New English Translation
Ecclesiastes 5:6
6Do not let your mouth cause you to sin, and do not tell the priest, “It was a mistake!” Why make God angry at you so that he would destroy the work of your hands?”
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, do not delay in paying it. For God takes no pleasure in fools: Pay what you vow! 5It is better for you not to vow than to vow and not pay it. Do not let your mouth cause you to sin, and do not tell the priest, “It was a mistake!” Why make God angry at you so that he would destroy the work of your hands?” 7Just as there is futility in many dreams, so also in many words. Therefore, fear God! 8If you see the extortion of the poor, or the perversion of justice and fairness in the government, do not be astonished by the matter. For the high official is watched by a higher official, and there are higher ones 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 5:1Be careful what you do when you go to the temple of God; draw near to listen rather than to offer a sacrifice like fools, for they do not realize that they are doing wrong.
- James 1:26If someone thinks he is religious yet does not bridle his tongue, and so deceives his heart, his religion is futile.
- James 3:2For we all stumble in many ways. If someone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect individual, able to control the entire body as well.
- Leviticus 5:4or when a person swears an oath, speaking thoughtlessly with his lips, whether to do evil or to do good, with regard to anything which the individual might speak thoughtlessly in an oath, even if he did not realize it, but he himself has later come to know it and is guilty with regard to one of these oaths –
- Genesis 48:16the Angel who has protected me from all harm – bless these boys. May my name be named in them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac. May they grow into a multitude on the earth.”
- Hosea 12:4He struggled with an angel and prevailed; he wept and begged for his favor. He found God at Bethel, and there he spoke with him!
- Malachi 2:7For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge of sacred things, and people should seek instruction from him because he is the messenger of the Lord who rules over all.
- Malachi 3:1“I am about to send my messenger, who will clear the way before me. Indeed, the Lord you are seeking will suddenly come to his temple, and the messenger of the covenant, whom you long for, is certainly coming,” says the Lord who rules over all.
- Acts 7:30“After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the desert of Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning bush.
- 1 Corinthians 11:10For this reason a woman should have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.
- 1 Timothy 5:21Before God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, I solemnly charge you to carry out these commands without prejudice or favoritism of any kind.
- Hebrews 1:14Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to serve those who will inherit salvation?
- Leviticus 4:5Then that high priest must take some of the blood of the bull and bring it to the Meeting Tent.
- Leviticus 27:9“‘If what is vowed is a kind of animal from which an offering may be presented to the Lord, anything which he gives to the Lord from this kind of animal will be holy.
- Haggai 1:9‘You expected a large harvest, but instead there was little, and when you brought it home it disappeared right away. Why?’ asks the Lord who rules over all. ‘Because my temple remains in ruins, thanks to each of you favoring his own house!
- Haggai 2:14Then Haggai responded, “‘The people of this nation are unclean in my sight,’ says the Lord. ‘And so is all their effort; everything they offer is also 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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