Ecclesiastes 3:2

Ecclesiastes 3:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
• New International Version (NIV)a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,
• English Standard Version (ESV)a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
• New King James Version (NKJV)A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted;

Context of Ecclesiastes 3:2

1Everything has its own time, and there is a specific time for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to pull out what was planted, 3a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build up, 4a time to cry and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,

Ecclesiastes 3:2 word by word

עֵ֥ת לָלֶ֖דֶת וְעֵ֣ת לָמ֑וּת עֵ֣ת לָטַ֔עַת וְעֵ֖ת לַעֲק֥וֹר נָטֽוּעַ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• A timeעֵת‛êth · timeH6256
• to be bornיָלַדyâlad · to begetH3205
• to dieמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
• to plantנָטַעnâţa‛ · to plantH5193
• to pluck upעָקַר‛âqar · to uprootH6131

Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 3:2

• Genesis 17:21But I will make my promise to Isaac. Sarah will give birth to him at this time next year.”
• Genesis 21:1The Lord came to help Sarah and did for her what he had promised.
• 1 Samuel 2:5Those who were well-fed hire themselves out for a piece of bread, but those who were hungry hunger no more. Even the woman who was childless gives birth to seven children, but the mother of many children grieves all alone.
• 1 Kings 13:2By a command of the Lord, this man condemned the altar. “Altar, altar! This is what the Lord says: There will be a son born in David’s family line. His name will be Josiah. Here on you Josiah will sacrifice the priests from the illegal worship sites who offer sacrifices on you. Human bones will be burned on you.”
• 2 Kings 4:16Elisha said, “At this time next spring, you will hold a baby boy in your arms.” She answered, “Don’t say that, sir. Don’t lie to me. You’re a man of God.”
• Psalms 113:9He makes a woman who is in a childless home a joyful mother. Hallelujah!
• Isaiah 54:1Sing with joy, you childless women who never gave birth to children. Break into shouts of joy, you women who never had birth pains. “There will be more children of women who have been deserted than there are children of married women,” says the Lord.
• Luke 1:13The angel said to him, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife Elizabeth will have a son, and you will name him John.
• John 16:21A woman has pain when her time to give birth comes. But after the child is born, she doesn’t remember the pain anymore because she’s happy that a child has been brought into the world.
• Acts 7:17“When the time that God had promised to Abraham had almost come, the number of our people in Egypt had grown very large.
• Galatians 4:4But when the right time came, God sent his Son ⌞into the world⌟. A woman gave birth to him, and he came under the control of the laws given to Moses.
• Genesis 47:29Israel was about to die. He called for his son Joseph and said to him, “I want you to swear that you love me and are faithful to me. Please don’t bury me here.
• Numbers 20:24“Aaron must now join his ancestors ⌞in death⌟, since he cannot enter the land I’m giving the Israelites. This is because you both rebelled against my command at the oasis of Meribah.
• Numbers 27:12The Lord said to Moses, “Go up into the Abarim Mountains, and take a look at the land I will give the Israelites.
• Deuteronomy 3:23Then I pleaded with the Lord:
• Deuteronomy 34:5As the Lord had predicted, the Lord’s servant Moses died in Moab.

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 3:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2A time to be born, and a time to die - plant - "As in its mother's womb the embryo lies A space determined; to full growth arrived, From its dark prison bursts, and sees the light; So is the period fix'd when man shall drop Into the grave - A time there is to plant, And sow; another time to pluck and reap. Even nations have their destined rise and fall: Awhile they thrive; and for destruction ripe, When grown, are rooted up like wither'd plants."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. 22. time to die--(Psa 31:15; He 9:27). plant--A man can no more reverse the times and order of "planting," and of "digging up," and transplanting, than he can alter the times fixed for his "birth" and "death." To try to "plant" out of season is vanity, however good in season; so to make earthly things the chief end is vanity, however good they be in order and season. Gill takes it, not so well, figuratively (Jr 18:7, 9; Am 9:15; Mt 15:13).Read the comment

Topics related to Ecclesiastes 3:2

• Death

In the dictionaries

• Dance
• Judge
• 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