A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

ECCLESIASTES 3:4KJV
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Ecclesiastes 3:4 (KJV)

What does Ecclesiastes 3:4 mean?

Ecclesiastes 3:4 says that there are appropriate moments in life for both sorrow and joy: times to weep and mourn, and times to laugh and dance. The verse recognizes that human life naturally includes both painful and happy experiences, each with its own season.

The speaker is traditionally understood to be Solomon, reflecting on the rhythms of life as he addresses anyone seeking wisdom about existence. Ecclesiastes 3:4 is part of a longer list showing that life is made up of many contrasting moments, and that each has its rightful place in the human experience.

The Hebrew behind Ecclesiastes 3:4

  • The word for "time" is עֵת (ʿet), which appears repeatedly (tagged as H6256). This word means a fixed or appointed period, emphasizing that every emotion or event has its own proper moment, not just random occurrence.
  • "Weep" is בָּכָה (bakah, H1058), which means to cry or shed tears, often out of grief. The verse pairs this with "laugh" שָׂחַק (sachaq, H7832), which means to rejoice or express joy, highlighting the full range of human feeling.
  • "Mourn" is סָפַד (safad, H5594), which refers to the formal act of lamenting, especially in response to loss. "Dance" is רָקַד (raqad, H7540), meaning to leap or move with joy, often in celebration. These words show that both public grief and public celebration are recognized as natural parts of life.

Why Ecclesiastes 3:4 matters

  • Ecclesiastes 3:4 helps clear up the idea that a good life is only about happiness; it shows that sorrow and mourning are also valid and expected parts of being human.
  • The verse is part of a larger passage (Ecclesiastes 3:1–8) that teaches wisdom by recognizing that life is made up of many different seasons, none of which last forever.
  • By pairing opposites, the verse encourages readers not to resist or deny difficult emotions, but to understand that every feeling and experience has its rightful time.

Where else these words appear

“dance” Hebrew H7540 · used in 9 verses

  • 1 Chronicles 15:29 And it came to pass, as the ark of the covenant of the LORD came to the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looking out at a window saw king David dancing and playing: and she despised him in her heart.
  • Psalms 29:6 He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn.
  • Isaiah 13:21 But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and owls shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there.

“mourn” Hebrew H5594 · used in 29 verses

  • Genesis 23:2 And Sarah died in Kirjatharba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.
  • 1 Kings 14:13 And all Israel shall mourn for him, and bury him: for he only of Jeroboam shall come to the grave, because in him there is found some good thing toward the LORD God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam.
  • Jeremiah 25:33 And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground.

“laugh” Hebrew H7832 · used in 36 verses

  • Judges 16:25 And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make us sport. And they called for Samson out of the prison house; and he made them sport: and they set him between the pillars.
  • Job 30:1 But now they that are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I would have disdained to have set with the dogs of my flock.
  • Proverbs 1:26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;

“weep” Hebrew H1058 · used in 100 verses

  • Genesis 21:16 And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.
  • Judges 20:26 Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up, and came unto the house of God, and wept, and sat there before the LORD, and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.
  • Nehemiah 8:9 And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.