Ecclesiastes 3:8

Paleo Hebrew Niqqud

RBT Hebrew Interlinear:

עת עֵת

seasonal time

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

עת

ʻêth

Definition

time, especially (adverb with preposition) now, when, etc.

Root

from H5703 (עד);

Exhaustive

from עד; time, especially (adverb with preposition) now, when, etc.; [phrase] after, (al-) ways, [idiom] certain, [phrase] continually, [phrase] evening, long, (due) season, so (long) as, (even-, evening-, noon-) tide, (meal-), what) time, when.

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H6256

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

עֵת

noun masculine • Strongs / High • Page 1146

Time (generally); properly, what is bounded, defined, or established. Refers to occasion, season, period (time of evening, spring, harvest, youth), suitable/right time, or future time. Grammatically common gender (masc. or fem.).

עֵת

noun • Strongs / High • Page 1147

time. Plur. עִתִּים: times = courses of time, occurrences of time, determinations of time, destiny, fate; adverse times.

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

בָּעַת

verb • Page 109

In Kal not used. Pi. בִּעֵת: 1. to frighten, terrify (Ps. 18:5, Job 9:34). 2. to come upon suddenly (1 Sam. 16:14, 15). Niph. to fear, be afraid (Dan. 8:17).

עֵת

com. gen. • Root ענה • Page 533

time. (Hos. 13: 13, Job 22: 16, Est. 1: 13, etc.). Plur. עִתִּים and עִתּוֹת (1.) destinies. Ps. 31: 16. (2.) times, Lat. vices. Neh. 9: 28.

Noun common both singular absolute

LXX: καιρῷ καιροσ καιρὸν καιρὸσ ὥραν

LXX Usage Statistics

H6256:

καιρῷ 94× (25.7%)

καιροσ 32× (11.0%)

καιρὸν 20× (6.1%)

καιρὸσ 19× (6.0%)

ὥραν 16× (4.6%)

καιροῦ 13× (4.4%)

--- 11× (4.1%)

ὡσ 9× (3.3%)

ὥρα 6× (1.7%)

'' 6× (1.9%)

לאהב לֶאֱהֹב

None

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

ל

lə

Definition

to, for

Root

A primitive particle; a prefix

Exhaustive

(lamed) — to / toward / for

Core value: orientation, directionality, belonging
ל is often mistranslated as purpose (“in order to”), but that smuggles in future-time. In reality, ל marks:
- movement toward,
- dedication unto,
- reference with respect to.
Aonically, ל is vectorial, not teleological.
not “for the sake of a future outcome”
but “oriented toward a locus or pole.”
This is why possession (“belongs to”) and motion (“toward”) use the same preposition: both indicate relational alignment, not time.

Source: The Aonic Nature of Biblical Hebrew Prepositions

אהב

ʼâhab

Definition

to have affection for (sexually or otherwise)

Root

or אהב ; a primitive root;

Exhaustive

or אהב ; a primitive root; to have affection for (sexually or otherwise); (be-) love(-d, -ly, -r), like, friend.

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H157

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

אָהַב

verb • Strongs_Numbers • Page 70

trans. to love; sensuously, of love between the sexes; of the love of parents, friends, virtuous or vicious love; to like, to be fond of doing.

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

אָהַב

verb • Page 28

1. to love. 2. to desire, rejoice in. (Lev. 19:18, 34; Ecc. 5:9; Prov. 18:24; Ps. 40:17; 70:5; 116:1; Hos. 12:8; Is. 56:10; Jer. 14:10).

Preposition, Verb Qal infinitive construct common

LXX:

LXX Usage Statistics

H0157:

No stats available

ועת וְעֵת

None

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

ו

wə

Definition

and

Root

From H8505; a prefix

Exhaustive

The conjunctive ו is not merely a fixed coordinator with a stable semantic value (“and/but/or/then”). Its core function is linkage, not meaning. It binds units into a single discourse field—phrases, clauses, or whole scenes—while leaving the logical relation to be inferred from aspect, word order, genre, and context.

