Ecclesiastes 3:1 in Context
Ecclesiastes 3:1 read in its full chapter context. See the verses before and after, plus historical setting and flow of thought.
"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:"
— Ecclesiastes 3:1 (KJV)
Where This Verse Sits
Ecclesiastes 3:1 appears in Ecclesiastes chapter 3, verse 1. Solomon likely wrote Ecclesiastes near the end of his life, around 935 BC, reflecting on life's meaning. 'Under the heaven' is his characteristic phrase for earthly existence. The list of 14 paired opposites that follows (vv. 2-8) covers the full spectrum of human experience, all under God's sovereign timing.
The Verse Itself
"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:"
— Ecclesiastes 3:1 (KJV)
Flow of the Passage
To grasp Ecclesiastes 3:1 fully, read it inside the surrounding paragraph. The verses before set up the argument, and the verses after show its outworking. Ecclesiastes 3 as a whole carries forward the theme of seasons, and this single verse is one beat in that larger movement.
Solomon observes that life moves in seasons, each with its own purpose. God orchestrates the timing of all events in His sovereign wisdom.
Cross-References
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