Ecclesiastes 3:5
New International Version
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,

New Living Translation
A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away.

English Standard Version
a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

Berean Standard Bible
a time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones together, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,

King James Bible
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

New King James Version
A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;

New American Standard Bible
A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones; A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing.

NASB 1995
A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones; A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing.

NASB 1977
A time to throw stones, and a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, and a time to shun embracing.

Legacy Standard Bible
A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones; A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing.

Amplified Bible
A time to throw away stones and a time to gather stones; A time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing.

Christian Standard Bible
a time to throw stones and a time to gather stones; a time to embrace and a time to avoid embracing;

Holman Christian Standard Bible
a time to throw stones and a time to gather stones; a time to embrace and a time to avoid embracing;

American Standard Version
a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
A time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing

Brenton Septuagint Translation
a time to throw stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to abstain from embracing;

Contemporary English Version
for throwing stones and gathering stones, embracing and parting.

Douay-Rheims Bible
A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather. A time to embrace, and a time to be far from embraces.

English Revised Version
a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to hug and a time to stop hugging,

Good News Translation
the time for making love and the time for not making love, the time for kissing and the time for not kissing.

International Standard Version
a time to scatter stones, and a time to gather stones; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

JPS Tanakh 1917
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

Literal Standard Version
A time to cast away stones, | And a time to heap up stones. A time to embrace, | And a time to be far from embracing.

Majority Standard Bible
a time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones together, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,

New American Bible
A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather them; a time to embrace, and a time to be far from embraces.

NET Bible
A time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

New Revised Standard Version
a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

New Heart English Bible
a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

Webster's Bible Translation
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

World English Bible
a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

Young's Literal Translation
A time to cast away stones, And a time to heap up stones. A time to embrace, And a time to be far from embracing.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
To Everything There is a Season
4a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, 5a time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones together, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, 6a time to search and a time to count as lost, a time to keep and a time to discard,…

Cross References
Ecclesiastes 3:4
a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,

Ecclesiastes 3:6
a time to search and a time to count as lost, a time to keep and a time to discard,


Treasury of Scripture

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

to cast

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…

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.

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…

a time to embrace

Exodus 19:15
And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at your wives.

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…

Song of Solomon 2:6,7
His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me…

refrain from

Jump to Previous
Cast Embrace Embracing Far Gather Heap Kissing Refrain Scatter Shun Stones Throw Time Together
Jump to Next
Cast Embrace Embracing Far Gather Heap Kissing Refrain Scatter Shun Stones Throw Time Together
Ecclesiastes 3
1. by the necessary change of times, vanity is added to human travail
11. is an excellence in God's works
16. as for man, God shall judge his works hereafter, though here he be like a beast














(5) Gather stones.--As the collecting of stones for building purposes is included in Ecclesiastes 3:4, it is thought that what is here referred to is the clearing or marring of land (Isaiah 5:2; Isaiah 62:10; 2Kings 3:19; 2Kings 3:25).

Verse 5. - A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together. There is no question about building or demolishing houses, as that has been already mentioned in ver. 3. Most commentators see an allusion to the practice of marring an enemy's fields by casting stones upon them, as the Israelites did when they invaded Moab (2 Kings 3:19, 25). But this must have been a very abnormal proceeding, and could scarcely be cited as a usual occurrence. Nor is the notion more happy that there is an allusion to the custom of flinging stones or earth into the grave at a burial - a Christian, but not an ancient Jewish practice; this, too, leaves the contrasted "gathering" unexplained. Equally inappropriate is the opinion that the punishment of stoning is meant, or some game played with pebbles. It seems most simple to see herein intimated the operation of clearing a vineyard of stones, as mentioned in Isaiah 5:2; and of collecting materials for making fences, wine-press, tower, etc., and repairing roads. A time to embrace. Those who explain the preceding clause of the marring and clearing of fields connect the following one with the other by conceiving that "the loving action of embracing stands beside the hostile, purposely injurious, throwing of stones into a field" (Delitzsch). It is plain that there are times when one may give himself up to the delights of love and friendship, and times when such distractions would be incongruous and unseasonable, as on solemn, penitential occasions (Joel 2:16; Exodus 19:15; 1 Corinthians 7:5); but the congruity of the two clauses of the couplet is not obvious, unless the objectionable position of stones and their advantageous employment are compared with the character of illicit (Proverbs 5:20) and legitimate love.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
a time
עֵ֚ת (‘êṯ)
Noun - common singular
Strong's 6256: Time, now, when

to cast away
לְהַשְׁלִ֣יךְ (lə·haš·lîḵ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct
Strong's 7993: To throw out, down, away

stones
אֲבָנִ֔ים (’ă·ḇā·nîm)
Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 68: A stone

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

to gather
כְּנ֣וֹס (kə·nō·ws)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 3664: To collect, to enfold

stones [together],
אֲבָנִ֑ים (’ă·ḇā·nîm)
Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 68: A stone

a time
עֵ֣ת (‘êṯ)
Noun - common singular
Strong's 6256: Time, now, when

to embrace
לַחֲב֔וֹק (la·ḥă·ḇō·wq)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 2263: To clasp, embrace

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

to refrain
לִרְחֹ֥ק (lir·ḥōq)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 7368: To be or become far or distant

from embracing,
מֵחַבֵּֽק׃ (mê·ḥab·bêq)
Preposition-m | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct
Strong's 2263: To clasp, embrace


Links
Ecclesiastes 3:5 NIV
Ecclesiastes 3:5 NLT
Ecclesiastes 3:5 ESV
Ecclesiastes 3:5 NASB
Ecclesiastes 3:5 KJV

Ecclesiastes 3:5 BibleApps.com
Ecclesiastes 3:5 Biblia Paralela
Ecclesiastes 3:5 Chinese Bible
Ecclesiastes 3:5 French Bible
Ecclesiastes 3:5 Catholic Bible

OT Poetry: Ecclesiastes 3:5 A time to cast away stones (Ecclesiast. Ec Ecc Eccles.)
Ecclesiastes 3:4
Top of Page
Top of Page