So the variability in translation (“and / but / or / even / then”) is not polyvalence in the particle; it is underspecification by design. The language expects the reader/hearer to perceive the relation rather than have it encoded.

Crucially, conjunctive ו does not imply temporal sequence. It implies continuity of attention. Think of it as:
- “this belongs with what precedes,”
- “remain within the same frame,”
“do not reset the discourse.”
This is why Hebrew can chain dozens of clauses with ו without subordination or explicit logic markers. The text advances by accumulation, not by branching syntactic trees. Meaning arises from the interaction:
- Aspect (qatal / yiqtol / participle),
- Position (fronted elements, resumptive nouns),
- Genre (law, narrative, oracle),
- Context (who speaks, to whom).
The ו simply keeps the circuit closed so these cues can operate together. Remove tense assumptions, and the system becomes coherent.

Source: The Aonic Nature of Biblical Hebrew Prepositions

עת

ʻêth

Definition

time, especially (adverb with preposition) now, when, etc.

Root

from H5703 (עד);

Exhaustive

from עד; time, especially (adverb with preposition) now, when, etc.; [phrase] after, (al-) ways, [idiom] certain, [phrase] continually, [phrase] evening, long, (due) season, so (long) as, (even-, evening-, noon-) tide, (meal-), what) time, when.

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H6256

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

עֵת

noun masculine • Strongs / High • Page 1146

Time (generally); properly, what is bounded, defined, or established. Refers to occasion, season, period (time of evening, spring, harvest, youth), suitable/right time, or future time. Grammatically common gender (masc. or fem.).

עֵת

noun • Strongs / High • Page 1147

time. Plur. עִתִּים: times = courses of time, occurrences of time, determinations of time, destiny, fate; adverse times.

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

בָּעַת

verb • Page 109

In Kal not used. Pi. בִּעֵת: 1. to frighten, terrify (Ps. 18:5, Job 9:34). 2. to come upon suddenly (1 Sam. 16:14, 15). Niph. to fear, be afraid (Dan. 8:17).

עֵת

com. gen. • Root ענה • Page 533

time. (Hos. 13: 13, Job 22: 16, Est. 1: 13, etc.). Plur. עִתִּים and עִתּוֹת (1.) destinies. Ps. 31: 16. (2.) times, Lat. vices. Neh. 9: 28.

Conjunction, Noun common both singular absolute

LXX: καιρῷ καιροσ καιρὸν καιρὸσ ὥραν

LXX Usage Statistics

H6256:

καιρῷ 94× (25.7%)

καιροσ 32× (11.0%)

καιρὸν 20× (6.1%)

καιρὸσ 19× (6.0%)

ὥραν 16× (4.6%)

καιροῦ 13× (4.4%)

--- 11× (4.1%)

ὡσ 9× (3.3%)

ὥρα 6× (1.7%)

'' 6× (1.9%)

לשנא לִשְׂנֹא

None

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

ל

lə

Definition

to, for

Root

A primitive particle; a prefix

Exhaustive

(lamed) — to / toward / for

Core value: orientation, directionality, belonging
ל is often mistranslated as purpose (“in order to”), but that smuggles in future-time. In reality, ל marks:
- movement toward,
- dedication unto,
- reference with respect to.
Aonically, ל is vectorial, not teleological.
not “for the sake of a future outcome”
but “oriented toward a locus or pole.”
This is why possession (“belongs to”) and motion (“toward”) use the same preposition: both indicate relational alignment, not time.

Source: The Aonic Nature of Biblical Hebrew Prepositions

שנא

sânêʼ

Definition

to hate (personally)

Root

a primitive root;

Exhaustive

a primitive root; to hate (personally); enemy, foe, (be) hate(-ful, -r), odious, [idiom] utterly.

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H8130

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

שָׂנֵא

verb • Root שנא • Strongs / High • Page 755

to hate

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

שְׂנֵא

chald. • Page 641

to hate. Part. שָׂנֵא an enemy, Dan. 4: 16. [4: 19.]

