The Meaning of Ecclesiastes 3:6 Explained

Ecclesiastes 3:6

KJV: A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

YLT: A time to seek, And a time to destroy. A time to keep, And a time to cast away.

Darby: A time to seek, and a time to lose; A time to keep, and a time to cast away;

ASV: a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

A time  to get,  and a time  to lose;  a time  to keep,  and a time  to cast away; 

What does Ecclesiastes 3:6 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 3:6 mean?

a time to gain and a time to lose to keep to away
עֵ֤ת לְבַקֵּשׁ֙ וְעֵ֣ת לְאַבֵּ֔ד לִשְׁמ֖וֹר לְהַשְׁלִֽיךְ

עֵ֤ת  a  time 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: עֵת  
Sense: time.
לְבַקֵּשׁ֙  to  gain 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct
Root: בָּקַשׁ  
Sense: to seek, require, desire, exact, request.
וְעֵ֣ת  and  a  time 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, common singular
Root: עֵת  
Sense: time.
לְאַבֵּ֔ד  to  lose 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct
Root: אָבַד  
Sense: perish, vanish, go astray, be destroyed.
לִשְׁמ֖וֹר  to  keep 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: שָׁמַר  
Sense: to keep, guard, observe, give heed.
לְהַשְׁלִֽיךְ  to  away 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: שָׁלַךְ  
Sense: to throw, cast, hurl, fling.