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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

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

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ecclesiastes 5:1

Keep thy foot - This verse the Hebrew and all the versions join to the preceding chapter. Solomon, having before intimated, though very briefly, that the only cure against human vanity is a due sense of religion, now enters more largely on this important subject, and gives some excellent directions with regard to the right performance of Divine service, the nature of vocal and mental prayer, the danger of rash vows, etc. - C. The whole verse might be more literally translated thus: - ... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ecclesiastes 5:2

Be not rash with thy mouth - Do not hasten with thy mouth; weigh thy words, feel deeply, think much, speak little. "When ye approach his altar, on your lips Set strictest guard; and let your thoughts be pure, Fervent, and recollected. Thus prepared, Send up the silent breathings of your souls, Submissive to his will." C. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Ecclesiastes 5:1

This verse, in the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin Bibles, forms the conclusion of Ecclesiastes 4:1-16 ; and is taken independently; but the division in our version is more natural, and the connection of this with the following verses is obvious. Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God , Some read "feet" instead of "foot," but the singular and plural numbers are both found in this signification (comp. Psalms 119:59 , Psalms 119:105 ; Proverbs 1:15 ; Proverbs 4:26 , Proverbs... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Ecclesiastes 5:1-7

Section 6. Man's outward and secular life being unable to secure happiness and satisfaction, can these be found in popular religion? Religious exercises need the observation of strict rules, which are far from meeting with general attention. Koheleth proceeds to give instruction, in the form of maxims, concerning public worship, prayer, and vows. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Ecclesiastes 5:2

Koheleth warns against thoughtless words or hasty professions in prayer, which formed another feature of popular religion. Be not rash with thy mouth. The warning is against hasty and thoughtless words in prayer, words that go from the lips with glib facility, but come not from the heart. Thus our Lord bids those who pray not to use vain repetitions ( μὴ βαττολογήσατε ), as the heathen, who think to be heard for their much speaking ( Matthew 6:7 ). Jesus himself used the same words in... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Ecclesiastes 5:1

Keep thy foot - i. e., Give thy mind to what thou art going to do.The house of God - It has been said that here an ordinary devout Hebrew writer might have been expected to call it “the house of Yahweh;” but to those who accept this book as the work of Solomon after his fall into idolatry, it will appear a natural sign of the writer’s self-humiliation, an acknowledgment of his unworthiness of the privileges of a son of the covenant, that he avoids the name of the Lord of the covenant (see... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Ecclesiastes 5:1

Ecclesiastes 5:1. Keep thy foot Thy thoughts and affections, by which men go to God, and walk with him. See that your hearts be upright before him, devoted to him, and furnished with those graces essential to the true worship of him, especially with reverence, humility, resignation, meekness, faith, and love. It is a metaphor taken from a person’s walking in a very slippery path, in which more than ordinary care is requisite to keep him from falling: when thou goest to the house of God ... read more

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