שָׂנֵא

verb • Page 641

1. to hate, construed with an accus. and with ל. Deut. 4: 42. 19: 4. 2. when used in opposition to אָהַב, merely comparatively, to love less, to slight. Deut. 21: 15. Niph. pass. Prov. 14: 17.

שְׁנָא

verb • Root שנה • Page 690

(after the Chaldaic form) to be changed. Lam. 4: 1. Pu. idem. Ecc. 8: 1.

שְׁנָא

verb • Page 690

1. to be changed or altered. Dan. 6: 18. 3: 27. Particularly to be changed for the worse. Dan. 5: 6. 2. to be different, diverse. Dan. 7: 3, 19, 23, 24. Pa. to change, alter, transform. Dan. 4: 13. Ithpa. to change itself. Dan. 2: 9. Aph. to change, alter, transgress. Dan. 2: 21; Ezra 6: 11, 12.

שְׁנָא

f. chald. • Root ישן • Page 690

sleep. Dan. 6: 19.

שֵׁנָא

noun feminine • Root ישן • Page 690

sleep. Ps. 127: 2.

Preposition, Verb Qal infinitive construct common

LXX: ἐμίσησα μισῶν μισεῖ μισοῦντεσ μισοῦντάσ

LXX Usage Statistics

H8130:

ἐμίσησα 16× (11.0%)

μισῶν 10× (6.0%)

μισεῖ 10× (7.1%)

μισοῦντεσ 9× (5.1%)

μισοῦντάσ 7× (4.2%)

μισοῦντέσ 7× (4.2%)

μισούντων 6× (3.4%)

ἐμίσησασ 5× (3.5%)

μεμίσηκα 4× (2.9%)

ἐμίσησαν 4× (2.9%)

עת עֵת

seasonal time

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

עת

ʻêth

Definition

time, especially (adverb with preposition) now, when, etc.

Root

from H5703 (עד);

Exhaustive

from עד; time, especially (adverb with preposition) now, when, etc.; [phrase] after, (al-) ways, [idiom] certain, [phrase] continually, [phrase] evening, long, (due) season, so (long) as, (even-, evening-, noon-) tide, (meal-), what) time, when.

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H6256

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

עֵת

noun masculine • Strongs / High • Page 1146

Time (generally); properly, what is bounded, defined, or established. Refers to occasion, season, period (time of evening, spring, harvest, youth), suitable/right time, or future time. Grammatically common gender (masc. or fem.).

עֵת

noun • Strongs / High • Page 1147

time. Plur. עִתִּים: times = courses of time, occurrences of time, determinations of time, destiny, fate; adverse times.

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

בָּעַת

verb • Page 109

In Kal not used. Pi. בִּעֵת: 1. to frighten, terrify (Ps. 18:5, Job 9:34). 2. to come upon suddenly (1 Sam. 16:14, 15). Niph. to fear, be afraid (Dan. 8:17).

עֵת

com. gen. • Root ענה • Page 533

time. (Hos. 13: 13, Job 22: 16, Est. 1: 13, etc.). Plur. עִתִּים and עִתּוֹת (1.) destinies. Ps. 31: 16. (2.) times, Lat. vices. Neh. 9: 28.

Noun common both singular construct

LXX: καιρῷ καιροσ καιρὸν καιρὸσ ὥραν

LXX Usage Statistics

H6256:

καιρῷ 94× (25.7%)

καιροσ 32× (11.0%)

καιρὸν 20× (6.1%)

καιρὸσ 19× (6.0%)

ὥραν 16× (4.6%)

καιροῦ 13× (4.4%)

--- 11× (4.1%)

ὡσ 9× (3.3%)

ὥρα 6× (1.7%)

'' 6× (1.9%)

מלחמה מִלְחָמָה

war

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

מלחמה

milchâmâh

Definition

a battle (i.e. the engagement); generally, war (i.e. warfare)

Root

from H3898 (לחם) (in the sense of fighting);

Exhaustive

from לחם (in the sense of fighting); a battle (i.e. the engagement); generally, war (i.e. warfare); battle, fight(-ing), war(-rior).

