Ecclesiastes 3:7 Meaning and Explanation
“A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →There is a season to tear and to mend, to keep silent and to speak.
What Does Ecclesiastes 3:7 Mean?
Tearing one's garment was an ancient sign of grief, and sewing it back the slow return to ordinary life; so the first pair quietly echoes the seasons of mourning and recovery. The second turns to the tongue: there is a time to keep silence and a time to speak.
Few skills are harder than knowing when to be quiet and when to give voice. Silence can be wisdom, comfort, or restraint; speech rightly timed can heal, defend, or bless. The Preacher invites us to seek that discernment, trusting God for the wisdom to know which the moment requires. Words, like garments, can mend what is torn when they come in their season.
Ecclesiastes 3:7 in the Original Language
chashah (חָשָׁה), 'keep silence' -- to be still or hold one's peace, an intentional quiet rather than mere absence of sound.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ecclesiastes 3:7
What does Ecclesiastes 3:7 mean?
There is a season to tear and to mend, to keep silent and to speak.