Ecclesiastes 3 is the third chapter of the Book of Ecclesiastes in the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. The book contains philosophical speeches by a character called 'Qoheleth', composed probably between 5th to 2nd century BC. Peshitta, Targum, and Talmud attribute the authorship of the book to King Solomon. The NewCity Editor's Letter cites the first part of this chapter as "one of the world’s earlier and best-known poems".
The section calls to 'a view of God's sovereignty which both reassures and yet sobers' the readers, because God is in control, but it remains mysterious.
Verse 1
'There is purposefulness in life' as God always has the oversight over the seasons.
"Season" : refers to "appointed or definite time".
"Time" : means 'occasion', 'period/season' or 'circumstances'.
"Purpose": from Hebrew word חֵפֶץ, , which can be translated as "delight" or "pleasure".
Verses 2–8
give a list of times for major activities, according to God's plan. It forms a poem, where two Hebrew words are contrasted with two other Hebrew words in each verse. The examples are related to the body, mind and soul. It gives vivid illustration to the statement in [|verse 1] "that every action or event will come to pass", with the explanation in verse 11 that God made everything "suitable for its time". The context of the poem is the lack of freedom in human life, dictated by external and natural constraints as well as no control when one is born or dies, alongside the human incapacity to discern a deeper purpose in life, while being understood as an 'affirmation of the beauty of the life that God has given to human race'.
Contentment and satisfaction (3:9–15)
The question in verse 9 reminds that the desired 'gain' is hard to find, becoming 'the divinely quest for meaningfulness', but only within the limit of human understanding. The phrase 'I know' starts each of two sections to discern the question.
Verse 11
God who made everything suitable for its time is also the one placing a sense of past and future into human consciousness, although paradoxically despite knowing the reality of this eternity, human beings can cope only with the moment.
Verse 12
"To do good" : is 'to practice a happy life', which is better expressed as 'enjoy good'.
Verse 13
Eaton sees this verse as a reminder that 'provision and contentment are gifts of God'.
The judgment of God (3:16–22)
God as the controller uses injustices to show that without him human beings are no different than animals, in their dying, and in the appreciation they receive after death, so as the conclusion: 'the remedy to life's enigma is to live on God's goodness'.
The first phrase of [|verse 11] becomes an inspiration for the popular hymn "In His Time, in His Time".
"Turn! Turn! Turn! ", a song written by Pete Seeger in the late 1950s, which the Byrds scored a 1965 hit with. The lyrics, except for the title which is repeated throughout the song and the final two lines, are adapted word-for-word from the English King James Version of. The song became an international hit in late 1965 when it was covered by the American folk rock bandThe Byrds. In the U.S., the song holds distinction as the #1 hit with the oldest lyrics, and also with the oldest lyric writer, King Solomon of Israel.
