Eccl 3:5

“"A moment for embracing and a moment for avoiding an embrace." These ideas cannot possibly become clear to us unless the passage has first been interpreted through the Scripture, so that it has become clear to us in what connection the divinely inspired word consciously uses the word embrace. Great David exhorts us in the words of the psalm, "Circle Zion and embrace her," and even Solomon himself, when he was describing poetically the spiritual marriage of the one in love with Wisdom, mentions a number of ways in which union with virtue becomes ours and adds this: "Honor her, so that she may embrace you." If, then, David tells us to embrace Zion, and Solomon says that those who honor Wisdom are embraced by her, perhaps we have not missed the correct interpretation if we have identified the object which it is timely to embrace. For Mount Zion rises above the upper city of Jerusalem. Thus the one who urges you to embrace her is bidding you to attach yourself to high principles, so that you hasten to reach the very citadel of the virtues, which he indicates allegorically by the name Zion. And the one who makes you live with wisdom announces the good news of the embrace she will give you in the future. Therefore there is a moment for embracing Zion and for being embraced by Wisdom, since the name Zion denotes the pinnacle of conduct and Wisdom in herself means every instance of virtue. If we have learned through these words the right moment for embracing, we have been taught through the same words in what cases separation is more beneficial than union. For he says, "A moment for avoiding an embrace." The one who has become familiar with virtue is a stranger to the state of evil.… So when the loving disposition clings to the good—that is the "right moment"—the result is surely estrangement from its opposite. If you really love selfcontrol, then of course you hate its opposite. If you look with love at purity, you obviously loathe the stink of filth. If you have become attached to the good, you surely avoid attachment to evil.”

“Those who look only to the literal meaning and support the superficial interpretation of the words perhaps fit the law of Moses to the text before us. In cases where the law enjoins the pelting with stones of persons convicted of a felony, we have learned examples from the scriptural account itself in the case of sabbath breakers, and the one who had stolen sacred things, and other offenses, for which the law imposed a penalty of stoning. For my part, if the Ecclesiast had not claimed that collecting stones was also something timely, about which no law directs and no event in biblical history suggests a comparable precept, I might agree with those who interpret the passage through the law, that the moment for throwing stones is when someone has broken the sabbath or stolen something dedicated. But as it is, the addition of the requirement to collect stones again, which is prescribed by no law, leads us to a different interpretation, so that we may learn what kind of stones it is which after being thrown must again become the property of the thrower.… We certainly ought to consider that thoughts destructive of evil are the very stones accurately aimed by the Ecclesiast, which must be continually cast and collected. [They are] cast to put an end to the one who rises in pride against our life and collected to keep the soul's lap always full of such missiles, ready to be thrown at the enemy, whenever he may plan some fresh assault on us. Where, then, are we to collect stones, with which we shall stone the enemy to death? I have heard the prophecy that said, "holy stones roll about on the ground." These might be the words which come down to us from the divinely inspired writings, which we should collect in our soul's lap, to use at the right moment against those who vex us, and which when they are thrown destroy the enemy and yet do not leave the hand of the thrower. The one who pelts with the stone of selfcontrol the unbridled thought which gathers fuel for the fire through the pleasures defeats it with his attack and always keeps his weapons in his hand. Thus justice both becomes the stone against injustice and defeats it and is kept in the lap of the one who throws it. In the same way all thoughts directed to better things are destructive of worse things and do not leave the one who lives rightly in virtue. This, in my opinion, is "throwing stones at the right moment" and "collecting them at the right moment," so that we always cast good volleys of stones for the destruction of what is bad, and the supply of such weapons never runs out.”

“Persons who look only at the letter and the superficial sense also accommodate Ecclesiastes' words to the Law of Moses which bids us to cast stones at law breakers. History has taught us about persons who break the Sabbath and who have stolen sacred objects in addition to other transgressions which the Law has commanded to be punished by stoning. If Ecclesiastes does not provide an opportunity to gather stones of which neither the Law nor any historical record speaks, I would concur with those who interpret the Law as an occasion to cast stones at any violator of the Sabbath or at anyone who removed sacred objects. Another occasion to gather stones which is not legislated offers us another interpretation, that is, it teaches us about this stone after it is cast; the person who threw the stone can possess it again.… We would be correct in understanding wood as any thought inclined to evil, so we must perceive these stones which Ecclesiastes rightly casts at the destructive thoughts of evil. We should always cast them and then gather them. An enemy comes to lay waste our noble life; however, the bosom of our souls must always be prepared to cast [stones] against the foe if we perceive that he is ready to assault us in another manner. Where do we gather stones to hurl against our foe? I have heard the prophet saying "for holy stones are rolled upon the land." We must gather into our soul's bosom these divinely inspired words which come down for use against our foes. Our casting of stones destroys the enemy, a deed closely associated [with the stone itself] because whoever casts the stone of temperance at an unchaste thought which feeds the fire through pleasure is victor and always bears a weapon in his hand. Once righteousness becomes a stone against injustice, it destroys this evil and is kept in our bosom. In this way everything we understand about the good which destroys evil is associated with a person who conducts himself virtuously. Thus our interpretation [of Ecclesiastes' words] requires a time to cast stones and a time to gather them that we may always cast goodness to destroy evil and never lack such weapons.”

