Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.
Distributing resources among seven recipients and also an eighth means sustaining multiple separate efforts at once instead of staking everything on a single undertaking. The reason is lack of foresight about future hardship, since no one can tell in advance which enterprise will succeed and which will fail under coming calamity on the earth. Spreading support in this way guards against total loss when one field disappoints, because other fields may still prosper and return benefit. Prudence therefore calls for diversified generosity that prepares for uncertainty rather than concentrated investment that risks all on one outcome.
Distributing resources among seven recipients and also an eighth means sustaining multiple separate efforts at once instead of staking everything on a single undertaking. The reason is lack of foresight about future hardship, since no one can tell in advance which enterprise will succeed and which will fail under coming calamity on the earth. Spreading support in this way guards against total loss when one field disappoints, because other fields may still prosper and return benefit. Prudence therefore calls for diversified generosity that prepares for uncertainty rather than concentrated investment that risks all on one outcome.