New King James Version
Ecclesiastes 3:5
5A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;
Ecclesiastes 3:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
- New International Version (NIV)a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
- English Standard Version (ESV)a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
- New Living Translation (NLT)A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
Context of Ecclesiastes 3:5
3A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up; 4A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing; 6A time to gain, And a time to lose; A time to keep, And a time to throw away; 7A time to tear, And a time to sew; A time to keep silence, And a time to speak;
Read all of Ecclesiastes 3Ecclesiastes 3:5 word by word
עֵ֚ת לְהַשְׁלִ֣יךְ אֲבָנִ֔ים וְעֵ֖ת כְּנ֣וֹס אֲבָנִ֑ים עֵ֣ת לַחֲב֔וֹק וְעֵ֖ת לִרְחֹ֥ק מֵחַבֵּֽק׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 3:5
- Joshua 4:3and command them, saying, ‘Take for yourselves twelve stones from here, out of the midst of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet stood firm. You shall carry them over with you and leave them in the lodging place where you lodge tonight.’ ”
- Joshua 10:27So it was at the time of the going down of the sun that Joshua commanded, and they took them down from the trees, cast them into the cave where they had been hidden, and laid large stones against the cave’s mouth, which remain until this very day.
- 2 Samuel 18:17And they took Absalom and cast him into a large pit in the woods, and laid a very large heap of stones over him. Then all Israel fled, everyone to his tent.
- 2 Kings 3:25Then they destroyed the cities, and each man threw a stone on every good piece of land and filled it; and they stopped up all the springs of water and cut down all the good trees. But they left the stones of Kir Haraseth intact. However the slingers surrounded and attacked it.
- Exodus 19:15And he said to the people, “Be ready for the third day; do not come near your wives.”
- 1 Samuel 21:4And the priest answered David and said, “There is no common bread on hand; but there is holy bread, if the young men have at least kept themselves from women.”
- Joel 2:16Gather the people, Sanctify the congregation, Assemble the elders, Gather the children and nursing babes; Let the bridegroom go out from his chamber, And the bride from her dressing room.
- 1 Corinthians 7:5Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 3:5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5A time to cast away stones, - to gather stones, - to embrace, - to refrain - "One while domestic cares abortive prove, And then successful. Nature now invites Connubial pleasures: but, when languid grown, No less rejects."Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5Stones may be regarded either as materials for building, or as impediments to the fertility of land (see 2 Kings 3:19, 2 Kings 3:25; Isaiah 5:2).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. 55. cast away stones--as out of a garden or vineyard (Is 5:2). gather--for building; figuratively, the Gentiles, once castaway stones, were in due time made parts of the spiritual building (Ep 2:19, 20), and children of Abraham (Mt 3:9); so the restored Jews hereafter (Psa 102:13, 14; Zec 9:16). refrain ... embracing--(Joe 2:16; 1Co 7:5, 6).Read the comment
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries