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

4It is better for you not to vow than to vow and not pay. 5Don’t let your mouth lead your flesh to sin, and don’t say before the messenger, “It was a mistake!” Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands? Many dreams and many words are meaningless. Therefore, fear God! 7If you see the oppression of the poor or perversion of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be shocked at the matter. For one authority watches over another authority, and higher ones are over them. 8Though the profit of the land is taken by all, a king is served by the fields.

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 5:1Do not be quick with your mouth nor hasty in your heart to utter a word in God’s presence. For God is in heaven, and you are on the earth— therefore, let your words be few.
• James 1:26If anyone thinks he is religious and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is futile.
• James 3:2For we all stumble in many ways. If someone does not stumble in speech, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well.
• Leviticus 5:4“Or if a person swears rashly with his lips to do evil or to do good—about anything that one might utter rashly by an oath, though it is hidden from him, when he realizes it, then he will be guilty of one of these.
• Genesis 48:16The Angel who redeemed me from all evil, May He bless the boys, and may they be called by my name, and by the name of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac. May they multiply to a multitude in the midst of the land.”
• Hosea 12:4In the womb he grasped his brother’s heel, and in his vigor he strove with God.
• Malachi 2:7For a kohen’s lips should guard knowledge, and instruction must be sought from his mouth. For he is a messenger of Adonai-Tzva’ot.
• Malachi 3:1“Behold, I am sending My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. Suddenly He will come to His Temple —the Lord whom you seek— and the Messenger of the covenant —the One whom you desire— behold, He is coming,” says Adonai-Tzva’ot.
• Acts 7:30“When forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai in the flame of a burning bush.
• 1 Corinthians 11:10For this reason the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.
• 1 Timothy 5:21I solemnly charge you—before God and Messiah Yeshua and the chosen angels—to observe these things without taking sides, doing nothing out of favoritism.
• Hebrews 1:14Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out for service to those about to inherit salvation?
• Leviticus 4:5The anointed kohen shall take some of the blood of the bull, and bring it to the Tent of Meeting.
• Leviticus 27:9“Now if it is an animal that may be brought as an offering to Adonai, anything that one gives to Adonai will be holy.
• Haggai 1:9“You have looked for much, but indeed, there is little. What you have brought home, I have blown away. Why is this?”—it is a declaration of Adonai-Tzva’ot—“because My House lies in ruins, while you are running, each to his own house.
• Haggai 2:14Then, Haggai answered and said, “So it is with this people. So is this nation before Me”—it is a declaration of Adonai—“and so is every work of their hands. What they were offering there was 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

• 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