Ecclesiastes 3:5
a time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones together, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
Majority Standard Bible
In The King James Version
In Context
4a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,
6a time to search and a time to count as lost, a time to keep and a time to discard,
Cross References
Joshua 4:3and command them: ‘Take up for yourselves twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan where the priests were standing, carry them with you, and set them down in the place where you spend the night.’”
1 Samuel 21:4“There is no common bread on hand,” the priest replied, “but there is some consecrated bread—provided that the young men have kept themselves from women.”
2 Kings 3:25They destroyed the cities, and each man threw stones on every good field until it was covered. They stopped up every spring and cut down every good tree. Only Kir-haraseth was left with stones in place, but men with slings surrounded it and attacked it as well.
Joel 2:16Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the aged, gather the children, even those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her chamber.
Matthew Henry on Ecclesiastes 3:2-11
Mutability of Human Affairs. 1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: 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; 3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6 A time to get,… Read the whole commentary →