A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. 8. A time to love, and a time, to hate ] Greek thought again supplies us with a parallel, ; , , , , . “Shall not we too learn Our lesson of true wisdom? I indeed … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ecclesiastes 3:8”
Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ecclesiastes 3:7
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 7. A time to rent, and a time to sew ] The words are commonly connected with the practice of rending the garments as a sign of sorrow (Gen 37:29; Gen 37:34; Gen 44:13; Job 1:20; … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ecclesiastes 3:7”
Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ecclesiastes 3:6
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; 6. A time to get, and a time to lose ] The getting or the losing refer primarily, we can scarcely doubt, to what we call property. There are times when it is better and wiser … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ecclesiastes 3:6”
Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ecclesiastes 3:5
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 5. A time to cast away stones ] The vagueness of the phrase has naturally given rise to conjectural interpretations. It seems obvious that the words cannot be a mere reproduction … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ecclesiastes 3:5”
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 … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ecclesiastes 3:4”
Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ecclesiastes 3:3
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 3. a time to kill, and a time to heal ] The first group had brought together natural death and natural birth. This includes in the induction the death which man inflicts in battle or … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ecclesiastes 3:3”
Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ecclesiastes 3:2
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up [that which is] planted; 2. A time to be born ] Literally, a time to bear. It should be noted that in Hebrew MSS. and printed texts, the list of Times and Seasons appears in … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ecclesiastes 3:2”
Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ecclesiastes 3:1
To every [thing there is] a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: 1. To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose ] The two Hebrew nouns stand to each other in much the same relation as the Greek and , the former expressing a period of … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ecclesiastes 3:1”
Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ecclesiastes 2:26
For [God] giveth to a man that [is] good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to [him that is] good before God. This also [is] vanity and vexation of spirit. 26. For God giveth ] The … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ecclesiastes 2:26”
Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ecclesiastes 2:25
For who can eat, or who else can hasten [hereunto], more than I? 25. For who can eat ] The sequence of thought is obscure, and many commentators follow the LXX. and the Syriac version, as implying an original text which gives a better meaning, Who can eat and who can hasten ( i.e. be … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ecclesiastes 2:25”