To everything
The phrase "to everything" suggests a comprehensive inclusivity, indicating that nothing is excluded from the divine order and timing. In the Hebrew text, the word "everything" is derived from "kol," which means all or every. This implies that God's sovereignty extends over all aspects of life, from the grand to the mundane. Historically, this reflects the ancient Near Eastern understanding of a cosmos ordered by divine will, where every element of creation has its place and purpose.

there is a season
The word "season" is translated from the Hebrew "zeman," which refers to a fixed or appointed time. This concept of a "season" underscores the cyclical nature of life and the divine orchestration of time. In the agrarian society of ancient Israel, seasons were crucial for survival, dictating agricultural activities and religious festivals. This phrase reassures believers that life’s events are not random but are part of a divinely appointed order.

and a time
The word "time" comes from the Hebrew "eth," which signifies a specific moment or period. This emphasizes the precision of God's timing in the unfolding of events. In the biblical context, "time" is not merely chronological but kairotic, meaning it is filled with purpose and significance. This reflects the belief that God’s timing is perfect, even when it is beyond human understanding.

for every purpose
The phrase "for every purpose" is translated from "chephets," meaning delight, pleasure, or purpose. This suggests that every event or action has a divine intention behind it. In the scriptural context, this aligns with the belief that God’s plans are ultimately for the good of His creation, as seen in Romans 8:28. It encourages believers to trust in God’s wisdom and purpose, even in challenging times.

under heaven
The phrase "under heaven" indicates the earthly realm, as opposed to the divine realm of heaven. It serves as a reminder that while humans live "under heaven," they are still under God’s sovereign rule. This phrase reflects the biblical worldview that all of creation is under God’s authority and that human life is lived in the presence of the divine. It calls believers to live with an awareness of God’s overarching plan and presence in their daily lives.

(1) A season.--The word is only found in later Hebrew (Nehemiah 2:6; Esther 9:27; Esther 9:31), and in the Chaldee of Daniel and Ezra.

Purpose.--The use of the word here and in Ecclesiastes 3:17; Ecclesiastes 5:8; Ecclesiastes 8:6, in the general sense of "a matter," belongs to later Hebrew. The primary meaning of the word is "pleasure" or "desire," and it is so used in this book (Ecclesiastes 5:4; Ecclesiastes 12:1; Ecclesiastes 12:10). . . .

Verses 1-22. - Section 4. In confirmation of the truth that man's happiness depends upon the will of God, Koheleth proceeds to show how Providence arranges even the minutest concerns; that man can alter nothing, must make the best of things as they are, bear with anomalies, bounding his desires by this present life. Verses 1-8. - The providence of God disposes and arranges every detail of man's life. This proposition is stated first generally, and then worked out in particular by means of antithetical sentences. In Hebrew manuscripts and most printed texts vers. 2-8 are arranged in two parallel columns, so that one "time" always stands under another. A similar arrangement is found in Joshua 12:9, etc., containing the catalogue of the conquered Canaanite kings; and in Esther 9:7, etc., giving the names of Haman's tensions. In the present passage we have fourteen pairs of contrasts, ranging from external circumstances to the inner affections of man's being. Verse 1. - To every thing there is u season, and a time to every purpose under heaven. . "Season" and "time" are rendered by the LXX. καιρός and χρόνος. The word for "season" (zeman), denotes a fixed, definite portion of time; while eth, "time," signifies rather the beginning of a period, or is used as a general appellation. The two ideas are sometimes concurrent in the New Testament; e.g., Acts 1:7; 1 Thessalonians 5:1 (comp. also Daniel 2:21, where the Septuagint has καιροὺς καὶ χρόνοις; and Daniel 7:12, where we find the singular καιροῦ καὶ καιροῦ in Theodotion, and χρόνου καὶ καιροῦ in the Septuagint). So in Wisd. 8:8, "wisdom to foreseeth signs and wonders, and the events of seasons and times (ἐκβάσεις καιρῶν καὶ χρόνων)." Every thing refers especially to men's movements and actions, and to what concerns them. Purpose; chephets, originally meaning "delight," "pleasure," in the later Hebrew came to signify "business," "thing," "matter." The proposition is - In human affairs Providence arranges the moment when everything shall happen, the duration of its operation, and the time appropriate thereto. The view of the writer takes in the whole circumstances of men's life from its commencement to its close. But the thought is not, as some have opined, that there is naught but uncertainty, fluctuation, and imperfection in human affairs, nor, as Plumptre conceives, "It is wisdom to do the right thing at the right time, that inopportuneness is the bane of life," for many of the circumstances mentioned, e.g. birth and death, are entirely beyond men's will and control, and the maxim, Καιρὸν γνῶθι, cannot apply to man in such cases. Kobeleth is confirming his assertion, made in the last chapter, that wisdom, wealth, success, happiness, etc., are not in man's hands, that his own efforts can secure none of them - they are distributed at the will of God. He establishes this dictum by entering into details, and showing the ordering of Providence and the supremacy of God in all men's concerns, the most trivial as well as the most important. The Vulgate gives a paraphrase, and not a very exact one, Omnia tempus habeat, et suis spatiis transenat universa sub caelo. Koheleth intimates, without attempting to reconcile, the great crux of man's free-will and God's decree.

Parallel Commentaries ...


To everything
לַכֹּ֖ל (lak·kōl)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

there is a season,
זְמָ֑ן (zə·mān)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2165: An appointed occasion

and a time
וְעֵ֥ת (wə·‘êṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - common singular
Strong's 6256: Time, now, when

for every
לְכָל־ (lə·ḵāl)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

purpose
חֵ֖פֶץ (ḥê·p̄eṣ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2656: Pleasure, desire, a valuable thing, a matter

under
תַּ֥חַת (ta·ḥaṯ)
Preposition
Strong's 8478: The bottom, below, in lieu of

heaven:
הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃ (haš·šā·mā·yim)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 8064: Heaven, sky


Ecclesiastes 3:1 NIV
Ecclesiastes 3:1 NLT
Ecclesiastes 3:1 ESV
Ecclesiastes 3:1 NASB
Ecclesiastes 3:1 KJV

Ecclesiastes 3:1 BibleApps.com
Ecclesiastes 3:1 Biblia Paralela
Ecclesiastes 3:1 Chinese Bible
Ecclesiastes 3:1 French Bible
Ecclesiastes 3:1 Catholic Bible

OT Poetry: Ecclesiastes 3:1 For everything there is a season (Ecclesiast. Ec Ecc Eccles.)