Ecclesiastes5
New International Version
1Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.
2Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.
3A dream comes when there are many cares, and many words mark the speech of a fool.
4When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow.
5It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it.
6Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, “My vow was a mistake.” Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands?
7Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore fear God.
8If you see the poor oppressed in a district, and justice and rights denied, do not be surprised at such things; for one official is eyed by a higher one, and over them both are others higher still.
9The increase from the land is taken by all; the king himself profits from the fields.
10Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless.
11As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owners except to feast their eyes on them?
12The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether they eat little or much, but as for the rich, their abundance permits them no sleep.
13I have seen a grievous evil under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owners,
14or wealth lost through some misfortune, so that when they have children there is nothing left for them to inherit.
15Everyone comes naked from their mother’s womb, and as everyone comes, so they depart. They take nothing from their toil that they can carry in their hands.
16This too is a grievous evil: As everyone comes, so they depart, and what do they gain, since they toil for the wind?
17All their days they eat in darkness, with great frustration, affliction and anger.
18This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them—for this is their lot.
19Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God.
20They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of 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