Ecclesiastes 5
5
1Be careful#5:1. Literally, “guard your footsteps.” when you go into God's house. It's better to listen and respond rather than offer meaningless sacrifices.#5:1. “Meaningless sacrifices”: literally, “the sacrifices of fools.” People who do that don't even know they are doing wrong. 2Don't say rash things, and think before you speak to God. For God is in heaven, and you are on earth, so keep it short. 3When you worry too much, you get nightmares; when you talk too much, you say foolish things.
4When you make a vow to God, with a curse on you if you don't keep it,#5:4. “With a curse on you if you don't keep it,” implied. Frequently vows to God included a curse for failing to keep the vow. don't be slow in keeping it, for he is not happy with foolish behavior. So do what you promised! 5Better not to make any vows at all than to make vow you don't keep. 6Don't let your mouth cause you to sin. And don't tell the priest#5:6. Literally, “messenger.” In Malachi 2:7 priests are identified as messengers. In any case, the situation is one of informing someone at the Temple that the promise (vow) you made was a mistake. that your vow was a mistake, for why would you antagonize God by breaking your promise?#5:6. Many such promises (vows) included a self-pronounced curse if it was not kept—so by failing to keep the promise, the individual would be subject to the curse they had pronounced on themselves. He could bring your own curse down on you. 7There are certainly many dreams, questions of meaning, and lots of different ideas, but you are to follow God.
8If you see poor people somewhere#5:8. “Somewhere”: literally, “in the province”—a general term. being oppressed, or truth and justice violated, don't be shocked at it, for every official is responsible to others higher up, and there are officials over them as well.#5:8. The Hebrew meaning is unclear. It probably is saying that corruption and injustice are endemic. 9However, what the land produces is for everyone—even the king benefits from what is grown.#5:9. Again the meaning is unclear in this verse.
10People who love money never have enough money; those who love wealth never have enough income. This too is so temporary and makes little sense. 11The more you earn, the more you have eating into your income. It only looks like you have more! 12Those who work hard sleep well, whether they have a little to eat or plenty, but the rich own so much they don't get any rest. 13I observed something here that is really sickening:#5:13. The two words often translated as “grievous evil” really refer to “miserable illness,” or something that makes you “really sick.” Also in verse 16. people who hoard money damage themselves. 14They put their money into bad investments and lose everything.
Now when we're born, we don't bring anything into the world. 15When we die, we leave just as naked as when we were born, taking nothing with us from all we've worked for. 16This also makes me sick! What do people gain, working for the wind?#5:16. As noted in footnote for 1:14, the word here can mean “wind,” “breath,” or “spirit.” So it could just as easily be translated as “What do you gain, working for a breath of air?” etc. 17They live their lives in darkness, very frustrated, sick, and resentful.
18But I observed that what is good and right is to eat, drink, and to find enjoyment in the work God gives us here in this life. This is God's gift to us. 19In addition, everyone to whom God gives wealth and possessions he also gives the ability to enjoy these gifts, to be grateful for what they are given, and to enjoy the work they do. This is also God's gift to us. 20In fact such people have little time to think about life because God keeps them busy with all that makes them happy.#5:20. Whether this is a good thing or not is not indicated.
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com
Ecclesiastes 5
5
Caution in God’s Presence
1Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Better to draw near in obedience than to offer the sacrifice as fools do, # 1Sm 15:22; Mt 5:23-24 for they ignorantly do wrong. 2 # Ec 5:1 in HbDo not be hasty to speak, and do not be impulsive to make a speech before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few. # Pr 10:19; Mt 6:7 3For dreams result from much work and a fool’s voice from many words. # Jb 11:2 4When you make a vow to God, # Nm 30:2; Dt 6:13; 23:21-22; Pr 20:25 don’t delay fulfilling it, because He does not delight in fools. Fulfill what you vow. 5Better that you do not vow than that you vow and not fulfill it. # Pr 20:25; Mt 5:33-37; Ac 5:4; Jms 5:12 6Do not let your mouth bring guilt on you, # Jdg 11:30-31,34 and do not say in the presence of the messenger that it was a mistake. # Nm 15:25 Why should God be angry with your words and destroy the work of your hands? 7For many dreams bring futility, so do many words. # Ec 6:11 Therefore, fear God.
The Realities of Wealth
8If you see oppression of the poor # Ec 4:1 and perversion of justice and righteousness in the province, don’t be astonished at the situation, # 1Pt 4:12 because one official protects another official, and higher officials protect them. 9The profit from the land is taken by all; the king is served by the field. # Or An advantage for the land in every respect is a king for a cultivated field ; Hb obscure # Pr 27:23-27
10The one who loves money is never satisfied with money, and whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with income. This too is futile. 11When good things increase, the ones who consume them multiply; what, then, is the profit to the owner, except to gaze at them with his eyes? 12The sleep of the worker is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of the rich permits him no sleep.
13There is a sickening tragedy I have seen under the sun: wealth kept by its owner to his harm. # Ec 6:1-2 14That wealth was lost in a bad venture, so when he fathered a son, he was empty-handed. 15As he came from his mother’s womb, so he will go again, naked as he came; # Jb 1:21 he will take nothing for his efforts that he can carry in his hands. 16This too is a sickening tragedy: exactly as he comes, so he will go. What does the one gain # Ec 1:3 who struggles for the wind? # Pr 11:29 17What is more, he eats in darkness all his days, # Ps 127:2 with much sorrow, sickness, and anger.
18Here is what I have seen to be good: # Ec 2:24 it is appropriate to eat, drink, and experience good in all the labor one does under the sun during the few days of his life God has given him, because that is his reward. # Ec 2:10 19God has also given riches and wealth to every man, # 2Ch 1:12 and He has allowed him to enjoy them, take his reward, and rejoice in his labor. # Ec 6:2 This is a gift of God, # Ec 3:13 20for he does not often consider the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with the joy of his heart.
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