Ecclesiastes 3 · Verse 5

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;
Ecclesiastes 3:5, King James Version

Ecclesiastes 3:5 in other translations

BSBa time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones together, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
WEBa time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
ASVa time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
YLTA time to cast away stones, And a time to heap up stones. A time to embrace, And a time to be far from embracing.
DARBYA time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
BBEA time to take stones away and a time to get stones together; a time for kissing and a time to keep from kissing;
WebsterA time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

What does Ecclesiastes 3:5 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
5. cast away stones--as out of a garden or vineyard (Is 5:2). gather--for building; figuratively, the Gentiles, once castaway stones, were in due time made parts of the spiritual building (Ep 2:19, 20), and children of Abraham (Mt 3:9); so the restored Jews hereafter (Psa 102:13, 14; Zec 9:16). refrain ... embracing--(Joe 2:16; 1Co 7:5, 6).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 5 A time to cast away stones, - to gather stones, - to embrace, - to refrain - "One while domestic cares abortive prove, And then successful. Nature now invites Connubial pleasures: but, when languid grown, No less rejects."

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Ecclesiastes 3:1-10

The changes of human affairs. (Eccl. 3:1-10) The Divine counsels unchangeable. (Eccl. 3:11-15) The vanity of worldly power. (Eccl. 3:16-22) Verses 1-10 To expect unchanging happiness in a changing world, must end in disappointment. To bring ourselves to our state in life, is our duty and wisdom in this world. God's whole plan for the government of the world will be found altogether wise, just, and good. Then let us…

Read the full comment on Ecclesiastes 3:1-10 →

Ecclesiastes 3:5 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

עֵ֚ת'eta timeH6256
לְהַשְׁלִ֣יךְle.hash.Likhto throw awayH7993
אֲבָנִ֔ים'a.va.NimstonesH68
וְעֵ֖תve.'Etand a timeH6256
כְּנ֣וֹסke.Nosto gatherH3664
אֲבָנִ֑ים'a.va.NimstonesH68
עֵ֣ת'eta timeH6256
לַחֲב֔וֹקla.cha.Vokto embraceH2263
וְעֵ֖תve.'Etand a timeH6256
לִרְחֹ֥קlir.Chokto be farH7368
מֵחַבֵּֽק\׃me.cha.Bekfrom embracingH2263

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Ecclesiastes 3:5

  • 2 Kings 3:25

    And they beat down the cities, and on every good piece of land cast every man his stone, and filled it; and they stopped all the wells of water, and felled all the good trees: only in Kir–haraseth left they the stones thereof; howbeit the slingers went about it, and smote it.

  • Joshua 10:27

    And it came to pass at the time of the going down of the sun, that Joshua commanded, and they took them down off the trees, and cast them into the cave wherein they had been hid, and laid great stones in the cave’s mouth, which remain until this very day.

  • Joshua 4:3-9

    And command ye them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priests’ feet stood firm, twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place, where ye shall lodge this night. Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man: And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of Jordan, and take ye up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel: That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones? …

  • Joel 2:16

    Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.

  • 1 Samuel 21:4-5

    And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under mine hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women. And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in a manner common, yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel.

  • 2 Samuel 18:17-18

    And they took Absalom, and cast him into a great pit in the wood, and laid a very great heap of stones upon him: and all Israel fled every one to his tent. Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a pillar, which is in the king’s dale: for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance: and he called the pillar after his own name: and it is called unto this day, Absalom’s place.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
to cast.
Jos 4:3-9; 10:27; 2Sa 18:17,18; 2Ki 3:25
a time to embrace.
Ex 19:15; 1Sa 21:4,5; So 2:6,7; Joe 2:16; 1Co 7:5
refrain from. Heb. be far from.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Ecclesiastes 3:4

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

  • 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;

  • Ecclesiastes 3:6

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

Read all of Ecclesiastes 3

Ecclesiastes 3:5 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Tiempo de esparcir las piedras, y tiempo de allegar las piedras; tiempo de abrazar, y tiempo de alejarse de abrazar;
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
un temps de jeter des pierres, et un temps d’amasser des pierres; un temps d’embrasser, et un temps de s’éloigner des embrassements;
German
Elberfelder 1871
Steinewerfen hat seine Zeit, und Steinesammeln hat seine Zeit; Umarmen hat seine Zeit, und vom Umarmen fernhalten hat seine Zeit;
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Tempus spargendi lapides, et tempus colligendi, tempus amplexandi, et tempus longe fieri ab amplexibus.