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Nazarene Commentary 2000©

21^st Century Paraphrase of the Hebrew Scriptures© –
21^st Century Version of the Christian Scriptures© [NCMM]

ECCLESIASTES

CHAPTER THREE:
TIME AND GOD’S JUDGMENT

Summary

There is a time for everything. God’s purpose will be realized and so the best thing to do is find satisfaction in life. There is the same destiny for both man and animals – death and a return to the dust. In the end God will judge everyone.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 – A Time for Everything

EC3:1 There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every objective under the skies. 59

59

There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every objective under the skies: Or, BAS: For everything there is a fixed time, and a time for every business under the sun; LXX: To all things there is a time [CHRONOS (English = chronology)], and a season [KAIROS] for every matter [PRAGMATI (English = pragmatic)] under heaven; YLT: To everything—a season, and a time to every delight under the heavens; KJV: every purpose under heaven; RHM: every pursuit; BER: appointed season and there is a proper time for every project under heaven; MOF: everything has its appointed hour. Note the words “objective” and “time” in Ecclesiastes 3:17. A general principle much quoted in song and literature for thousands of years. The following should also be read from God’s standpoint and His purpose.

EC3:2 A time to be born, and a time to die. A time to plant, and a time to uproot what is planted. 60

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A time to be born, and a time to die. A time to plant, and a time to uproot what is planted: Or, BAS: A time for birth and a time for death; a time for planting and a time for uprooting; YLT: A time to bring forth, And a time to die. A time to plant, And a time to eradicate the planted. [Genesis 1:28; Job 14:5. Note the “season” of Christ at John 7:8 – KAIROS] On uprooting see Jeremiah 1:10. With regard to the Messiah there was a time for him to be born, and a time for him to die. Galatians 4:4, “When that appointed season [PLEROMA TOU CHRONOS] arrived, The God sent forth His Son.” [21st Century Version of the Christian Scriptures] [Daniel 9:26]

EC3:3 A time to kill, and a time to cure. A time to tear down, and a time to build up. 61

61

A time to kill, and a time to cure. A time to tear down, and a time to build up: Or, BAS: A time to put to death and a time to make well; a time for pulling down and a time for building up; YLT: A time to slay, And a time to heal, A time to break down, And a time to build up. [Numbers 31:2; Jeremiah 48:10; Ezekiel 48:10] In the LXX the Greek uses the words KATHELEIN [tear down] and OIKODOMEIN [upbuild]. These also appear together at Romans 14:19, 20 [OIKODOMES, KATALUE]. [Jeremiah 33:6; Hosea 6:1; Revelation 22:2]

EC3:4 A time to cry, and a time to laugh. A time to mourn, and a time to dance for joy. 62

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A time to cry, and a time to laugh. A time to mourn, and a time to dance for joy: Or, BAS: A time for weeping and a time for laughing; a time for sorrow and a time for dancing; YLT: A time to weep, And a time to laugh. A time to mourn, And a time to skip. And a time to cry and mourn see John 16:20; Romans 12:15; 2 Corinthians 7:11; James 4:9. On mourning and dancing see Psalm 126:4; Genesis 23:2; 2 Samuel 6:16. If a moment is one of sadness and mourning it is the improper time to laugh and dance, and vise versa.

EC3:5 A time to get rid of stones, and a time to pile up stones. A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing. 63

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A time to get rid of stones, and a time to pile up stones. A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing: Or, BAS: A time to take stones away and a time to get stones together; a time for kissing and a time to keep from kissing; LXX: a time to throw stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to abstain from embracing; SPR: a time to unite together, a time to remove afar off; TAY: a time to hug, a time not to hug. On stones see Matthew 24:2. On gathering stones consider 1 Peter 2:5. On a time to embrace note Acts 20:37; Romans 16:16; 1 Corinthians 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:20.

