B2 G 1. Labor. Its appointment.
H 2-8. Seasons.
G 9. Labor. Its profit.
Ecclesiastes 3)
1 To every thing there is an appointed time (cp. Ezra 10:14. Neh. 2:6. Est. 9:27), and a season (note the 28 "seasons" [28 = Eternal life. 4 x 7, 4 = Creation; The world; Creative works; 7 = Resurrection; Spiritual completeness; Fathers perfection) to every purpose under the heaven:
2 A time to bear (Gen. 17:17,21; 18:14; 21:2), and a time to die (Ps. 31:5,15. Heb. 9:27); a time to plant (it is beyond man's power to alter the seasons. Applied to a kingdom. Ps. 44:2; 80:8,12,13. Jer. 18:9. Amos 9:15. Matt. 15:13), and a time to pluck up that which is planted; (Jer. 18:7,9.)
3 A time to kill (i.e. judicially. 1 Kings 2:23,24,28,29,34,36,37,46. Ps. 88:31,34. Jer.12:3. Out of its proper "time", "to kill" is to murder. There is no "time" for this.), and a time to heal (Isa. 38:5,21; 57:18. Ps. 107.20; 147;3.); a time to break down (Jer. 39:2,8. Ezek. 33:21. Mal. 1:4), and a time to build up; (Cp. 2:4. Neh. 2:17,18,20. Ps. 102:13-16. Isa. 45:13; 58:12; 60:10. Dan. 9:25. Amos 9:11.)
4 A time to weep (Gen. 23:2; 44:30. 2 Sam. 12:21. Joel 2:17. Jer. 21:9. Luke 6:25), and a time to laugh (cp. 2:1,2. Gen. 21:6. Ps. 2:4; 37:13. Matt. 5:4; 9:15. Luke 6:21. Neh. 8:9); a time to mourn (Gen. 23:2. 1 Sam. 16:1. Prov. 29:2. Isa. 38:14; 61:2. Joel 1:9. Zech. 12:10,12), and a time to dance; (2 Sam. 6:14. Ps. 149:3; 150:4. Jer. 31:13.)
5 A time to cast away stones (as out of a vineyard . Isa. 5:2. Lev. 14:40,45. Judg. 20:16. 1 Kings 15:22. Lam. 4:1), and a time to gather stones together (cp. 2:4. Deut. 27:4,5. Josh. 4:3,8,20. 1 Sam. 17:40. 1 Kings 18:31,32. Ps. 102:14. Isa. 54:11); a time to embrace (cp. 2:3. Gen. 19:13; 33:4; 48:10. 2 Kings 4:16), and a time to refrain from embracing; (Prov. 5:20. Joel 2;16. 1 Cor. 7:5,6.)
6 A time to buy (or acquire. Cp. 2:8. Gen. 42:2,7,20. Ruth 4:5. 2 Sam. 24:21. Isa. 55:1. Jer. 32:7. Eph. 4:28), and a time to lose (Gen. 31:39. Matt. 10:39; 16:25. Isa. 47:9); a time to keep (1 Sam. 16:11. Prov. 7:1. Luke 8:15. 2 Tim. 1:14. John 2:10; 12:7), and a time to cast away; (Judg. 15:17. 2 Kings 7:15. Isa. 31:7. Hos. 9:17. Ecc. 11:1.)
7 A time to rend (1 Sam. 15:27,28. 1 Kings 11:11,31: 12:31; 14:8. Joel 2:13. John 19:24.), and a time to join together (spoken of Kingdom, as "rending" is: Ezek. 37:15,22. Cp. Ezra 4:12); a time to keep silence (Lev. 10:2. Ps. 32:2. Amos 5:13), and a time to speak; (Ex. 7:2. Num. 22:8. 2 Sam. 7:17. Ps. 2:5; 145:6,11,21. Ezek. 2:7. Luke 1:19,20. John 16:13.)
8 A time to love (Jer. 2:2. Ezek. 16:8. Dan. 1:9. Gal. 5:13. 2 Thess. 1:3.), and a time to hate (2 Sam. 13:15. Ps. 105:25. Prov. 25:17. Luke 14:26. Prov. 11:15; 15:27; 28:16. John 12:25. Jude 23); a time of war (Ex. 17:15. Num. 1:3,20,22; 26:2. Deut. 3:18. Judg. 3:2. 2 Sam. 3:1. Jer. 6:4. Luke 14:21. Rev. 12:7; 19:11,19), and a time of peace. (Rom. Josh. 11:23; 14:15. Lev. 26:6. Judg. 4:17. 1 Sam. 7:14. Ps. 72:3; 85:8. Prov. 16:7. Isa. 9:7. Zech. 9:10. Rom. 5:1. Eph. 4:3.)
9 What profit ha he that works in that wherein he toils?
C1 J1 d1 3:10. Labor. Sons of men.
e1 3:11. Wisdom. Man ignorant of God's work.
f1 3:12,13. Pleasure, or enjoyment.
J2 d2 3:14,15. Labor. God's work is forever.
e2 3:16-21. Wisdom. Man's ignorance like beasts'.
f2 3:22. Pleasure, or enjoyment.
J3 d3 4:1-4. Labor. For others.
e3 4:4,5. Wisdom. The fool, none.
f3 4:6. Pleasure, or enjoyment.
J4 d4 4:7-12. Labor. "For whom".
e4 4:13,14. Wisdom.
f4 4:15,16. Pleasure, or enjoyment. None.
10 I have considered the business, which God has given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.
11 He has made every thing beautiful in its proper season: also He has put the ages (or, the world in relation to time. Put for that which is inscrutable by man, viz. obscurity as to the past and the future ages, resulting in man's incapacity for finding out, or comprehending the whole of what God does. This has resulted from the Fall) in their (i.e. the sons of men [v.10]) heart, so that no man can find out the work that the true God makes from the beginning to the end. (The reason being given in v.14. Man sees his own times of vv.1-8; but what God does is from time past to time future [v.14]; so that man cannot find that out to the end from the beginning)
12 I know that there is no good in them (i.e. in God's works), but for a man to rejoice, and to do good during his life.
13 And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labor, it is the gift of God.
14 I know that, whatsoever God does, it shall be for ever (same word "the ages" in v.11): nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God does it, that men should fear before Him.
15 That which has been is now; and that which is to be has already been; and God requires that which is past.
16 And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that lawlessness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there.
17 I said in my heart, God shall judge a righteous one and a lawless one: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.
18 I said in my heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God has chosen them to show them that even they are beasts, and that they might see that they themselves are living creatures. (As opposed to man = mammals: as opposed to creeping things = quadrupeds: as opposed to wild beasts = cattle.)
19 For that which befalls the sons of men befalls beasts; even one thing befalls them: as the one dies, so dies the other; yes, they have all one spirit; so that a man has no preeminence above a beast (Cp. Ps. 49:12,20; 146:4): for all is vanity.
20 All go to one place (i.e. Sheol, or the grave); all are of the dust (see Gen. 1:24; 2:7,19; 3:19), and all turn to dust again. (See Ps. 22:15; 104:29; 146:4. Job 10:9; 34:15. Cp. 12:7.)
21 Who knows the spirit of man whether it goes upward, and the spirit of the beast whether it goes downward to the earth?
22 Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his share (i.e. in the present life): for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?