Ecclesiastes 3:7
New International Version
a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,

New Living Translation
A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak.

English Standard Version
a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

Berean Standard Bible
a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,

King James Bible
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

New King James Version
A time to tear, And a time to sew; A time to keep silence, And a time to speak;

New American Standard Bible
A time to tear apart and a time to sew together; A time to be silent and a time to speak.

NASB 1995
A time to tear apart and a time to sew together; A time to be silent and a time to speak.

NASB 1977
A time to tear apart, and a time to sew together; A time to be silent, and a time to speak.

Legacy Standard Bible
A time to tear apart and a time to sew together; A time to be silent and a time to speak.

Amplified Bible
A time to tear apart and a time to sew together; A time to keep silent and a time to speak.

Christian Standard Bible
a time to tear and a time to sew; a time to be silent and a time to speak;

Holman Christian Standard Bible
a time to tear and a time to sew; a time to be silent and a time to speak;

American Standard Version
a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
A time to rip and a time to sew, a time to be silent and a time to speak

Brenton Septuagint Translation
a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to be silent, and a time to speak;

Contemporary English Version
for tearing and sewing, listening and speaking.

Douay-Rheims Bible
A time to rend, and a time to sew. A time to keep silence, and a time to speak.

English Revised Version
a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
a time to tear apart and a time to sew together, a time to keep quiet and a time to speak out,

Good News Translation
the time for tearing and the time for mending, the time for silence and the time for talk.

International Standard Version
a time to tear, and a time to mend; a time to be silent, and a time to speak;

JPS Tanakh 1917
A time to rend, and a time to sew; A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

Literal Standard Version
A time to tear, | And a time to sew. A time to be silent, | And a time to speak.

Majority Standard Bible
a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,

New American Bible
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to be silent, and a time to speak.

NET Bible
A time to rip, and a time to sew; a time to keep silent, and a time to speak.

New Revised Standard Version
a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

New Heart English Bible
a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

Webster's Bible Translation
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

World English Bible
a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

Young's Literal Translation
A time to rend, And a time to sew. A time to be silent, And a time to speak.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
To Everything There is a Season
6a time to search and a time to count as lost, a time to keep and a time to discard, 7a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, 8a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.…

Cross References
Ecclesiastes 3:6
a time to search and a time to count as lost, a time to keep and a time to discard,

Amos 5:13
Therefore, the prudent keep silent in such times, for the days are evil.


Treasury of Scripture

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

time to rend

Genesis 37:29,34
And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes…

2 Samuel 1:11
Then David took hold on his clothes, and rent them; and likewise all the men that were with him:

2 Samuel 3:31
And David said to Joab, and to all the people that were with him, Rend your clothes, and gird you with sackcloth, and mourn before Abner. And king David himself followed the bier.

time to keep

Job 2:13
So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great.

Psalm 39:2
I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good; and my sorrow was stirred.

Isaiah 36:21
But they held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king's commandment was, saying, Answer him not.

and a time to speak

Genesis 44:18,34
Then Judah came near unto him, and said, Oh my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant: for thou art even as Pharaoh…

1 Samuel 19:4,5
And Jonathan spake good of David unto Saul his father, and said unto him, Let not the king sin against his servant, against David; because he hath not sinned against thee, and because his works have been to theeward very good: …

1 Samuel 25:24
And fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be: and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine audience, and hear the words of thine handmaid.

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Apart Keeping Mend Quiet Rend Sew Silence Silent Speak Stitching Talk Tear Time Together Undoing
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Apart Keeping Mend Quiet Rend Sew Silence Silent Speak Stitching Talk Tear Time Together Undoing
Ecclesiastes 3
1. by the necessary change of times, vanity is added to human travail
11. is an excellence in God's works
16. as for man, God shall judge his works hereafter, though here he be like a beast














Verse 7. - A time to rend, and a time to sew (καιρὸς τοῦ ῤῆξαι καὶ καιρὸς τοῦ ῤάψαι). This is usually understood of the rending of garments in token of grief (Genesis 37:29, 34, etc.), and the repairing of the rent then made when the season of mourning was ended. The Talmudists laid down careful rules concerning the extent of the ritual tear, and how long it was to remain unmended, both being regulated by the nearness of the relationship of the deceased person. In this interpretation there are these two difficulties: first, it makes the clause a virtual repetition of ver. 4; and secondly, it is not known for certain that the closing of the rent was a ceremonial custom in the times of Koheleth. Hence Plumptre inclines to take the expression metaphorically of the division of a kingdom by schism, and the restoration of unity, comparing the Prophet Ahijah's communication to Jeroboam (1 Kings 11:30, 31). But surely this would be a most unlikely allusion to put into Solomon's mouth; nor can we properly look for such a symbolical representation amid the other realistic examples given in the series. What Koheleth says is this - There are times when it is natural to tear clothes to pieces, whether from grief, or anger, or any other cause, e.g., as being old and worthless, or infected; and there are times when it is equally natural to mend them, and to make them serviceable by timely repairs. Connected with the notion of mourning contributed by this clause, though by no means confined to that notion, it is added, A time to keep silence, and a time to speak. The silence of deep sorrow may be intimated, as when Job's friends sat by him in sympathizing silence (Job 2:13), and the psalmist cried, "I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good; and my sorrow was stirred" (Psalm 39:2); and Elisha could not bear to hear his master's departure mentioned (2 Kings 2:3, 5). There are also occasions when the sorrow of the heart should find utterance, as in David's lament over Saul and Jonathan (2 Samuel 1:17, etc.) and over Abner (2 Samuel 3:33, etc.). But the gnome is of more general application. The young should hold their peace in the presence of their elders (Job 32:4, etc.); silence is often golden: "Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: when he shutteth his lips, he is esteemed as prudent" (Proverbs 17:28). On the other hand, wise counsel is of infinite value, and must not be withheld at the right moment, and "a word in due season, how good is it!" (Proverbs 15:23; Proverbs 25:11). "If thou hast understanding, answer thy neighbor; if not, lay thy hand upon thy mouth" (Ecclus. 5:12; see more, Ecclus. 20:5, etc.).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
a time
עֵ֤ת (‘êṯ)
Noun - common singular
Strong's 6256: Time, now, when

to tear
לִקְר֙וֹעַ֙ (liq·rō·w·a‘)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 7167: To rend

and a time
וְעֵ֣ת (wə·‘êṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - common singular
Strong's 6256: Time, now, when

to mend,
לִתְפּ֔וֹר (liṯ·pō·wr)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 8609: To sew together

a time
עֵ֥ת (‘êṯ)
Noun - common singular
Strong's 6256: Time, now, when

to be silent
לַחֲשׁ֖וֹת (la·ḥă·šō·wṯ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 2814: To be silent, inactive, or still

and a time
וְעֵ֥ת (wə·‘êṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - common singular
Strong's 6256: Time, now, when

to speak,
לְדַבֵּֽר׃ (lə·ḏab·bêr)
Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct
Strong's 1696: To arrange, to speak, to subdue


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OT Poetry: Ecclesiastes 3:7 A time to tear and a time (Ecclesiast. Ec Ecc Eccles.)
Ecclesiastes 3:6
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