EC3:6 A time to search, and a time to stop searching. A time to keep, and a time to throw away. 64

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A time to search, and a time to stop searching. A time to keep, and a time to throw away: Or, BAS: A time for search and a time for loss; a time to keep and a time to give away; YLT: A time to seek, And a time to destroy. On searching see Luke 15:8. On keeping or casting off compare Matthew 6:19 and 1 Corinthians 7:30, 31.

EC3:7 A time to tear up, and a time to mend. A time to remain silent, and a time to speak up. 65

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A time to tear up, and a time to mend. A time to remain silent, and a time to speak up: Or, BAS: A time for undoing and a time for stitching; a time for keeping quiet and a time for talk; LXX: a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to be silent, and a time to speak; JB: a time for tearing, a time for sewing. There are times that speech is useless and the best course is silence. [Proverbs 39:1; Proverbs 9:8] All Nazarene disciples need to learn those times to speak and those times to remain quiet. [1 Corinthians 14:28, 30, 34] Note the foretold silence of Jesus at Isaiah 53:7. [Mark 15:5; Luke 23:9; Acts 8:32]

EC3:8 A time for affection, and a time for dislike. 66 A time for war, and a time for peace. 67

66

A time for affection, and a time for dislike: Or, BAS: A time for love and a time for hate; LXX: a time to love [PHILESAI], and a time to hate [MISESAI]. The LXX Greek uses a form similar to PHILADELPHIA which is “brotherly love” and not the word AGAPE. Thee are persons who God hates and His worshippers should also hate them. [Psalm 139:21] The English word “hate” is very strong, while the intent may be “to love less” or not to prefer over another. [Romans 12:9] In modern terms the phrase “tough love” may infer a degree of dislike or hate for the actions, though not necessarily the person.

67	A time for war, and a time for peace: Few translation alter this rendering. Though history seems one long record of endless war there have been a few precious periods of relative peace for some peoples. Ultimately peace will come to the earth through Messiah. [Psalm 37:11; 72:8]

Ecclesiastes 3:9-15 – What Should Humanity Do and Why?

EC3:9 What is the lasting benefit of all that drudgery in all that hard labor? 68

68	What is the lasting benefit of all that drudgery in all that hard labor: Or, BAS: What profit has the worker in the work which he does; YLT: advantage; RSV: gain; BER: benefit. Solomon will answer this. Return to Ecclesiastes 1:3 and compare Ecclesiastes 5:16.

EC3:10 I examined the tasks that The God has given humanity as their hard labor. 69

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I examined the tasks that The God has given humanity as their hard labor: Or, BAS: I saw the work which God has put on the sons of man; LXX: I have seen the travail that God hath given to the sons of man to be humbled by it; JPS: I have seen all the trouble, which God has given to the sons of men to be troubled with; BER: employments; RSV: business. Return to Ecclesiastes 2:26.

EC3:11 He has made every beautiful thing appropriate for its own time. 70 He has placed in humanity’s heart a given age so that humanity will never discover all the work of The God from the beginning to the end. 71

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He has made every beautiful thing appropriate for its own time: Or, BAS: He has made everything right in its time; JPS: All the things which he has made are beautiful in his time; NEB: to suit; JB: apt; NET: made everything to fit beautifully in its appropriate time. That is, everything God makes is beautiful but also appropriate. Compare Ecclesiastes 5:17; 7:29. No matter how cynical and doubting a person becomes, that will not change God’s lovely purpose to be realized in its own appropriate times.

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He has placed in humanity’s heart a given age so that humanity will never discover all the work of The God from the beginning to the end: Or, BAS: but he has made their hearts without knowledge, so that man is unable to see the works of God, from the first to the last; LXX: also, that knowledge He hath put in their heart without which man findeth not out the work that God hath done from the beginning even unto the end; YLT: He hath set the world in their heart; JPS: set the whole world in their heart; ASV: he hath set eternity in their heart; MOF: appointed mystery, that man may never fashion; NEB: given men a sense of time past and future; JB: permitted men to consider time in its wholeness NET: he has also placed ignorance in the human heart.. One can see there are several approaches to this difficult verse. The LXX Greek uses KAI GE SYMPANTA TON AIONA ADOKEN EN CARDIA. According to this God has set [embedded] “age” [or, periods of time] in the human heart. The Hebrew uses ‘OWLAHM [Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance #5769] which means the same as the Greek, that is, a period of unknown length.

