Ecclesiastes 3:4

Ecclesiastes 3:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
• New International Version (NIV)a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,
• English Standard Version (ESV)a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
• New King James Version (NKJV)A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance;

Context of Ecclesiastes 3:4

2a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; 3a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

Ecclesiastes 3:4 word by word

עֵ֤ת לִבְכּוֹת֙ וְעֵ֣ת לִשְׂח֔וֹק עֵ֥ת סְפ֖וֹד וְעֵ֥ת רְקֽוֹד׃Read the interlinear

• timeעֵת‛êth · timeH6256
• weepבָּכָהbâkâh · to weepH1058
• laughשָׂחַקώâchaq · to laughH7832
• mournסָפַדsâphad · to mournH5594

Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 3:4

• Nehemiah 8:9And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto Jehovah your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.
• Nehemiah 9:1Now in the twenty and fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, and with sackcloth, and earth upon them.
• Psalms 30:5For his anger is but for a moment; His favor is for a life-time: Weeping may tarry for the night, But joy cometh in the morning.
• Psalms 126:1When Jehovah brought back those that returned to Zion, We were like unto them that dream.
• Isaiah 22:12And in that day did the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth:
• Matthew 9:15And Jesus said unto them, Can the sons of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then will they fast.
• Matthew 11:17and say, We piped unto you, and ye did not dance; we wailed, and ye did not mourn.
• John 16:20Verily, verily, I say unto you, that ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.
• Romans 12:15Rejoice with them that rejoice; weep with them that weep.
• 2 Corinthians 7:10For godly sorrow worketh repentance unto salvation, a repentance which bringeth no regret: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
• James 4:9Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
• Genesis 21:6And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh; every one that heareth will laugh with me.
• Luke 1:13But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: because thy supplication is heard, and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
• Luke 6:21Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.
• Exodus 15:20And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.
• 2 Samuel 6:16And it was so, as the ark of Jehovah came into the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looked out at the window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before Jehovah; and she despised him in her heart.

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 3:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4A time to weep, - laugh, - mourn, - dance - - "When private griefs affect The heart, our tears with decent sorrow flow; Nor less becoming, when the public mourns, To vent the deepest sighs. But all around When things a smiling aspect bear, our souls May well exult; 'tis then a time for joy."Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2-8We cannot control when we are born or when we die (Ecclesiastes 8:8), but we must live wisely between those events. plant and...uproot: Make wise agricultural decisions during the natural seasons. In ancient Israel, times to kill included capital punishment and war. During mourning, people in the Near East often tore their clothes. There is a time to hate, even for God (Psalms 5:5; 11:5).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. mourn--namely, for the dead (Ge 23:2). dance--as David before the ark (2Sa 6:12-14; Psa 30:11); spiritually (Mt 9:15; Lu 6:21; 15:25). The Pharisees, by requiring sadness out of time, erred seriously.Read the comment

Topics related to Ecclesiastes 3:4

• Dancing
• Laughter

In the dictionaries

• Dance
• Judge
• Games
• Laughter
• Providence
• Synagogue, the Great

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings