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
Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong. ​
2
Do not be quick to speak, and do not be hasty in your heart to utter a word before God. After all, God is in heaven and you are on earth. So let your words be few. ​
3
As a dream comes through many cares, so the speech of a fool comes with many words.
4
When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it, because He takes no pleasure in fools. Fulfill your vow. ​
5
It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it.
6
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? ​
7
For as many dreams bring futility, so do many words. Therefore, fear God. ​

Observing Injustice and Authority

8
If you see the oppression of the poor and the denial of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be astonished at the matter; for one official is watched by a superior, and others higher still are over them. ​
9
The produce of the earth is taken by all; the king himself profits from the fields.

The Vanity and Peril of Riches

10
He who loves money is never satisfied by money, and he who loves wealth is never satisfied by income. This too is futile. ​
11
When good things increase, so do those who consume them; what then is the profit to the owner, except to behold them with his eyes? ​
12
The sleep of the worker is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of the rich man permits him no sleep. ​
13
There is a grievous evil I have seen under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owner, ​
14
or wealth lost in a failed venture, so when that man has a son there is nothing to pass on.
15
As a man came from his mother’s womb, so he will depart again, naked as he arrived. He takes nothing for his labor to carry in his hands. ​
16
This too is a grievous evil: Exactly as a man is born, so he will depart. What does he gain as he toils for the wind?
17
Moreover, all his days he eats in darkness, with much sorrow, sickness, and anger. ​

Enjoyment as God's Gift

18
Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting: to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in all the labor one does under the sun during the few days of life that God has given him—for this is his lot. ​
19
Furthermore, God has given riches and wealth to every man, and He has enabled him to enjoy them, to accept his lot, and to rejoice in his labor. This is a gift from God. ​
20
For a man seldom considers the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with 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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