The Meaning of Ecclesiastes 3:1 Explained

Ecclesiastes 3:1

KJV: To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

YLT: To everything -- a season, and a time to every delight under the heavens:

Darby: To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heavens:

ASV: For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

To every [thing there is] a season,  and a time  to every purpose  under the heaven: 

What does Ecclesiastes 3:1 Mean?

Chapter Summary: 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

What do the individual words in Ecclesiastes 3:1 mean?

To everything [there is] a season and a time for every purpose under heaven -
לַכֹּ֖ל זְמָ֑ן וְעֵ֥ת לְכָל־ חֵ֖פֶץ תַּ֥חַת הַשָּׁמָֽיִם ס

לַכֹּ֖ל  To  everything 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
זְמָ֑ן  [there  is]  a  season 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: זְמָן  
Sense: a set time, appointed time, time.
וְעֵ֥ת  and  a  time 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, common singular
Root: עֵת  
Sense: time.
לְכָל־  for  every 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
חֵ֖פֶץ  purpose 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֵפֶץ  
Sense: delight, pleasure.
תַּ֥חַת  under 
Parse: Preposition
Root: מִתְחָה 
Sense: the under part, beneath, instead of, as, for, for the sake of, flat, unto, where, whereas.
הַשָּׁמָֽיִם  heaven 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַיִם  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
ס    - 
Parse: Punctuation