“The text reads "There is a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing," words which will become clear only if we first look at them in the context of scripture and enable us to clearly know how the divinely inspired text is used for obtaining insight. The great David cries out in the Psalter "Walk around Zion, go round about her." Solomon himself made a spiritual connection by yoking our capacity for love to wisdom and utters other words to unite us to virtue, "Honor her in order that she will embrace you." If David bids us to walk around Zion and if Solomon says that wisdom will embrace those who honor her, we will not be mistaken about the meaning [of the text] before us which instructs us about an opportune time. Mount Zion is Jerusalem predominantly situated upon a mountaintop; therefore he who urges you to embrace her bids you to be united to that lofty manner of life in order to attain the peak of virtues as symbolized by Zion. He who wishes wisdom to dwell with you announces her embrace. And so, it is time to walk [perilambanein] around Zion and be embraced [perilambanesthai] by wisdom for the word "Zion" represents an exalted manner of life. However, wisdom in itself signifies every virtue. If we had known the opportune time for embracing as expressed by [Ecclesiastes], separation is perceived as superior to union. Ecclesiastes says "There is a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing." Anyone joined to virtue is hostile to evil.… When we lovingly cling to the beautiful (that is, what is opportune) we alienate ourselves from any previous hostility. If you truly loved temperance, you hate its opposite. If you lovingly contemplate purity, you despise the foul stench of filth. If you cling to the good, you would indeed distant yourself from clinging to evil.”

“In the literal sense the following is said: The law prescribes that Israel's judges have to investigate the behavior of the people; and if someone was found to have done prohibited things, he was to be convicted to be stoned.…Now, we relate the verse to rebuke instead of stoning. The wise teacher knows whom he has to rebuke and whom not, and in a certain way he throws the rebuke like stones in order to dissuade the rebuked from a bad way of life. If the person improves through the rebuke, the rebuke is gathered in and no more stones are thrown against him. Paul indicates this when he says, "Convince, rebuke and encourage!" By rebuking and convincing he was throwing stones. After seeing the one who was rebuked improve, he encourages and gathers the stones together. The following is meant: There is a time to punish and a time not to punish.”

“"A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing." In the literal sense this means men who live together with their wives have a time when they get together with them and a time when they do not.… When it is time for prayer, when it is a day on which one has to remain clean and send up prayers, one has to avoid embraces. When the days of prayer are over, they come together and embrace.…According to a superficial explanation, but perhaps also against it, the following remark is valid. "The appointed time has grown short," Paul writes; "from now on, let even those who have wives be as though they had none." He says, Since time has grown short and humankind has increased to a large number, it is not necessary any more to increase it; one has to cease.… When it was necessary that humankind increase, it was a time to embrace. But after the population had become numerous and the begetting of the faithful spread, one needed to avoid embracing.… In the spiritual sense this is the meaning: Some have acquired God's wisdom as a wife, like the one who says, "I became enamored of her beauty" and took her home as a spouse. About her it is said: "She will honor you if you embrace her." Then wisdom embraces the wise by communicating to him her character, and the wise man embraces her. When therefore this wife is with a person from whom she can beget insight and thoughts and works of insight—for "wisdom begets insight for a man"—then it is the time to embrace. This time, however, is not interrupted by breaks. One can always embrace wisdom. This time is eternal.”

