Ecclesiastes 3:2
a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The verse contrasts "a time to be born" with "a time to die," highlighting the inevitability of death immediately following life. Similarly, it pairs "a time to plant" with "a time to pluck up what is planted," suggesting that every beginning ultimately leads to an ending, whether it's the harvest or the uprooting of something that has served its purpose.
The passage begins by stating that there is a "season for everything," setting up a list of seemingly opposite activities and life events. This verse enumerates the fundamental cycles of life and cultivation – birth and death, planting and harvesting – suggesting that these are divinely appointed and ordered. The verses that follow will continue this pattern, detailing various human experiences from joy and sorrow to war and peace, all under the umbrella of God's sovereign timing.
Ever feel like life's events are chaotic and random? The Teacher in Ecclesiastes reminds us that there's a divine hand behind it all.
This verse isn't just a poetic observation; it's a declaration about God's sovereignty. From the moment we enter the world to the moment we leave it, every event has its divinely appointed time. This applies not only to the grand cycle of human life—birth and death—but also to the rhythm of nature and human endeavor, like planting and harvesting. God isn't just observing; He's orchestrating these seasons.
The verse links human life with nature's cycles. What can we learn from these parallels?
Ecclesiastes highlights a profound connection between the human experience and the natural world. The cycle of birth and death mirrors the cycle of planting and reaping. Just as seeds are sown and later harvested or uprooted, human lives have their seasons of growth and their eventual end. This imagery suggests that just as nature follows a predictable, albeit sometimes challenging, rhythm, so too does human life have its ordained phases. The 'uprooting' can signify not just harvest, but also the end of an era or a project, much like the end of a life.
Understand the original words
yalad · Hebrew Verb
The act of bringing forth life; in Scripture, it is recognized as a divine gift and a sovereign act of God’s creation.
muth · Hebrew Verb
The cessation of physical life, viewed as the final earthly appointment for humanity due to the fall, yet subject to God's authority.
nata' · Hebrew Verb
To sow or establish, used both literally for agriculture and metaphorically for founding, initiating, or establishing a project or legacy.
aqar · Hebrew Verb
To uproot or tear out; symbolically represents the ending, dismantling, or removal of something previously established.
This passage directly echoes the sentiment of Ecclesiastes 3:2 by highlighting that human life has a set limit, appointed by God, just as a plant's season is predetermined.
Jeremiah 1:10This verse speaks of God's authority to 'plant' and 'uproot' nations, paralleling the agricultural imagery in Ecclesiastes 3:2 on a grander, geopolitical scale.
John 7:30This passage from the New Testament shows that Jesus Himself acknowledged a divinely appointed 'hour' for His life and ministry to conclude, reflecting the idea that even pivotal events like death have a specific time.
Hebrews 9:27This verse provides a theological foundation for Ecclesiastes 3:2 by stating that 'it is appointed for man to die once,' underscoring the divinely ordained nature of death that the Preacher observes.
pooleEcclesiastes 3:2: "A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;"
A time to die; a certain period unknown to man, but fixed by God, in which a man must unavoidably die; of which see Job 14:5 John 13:1 . A time to plant; wherein God inclines a man’s heart to planting.
clarkeEcclesiastes 3:2: "A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;"
A time to be born, and a time to die - plant - "As in its mother's womb the embryo lies A space determined; to full growth arrived, From its dark prison bursts, and sees the light; So is the period fix'd when man shall drop Into the grave - A time there is to plant, And sow; another time to pluck and reap. Even nations have their destined rise and fall: Awhile they thrive; an…
The verse contrasts "a time to be born" with "a time to die," highlighting the inevitability of death immediately following life. Similarly, it pairs "a time to plant" with "a time to pluck up what is planted," suggesting that every beginning ultimately leads to an ending, whether it's the harvest or the uprooting of something that has served its purpose.
The passage begins by stating that there is a "season for everything," setting up a list of seemingly opposite activities and life events. This verse enumerates the fundamental cycles of life and cultivation – birth and death, planting and harvesting – suggesting that these are divinely appointed and ordered. The verses that follow will continue this pattern, detailing various human experiences from joy and sorrow to war and peace, all under the umbrella of God's sovereign timing.
The passage begins by stating that there is a "season for everything," setting up a list of seemingly opposite activities and life events. This verse enumerates the fundamental cycles of life and cultivation – birth and death, planting and harvesting – suggesting that these are divinely appointed and ordered. The verses that follow will continue this pattern, detailing various human experiences from joy and sorrow to war and peace, all under the umbrella of God's sovereign timing.
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Ecclesiastes 3:2 is available in the Sola app.
"a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;" — The verse contrasts "a time to be born" with "a time to die," highlighting the inevitability of death immediately following life. Similarly, it pairs "a time to plant" with "a time to pluck up what i…
