Ecclesiastes 3:6

Verse

Berean Standard Bible

a time to search and a time to count as lost, a time to keep and a time to discard,

American Standard Version (1901)

a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

Bible in Basic English

A time for search and a time for loss; a time to keep and a time to give away;

Free Bible Version

A time of searching, and a time of giving up searching. A time of keeping, and a time of throwing away.

King James (Authorized) Version

A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

Translation for Translators

There is a time to search for things, and there is a time to stop searching for things. There is a time to keep/save things, and there is a time to throw things away.

Unlocked Literal Bible

There is a time to look for things and a time to stop looking, a time to keep things and a time to throw away things,

Noah Webster Bible

A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

World English Bible

a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

Young's Literal Translation

A time to seek, And a time to destroy. A time to keep, And a time to cast away.

Context

To Everything There Is a Season

⁵a time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones together, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, ⁶a time to search and a time to count as lost, a time to keep and a time to discard, ⁷a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,

Summary

This verse reflects the cyclical nature of life as described in Ecclesiastes, highlighting that there is a time for everything. The mention of 'a time to search and a time to give up' acknowledges the different seasons and purposes that God ordains in our lives. It reminds us that there are moments when we are called to diligently seek or pursue something, and other times when we are required to let go and surrender. Ultimately, it conveys the message of trusting in God's timing and sovereignty over the various seasons we experience.

Commentary

Keil-Delitzsch
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
John Gill

Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch Old Testament Commentary

"To seek has its time, and to lose has its time; to lay up has its time, and to throw away has its time." Vaihinger and others translate לאבּד, to give up as lost, which the Pih. signifies first as the expression of a conscious act. The older language knows it only in the stronger sense of bringing to ruin, making to perish, wasting (Pro 29:3). But in the more modern language, אבד, like the Lat. perdere, in the sense of "to lose," is the trans. to the intrans. אבד, e.g., Tahoroth; viii. 3, "if one loses (המאבּד) anything," etc.; Sifri, at Deu 24:19, "he who has lost (מאבּד) a shekel," etc. In this sense the Palest.-Aram. uses the Aphel אובד, e.g., Jer. Meza ii. 5, "the queen had lost (אובדת) her ornament." The intentional giving up, throwing away from oneself, finds its expression in להשׁ. The following pair of contrasts refers the abandoning and preserving to articles of clothing: -

Ecclesiastes 3:6

To Everything There Is a Season

Scripture
Sermons
Commentary

Berean Standard Bible

a time to search and a time to count as lost, a time to keep and a time to discard,

American Standard Version (1901)

a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

Bible in Basic English

A time for search and a time for loss; a time to keep and a time to give away;

Free Bible Version

A time of searching, and a time of giving up searching. A time of keeping, and a time of throwing away.

King James (Authorized) Version

A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

Translation for Translators

There is a time to search for things, and there is a time to stop searching for things. There is a time to keep/save things, and there is a time to throw things away.

Unlocked Literal Bible

There is a time to look for things and a time to stop looking, a time to keep things and a time to throw away things,

Noah Webster Bible

A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

World English Bible

a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

Young's Literal Translation

A time to seek, And a time to destroy. A time to keep, And a time to cast away.