# Where is “A cord of three strands is not quickly broken” in the Bible?

> “A cord of three strands is not quickly broken” is Ecclesiastes 4:12.

Source: https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/a-cord-of-three-strands-is-not-quickly-broken
By Andrew Kittridge · November 10, 2026

The Teacher of Ecclesiastes says it. Tradition names him as Solomon.

## The verse

> And though someone might overpower one person, two can stand against him. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
>
> — [Ecclesiastes 4:12](https://www.lumin.faith/read/ecclesiastes/4#12) (Lumin Translation)

These exact words are in the Lumin Translation, a modern English Bible.

## What it means there

The passage counts up: one alone, two together, then three. At weddings the third strand is often taken to be God. In the passage it is a plain point that more companions are stronger.

## Common questions

### Where is “A cord of three strands is not quickly broken” in the Bible?

“A cord of three strands is not quickly broken” is Ecclesiastes 4:12. These exact words are in the Lumin Translation, a modern English Bible. The Teacher of Ecclesiastes says it. Tradition names him as Solomon.

### Is “A cord of three strands is not quickly broken” in the Bible?

Yes. It is Ecclesiastes 4:12. In the Lumin Translation, Ecclesiastes 4:12 reads: “And though someone might overpower one person, two can stand against him. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

### Who said “A cord of three strands is not quickly broken”?

The Teacher of Ecclesiastes says it. Tradition names him as Solomon.

### What does “A cord of three strands is not quickly broken” mean in the Bible?

The passage counts up: one alone, two together, then three. At weddings the third strand is often taken to be God. In the passage it is a plain point that more companions are stronger.

## More

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