Ecclesiastes5

The chapter admonishes reverence in worship, urging caution with words and promptness in fulfilling vows before God. It then explores the vanity of accumulating wealth, noting that riches often bring dissatisfaction and can be lost, leaving one with nothing. Ultimately, it concludes that true good lies in enjoying one's labor and portion as a gift from God, rather than pursuing insatiable material gain.
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Reverence and Wisdom in Worship

1
Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God; for to draw nigh to hear is better than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they know not that they do evil. ​
2
Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter anything before God; for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few. ​
3
For a dream cometh with a multitude of business, and a fool’s voice with a multitude of words.
4
When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou vowest. ​
5
Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.
6
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? ​
7
For in the multitude of dreams there are vanities, and in many words: but fear thou God. ​

Observing Injustice and Authority

8
If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and the violent taking away of justice and righteousness in a province, marvel not at the matter: for one higher than the high regardeth; and there are higher than they. ​
9
Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field.

The Vanity and Peril of Riches

10
He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance, with increase: this also is vanity. ​
11
When goods increase, they are increased that eat them; and what advantage is there to the owner thereof, save the beholding of them with his eyes? ​
12
The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much; but the fulness of the rich will not suffer him to sleep. ​
13
There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept by the owner thereof to his hurt: ​
14
and those riches perish by evil adventure; and if he hath begotten a son, there is nothing in his hand.
15
As he came forth from his mother’s womb, naked shall he go again as he came, and shall take nothing for his labor, which he may carry away in his hand. ​
16
And this also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that he laboreth for the wind?
17
All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he is sore vexed, and hath sickness and wrath. ​

Enjoyment as God's Gift

18
Behold, that which I have seen to be good and to be comely is for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labor, wherein he laboreth under the sun, all the days of his life which God hath given him: for this is his portion. ​
19
Every 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 labor—this is the gift of God. ​
20
For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart. ​

Study Notes for Ecclesiastes 5

Verse 1

Qoheleth emphasizes that obedience and attentive listening are superior to thoughtless ritual sacrifice. A 'sacrifice of fools' refers to superficial worship offered without reverence or moral consideration.

Verse 2

This verse underscores the vast ontological gap between the transcendent God ('in heaven') and mortal humanity ('upon earth'), demanding reverence, thoughtfulness, and brevity in prayer and speech.

Verse 4

Vows were voluntary but, once made, were legally binding under Mosaic Law (Deut 23:21-23). Qoheleth warns against making promises to God one does not intend to keep.

Verse 6

The 'angel' may refer to the temple priest (God’s messenger) or a celestial witness to the vow. Reneging on a vow invites divine judgment, potentially destroying one’s livelihood ('the work of thine hands').

Verse 7

This summarizes the previous section, contrasting the futility ('vanities') of excessive talk and misguided thoughts with the lasting wisdom found in fearing God.

Verse 8

The reader is advised not to be overly shocked by institutional corruption and oppression. The phrase 'he that is higher than the highest' ensures that God oversees all human authority, implying ultimate divine supervision of justice.

Verse 10

This transitions to economic observations. Wealth itself does not satisfy the desire for it; the craving for accumulation is insatiable, rendering the pursuit of endless riches meaningless ('vanity').

Verse 11

As wealth increases, so do the costs and the number of dependents (servants, retainers, tax collectors). The owner’s benefit is often reduced to the mere physical sight of their possessions.

Verse 12

This contrasts the physical reality of the laborer, whose exhaustion guarantees sweet sleep, with the psychological burdens of the wealthy, whose anxiety over their 'abundance' prevents rest.

Verse 13

The 'sore evil' is the paradox where wealth, intended for security and happiness, actually harms the owner, often through obsession, fear of loss, or attracting external threats.

Verse 15

A restatement of the theme of mortality (cf. Job 1:21). Since death strips away all possessions, labor focused solely on accumulation is ultimately futile, as nothing can be carried into the afterlife.

Verse 17

To 'eateth in darkness' depicts a life characterized by anxiety, miserliness, and lack of celebration, often accompanied by bitterness ('sorrow and wrath') due to the fear of loss.

Verse 18

This is a key affirmation in Ecclesiastes (cf. 2:24; 9:7). True goodness lies in accepting and enjoying the simple, everyday fruits of one's labor as a direct 'portion' granted by God.

Verse 19

The ability to enjoy riches—to truly 'eat thereof'—is emphasized as a distinct and separate 'gift of God,' without which wealth becomes a source of misery (as described in vv. 13-17).

Verse 20

The contented person does not dwell on the fleeting nature of life due to the joy and satisfaction that God provides. Joy acts as a buffer against the pervasive pessimism of 'under the sun' existence.

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