The Meaning of Ecclesiastes 3:2 Explained

Ecclesiastes 3:2

KJV: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

YLT: A time to bring forth, And a time to die. A time to plant, And a time to eradicate the planted.

Darby: A time to be born, and a time to die; A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

ASV: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

A time  to be born,  and a time  to die;  a time  to plant,  and a time  to pluck up  [that which is] planted; 

What does Ecclesiastes 3:2 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 3:2 mean?

a time to be born and a time to die to plant to pluck [what is] planted
עֵ֥ת לָלֶ֖דֶת וְעֵ֣ת לָמ֑וּת לָטַ֔עַת לַעֲק֥וֹר נָטֽוּעַ

עֵ֥ת  a  time 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: עֵת  
Sense: time.
לָלֶ֖דֶת  to  be  born 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: יָלַד 
Sense: to bear, bring forth, beget, gender, travail.
וְעֵ֣ת  and  a  time 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, common singular
Root: עֵת  
Sense: time.
לָמ֑וּת  to  die 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
לָטַ֔עַת  to  plant 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: נָטַע  
Sense: to plant, fasten, fix, establish.
לַעֲק֥וֹר  to  pluck 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: עָקַר 
Sense: to pluck up, root up.
נָטֽוּעַ  [what  is]  planted 
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, masculine singular
Root: נָטַע  
Sense: to plant, fasten, fix, establish.