Idiom
cast one's bread upon the waters
Meaning
To perform a kind deed or favor without the motivation of any immediate reward or benefit to oneself, though with the possibility of eventual future return.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“Help others today, and cast your bread upon the waters.”
“You cast your bread upon the waters when you share your tools with neighbors.”
“I cast my bread upon the waters by volunteering at the local animal shelter.”
“She helped the new employee learn the ropes, choosing to cast her bread upon the waters without expecting anything in return.”
“The retired teacher spent her weekends tutoring local kids for free, happy to cast her bread upon the waters for the next generation.”
“He often gives free advice to young entrepreneurs, believing that if he casts his bread upon the waters, the industry will improve for everyone.”
“By investing his time in the community project, he chose to cast his bread upon the waters, trusting that his generosity would eventually yield some unforeseen benefit.”
Examples
simple
“Help others today, and cast your bread upon the waters.”
“You cast your bread upon the waters when you share your tools with neighbors.”
“I cast my bread upon the waters by volunteering at the local animal shelter.”
contextual
“She helped the new employee learn the ropes, choosing to cast her bread upon the waters without expecting anything in return.”
“The retired teacher spent her weekends tutoring local kids for free, happy to cast her bread upon the waters for the next generation.”
“He often gives free advice to young entrepreneurs, believing that if he casts his bread upon the waters, the industry will improve for everyone.”
complex
“By investing his time in the community project, he chose to cast his bread upon the waters, trusting that his generosity would eventually yield some unforeseen benefit.”
Origin
From the Biblical verse Ecclesiastes 11:1, "cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days."
Key words
Related idioms
- Updated