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H4421

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

מִלְחָמָה

noun feminine • Root לחם • Strongs / High • Page 856

war, fight, strife.

מִלְחָמָה

noun / feminine • Root לחם • Strongs / High • Page 857

War, battle. Figuratively used for warriors, weapons of war, armour, antagonism, opposition, a hostile house, and the reward of battle or victory.

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

מִלְחָמָה

noun feminine • Root לחם • Page 379

1. War; עָשָׂה מִלְחָמָה to carry on war. אִישׁ מִלְחָמָה a man of war. 2. Battle, slaughter (Ex. 13:17). 3. By metonymy, a weapon (Ps. 76:4).

Noun common feminine singular absolute

LXX: πόλεμον πόλεμοσ πολέμου πολέμῳ ''

LXX Usage Statistics

H4421:

πόλεμον 114× (34.5%)

πόλεμοσ 44× (13.5%)

πολέμου 34× (10.7%)

πολέμῳ 25× (6.7%)

'' 12× (3.5%)

πολεμιστὴσ 9× (2.9%)

πολεμισταὶ 9× (2.8%)

πολεμιστῶν 6× (1.8%)

pεἰσ 5× (1.7%)

πολεμισταί 5× (1.6%)

ועת וְעֵת

None

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

ו

wə

Definition

and

Root

From H8505; a prefix

Exhaustive

The conjunctive ו is not merely a fixed coordinator with a stable semantic value (“and/but/or/then”). Its core function is linkage, not meaning. It binds units into a single discourse field—phrases, clauses, or whole scenes—while leaving the logical relation to be inferred from aspect, word order, genre, and context.

So the variability in translation (“and / but / or / even / then”) is not polyvalence in the particle; it is underspecification by design. The language expects the reader/hearer to perceive the relation rather than have it encoded.

Crucially, conjunctive ו does not imply temporal sequence. It implies continuity of attention. Think of it as:
- “this belongs with what precedes,”
- “remain within the same frame,”
“do not reset the discourse.”
This is why Hebrew can chain dozens of clauses with ו without subordination or explicit logic markers. The text advances by accumulation, not by branching syntactic trees. Meaning arises from the interaction:
- Aspect (qatal / yiqtol / participle),
- Position (fronted elements, resumptive nouns),
- Genre (law, narrative, oracle),
- Context (who speaks, to whom).
The ו simply keeps the circuit closed so these cues can operate together. Remove tense assumptions, and the system becomes coherent.

Source: The Aonic Nature of Biblical Hebrew Prepositions

עת

ʻêth

Definition

time, especially (adverb with preposition) now, when, etc.

Root

from H5703 (עד);

Exhaustive

from עד; time, especially (adverb with preposition) now, when, etc.; [phrase] after, (al-) ways, [idiom] certain, [phrase] continually, [phrase] evening, long, (due) season, so (long) as, (even-, evening-, noon-) tide, (meal-), what) time, when.

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H6256

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

עֵת

noun masculine • Strongs / High • Page 1146

Time (generally); properly, what is bounded, defined, or established. Refers to occasion, season, period (time of evening, spring, harvest, youth), suitable/right time, or future time. Grammatically common gender (masc. or fem.).

עֵת

noun • Strongs / High • Page 1147

time. Plur. עִתִּים: times = courses of time, occurrences of time, determinations of time, destiny, fate; adverse times.

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

בָּעַת

verb • Page 109

In Kal not used. Pi. בִּעֵת: 1. to frighten, terrify (Ps. 18:5, Job 9:34). 2. to come upon suddenly (1 Sam. 16:14, 15). Niph. to fear, be afraid (Dan. 8:17).

עֵת

com. gen. • Root ענה • Page 533

time. (Hos. 13: 13, Job 22: 16, Est. 1: 13, etc.). Plur. עִתִּים and עִתּוֹת (1.) destinies. Ps. 31: 16. (2.) times, Lat. vices. Neh. 9: 28.

