Ecclesiastes 5:6

4 ^aWhen you make a vow to God, do not delay to ^bpay it;
For He has no pleasure in fools.
Pay what you have vowed—

5 ^aBetter not to vow than to vow and not pay.

6 Do not let your ^amouth cause your flesh to sin, ^bnor say before the messenger of God that it was an error. Why should God be angry at your¹ excuse and destroy the work of your hands?

7 For in the multitude of dreams and many words there is also vanity. But ^afear God.

The Vanity of Gain and Honor

8 If you ^asee the oppression of the poor, and the violent¹ perversion of justice and righteousness in a province, do not marvel at the matter; for ^bhigh official watches over high official, and higher officials are over them.

9 Moreover the profit of the land is for all; even the king is served from the field.

Commentaries:

Barnes' Notes

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Ecclesiastes 5:6

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 Exodus 23:21, such a one as inflicted judgment upon David II Samuel 24:17. Others, with less probability, understand the angel to be a priest, and refer to Malachi 2:7.

**Other Barnes' Notes entries containing Ecclesiastes 5:6:**

Leviticus 4:1-2
Job 33:23

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Ecclesiastes 5:7 >>

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