New Living Translation
Ecclesiastes 5:7
7Talk is cheap, like daydreams and other useless activities. Fear God instead.
Ecclesiastes 5:7 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God.
- New International Version (NIV)Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore fear God.
- English Standard Version (ESV)For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity; but God is the one you must fear.
- New King James Version (NKJV)For in the multitude of dreams and many words there is also vanity. But fear God.
Context of Ecclesiastes 5:7
5It is better to say nothing than to make a promise and not keep it. 6Don’t let your mouth make you sin. And don’t defend yourself by telling the Temple messenger that the promise you made was a mistake. That would make God angry, and he might wipe out everything you have achieved. Talk is cheap, like daydreams and other useless activities. Fear God instead. 8Don’t be surprised if you see a poor person being oppressed by the powerful and if justice is being miscarried throughout the land. For every official is under orders from higher up, and matters of justice get lost in red tape and bureaucracy. 9Even the king milks the land for his own profit!
Read all of Ecclesiastes 5Ecclesiastes 5:7 word by word
כִּ֣י בְרֹ֤ב חֲלֹמוֹת֙ וַהֲבָלִ֔ים וּדְבָרִ֖ים הַרְבֵּ֑ה כִּ֥י אֶת־הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים יְרָֽא׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 5:7
- Ecclesiastes 5:3Too much activity gives you restless dreams; too many words make you a fool.
- Ecclesiastes 7:18Pay attention to these instructions, for anyone who fears God will avoid both extremes.
- Ecclesiastes 8:12But even though a person sins a hundred times and still lives a long time, I know that those who fear God will be better off.
- Ecclesiastes 12:13That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty.
- Proverbs 23:17Don’t envy sinners, but always continue to fear the Lord.
- Isaiah 50:10Who among you fears the Lord and obeys his servant? If you are walking in darkness, without a ray of light, trust in the Lord and rely on your God.
Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 5:7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7In - dreams - are - divers vanities; but fear thou God - If, by the disturbed state of thy mind during the day, or by Satanic influence, thou dream of evil, do not give way to any unreasonable fears, or gloomy forebodings, of any coming mischief: - Fear God. Fear neither the dream nor its interpretation; God, will take care of and protect thee. Most certainly, he that fears God need fear nothing else. Well may an upright soul say to Satan himself, I fear…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7For vanities - Or, For so it happens through many dreams and vanities and many words.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. 7fear God: Respecting God is the basis for meaningful words and helpful actions (see Ecclesiastes 12:1; Proverbs 1:7).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 77. (See on Ec 5:3). God's service, which ought to be our chief good, becomes by "dreams" (foolish fancies as of God's requirements of us in worship), and random "words," positive "vanity." The remedy is, whatever fools may do, "Fear thou God" (Ec 12:13).Read the comment
Topics related to Ecclesiastes 5:7
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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