Conjunction, Noun common both singular construct

LXX: καιρῷ καιροσ καιρὸν καιρὸσ ὥραν

LXX Usage Statistics

H6256:

καιρῷ 94× (25.7%)

καιροσ 32× (11.0%)

καιρὸν 20× (6.1%)

καιρὸσ 19× (6.0%)

ὥραν 16× (4.6%)

καιροῦ 13× (4.4%)

--- 11× (4.1%)

ὡσ 9× (3.3%)

ὥρα 6× (1.7%)

'' 6× (1.9%)

שלוםס שָׁלוֹם׃ס

None

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

שלום

shâlôwm

Definition

safe, i.e. (figuratively) well, happy, friendly; also (abstractly) welfare, i.e. health, prosperity, peace

Root

or שלם; from H7999 (שלם);

Exhaustive

or שלם; from שלם; safe, i.e. (figuratively) well, happy, friendly; also (abstractly) welfare, i.e. health, prosperity, peace; [idiom] do, familiar, [idiom] fare, favour, [phrase] friend, [idiom] great, (good) health, ([idiom] perfect, such as be at) peace(-able, -ably), prosper(-ity, -ous), rest, safe(-ty), salute, welfare, ([idiom] all is, be) well, [idiom] wholly.

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H7965

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

שָׁלוֹם

noun masculine • Consonantal / Medium • Page 1429

1. Formula of asking after another's welfare or progress. 2. Security, rest, comfort, opposite misfortune. 3. Peace, as a state of rest, opposite war. Also means salvation, piety, virtue, friendship, or a friend.

Matched via consonantal key only

שְׁלּוּם

noun masculine • Consonantal / Medium • Page 1429

Requital, reciprocal service.

Matched via consonantal key only

שׁלּוּם

noun proper masculine • Root שלם • Consonantal / Medium • Page 1429

A recompenser or retribution (written also שֶׁלֶם).

Matched via consonantal key only

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

שָׁלוֹם

m. verbal • Root שלם • Page 676

1. prosperous, in health, well, integer (Gen. 47:27, 1 Sam. 25:6, etc.). 2. in full number, the whole (Jer. 13:19). 3. safe, secure, enjoying peace (Job 21:9). 4. friendly, peaceably disposed (Ps. 55:21). 5. as a subst. health, integritas. Often used in inquiries about well-being (Gen. 29:6, 2 Sam. 11:7, etc.). 6. prosperity, a prosperous event (1 K. 2:13, 2 K. 5:21). 7. peace (Deut. 20:10, Judg. 21:13). 8. friendship, good understanding (Ps. 41:10, Jer. 20:10).

שִׁלּוּם

noun masculine • Root שלם • Page 676

recompense, see שָׁלַם

שִׁלּוּם

m. verbal • Root שלם • Page 682

Recompense. Hos. 9: 7. Mic. 7: 3. Plur. Is. 34: 8.

שַׁלּוּם

m. verbal • Root שלם • Page 682

Recompense. Hos. 9: 7. Mic. 7: 3.

שַׁלּוּם

m. proper name • Page 682

A king of Israel. 2 K. 15: 8—16.

Noun common both singular absolute

LXX: εἰρήνη εἰρήνην εἰρήνῃ εἰρήνησ μετ'

LXX Usage Statistics

H7965:

εἰρήνη 61× (25.3%)

εἰρήνην 61× (23.6%)

εἰρήνῃ 32× (11.8%)

εἰρήνησ 24× (9.5%)

μετ' 6× (2.6%)

'' 6× (2.2%)

εἰρηνικὰ 4× (1.7%)

ὑγιαίνει 4× (1.7%)

pἐν 3× (1.3%)

σωτηρίασ 3× (1.1%)

RBT Translation:

No verse found

RBT Paraphrase:
No verse found

Julia Smith Literal 1876 Translation:
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace:

LITV Translation:
a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

Brenton Septuagint Translation:
A time to love, and a time to hate; A time of war, and a time of peace.