Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ecclesiastes 3:4

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

4. a time to weep ] The two couples are naturally grouped together, the first taking in the natural spontaneous expression of individual feeling, the second the more formal manifestation of the feelings in the mourners and wailers of a funeral (Zec 12:10, where the same verb is found) and the dancers at a wedding feast. In the parable of the Children in the Market-place our Lord practically inculcates the lesson of the Debater. The Scribes who sneered at the fasts of John’s disciples, and condemned the disciples of Jesus for not fasting were as the children whose dramatic funerals and weddings were alike out of place and inopportune, and so the true followers after the Wisdom which “is justified of her children,” who recognised that the ascetic and the joyous life had each its true time and season, would not weep to their lamenting or dance to their piping (Mat 11:16-19).

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Verse 4. A time to weep, – laugh, – mourn, – dance]

_________________ “When private griefs affect

The heart, our tears with decent sorrow flow;

Nor less becoming, when the public mourns,

To vent the deepest sighs. But all around

When things a smiling aspect bear, our souls

May well exult; ’tis then a time for joy.”

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

A time to weep; when men shall have just occasion for weeping and mourning.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

4. mournnamely, for the dead(Ge 23:2).

danceas David beforethe ark (2Sa 6:12-14;Psa 30:11); spiritually (Mat 9:15;Luk 6:21; Luk 15:25).The Pharisees, by requiring sadness out of time, erredseriously.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

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,

Ps 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 practice, few instances of conversion, and there are divisions and contentions, it is a time for the mourners in Zion to weep but when God creates Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy, or makes her an eternal excellency, and the praise of the whole earth, then it is a time to rejoice and be glad, Isa 61:3; and as it is, with believers, when Christ is withdrawn from them, it is a time to lament, but, when the bridegroom is with them, it is a time of joy; when it is a night of darkness and desertion, weeping endures, but when the morning comes, the day breaks, and the sun of righteousness arises, joy comes with it, Mt 9:15

Joh 16:19. Now in the present state is the saints’ weeping time; in the time to come they will laugh, or be filled with joy unspeakable and full of glory, Lu 6:21;

a time to mourn, and a time to dance; to mourn at funerals, and to dance at festivals; in a spiritual sense, God sometimes turns the mourning of his people into dancing, or joy, which that is expressive of; see Ps 30:11.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

“To weep has its time, and to laugh has its time; to mourn has its time, and to dance has its time.” It is possible that the author was led by the consonance from livnoth to livkoth , which immediately follows it; but the sequence of the thoughts is at the same time inwardly mediated, for sorrow kills and joy enlivens, Sir. 32:21-24. is particularly lamentation for the dead, Zec 12:10; and , dancing (in the more modern language the usual word for hholel , kirker , hhagag ) at a marriage festival and on other festal occasions.

It is more difficult to say what leads the author to the two following pairs of contrasts: –

Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament

(4) Mourn.This is the ordinary word used for noisy funeral lamentations (Jer. 4:8; 1Sa. 25:1).

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

4. Weep laugh mourn The human heart must vent its emotions, and they must have appropriate expression. Tears are no more virtuous than laughter. The moral quality lies further back than the mere expression. Life is full of both. “Man, thou pendulum between a smile and tear!” To dance should be to rejoice, which is the exact opposite of to mourn. The Hebrew to dance is clearly used from its rhyming or mating the word to mourn. But even “to dance” expresses joyousness.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Ecc 3:4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

Ver. 4. A time to weep, and a time to laugh. ] Only we must not invert the order, but weep with men that we may laugh with angels; lay godly sorrow as a foundation of spiritual joy. Surely out of this eater comes meat; out of this strong, sweet. Strong and sweet refreshments follow upon penitential performances; these April showers bring on May flowers. Tertullian saith that he was nulli rei natus nisi poenitentiae, born for no other purpose but to repent; but then he that truly repenteth, de peccatis dolet et de dolore gaudet, is grieved for his sins, and then is glad of such a grief. “Those that so sow in tears shall reap in joy”: whereas those that will not – in an evil time, especially when God “calls to weeping and mourning,” Isa 22:12 and even thrusts men down, as it were, with a thump on the back – weep here, where there are weeping handkerchiefs in the hands of Christ, are like to have their eyes whipt out in hell, and to howl with devils.

A time to mourn. ] Matter enough of mourning we shall be sure of (and we should be soberly sensible of it) while we are in this vale of misery, valley of tears, in hoc exilio, in hoc ergastulo, in hoc peregrinatione, as Bernard hath it, in this prison house, purgatory, pilgrimage. In this place of banishment and bondage, how can we look for better? God sets us not here, as he did Adam in paradise, to take his pleasure, or as he did Leviathan in the sea, to sport and dally. We must not think to do as the people of Tombutum, in Africa, who are said to spend their time in singing and dancing. The way of this world is like the wilderness of Sin, or the vale of Siddim, or the Pacific Sea, which Captain Drake found tempestuous and troublous above measure. a Many miseries and molestations, both satanical and secular, we are sure to meet with, to make us mourn. Jerome complains that he had furrows in his face, and icicles from his lips, with continual weeping. Origen is thought to have died of grief. Chrysostom calls the days of his life the days of his sorrow. Basil was made old and unprofitable for God’s Church before his time, with travail and trouble. Rebecca is weary of her life; so is Elijah. Naomi will be Naomi no longer, but Marah; Paul veils all his topsails, and sits down in the dust, 1Ti 1:15 besides his sympathising with others. 2Co 11:29-30

And a time to dance. ] Or, Skip, as young cattle do at spring time. Here is nothing for mixed immodest dancings. Quid opus est talibus salsamentis? What need people provoke themselves to that evil they so naturally incline to? Nemo sobrius saltat, said the heathen orator: No sober man will offer to dance. Where there is dancing, there the devil is, saith a Father: b and cannot men be merry unless they have the devil for their playfellow? Dancing, saith another, c is a circle, whose centre is the devil, but busily blowing up the fire of lust, as in Herod, that old goat.

a Camden’s Elisabeth.

b Chrysostom.

c Augustine.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

to weep. Gen 23:2; Gen 44:30. 2Sa 12:21. Joe 2:17. Jer 21:9. Luk 6:25.

to laugh (Compare Ecc 2:1, Ecc 2:2). Gen 21:6. Psa 2:4; Psa 37:13. Mat 5:4; Mat 9:15. Luk 6:21. Neh 8:9.

to mourn. Gen 23:2. 1Sa 16:1. Pro 29:2. Isa 38:14; Isa 61:2. Joe 1:9.

to dance. 2Sa 6:14. Psa 149:3; Psa 150:4. Jer 31:13.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

time to weep: Neh 8:9-12, Neh 9:1-38, Psa 30:5, Psa 126:1, Psa 126:2, Psa 126:5, Psa 126:6, Isa 22:12, Isa 22:13, Mat 9:15, Mat 11:17, Joh 16:20-22, Rom 12:15, 2Co 7:10, Jam 4:9

a time to laugh: Gen 21:6, Luk 1:13, Luk 1:14, Luk 1:58, Luk 6:21-25

to dance: Exo 15:20, 2Sa 6:16

Reciprocal: Jdg 21:21 – dance 1Ch 15:29 – dancing Job 30:31 – General Psa 30:11 – dancing Psa 137:4 – How shall Pro 25:20 – so Ecc 7:14 – the day Son 2:11 – General Eze 21:10 – should Zec 7:3 – Should Luk 15:25 – he Joh 20:13 – why 1Co 7:30 – that weep

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge