There is a time to speak and a time to be silent

This page is about the saying "There is a time to speak and a time to be silent"

Possible meaning:
We should know when to say something and when to say nothing.

Origin: Like many "There is a time..." proverbs, this proverb is based on the Bible (Ecclesiastes 3):

  1. To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
  2. A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
  3. A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
  4. A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
  5. A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
  6. A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
  7. A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
  8. A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

Quick Quiz

The proverb "There is a time to speak and a time to be silent" urges us to

a. speak quietly

b. speak at the appropriate time

c. never say anything
a) speak quietly b) speak at the appropriate time c) never say anything
There is a time to speak and a time to be silent

See Saying of the Day today

Contributor: Josef Essberger