Ecclesiastes 3:5

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to cast away stones - as out of a garden or vineyard (): as not one stone was left upon another of the great buildings of the temple, when it had ceased to be the true house of God.

A time to gather then followed-for building; figuratively, the Gentiles, once cast-away stones, were in due time made parts of the spiritual building (Ephesians 2:19), and children of Abraham (); so the restored Jews hereafter (Psalms 102:13; ).

A time to embrace, and ... to refrain from embracing - (; 1 Corinthians 7:5.) God has His time for embracing His people, and for rejecting them (; ). Contrast . Habakkuk means hearty embrace. Compare the image of a girdle round the loins, to express how God "caused the whole house of Israel to cleave unto Him" ().