tree, wood.בַּדָּר֖וֹםbadaromin southדָּרוֹםpreposition, with the article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “in south”, the ordinary formH1864the south; poet. the south windsouth.וְאִ֣םveimand oh thatאִםconjunction, conjunction — “and oh that”H518used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrogative, whether?; or conditional, if, although; also Oh that!, when; hence, as a negative, not(and, can-, doubtless, if, that) (not), [phrase] but, either, [phrase] except, [phrase] more(-over if, than), neither, nevertheless, nor, oh that, or, [phrase] save (only, -ing), seeing, since, sith, [phrase] surely (no more, none, not), t…בַּצָּפ֑וֹןbatsafonin northצָפוֹןpreposition, with the article, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “in north”, the ordinary formH6828properly, hidden, i.e. dark; used only of the north as aquarter (gloomy and unknown)north(-ern, side, -ward, wind).מְק֛וֹםmeqomcountryמָקוֹםnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “country”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH4725properly, a standing, i.e. a spot; but used widely of a locality (general or specific); also (figuratively) of a condition (of body or mind)country, [idiom] home, [idiom] open, place, room, space, [idiom] whither(-soever).שֶׁיִּפּ֥וֹלsheyipolwho fallנָפַלparticle, relative, verb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “who fall”, an unfinished actionH5307to fall, in a great variety of applications (intransitive or causative, literal or figurative)be accepted, cast (down, self, (lots), out), cease, die, divide (by lot), (let) fail, (cause to, let, make, ready to) fall (away, down, -en, -ing), fell(-ing), fugitive, have (inheritance), inferior, be judged (by mistake for H6419 (פָּלַל…הָעֵ֖ץhaetsthe treeעֵץdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the tree”, the ordinary formH6086a tree (from its firmness); hence, wood (plural sticks)[phrase] carpenter, gallows, helve, [phrase] pine, plank, staff, stalk, stick, stock, timber, tree, wood.שָׁ֥םshamthereשָׁםadverb — “there”H8033there (transferring to time) then; often thither, or thencein it, [phrase] thence, there (-in, [phrase] of, [phrase] out), [phrase] thither, [phrase] whither.יְהֽוּאyehubeהָוָאverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “be”, an unfinished actionH1933to be (in the sense of existence)be, [idiom] have.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

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

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

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.

Young’s Literal Translation

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.

World English Bible

If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves on the earth; and if a tree falls toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falls, there shall it be.

Darby Translation

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.

Douay-Rheims

If the clouds be full, they will pour out rain upon the earth. If the tree fall to the south, or to the north, in what place soever it shall fall, there shall it be.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

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

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

If the clouds be filled with rain, they pour it out upon the earth: and if a tree fall southward, or if it fall northward, in the place where the tree shall fall, there it shall be.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Ἐὰν πλησθῶσι τὰ νέφη ὑετοῦ, ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν ἐκχέουσι· καὶ ἐὰν πέσῃ ξύλον ἐν τῷ Νότῳ, καὶ ἐὰν ἐν τῷ Βοῤῥᾷ, τόπῳ οὗ πεσεῖται τὸ ξυλον, ἐκεῖ ἔσται.