EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Ecclesiastes 5:2
2You should not speak too soon. Think carefully before you make a promise to God. God is in heaven and you are here on the earth. So do not say too much.
Ecclesiastes 5:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.
- New International Version (NIV)Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Do not be rash with your mouth, And let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; Therefore let your words be few.
Context of Ecclesiastes 5:2
1When you go to God's temple, be careful what you do. Listen carefully when you come near to God. Do not offer sacrifices in the way that foolish people do. They do not even know that they are doing something bad. You should not speak too soon. Think carefully before you make a promise to God. God is in heaven and you are here on the earth. So do not say too much. 3If you worry about many things, you will have many dreams. If you talk too much, you will say foolish things. 4If you make a promise to God, quickly do what you have promised. God is not pleased with foolish people. So give what you have promised to give.
Read all of Ecclesiastes 5Ecclesiastes 5:2 word by word
אַל־תְּבַהֵ֨ל עַל־פִּ֜יךָ וְלִבְּךָ֧ אַל־יְמַהֵ֛ר לְהוֹצִ֥יא דָבָ֖ר לִפְנֵ֣י הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים כִּ֣י הָאֱלֹהִ֤ים בַּשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙ וְאַתָּ֣ה עַל־הָאָ֔רֶץ עַֽל־כֵּ֛ן יִהְי֥וּ דְבָרֶ֖יךָ מְעַטִּֽים׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Be not rashבָּהַלbâhal · to dismayH926
- with thy mouthפֶּהpeh · lipH6310
- and let not thine heartלֵבlêb · heartH3820
- be hastyמָהַרmâhar · to hastenH4116
- to utterיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: speakH3318
- thingדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
- beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
- Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- in heavenשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064
- and thou upon earthאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- be fewמְעַטme‛aţ me‛âţ · littleH4592
Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 5:2
- Genesis 18:27Then Abraham spoke again. He said, ‘I have been brave enough to speak to the Lord. I know that I am nothing more than dust and ashes.
- Genesis 28:20Then Jacob made a promise to God. He said, ‘While I am on this journey, I want God to be with me and to take care of me. I want him to give me food to eat and clothes to wear.
- Numbers 30:2If a man promises to the Lord that he will do something, he must do everything that he has promised.
- Judges 11:30Jephthah promised the Lord, ‘Please let us win the battle against the Ammonites.
- 1 Samuel 14:24The Israelite soldiers became very weak and hungry that day. Saul had told his army to agree to this promise: ‘Nobody may eat any food before this evening. By then I will have won against my enemies. If anyone eats anything before then, may God curse him!’ So no soldier in Saul's army ate any food.
- Mark 6:23He made a strong promise, ‘I will give you anything that you ask me to give to you. I will even give you half of everything that I rule over.’
- Psalms 115:3We know that our God is in heaven. He does whatever he wants to do.
- Isaiah 55:9The sky is far higher than the earth. In the same way, I do things in a much better way than you do. Also, my thoughts are much higher than your thoughts.
- Matthew 6:9So this is how you should pray: “God, our Father who is in heaven, we want people to give honour to you.
- Ecclesiastes 5:3If you worry about many things, you will have many dreams. If you talk too much, you will say foolish things.
- Proverbs 10:19If you talk too much, you will soon do something wrong. But if you are wise, you will stop talking.
- Matthew 6:7When you pray, do not say the same words many times. People who do not believe in God do that. They use many words that mean nothing. They think that when they pray like that, their gods will hear them.
- James 3:2We all make many mistakes. So, if someone never says anything that is bad, that person is completely good. It shows that he has authority over his whole body.
Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 5:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2Be 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 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. 22. rash--opposed to the considerate reverence ("keep thy foot," Ec 5:1). This verse illustrates Ec 5:1, as to prayer in the house of God ("before God," Is 1:12); so Ec 5:4-6 as to vows. The remedy to such vanities is stated (Ec 5:6). "Fear thou God." God is in heaven--Therefore He ought to be approached with carefully weighed words, by thee, a frail creature of earth.Read the comment
Topics related to Ecclesiastes 5:2
In the dictionaries
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
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