A time to rend almost certainly refers to the tearing of clothes. Though Qoheleth does not tell us what was torn, in Israel there were fixed occasions on which clothes were torn deliberately. Mourning (as in Gen 37.29) was one occasion; repentance and sorrow was another. In translating here we can at least add the term “clothes” if the verb requires an object. Additionally some reason for tearing clothes may need to be added for the proper sense to become clear. Some groups will understand tearing clothes as a sign that the person is demented or crazy, and so the original meaning would be lost.

A time to sew can refer to the making of new clothes or the repair of old and torn clothes.

For this pair of actions translators may consider:

• At certain times it is appropriate to tear our clothes, at other times we sew them [or, make clothes].

• There is a time to tear our clothes in grief, and a time to make new ones.

A time to keep silence, and a time to speak: what social context might this sentence address? This is another of those questions that cannot be answered readily, because the poem itself remains deliberately general. Some scholars have suggested that the thought is parallel to the above two lines, pointing out that mourning includes tearing of clothes as well as periods of silence. The end of mourning can be marked by speaking again. Israelite wisdom teachers stressed the need to know the times when it was appropriate to do certain things. The other side of that advice was to be equally aware when not to do things. The fool was known by everyone as a person who talked far too much and always at the wrong times. This is a more likely background to the thought of this verse.

Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Zogbo, Lynell. A Handbook on the Book of Ecclesiates. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .