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Ecclesiastes 3:2
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A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up [that which is] planted;
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Ecclesiastes 3:2 Meaning and Commentary
Ecclesiastes 3:2
the time of a man's coming into the world and going out of it, both being fixed by the Lord F6: this is true of all men in general, of all men that come into the world, for whom it is appointed that they shall die; and particularly of Christ, whose birth was at the time appointed by the Father, in the fulness of time; and whose death was in due time, nor could his life be taken away before his hour was come, ( John 7:30 ) ( 8:20 ) ( 13:1 ) ; and this holds good of every individual man; his birth is at the time God has fixed it; that any man is born into the world, is of God; no man comes into it at his own pleasure or another's, but at the will of God, and when he pleases, not sooner nor later; and the time of his going out of the world is settled by him, beyond which time he cannot live, and sooner he cannot die, ( Job 14:5 ) ; and though no mention is made of the interval of life between a man's birth and death, yet all events intervening are appointed by God; as the place of his abode; his calling and station of life; all circumstances of prosperity and adversity; all diseases of body, and what lead on to death, and issue in it: the reason why these two are put so close together is, to show the certainty of death; that as sure as a man is born, so sure shall he die; and the frailty and shortness of life, which is but an hand's breadth, passes away like a tale that is told, yea, is as nothing; so that no account is made of it, as if there was no time allotted it, or that it deserved no mention; and also to observe that the seeds of mortality and death are in men as soon as they are born; as soon as they begin to live they begin to die, death is working in them; a time to plant;
a tree, as the Targum, or any herb; and a time to pluck up [that which is] planted;
a tree or herb, as before, when grown to its ripeness, and fit for use; or when grown old, barren, and unfruitful; there are particular seasons for planting plants, and some for one and some for another. This may be applied in a civil sense to planting and plucking up kingdoms and states; see ( Jeremiah 1:10 ) ( 18:7-10 ) ; as it is by the Jews, particularly to the planting and plucking up of the kingdom of Israel; the people of Israel were a vine brought out of Egypt and planted in the land of Canaan, and afterwards plucked up and carried captive into Babylon; and afterwards planted again, and then again plucked up by the Romans; and will be assuredly planted in their own land again; see ( Psalms 80:8 ) ( Jeremiah 45:4 ) ( 31:28 ) ( 32:41 ) ; It may be illustrated in a spiritual sense by the planting of the Jewish church, sometimes compared to a vineyard; and the plucking it up, abolishing their church state and ordinances; and by planting Gospel churches in the Gentile world, and plucking them up again, as in the seven cities of Asia; or removing the candlestick out of its place; and by planting particular persons in churches, and removing them again: some indeed that are planted in the house of the Lord are planted in Christ, and rooted and grounded in the love of God; are plants which Christ's Father has planted, and will never be rooted up; but there are others who are planted through the external ministry of the word, or are plants only by profession, and these become twice dead, plucked up by the roots; and there are times for these things, ( Psalms 92:14 ) ( Matthew 15:13 ) ( 1 Corinthians 3:6-8 ) ( Jude 1:12 ) .
FOOTNOTES:
F6 "Stat sua cuique dies, breve et irreparabile tempus omnibus est vitae"; Virgil. Aeneid. l. 10.
A time to be born
The Targum is,
``to beget sons and daughters;''but rather it is to bear them, there being a time in nature fixed for that, called the hour of a woman, ( Job 14:1 ) ; and a time to die;
the time of a man's coming into the world and going out of it, both being fixed by the Lord F6: this is true of all men in general, of all men that come into the world, for whom it is appointed that they shall die; and particularly of Christ, whose birth was at the time appointed by the Father, in the fulness of time; and whose death was in due time, nor could his life be taken away before his hour was come, ( John 7:30 ) ( 8:20 ) ( 13:1 ) ; and this holds good of every individual man; his birth is at the time God has fixed it; that any man is born into the world, is of God; no man comes into it at his own pleasure or another's, but at the will of God, and when he pleases, not sooner nor later; and the time of his going out of the world is settled by him, beyond which time he cannot live, and sooner he cannot die, ( Job 14:5 ) ; and though no mention is made of the interval of life between a man's birth and death, yet all events intervening are appointed by God; as the place of his abode; his calling and station of life; all circumstances of prosperity and adversity; all diseases of body, and what lead on to death, and issue in it: the reason why these two are put so close together is, to show the certainty of death; that as sure as a man is born, so sure shall he die; and the frailty and shortness of life, which is but an hand's breadth, passes away like a tale that is told, yea, is as nothing; so that no account is made of it, as if there was no time allotted it, or that it deserved no mention; and also to observe that the seeds of mortality and death are in men as soon as they are born; as soon as they begin to live they begin to die, death is working in them; a time to plant;
a tree, as the Targum, or any herb; and a time to pluck up [that which is] planted;
a tree or herb, as before, when grown to its ripeness, and fit for use; or when grown old, barren, and unfruitful; there are particular seasons for planting plants, and some for one and some for another. This may be applied in a civil sense to planting and plucking up kingdoms and states; see ( Jeremiah 1:10 ) ( 18:7-10 ) ; as it is by the Jews, particularly to the planting and plucking up of the kingdom of Israel; the people of Israel were a vine brought out of Egypt and planted in the land of Canaan, and afterwards plucked up and carried captive into Babylon; and afterwards planted again, and then again plucked up by the Romans; and will be assuredly planted in their own land again; see ( Psalms 80:8 ) ( Jeremiah 45:4 ) ( 31:28 ) ( 32:41 ) ; It may be illustrated in a spiritual sense by the planting of the Jewish church, sometimes compared to a vineyard; and the plucking it up, abolishing their church state and ordinances; and by planting Gospel churches in the Gentile world, and plucking them up again, as in the seven cities of Asia; or removing the candlestick out of its place; and by planting particular persons in churches, and removing them again: some indeed that are planted in the house of the Lord are planted in Christ, and rooted and grounded in the love of God; are plants which Christ's Father has planted, and will never be rooted up; but there are others who are planted through the external ministry of the word, or are plants only by profession, and these become twice dead, plucked up by the roots; and there are times for these things, ( Psalms 92:14 ) ( Matthew 15:13 ) ( 1 Corinthians 3:6-8 ) ( Jude 1:12 ) .
F6 "Stat sua cuique dies, breve et irreparabile tempus omnibus est vitae"; Virgil. Aeneid. l. 10.
Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible
Ecclesiastes 3:2 In-Context
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; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
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