Christian Standard Bible
Ecclesiastes 3:7
7a time to tear and a time to sew; a time to be silent and a time to speak;
Ecclesiastes 3:7 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
- New International Version (NIV)a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,
- English Standard Version (ESV)a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
- New King James Version (NKJV)A time to tear, And a time to sew; A time to keep silence, And a time to speak;
Context of Ecclesiastes 3:7
5a time to throw stones and a time to gather stones; a time to embrace and a time to avoid embracing; 6a time to search and a time to count as lost; a time to keep and a time to throw away; a time to tear and a time to sew; a time to be silent and a time to speak; 8a time to love and a time to hate; a time for war and a time for peace. 9What does the worker gain from his struggles?
Read all of Ecclesiastes 3Ecclesiastes 3:7 word by word
עֵ֤ת לִקְר֙וֹעַ֙ וְעֵ֣ת לִתְפּ֔וֹר עֵ֥ת לַחֲשׁ֖וֹת וְעֵ֥ת לְדַבֵּֽר׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 3:7
- Genesis 37:29When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes.
- 2 Samuel 1:11Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them, and all the men with him did the same.
- 2 Samuel 3:31David then ordered Joab and all the people who were with him, “Tear your clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourn over Abner.” And King David walked behind the coffin.
- 1 Kings 21:27When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put sackcloth over his body, and fasted. He lay down in sackcloth and walked around subdued.
- 2 Kings 5:7When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and asked, “Am I God, killing and giving life, that this man expects me to cure a man of his skin disease? Recognize that he is only picking a fight with me.”
- 2 Kings 6:30When the king heard the woman’s words, he tore his clothes. Then, as he was passing by on the wall, the people saw that there was sackcloth under his clothes next to his skin.
- Jeremiah 36:24As they heard all these words, the king and all his servants did not become terrified or tear their clothes.
- Joel 2:13Tear your hearts, not just your clothes, and return to the Lord your God. For he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in faithful love, and he relents from sending disaster.
- Acts 9:39Peter got up and went with them. When he arrived, they led him to the room upstairs. And all the widows approached him, weeping and showing him the robes and clothes that Dorcas had made while she was with them.
- Job 2:13Then they sat on the ground with him seven days and nights, but no one spoke a word to him because they saw that his suffering was very intense.
- Psalms 39:2I was speechless and quiet; I kept silent, even from speaking good, and my pain intensified.
- Isaiah 36:21But they kept silent; they didn’t say anything, for the king’s command was, “Don’t answer him.”
- Jeremiah 8:14Why are we just sitting here? Gather together; let’s enter the fortified cities and perish there, for the Lord our God has destroyed us. He has given us poisoned water to drink, because we have sinned against the Lord.
- Lamentations 3:28Let him sit alone and be silent, for God has disciplined him.
- Amos 5:13Therefore, those who have insight will keep silent at such a time, for the days are evil.
- Amos 8:3In that day the temple songs will become wailing” — this is the Lord God’s declaration. “Many dead bodies, thrown everywhere! Silence!”
Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 3:7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7A time to rend, - sew, - keep silence, - speak - - "Intestine broils And factions rend a state: at length the breach Is heal'd, and rest ensues. Wisdom restrains The tongue, when words are vain: but now, 'Tis time to speak, and silence would be criminal."Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7Rend - i. e., Tear garments in sign of mourning or anger. See 2 Samuel 1:2, 2 Samuel 1:11 ff.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. 77. rend--garments, in mourning (Joe 2:13); figuratively, nations, as Israel from Judah, already foretold, in Solomon's time (1Ki 11:30, 31), to be "sewed" together hereafter (Eze 37:15, 22). silence--(Am 5:13), in a national calamity, or that of a friend (Job 2:13); also not to murmur under God's visitation (Le 10:3; Psa 39:1, 2, 9).Read the comment
Topics related to Ecclesiastes 3:7
In the dictionaries
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
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