Ecclesiastes 3:7

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Summary

Ecclesiastes 3:7

A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

Time to rend

Time to keep

And a time to speak

Bible References

Time to rend

Then Reuben returned to the pit and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit. And he tore his clothes.

David grabbed [at] his clothes and tore them, [as did] all of the men who [were] with him.

David said to Joab and to all the people who [were] with him, "Tear your clothing and put on sackcloth and mourn before Abner." Now King David [was] following after the bier.

When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes and put sackcloth over his flesh, fasted, lay in the sackcloth, and went about dejectedly.

It happened that when the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, "Am I God to cause death or to give life? This man [is] sending a man to me to cure his disease. Indeed! But know and see that he seeks an opportunity against me."

It happened that when the king heard the words of the woman, he tore his clothes. Now he had been walking on the wall, and the people saw, and behold, sackcloth was over his flesh underneath.

And the king and any of his servants who heard all these words were not startled, and they did not tear their garments.

Rend your hearts and not your garments, and return to Yahweh your God, because he [is] gracious and compassionate, {slow to anger} and great in loyal love, and relenting from harm.

So Peter got up [and] accompanied them. [When he] arrived, they brought [him] up to the upstairs room, and all the widows came to him, weeping and showing [him] tunics and [other] clothing that Dorcas used to make [while she] was with them.

Time to keep

Then they sat with him on the ground [for] seven days and seven nights, but no one spoke a word to him because they saw that {his} suffering was very great.

I was mute [with] silence. I was silent [even] from [saying] good [things], and my pain was stirred up.

But they were silent and did not answer him a word, for the command of the king was, "You must not answer him."

Why [are] we sitting? Gather, and let us go into the fortified cities, and let us perish there, for Yahweh our God has caused us to perish, and has provided drink for us, water of poison, because we have sinned against Yahweh.

Let him sit alone and be silent when he has laid it on him.

Therefore, whoever has insight will keep silent in that time, for it [is] a time of evil.

"And the songs of the temple shall become wailings in that day," {declares} my Lord Yahweh. "The corpses are numerous; he throws them in every place. Be quiet!"

Do not put faith in a friend; put no trust in a close friend. Guard the doorways of your mouth from the one who lies in your lap.

And a time to speak

But Judah drew near to him and said, "Please my lord, let your servant speak a word in the ears of my lord, and {let not your anger burn} against your servant, for {you are like Pharaoh himself}.

So Jonathan spoke well about David to his father Saul and said to him, "The king should not sin against his servant David, because he has not sinned against you, and because his service for you [has been] very good.

She fell at his feet and said, "On me, my lord, [be] the guilt! Please let your female servant speak {to you personally}! Hear the words of your female servant!

Then Mordecai told [them] to reply to Esther: "Do not think that your life will be saved [in] the palace of the king more than all the Jews.

I and my people have been sold to be destroyed and killed, to be annihilated. If we had been sold as male and female slaves I would have kept quiet, because this is not a need sufficient to trouble the king."

Thus Elihu had waited for Job {to speak} because {they were older than he}.

Rescue those who are led away to the death and those who stagger to the slaughter. If you hold back,

Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all the {needy}.

Now [as] he was drawing near by this time to the descent from the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of the disciples began rejoicing to praise God with a loud voice for all the miracles that they had seen,

For we are not able to refrain from speaking about [the things] that we have seen and heard."