The race is not to the swift

Posted by Pamela on August 14, 2008 at 01:06

In Reply to: The race is not to the swift posted by DavidFG on August 12, 2008 at 20:02:

: : : The race is not to the swift - what does this mean exactly? Would it be the same as saying "the race is not for the swift"?

: : Ecclesiastes 9:11 (King James Version)
: : 11 I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

: : My interpretation is that the fastest one doesn't always win the race. Stuff happens. A version on Bible Gateway says that God determines the outcome of the race, etc.

:
: The race might not always be to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, but that is the way to bet.

: DFG

I think there is a difference between the two sentences "the race is not to the swift" and "race is not for the swift". The first sentence means "the race isn't always won by the swift", the second could mean "the race is not for the swift, it's a long race and you'll need stamina to win". Pamela