Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.
Ver. 1. Boast not thyself of tomorrow.] That is, Of what thou wilt do hereafter, Exodus 13:14 , marg. in quovis tempore postero. See 1 Samuel 28:19 James 4:14. He a was a wise man, that being invited to a feast on the next morrow, answered, Ex multis annis crastinum non habui, For these many years I have not had a morrow day to promise for any business. But what luxurious fools were those Sybarites, that intending a feast, did use to invite their guests a whole year before! b
For thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.] c A great bellied day. While a woman is yet with child, none can tell what kind of birth it will be. Luk 21:23 Time travaileth with God's decrees, and in their season brings them forth; but little doth any man know what is in the womb of tomorrow, till God hath signified his will by the event. David in his prosperity said, that he should "never be moved"; but he soon after found a sore alteration: God confuted his confidence. Psa 30:6-7 So the evil which men intend against us may prove abortive, either die in the womb, or else they may travail with mischief, and bring forth a lie - that is, somewhat contrary to what they intended; but fata viam invenient - stat sua cuique dies. Judges 5:28,30 1Ki 20:10 Accidit in puncto quod non speratur in anno.
a Petrarch, lib. iii. Memorab. ad finem.
b Aelian.
c Nescis quid serus vesper vehat. Hinc Hebraei eventa appellant "filios temporis."