Ecclesiastes 3:7

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 scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to hug and a time to stop hugging, 6a time to start looking and a time to stop looking, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear apart and a time to sew together, a time to keep quiet and a time to speak out, 8a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. 9What do working people gain from their hard labor?

Ecclesiastes 3:7 word by word

עֵ֤ת לִקְר֙וֹעַ֙ וְעֵ֣ת לִתְפּ֔וֹר עֵ֥ת לַחֲשׁ֖וֹת וְעֵ֥ת לְדַבֵּֽר׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• A timeעֵת‛êth · timeH6256
• to rendקָרַעqâra‛ · to tearH7167
• to sewתָּפַרtâphar · to sewH8609
• to keep silenceחָשָׁהchâshâh · be silentH2814
• to speakדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696

Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 3:7

• Genesis 37:29When Reuben came back to the cistern and saw that Joseph was no longer there, he tore his clothes in grief.
• 2 Samuel 1:11Then David grabbed his own clothes and tore them in grief. All the men with him did the same.
• 2 Samuel 3:31David told Joab and all the people with him, “Tear your clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourn for Abner.” King David followed the open casket.
• 1 Kings 21:27When Ahab heard these things, he tore his clothes ⌞in distress⌟ and dressed in sackcloth. He fasted, lay in sackcloth, and walked around depressed.
• 2 Kings 5:7When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes ⌞in distress⌟. He asked, “Am I God? Can I kill someone and then bring him back to life? This man sends someone to me so that I can cure his skin disease! All of you should realize and understand that he’s trying to pick a fight with me.”
• 2 Kings 6:30When the king heard the woman say this, he tore his clothes ⌞in distress⌟. As he was walking on the city wall, the people saw that he was wearing sackcloth under his clothes.
• Jeremiah 36:24The king and all his attendants didn’t show any fear or tear their clothes in fear when they heard everything being read.
• Joel 2:13Tear your hearts, not your clothes. Return to the Lord your God. He is merciful and compassionate, patient, and always ready to forgive and to change his plans about disaster.
• Acts 9:39So Peter went with them. When he arrived, he was taken upstairs. All the widows stood around him. They were crying and showing Peter the articles of clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.
• Job 2:13Then they sat down on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him because they saw that he was in such great pain.
• Psalms 39:2I remained totally speechless. I kept silent, although it did me no good. While I was deep in thought, my pain grew worse.
• Isaiah 36:21They were silent and didn’t say anything to him because the king commanded them not to answer him.
• Jeremiah 8:14Why are we just sitting here? Let’s get up! Let’s go into the fortified cities and die there. The Lord our God has condemned us to die. He has given us poison to drink because we have sinned against the Lord.
• Lamentations 3:28They should sit alone and remain silent because the Lord has laid these burdens on them.
• Amos 5:13That is why a wise person remains silent at such times, because those times are so evil.
• Amos 8:3On that day the songs of the temple will become loud cries,” declares the Almighty Lord. “There will be dead bodies scattered everywhere. Hush!”

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

• Speaking
• Tongue

In the dictionaries

• Dance
• Judge
• Providence
• Silence
• 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