Ecclesiastes 3:1

To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:

Ecclesiastes 3:1

Study notes

There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven.

Explanation

This verse introduces the well-known poem of opposites (3:2-8): a time to be born and a time to die, a time to weep and a time to laugh. Life has its seasons, and they are not in our control.

Original language

זְמָ֑ן (ze.Man): time
Hebrew · Noun, masculine, singular, absolute · Strong's H2165 · text: Leningrad Codex (as recorded in TAHOT)
An appointed time, season.
Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAHOT: Translators Amalgamated Hebrew Old Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Ecclesiastes 3:1, word 2
וְעֵ֥ת (ve.'Et): time
Hebrew · Conjunction + Noun, both genders, singular, absolute · Strong's H6256 · text: Leningrad Codex (as recorded in TAHOT)
A time.
Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAHOT: Translators Amalgamated Hebrew Old Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Ecclesiastes 3:1, word 3
חֵ֖פֶץ (Che.fetz): pleasure
Hebrew · Noun, masculine, singular, absolute · Strong's H2656 · text: Leningrad Codex (as recorded in TAHOT)
Matter, purpose.
Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAHOT: Translators Amalgamated Hebrew Old Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Ecclesiastes 3:1, word 5
הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃ ס (ha.sha.Ma.yim): heaven
Hebrew · Definite article + Noun, masculine, plural, absolute · Strong's H8064 · text: Leningrad Codex (as recorded in TAHOT)
The heavens.
Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAHOT: Translators Amalgamated Hebrew Old Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Ecclesiastes 3:1, word 7

Cross-references

Ecclesiastes 3:11 · Surrounding passage
He has made everything beautiful in its time.
Psalm 31:15 · Same theme
My times are in Your hands.

Sources

STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAHOT: Translators Amalgamated Hebrew Old Testament
Dataset · STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8 · Licence: CC BY 4.0 · Used for: Original language

Original language and places

Reference data from open datasets, shown as published by their sources. Word-by-word English is a literal guide, not a translation.

Original language (Hebrew)

לַכֹּ֖ל זְמָ֑ן וְעֵ֥ת לְכָל־חֵ֖פֶץ תַּ֥חַת הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃ ס

לַכֹּ֖לla.Kol“for <the> everything”
Preposition with article + Noun, masculine, singular, absolute · from כֹּל · “all” · Strong's H3605
זְמָ֑ןze.Man“an appointed time”
Noun, masculine, singular, absolute · “time” · Strong's H2165
וְעֵ֥תve.'Et“and an time”
Conjunction + Noun, both genders, singular, absolute · from עֵת · “time” · Strong's H6256
לְכָל־le.khol“for every”
Preposition + Noun, masculine, singular, construct · from כֹּל · “all” · Strong's H3605
חֵ֖פֶץChe.fetz“matter”
Noun, masculine, singular, absolute · from חֵ֫פֶץ · “pleasure” · Strong's H2656
תַּ֥חַתTa.chat“under”
Noun, masculine, singular, construct · from תַּחַת · “under” · Strong's H8478G
הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃ סha.sha.Ma.yim“the heavens”
Definite article + Noun, masculine, plural, absolute · from שָׁמַיִם · “heaven” · Strong's H8064

Prepared by the God & Savior team. Not yet reviewed by an editor.
Hebrew and Aramaic words: STEP Bible (STEPBible.org), based on work at Tyndale House, Cambridge. CC BY 4.0. Source (version ed476a8)