Ecclesiastes 5

Ecclesiastes · Chapter 5

Ecclesiastes 5:6

1Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil.2Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.3For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool’s voice is known by multitude of words.4When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.5Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.6Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?7For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God.8If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher than they.9Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field.10He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.11When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes?12The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.13There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt.14But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand.15As he came forth of his mother’s womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.16And this also is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind?17All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness.18Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion.19Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.20For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
6Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin, and do not tell the messenger that your vow was a mistake. Why should God be angry with your words and destroy the work of your hands?Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thy hands?

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
may notאַל־'al-H0408
not

אַל (al) 1) not, no, nor, neither, nothing (as wish or preference) 1a) do not, let not (with a verb) 1b) let there not be (with a verb understood) 1c) not, no (with substantive) 1d) nothing (as substantive) Aramaic equivalent: al (אַל "not" H0409)

you permitתִּתֵּ֤ןti-TENH5414K
to give: give

נָתַן (na.tan) : give/deliver/send/produce 1) to give, put, set 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to give, bestow, grant, permit, ascribe, employ, devote, consecrate, dedicate, pay wages, sell, exchange, lend, commit, entrust, give over, deliver up, yield produce, occasion, produce, requite to, report, mention, utter, stretch out, extend 1a2) to put, set, put on, put upon, set, appoint, assign, designate 1a3) to make, constitute 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be given, be bestowed, be provided, be entrusted to, be granted to, be permitted, be issued, be published, be uttered, be assigned 1b2) to be set, be put, be made, be inflicted …

mouth yourפִּ֙יךָ֙pi-khaH6310G
lip

פֶּה (peh) : lip/mouth peh 1) mouth 1a) mouth (of man) 1b) mouth (as organ of speech) 1c) mouth (of animals) 1d) mouth, opening, orifice (of a well, river, etc) 1e) extremity, end pim 2) a weight equal to one third of a shekel, occurs only in 1Sa 13:21

to cause to sinלַחֲטִ֣יאla-cha-TI'H2398
to sin

חָטָא (cha.ta) 1) to sin, miss, miss the way, go wrong, incur guilt, forfeit, purify from uncleanness 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to miss 1a2) to sin, miss the goal or path of right and duty 1a3) to incur guilt, incur penalty by sin, forfeit 1b) (Piel) 1b1) to bear loss 1b2) to make a sin-offering 1b3) to purify from sin 1b4) to purify from uncleanness 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to miss the mark 1c2) to induce to sin, cause to sin 1c3) to bring into guilt or condemnation or punishment 1d) (Hithpael) 1d1) to miss oneself, lose oneself, wander from the way 1d2) to purify oneself from uncleanness

flesh yourבְּשָׂרֶ֔ךָbe-sa-RE-khaH1320
flesh

בָּשָׂר (ba.sar) 1) flesh 1a) of the body 1a1) of humans 1a2) of animals 1b) the body itself 1c) male organ of generation (euphemism) 1d) kindred, blood-relations 1e) flesh as frail or erring (man against God) 1f) all living things 1g) animals 1h) mankind Aramaic equivalent: be.shar (בְּשַׁר "flesh" H1321)

and may notוְאַל־ve-'al-H0408
not

אַל (al) 1) not, no, nor, neither, nothing (as wish or preference) 1a) do not, let not (with a verb) 1b) let there not be (with a verb understood) 1c) not, no (with substantive) 1d) nothing (as substantive) Aramaic equivalent: al (אַל "not" H0409)

you sayתֹּאמַר֙to-MARH0559
to say

אָמַר (a.mar) 1) to say, speak, utter 1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend 1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called 1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly 1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)

to beforeלִפְנֵ֣יlif-NEIH6440G
face: before

פָּנֶה (pa.neh) : before/to/front 1) face 1a) face, faces 1b) presence, person 1c) face (of seraphim or cherubim) 1d) face (of animals) 1e) face, surface (of ground) 1f) as adv of loc/temp 1f1) before and behind, toward, in front of, forward, formerly, from beforetime, before 1g) with prep 1g1) in front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of, at the face or front of, from the presence of, from before, from before the face of

