Of the early Christian exegetical works on the Book of Ecclesiastes, a few fragments of a commentary by Origen, an extensive section of a commentary by Didymus the Blind, homilies by St Gregory of Nyssa, a short literal commentary attributed to St John Chrysostom, a commentary of a moderately allegorical nature by St Jerome and a commentary by Gregory of Agrigentum, bishop of Sicily from the turn of the sixth and seventh centuries, have survived. An analysis of the commentary on the verses of Koh 3:1-8 contained in the above works reveals the dual nature of the patristic exegesis of this biblical text: universal and individual. On the one hand, the authors relate the text of Koh 1-3 to time in a universal dimension, encompassing the history of the salvation of mankind and related to the activity of Divine Providence overseeing the course of the historical process. On the other hand, they interpret this passus in relation to the spiritual life of each Christian, his deep relationship to God, the process of inner perfection, the struggle against vices and the acquisition of virtues. The two temporal dimensions intermingle: man's individual journey towards perfection is part of God's planned history of the salvation of mankind. Every activity, both individually and universally, has its proper time determined by God.