A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
Ver. 7. A time to rend, and a time to sew.] As in making a new or translating an old garment. Turks wonder at the English for pinking or cutting their clothes, and making holes in whole cloth, which time of itself would tear too soon. a It was a custom among the Jews to rend their clothes in the case of sad occurrences. The prophet Ahijah rent Jeroboam's new garment in twelve pieces, to show that God would rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon. 1Ki 11:31 Schismatics rend the Church, heretics the Scriptures. God will stitch up all in his own time, and heal the breaches thereof. Psa 60:2
A time to keep silence, and a time to speak.] It is a singular skill to "time a word," Isa 50:4 to set it upon its wheels, Pro 25:11 as Abigail did for her family, 1Sa 25:23-31 as Esther did against Haman. And it is a happy thing when a man can pray, as one once did, Det Deus ut sermo meus adeo commodus sit, quam sit accommodus, God grant my speech may be as profitable as it is seasonable. He that would be able to speak when and as he ought, must first learn silence, as the Pythagoreans did of old, b as the Turks do at this day, Perpetuum silentium tenent ut muti, they are not suffered to speak. Discamus prius non loqui, saith Jerome upon this text. Let us first learn not to speak, that afterwards we may open our mouths to speak wisely. Silence is fitly set here before speaking, and first takes its time and turn. It is a good rule that one gives, either keep silence, or speak that which is better than silence. c
a Fuller.
b εχεμυθια Pythagorica. - Cuspin. de Caesarib., 475.
c H σιγαν η κρεισσονα σιγης λεγειν .