Ecclesiastes 3:1-22

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ecclesiastes 3:1-10

The scope of these verses is to show, 1. That we live in a world of changes, that the several events of time, and conditions of human life, are vastly different from one another, and yet occur promiscuously, and we are continually passing and repassing between them, as in the revolutions of every day and every year. In the wheel of nature (Jas. 3:6) sometimes one spoke is uppermost and by and by the contrary; there is a constant ebbing and flowing, waxing and waning; from one extreme to the... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ecclesiastes 3:11-15

We have seen what changes there are in the world, and must not expect to find the world more sure to us than it has been to others. Now here Solomon shows the hand of God in all those changes; it is he that has made every creature to be that to us which it is, and therefore we must have our eye always upon him. I. We must make the best of that which is, and must believe it best for the present, and accommodate ourselves to it: He has made every thing beautiful in his time (Eccl. 3:11), and... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ecclesiastes 3:16-22

Solomon is still showing that every thing in this world, without piety and the fear of God, is vanity. Take away religion, and there is nothing valuable among men, nothing for the sake of which a wise man would think it worth while to live in this world. In these verses he shows that power (than which there is nothing men are more ambitious of) and life itself (than which there is nothing men are more fond, more jealous of) are nothing without the fear of God. I. Here is the vanity of man as... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ecclesiastes 3:1

To every thing there is a season ,.... A set determined time, when everything shall come into being, how long it shall continue, and in what circumstances; all things that have been, are, or shall be, were foreordained by God, and he has determined the times before appointed for their being, duration, and end; which times and seasons he has in his own power: there was a determined time for the whole universe, and for all persons and things in it; a settled fixed moment for the world to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ecclesiastes 3:2

A time to be born ,.... The Targum is, "to beget sons and daughters;' but rather it is to bear them, there being a time in nature fixed for that, called the hour of a woman, Job 14:1 ; and a time to die ; the time of a man's coming into the world and going out of it, both being fixed by the Lord F6 "Stat sua cuique dies, breve et irreparabile tempus omnibus est vitae"; Virgil. Aeneid. l. 10. : this is true of all men in general, of all men that come into the world, for whom... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ecclesiastes 3:3

A time to kill, and a time to heal ,.... A time to kill may be meant of a violent death, as a time to die is of a natural one; so the Targum, "a time to kill in war;' or else, by the hand of the civil magistrate, such who deserve death. Aben Ezra interprets it "to wound", because of the opposite "to heal"; and so there is a time when wounds and diseases are incurable, and baffle all the skill of the physician, being designed unto death; and there is a time when, by the blessing of God on... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ecclesiastes 3:4

A time to weep, and a time to laugh ,.... There is a time for these things, as it goes ill or well with persons, as to their health, estate, or friends; and as it goes ill or well with kingdoms and states. The Jews wept when they were in Babylon, and their mouths were filled with laughter when their captivity was returned, Psalm 137:1 ; and as it goes ill or well with the church of Christ, when there are corruptions in doctrine and worship, a neglect of ordinances, declensions in faith and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ecclesiastes 3:5

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together ,.... To cast stones out of a field or vineyard where they are hurtful, and to gather them together to make walls and fences of, or build houses with; and may be understood both of throwing down buildings, as the temple of Jerusalem, so that not one stone was left upon another; of pouring out the stones of the sanctuary, and of gathering them again and laying them on one another; which was done when the servants of the Lord... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ecclesiastes 3:6

A time to get, and a time to lose ,.... To get substance, as the Targum, and to lose it; wealth and riches, honour and glory, wisdom and knowledge: or, "to seek, and to lose" F9 עת לבקש "tempus quaerendi", Pagninus, Montanus, Tigurine version, Piscator, Mercerus, Gejerus, Rambachius. ; a time when the sheep of the house of Israel, or God's elect, were lost, and a time to seek them again; which was, lone by Christ in redemption, and by the Spirit of God, in effectual calling; a... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible 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 ; 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 ; 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... read more

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