BIBLE HEBREW WORD STUDY
עֵת (ʿēṯ) — Meaning & Usage in the Bible
עֵת (ʿēṯ) is a Hebrew noun referring to time, season, or appointed moment, frequently appearing in adverbial constructions to indicate when something occurs.
Meaning of the word
The lexicon entry for H6256 defines עֵת as 'time, especially (adverb with preposition) now, when, etc.' The base noun denotes a point or stretch of time, and the glosses attached to its occurrences alternate between 'time' and 'season,' showing the range from a fixed moment to a recurring period. The adverbial sense recorded in the lexicon indicates that the word also functions inside prepositional phrases to mark when an action takes place.
When עֵת appears in contexts such as Ecclesiastes 3:1, it frames activities as belonging to particular moments ('a time for every purpose under heaven'). In Psalm 1:3, the same root appears with the gloss 'season,' pointing to the recurring period in which a tree yields its fruit. Together these usages show that עֵת covers both singular moments and cyclical stretches of time.
Usage in Scripture
In the example verses from Ecclesiastes 3, עֵת introduces a long series of paired activities — being born and dying (3:2), killing and healing, breaking down and building up (3:3), weeping and laughing, mourning and dancing (3:4). The repetition emphasizes that each activity has its own appointed moment. Ecclesiastes 3:1 supplies the framing line that introduces the whole list.
In Psalm 1:3, עֵת (glossed 'season') describes the period in which a tree planted by streams of water bears fruit. The verse pairs this image with a person whose leaf does not wither and whose deeds prosper, linking the idea of a fruitful season to sustained life.
The word in detail
- H6256 עֵת (ʿēṯ): defined in the lexicon as 'time, especially (adverb with preposition) now, when, etc.' The example verses gloss the noun as both 'time' (Ecclesiastes 3:1–4) and 'season' (Psalm 1:3).
Example verses
- Psalms 1:3 Here עֵת is glossed 'season' and marks the recurring period in which the tree by streams of water brings forth its fruit.
- Ecclesiastes 3:1 The framing verse of the chapter: 'For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven,' introducing the list of paired activities that follows.
- Ecclesiastes 3:2 First pair in the series: 'a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted.'
- Ecclesiastes 3:3 Second pair: 'a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up.'
Common questions
What does עֵת mean in Hebrew?
According to the lexicon, עֵת means 'time,' with the additional sense of '(adverb with preposition) now, when, etc.' Example verses render it as 'time' in Ecclesiastes 3 and 'season' in Psalm 1:3.
How is עֵת used in Ecclesiastes 3?
Ecclesiastes 3:1 introduces the list with 'For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven.' Verses 3:2, 3:3, and 3:4 then repeat the pattern 'a time to…' across a series of paired activities such as being born and dying (3:2), killing and healing, breaking down and building up (3:3), and weeping and laughing, mourning and dancing (3:4).
What is the difference between the 'time' and 'season' glosses?
Both come from the same Hebrew word, עֵת. In Ecclesiastes 3 the contexts highlight a specific moment for each activity, translated 'time.' In Psalm 1:3 the context is a tree that brings forth fruit in its recurring period, translated 'season.' The lexicon covers both by defining the noun as 'time' and adding the adverbial sense 'now, when, etc.'