EC3:12 I realize that there is no perfect fulfillment in humanity except to find satisfaction in doing good during a lifetime. 72

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I realize that there is no perfect fulfillment in humanity except to find satisfaction in doing good during a lifetime: Or, BAS: I am certain that there is nothing better for a man than to be glad, and to do good while life is in him; LXX: I have known that there is no good for them except to rejoice and to do good during their life; YLT: I know that there is nothing better for them, than to rejoice, and to get pleasure so long as they live; NET: there is nothing more beneficial for. The LXX Greek uses the word for “good” AGATHON, but the problem is to decide what “good” means. In English the word “good’ has a wide range of meanings. The Hebrew is TOWB [Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance #2896, good, pleasant, agreeable] and may suggest “good” in the sense that humanity will never find complete fulfillment and satisfaction in these days under the sun. What is “good’ is to find some sense of gladness and satisfaction in hard work and the eating and drinking it produces. The following sentence may be the explanation.

EC3:13 Indeed, it is best for a person to eat and drink and experience fulfillment in all that hard labor The God has provided. 73

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Indeed, it is best for a person to eat and drink and experience fulfillment in all that hard labor The God has provided: Or, BAS: And for every man to take food and drink, and have joy in all his work, is a reward from God; YLT: enjoy pleasure for all his labour. This is the first half of two parts Solomon will stress regarding humanity’s purpose before The God. [Ecclesiastes 5:18]

EC3:14 I realize that whatever The God does throughout future periods of time there is nothing to add or nothing to take away. 74 The God has done so that humanity should stand in awe-inspired reverence in His presence. 75

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I realize that whatever The God does throughout future periods of time there is nothing to add or nothing to take away: Or, BAS: I am certain that whatever God does will be for ever. No addition may be made to it, nothing may be taken from it; JPS: I know that whatsoever things God has done, they shall be for ever: it is impossible to add to it, and it is impossible to take away from it; GDS: whatsoever God does will be forever; MOF: whatever God does is final; LXX: I have known that all that God [HO THEOS] doth is to the age [AIONA]. That is, throughout an unknown period of time. Return to Ecclesiastes 3:11. Though life under the sun may be difficult and often appear completely futile God’s purpose will not fail. In the mean time it is the gift of The God to enjoy hard work along with eating and drinking.

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The God has done so that humanity should stand in awe-inspired reverence in His presence: Or, BAS: and God has done it so that man may be in fear before him; LXX: and God hath wrought that they do fear [PHOBETHOSIN] before [PROSOPOU] Him. Compare notes on Psalm 14:1; 19:1-4; Romans 1:20. It is not enough to enjoy one’s labor, to eat and drink. Humanity must also learn to fear God. Note Revelation 14:7.

EC3:15 All that has ever happened, and all that will ever happen, The God will judge the past. 76

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All that has ever happened, and all that will ever happen, The God will judge the past: Or, BAS: Whatever is has been before, and what is to be is now; because God makes search for the things which are past; LXX: God requireth that which is pursued; JPS: God will seek out that which is past; KNX: he is ever repeating the history of the past; NEB: God summons each event back in its turn. That is, what goes around comes around as far as God is concerned. Though translators approach the phrase differently the context seems to point in the direction of God’s final judgment of those things past. The previous verse sets the context and the verses that follow all point to one thing – God’s judgment on humanity activity in the past and that yet to come in the future. Compare Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14.

