Ecclesiastes 3:5

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 King James Version (NKJV)A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;

Context of Ecclesiastes 3:5

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 grieve and a time to dance. A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away. 6A time to search and a time to quit searching. A time to keep and a time to throw away. 7A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak.

Ecclesiastes 3:5 word by word

עֵ֚ת לְהַשְׁלִ֣יךְ אֲבָנִ֔ים וְעֵ֖ת כְּנ֣וֹס אֲבָנִ֑ים עֵ֣ת לַחֲב֔וֹק וְעֵ֖ת לִרְחֹ֥ק מֵחַבֵּֽק׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• A timeעֵת‛êth · timeH6256
• to cast awayשָׁלַךְshâlak · to throwH7993
• stonesאֶ֫בֶן'eben · stoneH68
• to gatherכָּנַסkânas · to gatherH3664
• to embraceחָבַקchâbaq · to embraceH2263
• to refrainרָחַקrâchaq · to removeH7368

Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 3:5

• Joshua 4:3Tell them, ‘Take twelve stones from the very place where the priests are standing in the middle of the Jordan. Carry them out and pile them up at the place where you will camp tonight.’”
• Joshua 10:27As the sun was going down, Joshua gave instructions for the bodies of the kings to be taken down from the poles and thrown into the cave where they had been hiding. Then they covered the opening of the cave with a pile of large rocks, which remains to this very day.
• 2 Samuel 18:17They threw Absalom’s body into a deep pit in the forest and piled a great heap of stones over it. And all Israel fled to their homes.
• 2 Kings 3:25They destroyed the towns, covered their good land with stones, stopped up all the springs, and cut down all the good trees. Finally, only Kir-hareseth and its stone walls were left, but men with slings surrounded and attacked it.
• Exodus 19:15He told them, “Get ready for the third day, and until then abstain from having sexual intercourse.”
• 1 Samuel 21:4“We don’t have any regular bread,” the priest replied. “But there is the holy bread, which you can have if your young men have not slept with any women recently.”
• Joel 2:16Gather all the people— the elders, the children, and even the babies. Call the bridegroom from his quarters and the bride from her private room.
• 1 Corinthians 7:5Do not deprive each other of sexual relations, unless you both agree to refrain from sexual intimacy for a limited time so you can give yourselves more completely to prayer. Afterward, you should come together again so that Satan won’t be able to 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

• Dance
• Judge
• Embrace
• 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