“"A time for dispersing stones and a time for collecting stones." I marvel how an learned man could have said this ridiculous note about this passage: "this passage speaks about the destruction and killing of Solomon's houses, because men first destroy, then build". Some amass stones to construct buildings, others destroy those buildings which have been erected, according to Horace's lines "he demolished, he builds, exchanges squares with wheels, he fluctuates and disagrees with the whole order of life itself." [Horat. Epist. I. I. 100, 99.] Whether he is correct in saying this or not I leave up to the reader to decide. Nonetheless we should follow the sequence of the prior explanation-they say it is a time for scattering and collecting stones, similar to what is written in the Gospel: "God is powerful enough to raise up the sons of Abraham from these stones". [Matth. 3, 9.] For there was a time for dispersing the nation and a time for gathering them again into the Church. I have read in a certain book, (like the Septuagint however, which says "there was a time for throwing stones and a time for collecting them") that the harshness of the ancient law of the Gospel was tempered by grace. In fact the stern law, unkind and unforgiving, murders the sinner, he pities with the grace of the Gospel and provokes men to repentance. And there is a time for throwing stones, or collecting them, because stones are thrown in law and are collected in the Gospel. Whether this is true fact or not is credited to the author. "A time for embracing and a time for being far from embrace. "The meaning of this is seemingly the simplest understanding- the apostle agrees with the same words: "do not cheat each other, unless by chance it is agreed for a time that you give yourselves to fasting and to prayer." [I Cor. 7, 5.] Attention must be given to children, and again to self-control. Or perhaps it was the time for embrace when the opinion was flourishing that we ought to "grow and multiply, and fill up the Earth" [Gen. 1, 28.]. And the time became far from one of embracing when it passed away: "the times are hard; it remains that both they that have wives be as though they had none". [I Cor. 7, 29.] But if we wanted to climb to the higher parts, we would see wisdom embracing its lovers: for he says "honour it and it will embrace you" [Prov. 4, 8.], and hold them in its arms and lap in a tighter embrace. More precisely, it is not always possible to stretch the human mind to heaven and think about the divine and higher things, or continually consider celestial matters, but meanwhile to indulge in the necessities of the flesh. On account of this there is a time for embracing wisdom, and holding it more tightly, and a time for relaxing the mind from the study and embrace of wisdom, just as of the care of the body, and we have those things that our life needs in the absence of sin.”

“Now this propagation of children which among the ancient saints was a most bounden duty for the purpose of begetting and preserving a people for God, among whom the prophecy of Christ's coming must have had precedence over everything, now has no longer the same necessity. For from among all nations the way is open for an abundant offspring to receive spiritual regeneration, from whatever quarter they derive their natural birth. So that we may acknowledge that the Scripture which says there is "a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing," is to be distributed in its clauses to the periods before Christ and since. The former was the time to embrace, the latter to refrain from embracing.”

“As for you, you both have children and live in that end of the world when the time has already come not "to scatter stones but to gather; not to embrace but to refrain embraces." [This is a time] when the apostle cries out, "But this I say, brethren, the time is short; it remains that those who have wives be as if they had none." Surely, if you had sought a second marriage, it would not have been in obedience to a prophecy or a law, or even the desire of the flesh for offspring, but merely a sign of incontinence. You would have followed the advice of the apostle, when, after having said, "It is good for them if they so remain, even as I," he immediately added, "But if they do not have self-control, let them marry, for I prefer them to marry rather than to burn."”

“As regards the time of security and its opposite, he says: A time for scattering stones, namely when there is security: Micah 4: "No man shall take up the sword against another." A time for gathering, for the building of fortifications, namely when there is fear of enemies: Second Chronicles 32: "He built up every wall that had been broken down and erected towers." A time for embracing etc. The variety of times which regards the rise and fall of things and also their state has been set forth; here is set forth the third, which regards use, and this under a fourfold distinction, namely as regards the use of wives, possessions, treasures, and garments. As regards therefore the use of wives, which consists in carnal union for the generation of offspring, he says: A time for embracing and a time to be far from embraces: First Corinthians 7: "It remains that those who have wives should be as though they had none"; and again: "Do not defraud one another, unless perhaps by consent for a time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and return together again." Spiritually, there is a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, in satisfaction. Stones of offense are occasions of sin: Ecclesiasticus 21: "The way of the wicked is paved with stones, and at their end are the netherworld and darkness and punishments." These are gathered in consideration and scattered in cautious avoidance and mortification of the flesh. From these occasions few are freed, except those who are guarded by the Lord: Psalm: "In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone." The third variety regards the just with respect to their twofold state, namely that of actives and contemplatives. As to contemplatives: A time to embrace and a time to be far from embraces, because they ought to attend now to action, now to contemplation. Concerning which embrace, Proverbs 4: "You shall be glorified by her, when you have embraced her." They ought to be far from the embraces of the flesh, concerning which, Proverbs 7: "Come, let us be inebriated with desired embraces."”