Ecclesiastes 3:7

NET Bible® (New English Translation)

A time to rip, and a time to sew; a time to keep silent, and a time to speak.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

עֵ֤ת לִקְר֙וֹעַ֙ וְעֵ֣ת לִתְפּ֔וֹר עֵ֥ת לַחֲשׁ֖וֹת וְעֵ֥ת לְדַבֵּֽר׃

Transliteration

ʿēt to-liqrôaʿ wə-ʿēt to-liṯpôr, ʿēt to-laḥăšôṯ wə-ʿēt to-ləḏabbēr

Grammar Details

• *ʿēt*: noun, feminine singular construct - time of
• *li*: preposition prefix - to/for
• *qrôaʿ*: verb, qal infinitive construct - to tear/rend
• *wə*: conjunction - and
• *liṯpôr*: verb, qal infinitive construct - to sew
• *laḥăšôṯ*: verb, qal infinitive construct - to be silent
• *ləḏabbēr*: verb, piel infinitive construct - to speak

Word Meanings

• *qrôaʿ*: to tear/rend/tear apart
• *ṯpôr*: to sew/mend
• *ḥăšôṯ*: to be silent/quiet/still
• *ḏabbēr*: to speak/talk/declare

Referenced Verses

• Amos 5:13 : 13 For this reason whoever is smart keeps quiet in such a time, for it is an evil time.
• Gen 37:29 : 29 Later Reuben returned to the cistern to find that Joseph was not in it! He tore his clothes,
• Gen 37:34 : 34 Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourned for his son many days.
• Gen 44:18 : 18 Then Judah approached him and said,“My lord, please allow your servant to speak a word with you. Please do not get angry with your servant, for you are just like Pharaoh.
• Gen 44:34 : 34 For how can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? I couldn’t bear to see my father’s pain.”
• 1 Sam 19:4-5 : 4 So Jonathan spoke on David’s behalf to his father Saul. He said to him,“The king should not sin against his servant David, for he has not sinned against you. On the contrary, his actions have been very beneficial for you. 5 He risked his life when he struck down the Philistine and the LORD gave all Israel a great victory. When you saw it, you were happy. So why would you sin against innocent blood by putting David to death for no reason?”
• 1 Sam 25:24-44 : 24 Falling at his feet, she said,“My lord, I accept all the guilt! But please let your female servant speak to you! Please listen to the words of your servant! 25 My lord should not pay attention to this wicked man Nabal. He simply lives up to his name! His name means‘fool,’ and he is indeed foolish! But I, your servant, did not see the servants my lord sent. 26 “Now, my lord, as surely as the LORD lives and as surely as you live, it is the LORD who has kept you from shedding blood and taking matters into your own hands. Now may your enemies and those who seek to harm my lord be like Nabal. 27 Now let this present that your servant has brought to my lord be given to the servants who follow my lord. 28 Please forgive the sin of your servant, for the LORD will certainly establish a lasting dynasty for my lord, because my lord fights the battles of the LORD. May no evil be found in you all your days! 29 When someone sets out to chase you and to take your life, the life of my lord will be wrapped securely in the bag of the living by the LORD your God. But he will sling away the lives of your enemies from the sling’s pocket! 30 The LORD will do for my lord everything that he promised you, and he will make you a leader over Israel. 31 Your conscience will not be overwhelmed with guilt for having poured out innocent blood and for having taken matters into your own hands. When the LORD has granted my lord success, please remember your servant.” 32 Then David said to Abigail,“Praised be the LORD, the God of Israel, who has sent you this day to meet me! 33 Praised be your good judgment! May you yourself be rewarded for having prevented me this day from shedding blood and taking matters into my own hands! 34 Otherwise, as surely as the LORD, the God of Israel, lives– he who has prevented me from harming you– if you had not come so quickly to meet me, by morning’s light not even one male belonging to Nabal would have remained alive!” 35 Then David took from her hand what she had brought to him. He said to her,“Go back to your home in peace. Be assured that I have listened to you and responded favorably.” 36 When Abigail went back to Nabal, he was holding a banquet in his house like that of the king. Nabal was having a good time and was very intoxicated. She told him absolutely nothing until morning’s light. 37 In the morning, when Nabal was sober, his wife told him about these matters. He had a stroke and was paralyzed. 38 After about ten days the LORD struck Nabal down and he died. 39 When David heard that Nabal had died, he said,“Praised be the LORD who has vindicated me and avenged the insult that I suffered from Nabal! The LORD has kept his servant from doing evil, and he has repaid Nabal for his evil deeds.” Then David sent word to Abigail and asked her to become his wife. 40 So the servants of David went to Abigail at Carmel and said to her,“David has sent us to you to bring you back to be his wife.” 41 She arose, bowed her face toward the ground, and said,“Your female servant, like a lowly servant, will wash the feet of the servants of my lord.” 42 Then Abigail quickly went and mounted her donkey, with five of her female servants accompanying her. She followed David’s messengers and became his wife. 43 David had also married Ahinoam from Jezreel; the two of them became his wives. 44 (Now Saul had given his daughter Michal, David’s wife, to Paltiel son of Laish, who was from Gallim.)
• 2 Sam 1:11 : 11 David then grabbed his own clothes and tore them, as did all the men who were with him.
• 2 Sam 3:31 : 31 David instructed Joab and all the people who were with him,“Tear your clothes! Put on sackcloth! Lament before Abner!” Now King David followed behind the funeral pallet.
