Ecclesiastes 3:4

“A time to weep, and a time to laugh, etc.] There is a time for these things, as it goes ill or well with persons, as to their health, estate, or friends; and as it goes ill or well with kingdoms and states. The Jews wept when they were in Babylon, and their mouths were filled with laughter when their captivity was returned, (<19D701>Psalm 137:1 126:1,2); and as it goes ill or well with the church of Christ, when there are corruptions in doctrine and worship, a neglect of ordinances, declensions in faith and practice, few instances of conversion, and there are divisions and contentions, it is a time for the mourners in Zion to weep but when God creates Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a…”

“mourn--namely, for the dead (Gen 23:2). dance--as David before the ark (Sa2 6:12-14; Psa 30:11); spiritually (Mat 9:15; Luk 6:21; Luk 15:25). The Pharisees, by requiring sadness out of time, erred seriously.”

“To weep - When men have just occasion for weeping. Ecclesiastes 3:5”

“time to weep: Neh 8:9-12, 9:1-38; Psa 30:5, Psa 126:1, Psa 126:2, Psa 126:5, Psa 126:6; Isa 22:12, Isa 22:13; Mat 9:15; Mat 11:17; Joh 16:20-22; Rom 12:15; Co2 7:10; Jam 4:9 a time to laugh: Gen 21:6; Luk 1:13, Luk 1:14, Luk 1:58, Luk 6:21-25 to dance: Exo 15:20; Sa2 6:16 Ecclesiastes 3:5”

“"To weep has its time, and to laugh has its time; to mourn has its time, and to dance has its time." It is possible that the author was led by the consonance from livnoth to livkoth, which immediately follows it; but the sequence of the thoughts is at the same time inwardly mediated, for sorrow kills and joy enlivens, Sir. 32:21-24. ספוד is particularly lamentation for the dead, Zac 12:10; and רקוד, dancing (in the more modern language the usual word for hholēl, kirkēr, hhāgǎg) at a marriage festival and on other festal occasions. It is more difficult to say what leads the author to the two following pairs of contrasts: - Ecclesiastes 3:5”