Tag Archives: God's Image

In the third chapter of Ecclesiastes, Solomon begins with an introductory statement followed by a poem of 28 topics, 14 pairs, comprised of multiples of seven, the biblical number of perfection or completeness, which Solomon uses to describe the seasons and times of this life we live “under heaven.” Each of the fourteen pairs is presented, line by line, using a poetic technique called a merismus, in which two opposites are coupled expressing both and everything in between.[2] For example, to say “a time to be born, and a time to die” is to say there is a time for beginning, a time for ending, and a time for everything in between birth and death. The poem is not Solomon’s attempt at a comprehensive listing of everything we encounter in this life but a poetic elaboration on his introductory statement: “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven” (3:1).