Ecclesiastes 5:6
in Ecclesiastes 5Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin, and do not tell the messenger that your vow was a mistake. Why should God be angry with your words and destroy the work of your hands?
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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 thy hands?
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?
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This verse in Ecclesiastes 5
Commentary
11 notes on this verse"Let not your mouth bring guilt on your flesh, and do not tell the messenger that it was an error. Why should God be angered by your speech and destroy the work of your hands? "What the Hebrew means is that if you are not able to do these things, do not promise to do them. For the words do not transgress to the spirit but are carried at once to the Lord by the angel present, who sticks to one man only as a companion.
This site's exposition
When you make a vow to God
on Ecclesiastes 5:4-7
A vow is words too: When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it. Gill takes the messenger as likely the priest, and calling the vow a mistake leaves debt standing, so the counsel closes on Therefore, fear God.
This site's exposition
do not tell the messenger
Clarke and Wesley take the messenger as the priest who received vows and could release a man from them. Barnes reads a being from heaven who stands for God. Telling him the vow was a mistake adds a sin of the mouth, and Gill counts such excuses as lying.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"In spite of all dreams, futility and idle chatter, rather: Fear God! "The Hebrews explain this passage in great detail, and in the following way: and you should not do the things detailed above, about which he has already spoken, lest you believe too readily in dreams. For when you see different things, your mind will be troubled by many fears throughout your night's rest, or aroused by promises, you despise those things that are dream-like. You should only fear God. For he, who believes in dreams, gives himself over to vanities and nonsense.
The Medieval Church1 voice
A commentator
BonaventureCommentary on Ecclesiastes, Chapter 5 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
"Do not give your mouth" etc. Here thirdly he prohibits erroneous speech: and he dissuades from error of speech, and then adds the reason, and afterward reveals the root of the error. He dissuades from error of speech, saying: "Do not give your mouth to …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
We must take heed that we never vow anything that is sinful, or that may be an occasion of sin, for such a vow is ill-made and must be broken. Suffer not thy mouth, by such a vow, to cause thy flesh to sin, as Herod's rash promise caused him to cut off the head of John the Baptist.
Such persons are often called angels, or, as this Hebrew word is commonly rendered, messengers. And this title seems to be given to the priest here, because the vow made to God, was paid to the priest as one standing and acting in God's name and stead, and it belonged to him, as God's angel or ambassador, to discharge persons from their vows when there was just occasion.
Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin,.... That is, himself, who is corrupt and depraved; either by making a rash vow, which it is not in his power to keep; or such is the corruption of his nature, and the weakness of the flesh, that he cannot keep it; or by making sinful excuses after he has made the vow, and so is guilty of lying, or false swearing, or other sins of the flesh.
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
Neither 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 Lev 5:4, Lev 5:5. In Mal 2:7, the priest is called the “angel of the Lord of hosts.”
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
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" (Mal 3:1), and of ministering angels as witnesses (1Co 11:10;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Suffer 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 Exo 23:21, such a one as inflicted judgment upon David 2Sa 24:17. Others, with less probability, understand the angel to be a priest, and refer to Mal 2:7.
The words behind it
23 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אַל־ | ʾal- | may not | H408 → | 724 times |
| תִּתֵּ֤ן | titen | you permit | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| פִּ֙יךָ֙ | pikha | mouth your | H6310 → | 498 times |
| לַחֲטִ֣יא | lachati' | to cause to sin | H2398 → | 238 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בְּשָׂרֶ֔ךָ | besarekha | flesh your | H1320 → | 270 times |
| וְאַל־ | veal- | and may not | H408 → | 724 times |
| תֹּאמַר֙ | tomar | you say | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לִפְנֵ֣י | lifnei | <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| הַמַּלְאָ֔ךְ | hamalakh | the messenger | H4397 → | |
| כִּ֥י | ki | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| שְׁגָגָ֖ה | shegagah | [was] inadvertence | H7684 → | |
| הִ֑יא | hi' | it | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| לָ֣מָּה | lamah | <to> why? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| יִקְצֹ֤ף | yiktzof | will he be angry | H7107 → | |
| הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ | haelohim | <the> God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | towards | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| קוֹלֶ֔ךָ | kolecha | voice your | H6963 → | 506 times |
| וְחִבֵּ֖ל | vechibel | and he will destroy | H2254 → | |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה | maaseh | [the] work of | H4639 → | 236 times |
| יָדֶֽיךָ׃ | yadeikha | hands your | H3027 → | 1618 times |
אַל־may not
ʾal-H408 →724 times
תִּתֵּ֤ןyou permit
titenH5414 →2011 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
פִּ֙יךָ֙mouth your
pikhaH6310 →498 times
לַחֲטִ֣יאto cause to sin
lachati'H2398 →238 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
בְּשָׂרֶ֔ךָflesh your
besarekhaH1320 →270 times
וְאַל־and may not
veal-H408 →724 times
תֹּאמַר֙you say
tomarH559 →5305 times
לִפְנֵ֣י<to> before
lifneiH6440 →2123 times
הַמַּלְאָ֔ךְthe messenger
hamalakhH4397 →
כִּ֥יthat
kiH3588 →4482 times
שְׁגָגָ֖ה[was] inadvertence
shegagahH7684 →
הִ֑יאit
hi'H1931 →1879 times
לָ֣מָּה<to> why?
lamahH4100 →752 times
יִקְצֹ֤ףwill he be angry
yiktzofH7107 →
הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙<the> God
haelohimH430 →2601 times
עַל־towards
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
קוֹלֶ֔ךָvoice your
kolechaH6963 →506 times
וְחִבֵּ֖לand he will destroy
vechibelH2254 →
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה[the] work of
maasehH4639 →236 times
יָדֶֽיךָ׃hands your
yadeikhaH3027 →1618 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
James 3:2We 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.
it leads to
- 1 Peter 3:10
For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- James 1:26
If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not bridle his tongue, he deceives his heart and his religion is worthless.
- Proverbs 13:3
He who guards his mouth protects his life, but the one who opens his lips invites his own ruin.
- Matthew 12:37
For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”
- 1 Peter 3:10
Through
James 1:26If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not bridle his tongue, he deceives his heart and his religion is worthless.
it leads to
- Ephesians 4:29
Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen.
- Psalms 141:3
Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch at the door of my lips.
- Ephesians 5:4
Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk, or crude joking, which are out of character, but rather thanksgiving.
- Proverbs 19:1
Better a poor man who walks with integrity than a fool whose lips are perverse.
- Ephesians 4:29
Where this verse is studied
About Ecclesiastes
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bonaventure, Commentary on Ecclesiastes, Chapter 5; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Ecclesiastes; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; 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.