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“Everything has its time, and every purpose under the heavens its hour.” The Germ. language is poor in synonyms of time. Zצckler translates: Everything has its Frist ..., but by Frist we think only of a fixed term of duration, not of a period of beginning, which, though not exclusively, is yet here primarily meant; we have therefore adopted Luther's excellent translation. Certainly זמן (from זמן , cogn. סמן , signare), belonging to the more modern Heb., means a Frist ( e.g., Daniel 2:16) as well as a Zeitpunkt , point of time; in the Semit. (also Assyr. simmu , simanu , with ס ) it is the most common designation of the idea of time. עת is abbreviated either from ענת ( ועד , to determine) or from ענת (from ענה , cogn. אנה , to go towards, to meet). In the first case it stands connected with מועד on the one side, and with עדּן (from עדד , to count) on the other; in the latter case, with עונה , Exodus 21:10 (perhaps also ען and ענת in כען , כּענת ). It is difficult to decide this point; proportionally more, however, can be said for the original ענת (Palest.-Aram. ענתּא ), as also the prep. of participation את is derived from אנת (meeting, coming together).

(Note: Vid., Orelli's work on the Heb. Synon. der Zeit u. Ewigkeit, 1871. He decides for the derivation from ועד morf ; Fleischer (Levy's Chald. W.B. II. 572) for the derivation from ענה , the higher power of אנה , whence (Arab.) inan , right time. We have, under Job 24:1, maintained the former derivation.)

The author means to say, if we have regard to the root signification of the second conception of time - (1) that everything has its fore-determined time, in which there lies both a determined point of time when it happens, and a determined period of time during which it shall continue; and (2) that every matter has a time appointed for it, or one appropriate, suitable for it. The Greeks were guided by the right feeling when they rendered זמן by χρόνος , and עת by καιρός .

Olympiodorus distinguishes too sharply when he understands the former of duration of time, and the latter of a point of time; while the state of the matter is this, that by χρόνος the idea comprehends the termini a quo and ad quem , while by καιρός it is limited to the terminus a quo . Regarding חפץ , which proceeds from the ground-idea of being inclined to, and intention, and thus, like πρᾶγμα and χρῆμα , to the general signification of design, undertaking, res gesta, res .

The illustration commences with the beginning and the ending of the life of man and (in near-lying connection of thought) of plants.

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(Note: These seven verses, 2-8, are in Codd and Edd., like Joshua 12:9., and Esther 9:7., arranged in the form of a song, so that one עת (time) always stands under another, after the scheme described in Megilla 16 b, Massecheth Sofrim xiii. 3, but without any express reference to this passage in Koheleth. J has a different manner of arranging the words, the first four lines of which we here adduce: -

'ēth lāmoth veeth lalěděth 'ēth 'ēth nathu'ǎ lǎ'ǎqor veeth lathǎ'ǎth 'ēth lirpō veeth lǎhǎrog 'ēth livnoth veeth liphrots )

“To be born has its time, and to die has its time; to plant has its time, and to root up that which is planted has its time.” The inf. ללדת signifies nothing else than to bring forth; but when that which is brought forth comes more into view than she who brings forth, it is used in the sense of being born (cf. Jeremiah 25:34, לט = להטּבח ); ledah, Hosea 9:11, is the birth; and in the Assyr., li - id - tu , li - i - tu , li - da - a - tu , designates posterity, progenies. Since now lālǎděth has here lāmuth as contrast, and thus does not denote the birth-throes of the mother, but the child's beginning of life, the translation, “to be born has its time,” is more appropriate to what is designed than “to bring forth has its time.” What Zöckler, after Hitzig, objects that by lěděth a הפץ an undertaking, and thus a conscious, intended act must be named, is not applicable; for לכּל standing at the beginning comprehends doing and suffering, and death also (apart from suicide) is certainly not an intended act, frequently even an unconscious suffering. Instead of לטעת (for which the form לטּעת

(Note: This Abulwalid found in a correct Damascus ms., Michlol 81 b.)

is found, cf. למּוט , Psalms 66:9), the older language uses לנטע , Jeremiah 1:10. In still more modern Heb. the expression used would be ליטע , i.e., לטּע ( Shebîith ii. 1). עקד has here its nearest signification: to root up (denom. of עקּד , root), like עקר , 2 Kings 3:25, where it is the Targ. word for הפּיל (to fell trees).

From out-rooting, which puts an end to the life of plants, the transition is now made to putting to death.

