Ecclesiastes 5

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ecclesiastes 5

Solomon, in this chapter, discourses, I. Concerning the worship of God, prescribing that as a remedy against all those vanities which he had already observed to be in wisdom, learning, pleasure, honour, power, and business. That we may not be deceived by those things, nor have our spirits vexed with the disappointments we meet with in them, let us make conscience of our duty to God and keep up our communion with him; but, withal, he gives a necessary caution against the vanities which are to... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ecclesiastes 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, I. He here sends us to the house of God, to the place of public worship, to the temple, which he himself had built at a vast expense. When he reflected with regret on all his other works (Eccl. 2:4), he did not repent of that,... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ecclesiastes 5:4-8

Four things we are exhorted to in these verses:? I. To be conscientious in paying our vows. 1. A vow is a bond upon the soul (Num. 30:2), by which we solemnly oblige ourselves, not only, in general, to do that which we are already bound to do, but, in some particular instances, to do that to do which we were not under any antecedent obligation, whether it respects honouring God or serving the interests of his kingdom among men. When, under the sense of some affliction (Ps. 66:14), or in the... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ecclesiastes 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... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ecclesiastes 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, Eccl. 2:24; 3:22. Observe, 1. What it is that is here recommended to us, not to indulge the appetites of the flesh, or to take up with present pleasures or profits for our portion, but soberly and moderately to make use of what Providence has... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ecclesiastes 5

INTRODUCTION TO ECCLESIASTES 5 This chapter contains some rules and directions concerning the worship of God; how persons should behave when they go into the house of God; concerning hearing the word, to which there should be a readiness, and which should be preferred to the sacrifices of fools, Ecclesiastes 5:1 . Concerning prayer to God; which should not be uttered rashly and hastily, and should be expressed in few words; which is urged from the consideration of the majesty of God, and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ecclesiastes 5:1

Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God ,.... The house of the sanctuary of the Lord, the temple built by Solomon; and so any place of divine worship, where the word of God is preached, and his ordinances administered. The wise man, having observed many vanities under the sun, directs men to the house of God, where they might learn the nature of them, and how to avoid them; though if care was not taken, they would find or introduce vanity there; which, of all vanities, is the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ecclesiastes 5:2

Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God ,.... In private conversation care should be taken that no rash and unadvised words be spoken in haste, as were by Moses and David; and that no evil, nor even any idle word he uttered, since from, the abundance of the heart the mouth is apt to speak, and all is before, the Lord; not a word in the tongue but is altogether known by him, and must be accounted for to him, Psalm 106:33 . Jerom... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ecclesiastes 5:3

For a dream cometh through the multitude of business ,.... Or, "for as a dream" F17 כי בא "ut prodit somnium", Junius & Tremellius; "nam ut venit", Piscator; "quia sicut venit", Mercerus, Ramabachius, so Broughton. , so Aben Ezra; as that comes through a multiplicity of business in the daytime, in which the mind has been busied, and the body employed; and this brings on dreams in the night season, which are confused and incoherent; sometimes the fancy is employed about one... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ecclesiastes 5:4

When thou vowest a vow unto God ,.... Or "if thou vowest" F18 כאשר תדר "si quid vovisti", V. L. , as the Vulgate Latin version; for vows are free and indifferent things, which persons may make or not; there is no precept for them in the word of God; instances and examples there are, and they may be lawfully made, when they are in the power of man to perform, and are not inconsistent with the will and word of God; they have been made by good men, and were frequent in former times;... read more

Group of Brands