Ecclesiastes 3:16-22 – Judgment and Destiny

EC3:16 Now I realized that under the sun justice will take place where evil exists. And where lawlessness existed, righteousness would be there. 77

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Now I realized that under the sun justice will take place where evil exists. And where lawlessness existed, righteousness would be there: Or, BAS: And again, I saw under the sun, in the place of the judges, that evil was there; and in the place of righteousness, that evil was there; LXX: the place of judgment [KRISEOS]; JPS: And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgement, there was the ungodly one; and the place of righteousness, there was the godly one. [Psalm 82:2; 94:21; Isaiah 59:14; Micah 7:3]

EC3:17 I told myself that The God will judge both the righteous and the unrighteous. 78 [Acts 24:15] For there is an appointed time [to judge] [Acts 17:31] every objective and every deed. 79

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I told myself that The God will judge both the righteous and the unrighteous: Or, BAS: God will be judge of the good and of the bad; LXX: The righteous [DIKAION] and the wicked [ASEBE] doth God [HO THEOS] judge [KRINEI]. In order to be judged both the righteous and the unrighteous must be resurrected into Judgment Day. Compare Paul at Acts 17:31 and Acts 24:15, the later uses DIKAION TE KAI ADIKON. Compare the major theme at Ecclesiastes 12:14. [Romans 2:6, 16; Hebrews 9:27; Revelation 20:12, 13] For details see the Biblical Article God and Judgment.

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For there is an appointed time [to judge] every objective and every deed: Or, BAS: because a time for every purpose and for every work has been fixed by him; LXX: for a time [KAIROS] is to every matter and for every work there; KNX: God would give judgment one day between the just and the sinners, and all things would reach their appointed end then. It is hard to read this and not think of Acts 17:31, “Because He has fixed a day on which He will ‘judge the inhabited earth in righteousness,’ [Psalm 9:8 LXX] [and this] by a man whom He has appointed. He has furnished assurance to everyone by resurrecting him from the dead.” [21st Century Version of the Christian Scriptures]

EC3:18 I told myself that regarding humanity The God purposed to prove to them – and they might realize – that they were just like the animals themselves. 80

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I told myself that regarding humanity The God purposed to prove to them – and they might realize – that they were just like the animals themselves: Or, BAS: I said in my heart, It is because of the sons of men, so that God may put them to the test and that they may see themselves as beasts; LXX: I said in my heart concerning the matter of the sons of man that God might cleanse them, so as to see that they themselves are beasts; YLT: may sift them; JPS: God will judge them. The Hebrew may suggest “sift”, so see Luke 22:31. The LXX Greek uses OTI DIAKRINEI AUTOUS HO THEOS [The God will judge them] and is echoed in Acts 17:31. Romans 3:6 comes very close with KRINEI HO THEOS TON KOSMON. Compare notes on 1 Corinthians 5:12; 2 Timothy 4:1; Hebrews 10:30; 12:23; 13:4. Solomon will explain what he means by comparing humans with animals.

EC3:19 For the final destiny of humanity and the final destiny of animals is but one. 81 As animals die so humans die, for they all have the same spirit. 82 There is absolutely no advantage of a human over an animal, for everything is completely futile. 83

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For the final destiny of humanity and the final destiny of animals is but one: Or, BAS: Because the fate of the sons of men and the fate of the beasts is the same; LXX: even one event; RSV: fate; LAM: misfortune; NEB: man is a creature of chance. The Hebrew is MIQREH [Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance #4745, unforeseen meeting or event, accident, happening, chance, fortune] and suggests the context here – the similarity between humans and animals – is that one event, or chance, befalls both. Each can accidentally die, though in the end both die. [Job 14:10; Psalm 39:5; 49:12] Humans, like animals, may die due to an accident, harm from others, disease, a self-inflicted wound, or old age. The words here illuminate Ecclesiastes 12:7.