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“To put to death has its time, and to heal has its time; to pull down has its time, and to build has its time.” That harog (to kill) is placed over against “to heal,” Hitzig explains by the remark that harog does not here include the full consequences of the act, and is fitly rendered by “to wound.” But “to put to death” is nowhere = “nearly to put to death,” - one who is harug is not otherwise to be healed than by resurrection from the dead, Ezekiel 37:6. The contrast has no need for such ingenuity to justify it. The striking down of a sound life stands in contrast to the salvation of an endangered life by healing, and this in many situations of life, particularly in war, in the administration of justice, and in the defence of innocence against murder or injury, may be fitting. Since the author does not present these details from a moral point of view, the time here is not that which is morally right, but that which, be it morally right or not, has been determined by God, the Governor of the world and Former of history, who makes even that which is evil subservient to His plan. With the two pairs of γένεσις καὶ φθορά there are two others associated in Ecclesiastes 3:3; with that, having reference, 2 b, to the vegetable world, there here corresponds one referring to buildings; to פּרוץ (synon. הרוס , Jeremiah 1:10) stands opposed בּנות (which is more than גּדור ), as at 2 Chronicles 32:5.

These contrasts between existence and non-existence are followed by contrasts within the limits of existence itself: -

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“To weep has its time, and to laugh has its time; to mourn has its time, and to dance has its time.” It is possible that the author was led by the consonance from livnoth to livkoth , which immediately follows it; but the sequence of the thoughts is at the same time inwardly mediated, for sorrow kills and joy enlivens, Sir. 32:21-24. ספוד is particularly lamentation for the dead, Zechariah 12:10; and רקוד , dancing (in the more modern language the usual word for hholēl , kirkēr , hhāgǎg ) at a marriage festival and on other festal occasions.

It is more difficult to say what leads the author to the two following pairs of contrasts: -

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“To throw stones has its time, and to gather together stones has its time; to embrace has its time, and to refrain from embracing has its time.” Did the old Jewish custom exist at the time of the author, of throwing three shovelfuls of earth into the grave, and did this lead him to use the phrase השׁ אבּ ? But we do not need so incidental a connection of the thought, for the first pair accords with the specific idea of life and death; by the throwing of stones a field is destroyed, 2 Kings 3:25, or as expressed at 2 Kings 3:19 is marred; and by gathering the stones together and removing them (which is called סקּל ), it is brought under cultivation. Does לה , to embrace, now follow because it is done with the arms and hands? Scarcely; but the loving action of embracing stands beside the hostile, purposely injurious throwing of stones into a field, not exclusively (2 Kings 4:16), but yet chiefly (as e.g., at Proverbs 5:20) as referring to love for women; the intensive in the second member is introduced perhaps only for the purpose of avoiding the paronomasia lirhhoq mahhavoq .

The following pair of contrasts is connected with the avoiding or refraining from the embrace of love: -

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“To seek has its time, and to lose has its time; to lay up has its time, and to throw away has its time.” Vaihinger and others translate לאבּד , to give up as lost, which the Pih. signifies first as the expression of a conscious act. The older language knows it only in the stronger sense of bringing to ruin, making to perish, wasting (Proverbs 29:3). But in the more modern language, אבד , like the Lat. perdere , in the sense of “to lose,” is the trans. to the intrans. אבד , e.g., Tahoroth; viii. 3, “if one loses ( המאבּד ) anything,” etc.; Sifri, at Deuteronomy 24:19, “he who has lost ( מאבּד ) a shekel,” etc. In this sense the Palest.-Aram. uses the Aphel אובד , e.g., Jer. Mezîa ii. 5, “the queen had lost ( אובדת ) her ornament.” The intentional giving up, throwing away from oneself, finds its expression in להשׁ .

The following pair of contrasts refers the abandoning and preserving to articles of clothing: -

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7 a. “To rend has its time, and to sew has its time.” When evil tidings come, when the tidings of death come, then is the time for rending the garments (2 Samuel 13:31), whether as a spontaneous outbreak of sorrow, or merely as a traditionary custom. - The tempest of the affections, however, passes by, and that which was torn is again sewed together.

Perhaps it is the recollection of great calamities which leads to the following contrasts: -

7 b. “To keep silence has its time, and to speak has its time.” Severe strokes of adversity turn the mind in quietness back upon itself; and the demeanour most befitting such adversity is silent resignation (cf. 2 Kings 2:3, 2 Kings 2:5). This mediation of the thought is so much the more probable, as in all these contrasts it is not so much the spontaneity of man that comes into view, as the pre-determination and providence of God.

The following contrasts proceed on the view that God has placed us in relations in which it is permitted to us to love, or in which our hatred is stirred up: -

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“To love has its time, and to hate has its time; war has its time, and peace has its time.” In the two pairs of contrasts here, the contents of the first are, not exclusively indeed (Psalms 120:7), but yet chiefly referred to the mutual relations of peoples. It is the result of thoughtful intention that the quodlibet of 2 x 7 pairs terminates this for and against in “peace;” and, besides, the author has made the termination emphatic by this, that here “instead of infinitives, he introduces proper nouns” (Hitz.).

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