2 Be not rash H926 with thy mouth, H6310 and let not thine heart H3820 be hasty H4116 to utter H3318 any thing H1697 before H6440 God: H430 for God H430 is in heaven, H8064 and thou upon earth: H776 therefore let thy words H1697 be few. H4592
3 For a dream H2472 cometh H935 through the multitude H7230 of business; H6045 and a fool's H3684 voice H6963 is known by multitude H7230 of words. H1697
4 When thou vowest H5087 a vow H5088 unto God, H430 defer H309 not to pay H7999 it; for he hath no pleasure H2656 in fools: H3684 pay H7999 that which thou hast vowed. H5087
5 Better H2896 is it that thou shouldest not vow, H5087 than that thou shouldest vow H5087 and not pay. H7999
6 Suffer H5414 not thy mouth H6310 to cause thy flesh H1320 to sin; H2398 neither say H559 thou before H6440 the angel, H4397 that it was an error: H7684 wherefore should God H430 be angry H7107 at thy voice, H6963 and destroy H2254 the work H4639 of thine hands? H3027
7 For in the multitude H7230 of dreams H2472 and many H7235 words H1697 there are also divers vanities: H1892 but fear H3372 thou God. H430
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Ecclesiastes 5
Commentary on Ecclesiastes 5 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 5
Solomon, in this chapter, discourses,
So that if we can but learn out of this chapter how to manage the business of religion, and the business of this world (which two take up most of our time), so that both may turn to a good account, and neither our sabbath days nor our week-days may be lost, we shall have reason to say, We have learned two good lessons.
Ecc 5:1-3
Solomon's design, in driving us off from the world, by showing us its vanity, is to drive us to God and to our duty, that we may not walk in the way of the world, but by religious rules, nor depend upon the wealth of the world, but on religious advantages; and therefore,
Ecc 5:4-8
Four things we are exhorted to in these verses:-
Ecc 5:9-17
Solomon had shown the vanity of pleasure, gaiety, and fine works, of honour, power, and royal dignity; and there is many a covetous worldling that will agree with him, and speak as slightly as he does of these things; but money, he thinks, is a substantial thing, and if he can but have enough of that he is happy. This is the mistake which Solomon attacks, and attempts to rectify, in these verses; he shows that there is as much vanity in great riches, and the lust of the eye about them, as there is in the lusts of the flesh and the pride of life, and a man can make himself no more happy by hoarding an estate than by spending it.
Ecc 5:18-20
Solomon, from the vanity of riches hoarded up, here infers that the best course we can take is to use well what we have, to serve God with it, to do good with it, and take the comfort of it to ourselves and our families; this he had pressed before, ch. 2:24; 3:22. Observe,