Ecclesiastes 5
Study sheet, King James Version, with the original-language words this chapter turns on.
The text
1Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil.
2Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.
3For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words.
4When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.
5Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.
6Suffer 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?
7For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God.
8If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher than they.
9Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field.
10He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.
11When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes?
12The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.
13There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt.
14But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand.
15As he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.
16And this also is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind?
17All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness.
18Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion.
19Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.
20For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart.
Words in this chapter
Definitions are Strong's own wording from his Exhaustive Concordance (1890). Counts are how often each word appears in this chapter, from the tagged text.
- כִּיkîyH358812× in this chapter
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
- אֱלֹהִיםʼĕlôhîymH43010× in this chapter
gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative
- אֲשֶׁרʼăsherH8349× in this chapter
who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.
- עַלʻalH59217× in this chapter
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
- אֵתʼêthH8537× in this chapter
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
- לֹאlôʼH38086× in this chapter
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
- אַלʼalH4086× in this chapter
not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (Job 24:25) as a noun, nothing
- הוּאhûwʼH19315× in this chapter
he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally (instead of copula) as or are
- כֹּלkôlH36055× in this chapter
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
- אָכַלʼâkalH3985× in this chapter
to eat (literally or figuratively)
- רָבָהrâbâhH72355× in this chapter
to increase (in whatever respect)
- רַעraʻH74515× in this chapter
bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral)
- גַּםgamH15714× in this chapter
properly, assemblage; used only adverbially also, even, yea, though; often repeated as correl. both...and
- דָּבָרdâbârH16974× in this chapter
a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause
- הָלַךְhâlakH19804× in this chapter
to walk (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)
- טוֹבṭôwbH28964× in this chapter
good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun, both in the masculine and the feminine, the singular and the plural (good, a good or good thing, a good man or woman; the good, goods or good things, good men or women), also as an adverb (well)
- אַיִןʼayinH3694× in this chapter
a non-entity; generally used as a negative particle
- נָדַרnâdarH50874× in this chapter
to promise (pos., to do or give something to God)
- אִםʼimH5184× in this chapter
used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrogative, whether?; or conditional, if, although; also Oh that!, when; hence, as a negative, not
- נָתַןnâthanH54144× in this chapter
to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)
- רָאָהrâʼâhH72004× in this chapter
to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative)
- גָּבֹהַּgâbôahhH13643× in this chapter
elevated (or elated), powerful, arrogant
- יָדyâdH30273× in this chapter
a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etc.),
- יוֹםyôwmH31173× in this chapter
a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb)
- כְּסִילkᵉçîylH36843× in this chapter
properly, fat, i.e. (figuratively) stupid or silly
- מָהmâhH41003× in this chapter
properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various adverbial or conjunctive senses
- עָמָלʻâmâlH59993× in this chapter
toil, i.e. wearing effort; hence, worry, wheth. of body or mind
- עֹשֶׁרʻôsherH62393× in this chapter
wealth
- רֹבrôbH72303× in this chapter
abundance (in any respect)
- שָׁלַםshâlamH79993× in this chapter
to be safe (in mind, body or estate); figuratively, to be (causatively, make) completed; by implication, to be friendly; by extension, to reciprocate (in various applications)
- שָׁמַרshâmarH81043× in this chapter
properly, to hedge about (as with thorns), i.e. guard; generally, to protect, attend to, etc.
- בּוֹאbôwʼH9353× in this chapter
to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)
- בַּעַלbaʻalH11672× in this chapter
a master; hence, a husband, or (figuratively) owner (often used with another noun in modifications of this latter sense)
- אָהַבʼâhabH1572× in this chapter
to have affection for (sexually or otherwise)
- הֶבֶלhebelH18922× in this chapter
emptiness or vanity; figuratively, something transitory and unsatisfactory; often used as an adverb
- זֹהzôhH20902× in this chapter
this or that
- חַיchayH24162× in this chapter
alive; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water, year), strong; also (as noun, especially in the feminine singular and masculine plural) life (or living thing), whether literally or figuratively
- חָלָהchâlâhH24702× in this chapter
properly, to be rubbed or worn; hence (figuratively) to be weak, sick, afflicted; or (causatively) to grieve, make sick; also to stroke (in flattering), entreat
- חֲלוֹםchălôwmH24722× in this chapter
a dream
- חֵלֶקchêleqH25062× in this chapter
properly, smoothness (of the tongue); also an allotment