Ecclesiastes 5:3
in Ecclesiastes 5As a dream comes through many cares, so the speech of a fool comes with many words.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For a dream cometh with a multitude of business, and a fool’s voice with a multitude of words.
KJV
For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool’s voice is known by multitude of words.
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This verse in Ecclesiastes 5
Commentary
9 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
As much "business," engrossing the mind, gives birth to incoherent "dreams," so many words, uttered inconsiderately in prayer, give birth to and betray "a fool's speech" (Ec 10:14), [HOLDEN and WEISS].
This site's exposition
Guard your steps when you go to the house of God
on Ecclesiastes 5:1-3
The Teacher turns from riches to reverence: Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. He would have the worshiper Draw near to listen. Verse 3 gives the parallel, As a dream comes through many cares, so the speech of a fool comes with many words.
This site's exposition
As a dream comes through
Clarke reads the comparison as cause and effect. A mind crowded with cares produces confused dreams, and Jamieson, Fausset and Brown add that words poured without weight in prayer betray a fool's speech. Wesley ties the many words to rash vows, the subject of verses 4 to 6.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"When you make a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for He has no liking for fools; what you vow, pay. Better that you not vow at all, than that you vow and not pay. "A simple man does not need understanding by interpretation. It is better not to promise than not to keep promises, since they displease God and are numbered among fools, who do not fulfil their vows.
The Medieval Church1 voice
A commentator
BonaventureCommentary on Ecclesiastes, Chapter 5 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
And it can scarcely be that he who speaks much does not displease God. Whence he makes this clear by example and similitude, saying: "Dreams follow many cares," and therefore it is foolish to attend to them; Sirach 34: "Dreams have led many astray." "And …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
5 Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay. 6 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? 7 For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
Of words - Either in prayer, or in vowing, by making many rash vows, of which he speaks ver. 4, 5, 6, and then returns to the mention of multitude of dreams and many words, ver. 7, which verse may be a comment upon this, and which makes it probable that both that and this verse are to be understood of vows rather than of prayers.
quarantine:anchor (2026-07-29) — cites-ver-7-anchored-3-3
For a dream cometh through the multitude of business,....
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
For a dream cometh - That is, as dreams are generally the effect of the business in which we have been engaged during the day; so a multitude of words evidence the feeble workings of the foolish heart.
The words behind it
9 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כִּ֛י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| בָּ֥א | ba' | it comes | H935 → | 2568 times |
| הַחֲל֖וֹם | hachalom | the dream | H2472 → | |
| בְּרֹ֣ב | bero | with abundance of | H7230 → | 149 times |
| עִנְיָ֑ן | ʾinyan | business | H6045 → | 8 times |
| וְק֥וֹל | vekol | and [the] voice | H6963 → | 506 times |
| כְּסִ֖יל | kesil | a fool | H3684 → | 70 times |
| בְּרֹ֥ב | bero | with a multitude of | H7230 → | 149 times |
| דְּבָרִֽים׃ | devarim | words | H1697 → | 1440 times |
כִּ֛יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
בָּ֥אit comes
ba'H935 →2568 times
הַחֲל֖וֹםthe dream
hachalomH2472 →
בְּרֹ֣בwith abundance of
beroH7230 →149 times
עִנְיָ֑ןbusiness
ʾinyanH6045 →8 times
וְק֥וֹלand [the] voice
vekolH6963 →506 times
כְּסִ֖ילa fool
kesilH3684 →70 times
בְּרֹ֥בwith a multitude of
beroH7230 →149 times
דְּבָרִֽים׃words
devarimH1697 →1440 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Proverbs 10:19When words are many, sin is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise.
it leads to
- James 1:19
My beloved brothers, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger,
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- James 3:2
We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to control his whole body.
- Proverbs 17:27–28
A man of knowledge restrains his words, and a man of understanding maintains a calm spirit.
- Ecclesiastes 10:13–14
The beginning of his talk is folly, and the end of his speech is evil madness.
- Psalms 39:1
I said, “I will watch my ways so that I will not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth with a muzzle as long as the wicked are present.”
- James 1:19
Through
Proverbs 15:2The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool spouts folly.
it leads to
- Proverbs 12:23
A shrewd man keeps his knowledge to himself, but a foolish heart proclaims its folly.
- Proverbs 15:28
The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked blurts out evil.
- Proverbs 13:16
Every prudent man acts with knowledge, but a fool displays his folly.
- Proverbs 12:23
Where this verse is studied
About Ecclesiastes
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Bonaventure, Commentary on Ecclesiastes, Chapter 5; Charles Bridges, An Exposition of the Book of Ecclesiastes; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Ecclesiastes; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.