the messengerהַמַּלְאָ֔ךְha-mal-'AKHH4397G
messenger

מַלְאָךְ (ma.le.akh) : messenger 1) messenger, representative 1a) messenger 1b) angel 1c) the theophanic angel

thatכִּ֥יkiH3588A
for

כִּי (ki) 1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since 1a) that 1a1) yea, indeed 1b) when (of time) 1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force) 1c) because, since (causal connection) 1d) but (after negative) 1e) that if, for if, indeed if, for though, but if 1f) but rather, but 1g) except that 1h) only, nevertheless 1i) surely 1j) that is 1k) but if 1l) for though 1m) forasmuch as, for therefore

[was] inadvertenceשְׁגָגָ֖הshe-ga-GAHH7684
unintentionally

שְׁגָגָה (she.ga.gah) 1) sin, sin of error or inadvertence, inadvertent sin 1a) error

itהִ֑יאHi'H1931
he/she/it

הוּא (hu) pron 3p s 1) he, she, it 1a) himself (with emphasis) 1b) resuming subj with emphasis 1c) (with minimum emphasis following predicate) 1d) (anticipating subj) 1e) (emphasising predicate) 1f) that, it (neuter) demons pron 2) that (with article)

to why?לָ֣מָּהLA-mahH4100
what

מָא (ma) 1) what, whatever 1a) what? 1b) whatever, what, whatsoever 1c) how?, why?, wherefore? (with prefixes)

will he be angryיִקְצֹ֤ףyik-TZOFH7107
be angry

קָצַף (qa.tsaph) 1) to be displeased, be angry, fret oneself, be wroth 1a) (Qal) to be wroth, to be full of wrath, to be furious 1b) (Hiphil) to provoke to wrath or anger 1c) (Hithpael) to put oneself in a rage, anger oneself Aramaic equivalent: qe.tsaph (קְצַף "be angry" H7108)

the Godהָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ha-'E-lo-HIMH0430G
God

אֱלֹהִים (e.lo.him) This name means "gods" (plural intensive-singular meaning), "God" Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)

towardsעַל־'al-H5921A
upon

עַל (al) prep 1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against 1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards 1b) above, beyond, over (of excess) 1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence) 1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition) 1e) over (of suspension or extension) …

voice yourקוֹלֶ֔ךָko-LE-chaH6963A
voice

קוֹל (qol) : voice/shout/loud 1) voice, sound, noise 1a) voice 1b) sound (of instrument)

and he will destroyוְחִבֵּ֖לve-chi-BELH2254B
to destroy

חָבַל (cha.val) 1) to destroy, spoil, deal corruptly, offend 1a) (Qal) to spoil, corrupt, offend 1b) (Niphal) to be ruined 1c) (Piel) to destroy, ruin 1d) (Pual) to be ruined, be broken Aramaic equivalent: cha.val (חֲבַל "to destroy" H2255)

[the] work ofמַעֲשֵׂ֥הma-'a-SEHH4639G
deed: work

מַעֲשֶׂה (ma.a.seh) : work/product 1) deed, work 1a) deed, thing done, act 1b) work, labour 1c) business, pursuit 1d) undertaking, enterprise 1e) achievement 1f) deeds, works (of deliverance and judgment) 1g) work, thing made 1h) work (of God) 1i) product

hands yourיָדֶֽיךָ׃ya-DEI-khaH3027G
hand

יָד (yad) : hand/arm[anatomy] 1) hand 1a) hand (of man) 1b) strength, power (fig.) 1c) side (of land), part, portion (metaph.) (fig.) 1d) (various special, technical senses) 1d1) sign, monument 1d2) part, fractional part, share 1d3) time, repetition 1d4) axle-trees, axle 1d5) stays, support (for laver) 1d6) tenons (in tabernacle) 1d7) a phallus, a hand (meaning unsure) 1d8) wrists

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.