82

As animals die so humans die, for they all have the same spirit: Or, BAS: As is the death of one so is the death of the other, and all have one spirit; YLT: they have all one breath; RSV: same breath. The Hebrew for “spirit” or “breath” is RUWACH [Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance #7307] and the LXX Greek is PNEUMA. Originally, the English word “spirit” also meant “breath” but has evolved into a disembodied spirit or ghost. The words “spirit’ and “breath’ are often paralleled in poetic phrases. [Job 27:3; 32:8; 33:4; 34:14] Compare also Genesis 2:7; 7:22; 1 Kings 17:17; Isaiah 2:22; 42:5; Ezekiel 37:5, 6, 8, 10; Acts 17:25; James 2:26. In these contexts the “spirit” [ROACH; PNEUMA] is that breath or life-principle that gives the spark of life to the human body.

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There is absolutely no advantage of a human over an animal, for everything is completely futile: Or, BAS: Man is not higher than the beasts; because all is to no purpose; LXX: the advantage of man above the beast is nothing; YLT: so that man hath no pre-eminence above a beast; JPS: and what has the man more than the brute. That is, in the context of accidental death and death as a common outcome, man and beast are equal within this limitation.

EC3:20 Both the human and the animal are going to the one single place. 84 All humans and animals came from the dust, [1 Corinthians 15:47] and every one of them returns to the dust. 85

84	Both the human and the animal are going to the one single place: This “one place” is next described as the “dust.” From outward observation a dead human and a dead animal go through the same process of decay and corruption until finally they're nothing but dust. Compare Ecclesiastes 9:4, 10.

85

All humans and animals came from the dust, and every one of them returns to the dust: Or, BAS: all are of the dust, and all will be turned to dust again; LXX: the whole have been from the dust, and the whole are turning back unto the dust; JPS: all were formed of the dust, and all will return to dust. The LXX Greek uses KHOOS, KHOUN and Paul uses KHOIKOS at 1 Corinthians 15:47-49. Humanity did not come from some previous spiritual existence but from the dust or clay of the earth. [Genesis 2:7] Compare Ecclesiastes 12:7. [Genesis 3:19; Job 10:9; 34:15; Psalm 104:29] Even the Messiah went down into the dust. [Psalm 22:15] On the subject of “dust” see Job 7:21; 10:9; 17:16; 19:25; 20:11; 21:26; 34:15; Psalm 22:29; 30:9; 103:14; 104:29. Note the word “again” in this context, proving humanity originated in the dust and not a spiritual pre-existence. Compare Paul’s wording at 1 Corinthians 15:46.

EC3:21 Who knows whether the spirit of humanity ascends above, [John 3:13] or that the spirit of animals descends below into the ground. 86

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Who knows whether the spirit of humanity ascends above, or that the spirit of animals descends below into the ground: Or, BAS: Who is certain that the spirit of the sons of men goes up to heaven, or that the spirit of the beasts goes down to the earth; LXX: Who knoweth the spirit [PNEUMA] of the sons of man that is going up on high [ANABAINEI], and the spirit [PNEUMA] of the beast that is going down below to the earth. The answer to the rhetorical question is “no one.” That is, humans do not automatically ascend heavenward as though they had an immortal soul. Jesus uses a key word here in a similar context. At John 3:13 the Nazarene taught, “No person [OUDES] has ascended [ANABEBEKEN] into the Celestialum [EIS TON OURANON].” [21st Century Version of the Christian Scriptures] Up until that moment when Jesus spoke no human being had ever ascended upward into heaven. See notes on Ecclesiastes 12:7. [Psalm 146:4]

EC3:22 I realized that the best thing a human could do is to be satisfied with work for that is humanity’s lot. Because who can tell what is going to happen in the future? 87

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I realized that the best thing a human could do is to be satisfied with work for that is humanity’s lot. Because who can tell what is going to happen in the future: Or, BAS: So I saw that there is nothing better than for a man to have joy in his work—because that is his reward. Who will make him see what will come after him; YLT: Wherefore I perceived that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his works; for that is his portion; for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him; MOF: so I saw the best thing for man was to be happy in his work: that is what he gets out of life – for who can show him what is to happen afterward. Compare Ecclesiastes 5:18; 6:12; 10:14.