Ecclesiastes 3:7

7 a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,

Ecclesiastes 3:7 in Other Translations

7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

7 a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

7 A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak.

7 A right time to rip out and another to mend, A right time to shut up and another to speak up,

7 a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

7 a time to tear apart and a time to sew together, a time to keep quiet and a time to speak out,

7 a time to tear and a time to sew; a time to be silent and a time to speak;

7 There is a time to tear. And there's a time to mend. There is a time to be silent. And there's a time to speak.

Ecclesiastes 3:7 Meaning and Commentary

Ecclesiastes 3:7

A time to rend, and a time to sew
To rend garments, in case of blasphemy, and in times of mourning and fasting, and then to sew them up when they are over; see ( Isaiah 37:1 ) ( Joel 2:13 ) ; This the Jews apply to the rending of the ten tribes from Rehoboam, signified by the rending of Jeroboam's garment, ( 1 Kings 11:30 1 Kings 11:31 ) ; the sewing up or uniting of which is foretold, ( Ezekiel 37:22 ) . Some interpret it of the rending of the Jewish church state, signified by the rending of the vail, at the death of Christ; and of the constituting the Gospel church state among the Gentiles; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak
^F11; when it is an evil time, a time of calamity in a nation, it is not a time to be loquacious and talkative, especially in a vain and ludicrous way, ( Amos 5:13 ) ; or when a particular friend or relation is in distress, as in the case of Job and his friends, ( Job 2:13 ) ; or when in the presence of wicked men, who make a jest of everything serious and religious, ( Psalms 39:1 ) ; and so when under afflictive dispensations of Providence, it is a time to be still and dumb, and not open the mouth in a murmuring and complaining way, ( Leviticus 10:3 ) ( Psalms 39:9 ) ( 46:10 ) . And, on the other hand, there is a time to speak, either publicly, of the truths of the Gospel, in the ministry of it, and in vindication of them; or privately, of Christian experience: there is a time when an open profession should be made of Christ, his word and ordinances, and when believers should speak to God in prayer and praise; which, should they not, the stones in the wall would cry out.

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FOOTNOTES:

F11 (wrh men polewn muywn, wrh de kai upnou) , Homer. Odyss. 11. v. 378.

Ecclesiastes 3:7 In-Context

5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,

6 a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,

7 a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,

8 a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.

9 What do workers gain from their toil?

Cross References

• 1. S Esther 4:14; Amos 5:13