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Ecclesiastes 3

22 verses

TL;DR

Ecclesiastes 3 reminds readers that every activity has an appointed time, highlighting the certainty of death and the vanity of human effort while urging contentment in one’s work.

Summary

The chapter opens with the famous observation that there is a season for everything under heaven, listing a series of contrasting pairs—from birth to death, planting to harvesting, weeping to laughing—to illustrate the cyclical nature of life. It then reflects on the futility of human labor, questioning the profit of work and noting that God has ordained all things to be beautiful in their appointed time. The text acknowledges that all humans and beasts share the same mortality, with death ultimately returning all to dust. Judgment is presented as inevitable, with the righteous and wicked receiving what they deserve. The author concludes that since all ends in death, the best one can do is rejoice in his own labor and accept that the future is beyond human control. The passage encourages a stoic acceptance of the human condition and an appreciation for the work one undertakes, framed within divine sovereignty.

Outline
  1. A. The ordained seasons of all activities (verses 1‑8)
  2. B. Reflection on human labor, vanity, and divine purpose (verses 9‑14)
  3. C. Mortality, judgment, and the call to rejoice in work (verses 15‑22)
Themes
Time and seasonalityHuman vanity and mortalityDivine sovereignty and judgment
Keywords
seasontimelaborjoydeathvanityGodheavenearth
People
Solomon (the author)Godthe sons of menbeasts
Places
heavenearththe sun (metaphorical)
Things
timeseasonsjoyworkdeathbeautyvanity
Key Verses
  • Ecclesiastes 3:1: Introduces the core motif of appointed times for all actions.
  • Ecclesiastes 3:9: Raises the existential question of the value of labor.
  • Ecclesiastes 3:20: Emphasizes mortality and the universality of death.
Questions
  • How does the concept of an appointed season influence our view of personal decisions?
  • What does the passage say about the worth of human work when it is ultimately transient?
  • In what way does the text portray the relationship between mortality and moral responsibility?
  • How can we apply the call to rejoice in our work within a modern context?
  • What insights does the ‘under the sun’ motif offer about the limits of human knowledge?
Sentiment

mixed
The tone is reflective and philosophical, balancing sober observations about mortality with a call to find contentment in work.