Ecclesiastes5
New American Standard
1Guard your steps as you go to the house of God, and approach to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for they do not know that they are doing evil.
2Do not be quick with your mouth or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven and you are on the earth; therefore let your words be few.
3For the dream comes through much effort, and the voice of a fool through many words.
4When you make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it; for He takes no delight in fools. Pay what you vow!
5It is better that you not vow, than vow and not pay.
6Do not let your speech cause you to sin, and do not say in the presence of the messenger of God that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry on account of your voice, and destroy the work of your hands?
7For in many dreams and in many words there is futility. Rather, fear God.
8If you see oppression of the poor and denial of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be shocked at the sight; for one official watches over another official, and there are higher officials over them.
9After all, a king who cultivates the field is beneficial to the land.
10One who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor one who loves abundance with its income. This too is futility.
11When good things increase, those who consume them increase. So what is the advantage to their owners except to look at them?
12The sleep of the laborer is sweet, whether he eats little or much; but the full stomach of the rich person does not allow him to sleep.
13There is a sickening evil which I have seen under the sun: wealth being hoarded by its owner to his detriment.
14When that wealth was lost through bad business and he had fathered a son, then there was nothing to support him.
15As he came naked from his mother’s womb, so he will return as he came. He will take nothing from the fruit of his labor that he can carry in his hand.
16This also is a sickening evil: exactly as a person is born, so will he die. What then is the advantage for him who labors for the wind?
17All his life he also eats in darkness with great irritation, sickness, and anger.
18Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting: to eat, to drink, and enjoy oneself in all one’s labor in which he labors under the sun during the few years of his life which God has given him; for this is his reward.
19Furthermore, as for every person to whom God has given riches and wealth, He has also given him the opportunity to enjoy them and to receive his reward and rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God.
20For he will not often call to mind the years of his life, because God keeps him busy with the joy of his heart.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Ecclesiastes 5.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: What renders devotion vain. (1-3). Of vows, and oppression. (4-8). the vanity of riches shown. (9-7). The right use of riches. (18-20).
vv1-3
Address thyself to the worship of God, and take time to compose thyself for it. Keep thy thoughts from roving and wandering: keep thy affections from running out toward wrong objects. We should avoid vain repetitions; copious prayers are not here condemned, but those that are unmeaning. How often our wandering thoughts render attendance on Divine ordinances little better than the sacrifice of fools! Many words and hasty ones, used in prayer, show folly in the heart, low thoughts of God, and careless thoughts of our own souls.
vv4-8
When a person made engagements rashly, he suffered his mouth to cause his flesh to sin. The case supposes a man coming to the priest, and pretending that his vow was made rashly, and that it would be wrong to fulfil it. Such mockery of God would bring the Divine displeasure, which might blast what was thus unduly kept. We are to keep down the fear of man. Set God before thee; then, if thou seest the oppression of the poor, thou wilt not find fault with Divine Providence; nor think the worse of the institution of magistracy, when thou seest the ends of it thus perverted; nor of religion, when thou seest it will not secure men from suffering wrong. But though oppressors may be secure, God will reckon for all.
vv9-17
The goodness of Providence is more equally distributed than appears to a careless observer. The king needs the common things of life, and the poor share them; they relish their morsel better than he does his luxuries. There are bodily desires which silver itself will not satisfy, much less will worldly abundance satisfy spiritual desires. The more men have, the better house they must keep, the more servants they must employ, the more guests they must entertain, and the more they will have hanging on them. The sleep of the labourer is sweet, not only because he is tired, but because he has little care to break his sleep. The sleep of the diligent Christian, and his long sleep, are sweet; having spent himself and his time in the service of God, he can cheerfully repose in God as his Rest. But those who have every thing else, often fail to secure a good night's sleep; their abundance breaks their rest. Riches do hurt, and draw away the heart from God and duty. Men do hurt with their riches, not only gratifying their own lusts, but oppressing others, and dealing hardly with them. They will see that they have laboured for the wind, when, at death, they find the profit of their labour is all gone like the wind, they know not whither. How ill the covetous worldling bears the calamities of human life! He does not sorrow to repentance, but is angry at the providence of God, angry at all about him; which doubles his affliction.
Key Words
שָׁמַר: properly, to hedge about (as with thorns), i.e. guard; generally, to protect, attend to, etc.
רֶגֶל: a foot (as used in walking); by implication, a step; by euphemistically the pudenda
יָלַךְ: to walk (literally or figuratively); causatively, to carry (in various senses)
בַּיִת: a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.)
אֱלֹהִים: gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative
קָרַב: to approach (causatively, bring near) for whatever purpose
שָׁמַע: to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)
מִן: properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses
נָתַן: to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)
זֶבַח: properly, a slaughter, i.e. the flesh of an animal; by implication, a sacrifice (the victim or the act)
Cross References
Ecclesiastes 5The foundational Mosaic law regarding the obligation to pay vows made to God without delay.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
The source command to remove shoes, illuminating the metaphor of keeping one's foot in worship.
Supported by JFB
Obedience (hearing) is superior to sacrifice, which is the cornerstone of avoiding the sacrifice of fools.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Warns against the snare of rashly devouring holy things and making inquiry only after vows.
Supported by JFB
Christ's warning against using vain repetitions and thinking one is heard for much speaking.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Exhorts believers to vow and pay their vows to the Lord their God.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Identifies the priest as the messenger (angel) of the Lord before whom vows were confessed.
Supported by JFB
The Levitical prescription for handling a rash oath when it is realized as an error.
Supported by JFB
The NT parallel that the love of money (silver) is a root of all kinds of evil.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Reflects the naked-in, naked-out reality of human existence and material accumulation.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Joshua commanded to loose his shoe, reinforcing the temple practice of guarding one's step.
Supported by JFB
Parallels how a fool's voice is multiplied with meaningless words.
Supported by JFB
Prophetic warning against those swallowing up the needy, matching God's final oversight of oppressors.
Supported by JFB
The dust-to-dust reality under the curse of labor, matching the vanity of empty labor.
Supported by Matthew Henry