• 1 Kgs 21:27 : 27 When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and fasted. He slept in sackcloth and walked around dejected.
• 2 Kgs 5:7 : 7 When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said,“Am I God? Can I kill or restore life? Why does he ask me to cure a man of his skin disease? Certainly you must see that he is looking for an excuse to fight me!”
• 2 Kgs 6:30 : 30 When the king heard what the woman said, he tore his clothes. As he was passing by on the wall, the people could see he was wearing sackcloth under his clothes.
• Esth 4:13-14 : 13 he said to take back this answer to Esther:“Don’t imagine that because you are part of the king’s household you will be the one Jew who will escape. 14 If you keep quiet at this time, liberation and protection for the Jews will appear from another source, while you and your father’s household perish. It may very well be that you have achieved royal status for such a time as this!”
• Esth 7:4 : 4 For we have been sold– both I and my people– to destruction and to slaughter and to annihilation! If we had simply been sold as male and female slaves, I would have remained silent, for such distress would not have been sufficient for troubling the king.”
• Job 2:13 : 13 Then they sat down with him on the ground for seven days and seven nights, yet no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his pain was very great.
• Job 32:4-9 : 4 Now Elihu had waited before speaking to Job, because the others were older than he was. 5 But when Elihu saw that the three men had no further reply, he became very angry. 6 Elihu Claims Wisdom So Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite spoke up:“I am young, but you are elderly; that is why I was fearful, and afraid to explain to you what I know. 7 I said to myself,‘Age should speak, and length of years should make wisdom known.’ 8 But it is a spirit in people, the breath of the Almighty, that makes them understand. 9 It is not the aged who are wise, nor old men who understand what is right. 10 Therefore I say,‘Listen to me. I, even I, will explain what I know.’ 11 Look, I waited for you to speak; I listened closely to your wise thoughts, while you were searching for words. 12 Now I was paying you close attention, yet there was no one proving Job wrong, not one of you was answering his statements! 13 So do not say,‘We have found wisdom! God will refute him, not man!’ 14 Job has not directed his words to me, and so I will not reply to him with your arguments. 15 Job’s Friends Failed to Answer“They are dismayed and cannot answer any more; they have nothing left to say. 16 And I have waited. But because they do not speak, because they stand there and answer no more, 17 I too will answer my part, I too will explain what I know. 18 For I am full of words, and the spirit within me constrains me. 19 Inside I am like wine which has no outlet, like new wineskins ready to burst! 20 I will speak, so that I may find relief; I will open my lips, so that I may answer. 21 I will not show partiality to anyone, nor will I confer a title on any man. 22 for I do not know how to give honorary titles, if I did, my Creator would quickly do away with me.
• Ps 39:2 : 2 I was stone silent; I held back the urge to speak. My frustration grew;
• Prov 24:11-12 : 11 Deliver those being taken away to death, and hold back those slipping to the slaughter. 12 If you say,“But we did not know about this,” won’t the one who evaluates hearts discern it? Won’t the one who guards your life realize and repay each person according to his deeds?
• Prov 31:8-9 : 8 Open your mouth on behalf of those unable to speak, for the legal rights of all the dying. 9 Open your mouth, judge in righteousness, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.
• Isa 36:21 : 21 They were silent and did not respond, for the king had ordered,“Don’t respond to him.”
• Jer 8:14 : 14 Jeremiah Laments over the Coming Destruction The people say,“Why are we just sitting here? Let us gather together inside the fortified cities. Let us at least die there fighting, since the LORD our God has condemned us to die. He has condemned us to drink the poison waters of judgment because we have sinned against him.
• Jer 36:24 : 24 Neither he nor any of his attendants showed any alarm when they heard all that had been read. Nor did they tear their clothes to show any grief or sorrow.
• Lam 3:28 : 28 י(Yod) Let a person sit alone in silence, when the LORD is disciplining him.
• Joel 2:13 : 13 Tear your hearts, not just your garments!” Return to the LORD your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to anger and boundless in loyal love– often relenting from calamitous punishment.
• Amos 8:3 : 3 The women singing in the temple will wail in that day.” The Sovereign LORD is speaking.“There will be many corpses littered everywhere! Be quiet!”
• Mic 7:5 : 5 Do not rely on a friend; do not trust a companion! Even with the one who lies in your arms, do not share secrets!
• Luke 19:37-40 : 37 As he approached the road leading down from the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen: 38 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39 But some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him,“Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” 40 He answered,“I tell you, if they keep silent, the very stones will cry out!”
• Acts 4:20 : 20 for it is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard.”
• Acts 9:39 : 39 So Peter got up and went with them, and when he arrived they brought him to the upper room. All the widows stood beside him, crying and showing him the tunics and other clothing Dorcas used to make while she was with them.