Ecclesiastes 5:6

Ecclesiastes 5:6 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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 thine hands?
• New International Version (NIV)Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, “My vow was a mistake.” Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands?
• English Standard Version (ESV)Let not your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands?
• New King James Version (NKJV)Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin, nor say before the messenger of God that it was an error. Why should God be angry at your excuse and destroy the work of your hands?

Context of Ecclesiastes 5:6

4When you make a vow to God, 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. Do not let your mouth bring guilt on you, and do not say in the presence of the messenger that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry with your words and destroy the work of your hands? 7For many dreams bring futility; so do many words. Therefore, fear God. 8If you see oppression of the poor and perversion of justice and righteousness in the province, don’t be astonished at the situation, because one official protects another official, and higher officials protect them.

Ecclesiastes 5:6 word by word

אַל־תִּתֵּ֤ן אֶת־פִּ֙יךָ֙ לַחֲטִ֣יא אֶת־בְּשָׂרֶ֔ךָ וְאַל־תֹּאמַר֙ לִפְנֵ֣י הַמַּלְאָ֔ךְ כִּ֥י שְׁגָגָ֖ה הִ֑יא לָ֣מָּה יִקְצֹ֤ף הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ עַל־קוֹלֶ֔ךָ וְחִבֵּ֖ל אֶת־מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יָדֶֽיךָ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Sufferנָתַןnâthan · to give: allowH5414
• not thy mouthפֶּהpeh · lipH6310
• to cause thy fleshבָּשָׂרbâώâr · fleshH1320
• to sinחָטָאchâţâ' · to sinH2398
• neither sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• thou beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• the angelמַלְאָךְmal'âk · messengerH4397
• an errorשְׁגָגָהshegâgâh · sin of errorH7684
• wherefore should Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• be angryקָצַףqâtsaph · be angryH7107
• at thy voiceקוֹלqôl qôl · voiceH6963
• and destroyחָבַלchâbal · to destroyH2254
• the workמַעֲשֶׂהma‛ăώeh · deed: workH4639
• of thine handsיָדyâd · handH3027

Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 5:6

• Ecclesiastes 5:1Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Better to approach in obedience than to offer the sacrifice as fools do, for they ignorantly do wrong.
• James 1:26If anyone thinks he is religious without controlling his tongue, his religion is useless and he deceives himself.
• James 3:2For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is mature, able also to control the whole body.
• Leviticus 5:4Or if someone swears rashly to do what is good or evil — concerning anything a person may speak rashly in an oath — without being aware of it, but later recognizes it, he incurs guilt in such an instance.
• Genesis 48:16the angel who has redeemed me from all harm — may he bless these boys. And may they be called by my name and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they grow to be numerous within the land.
• Hosea 12:4Jacob struggled with the angel and prevailed; he wept and sought his favor. He found him at Bethel, and there he spoke with him.
• Malachi 2:7For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should desire instruction from his mouth, because he is the messenger of the Lord of Armies.
• Malachi 3:1“See, I am going to send my messenger, and he will clear the way before me. Then the Lord you seek will suddenly come to his temple, the Messenger of the covenant you delight in — see, he is coming,” says the Lord of Armies.
• Acts 7:30After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning bush.
• 1 Corinthians 11:10This is why a woman should have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.
• 1 Timothy 5:21I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels to observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing out of favoritism.
• Hebrews 1:14Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve those who are going to inherit salvation?
• Leviticus 4:5The anointed priest will then take some of the bull’s blood and bring it into the tent of meeting.
• Leviticus 27:9“If the vow involves one of the animals that may be brought as an offering to the Lord, any of these he gives to the Lord will be holy.
• Haggai 1:9“You expected much, but then it amounted to little. When you brought the harvest to your house, I ruined it. Why?” This is the declaration of the Lord of Armies. “Because my house still lies in ruins, while each of you is busy with his own house.
• Haggai 2:14Then Haggai replied, “So is this people, and so is this nation before me — this is the Lord’s declaration. And so is every work of their hands; even what they offer there is defiled.

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 5:6

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6Neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error - Nor think of saying "before the cruel angel, who shall exercise authority over thee in the judgment of the great day, that thou didst it through ignorance." - Chaldee. I believe by the angel nothing else is intended than the priest, whose business it was to take cognizance of vows and offerings. See Leviticus 5:4, Leviticus 5:5. In Malachi 2:7, the priest is called the "angel of the Lord of hosts."Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6Suffer not thy mouth … - i. e., Do not make rash vows which may hereafter be the cause of evasion and prevarication, and remain unfulfilled. Before the angel - The Septuagint and some other versions render “before the face of God,” meaning a spiritual being representing the presence of God, a minister of divine justice Exodus 23:21, such a one as inflicted judgment upon David 2 Samuel 24:17. Others, with less probability, understand the angel to be a…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 4-8Verses 4-8 When a person made engagements rashly, he suffered his mouth to cause his flesh to sin. The case supposes a man coming to the priest, and pretending that his vow was made rashly, and that it would be wrong to fulfil it. Such mockery of God would bring the Divine displeasure, which might blast what was thus unduly kept. We are to keep down the fear of man. Set God before thee; then, if thou seest the oppression of the poor, thou wilt not find…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-7This section discusses various topics, such as justice, humans and animals, oppression, moderation, companionship, politics, and worship.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 66. thy flesh--Vow not with "thy mouth" a vow (for example, fasting), which the lusts of the flesh ("body," Ec 2:3, Margin) may tempt thee to break (Pr 20:25). angel--the "messenger" of God (Job 33:23); minister (Re 1:20); that is, the priest (Mal 2:7) "before" whom a breach of a vow was to be confessed (Le 5:4, 5). We, Christians, in our vows (for example, at baptism, the Lord's Supper, &c.) vow in the presence of Jesus Christ, "the angel of the covenant"…Read the comment

Topics related to Ecclesiastes 5:6

• Angel (a Spirit)
• Falsehood
• Priest
• Sin
• Vows

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Abundance
• Angry
• Defer
• Eat
• Error
• Vow
• Err; Error
• Ignorance

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings