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Ecclesiastes 11:1 – Cast Your Bread on the Water
Two questions: 1) Is this a metaphor or is this literal? 2) What is the application?
In taking it literally, some have suggested the application is economic. The New English Bible translates it: Send your grain across the seas, and in time you will get a return. Peterson wrote that the passage, “Advises the undertaking of business ventures.”F5 Fleming agreed that, “It refers to business ventures overseas trade.”F6 Hendry likewise thought that he found here a recommendation for people to take risks in business enterprises, “He who will not venture until he is absolutely sure will wait forever.”F7 All such views of this passage are absolutely ridiculous and should be rejected out of hand
In taking it figuratively, the expression “cast your bread on the surface of the waters,” is taken from the custom of sowing seed by casting it from boats into overflowing rivers, or in marshy ground. When the waters recede, the grain will fall to the soil and spring up.
Coffman understands the application to be charity, but still takes the saying literally: “Why should this be called casting bread upon the waters? Simply because benevolence should be practiced without either any desire or expectation of ever getting it back, exactly as would be the case of casting bread into a raging river.” (Coffman)
Personally, I believe the writer of Ecclesiastes is speaking of charity. As he winds down his discussion on finding meaning in life, he sees a great purpose of helping others. His focus is not so much spiritual, but practical. His point is not that we become more like God when we serve, but rather that there are practical reasons to serve.
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