The Meaning of Ecclesiastes 3:7 Explained

Ecclesiastes 3:7

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

YLT: A time to rend, And a time to sew. A time to be silent, And a time to speak.

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

ASV: a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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

What does Ecclesiastes 3:7 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 3:7 mean?

a time to tear and a time to sew to keep silence to speak
עֵ֤ת לִקְר֙וֹעַ֙ וְעֵ֣ת לִתְפּ֔וֹר לַחֲשׁ֖וֹת לְדַבֵּֽר

עֵ֤ת  a  time 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: עֵת  
Sense: time.
לִקְר֙וֹעַ֙  to  tear 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: קָרַע  
Sense: to tear, tear in pieces.
וְעֵ֣ת  and  a  time 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, common singular
Root: עֵת  
Sense: time.
לִתְפּ֔וֹר  to  sew 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: תָּפַר  
Sense: to sew together.
לַחֲשׁ֖וֹת  to  keep  silence 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: חָשָׁה  
Sense: to be silent, quiet, still, inactive.
לְדַבֵּֽר  to  speak 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.