God’s Word Translation
Ecclesiastes 5:6
6Don’t let your mouth talk you into committing a sin. Don’t say in the presence of a ⌞temple⌟ messenger, “My promise was a mistake!” Why should God become angry at your excuse and destroy what you’ve accomplished?
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 promise to God, don’t be slow to keep it because God doesn’t like fools. Keep your promise. 5It is better not to make a promise than to make one and not keep it. Don’t let your mouth talk you into committing a sin. Don’t say in the presence of a ⌞temple⌟ messenger, “My promise was a mistake!” Why should God become angry at your excuse and destroy what you’ve accomplished? 7In spite of many daydreams, pointless actions, and empty words, you should still fear God. 8Don’t be surprised if you see poor people being oppressed, denied justice, or denied their rights in any district. One authority is watching over another, and they both have authorities watching over them.
Read all of Ecclesiastes 5Ecclesiastes 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 5:1Watch your step when you go to the house of God. It is better to go there and listen than to bring the sacrifices fools bring. Fools are unaware that they are doing ⌞something⌟ evil.
- James 1:26If a person thinks that he is religious but can’t control his tongue, he is fooling himself. That person’s religion is worthless.
- James 3:2All of us make a lot of mistakes. If someone doesn’t make any mistakes when he speaks, he would be perfect. He would be able to control everything he does.
- Leviticus 5:4“If you hastily take a vow about what you will or will not do (as some people do) and then ignore it (although you know what you said), you will be guilty.
- Genesis 48:16may the Messenger, who has rescued me from all evil, bless these boys. May they be called by my name and by the names of my grandfather Abraham and my father Isaac. May they have many children on the earth.”
- Hosea 12:4He struggled with the Messenger and won. Jacob cried and pleaded with him. Jacob found him at Bethel, and he talked with him there.
- Malachi 2:7“A priest’s lips should preserve knowledge. Then, because he is the messenger for the Lord of Armies, people will seek instruction from his mouth.
- Malachi 3:1“I’m going to send my messenger, and he will clear the way ahead of me. Then the Lord you are looking for will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the promise will come. He is the one you want,” says the Lord of Armies.
- Acts 7:30“Forty years later, a Messenger appeared to him in the flames of a burning bush in the desert of Mount Sinai.
- 1 Corinthians 11:10Therefore, a woman should wear something on her head to show she is under ⌞someone’s⌟ authority, out of respect for the angels.
- 1 Timothy 5:21I solemnly call on you in the sight of God, Christ Jesus, and the chosen angels to be impartial when you follow what I’ve told you. Never play favorites.
- Hebrews 1:14What are all the angels? They are spirits sent to serve those who are going to receive salvation.
- Leviticus 4:5Then the anointed priest will take some of the bull’s blood and bring it into the tent of meeting.
- Leviticus 27:9“If ⌞the vow⌟ is to give the kind of animal that people offer to the Lord, it will be considered holy.
- Haggai 1:9“You expected a lot, but you received a little. When you bring something home, I blow it away. Why?” declares the Lord of Armies. “It’s because my house lies in ruins while each of you is busy working on your own house.
- Haggai 2:14Then Haggai answered, “In the same way, I have decided that these people are unclean, and so is this nation, declares the Lord. So is everything they do. Whatever offering they bring is unclean.
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
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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