July 8, 2025
Guard your steps and be quiet
Ecclesiastes 5-8
Makaila Swank
Big Book Idea
God defines where true meaning is found.
Key Verse | Ecclesiastes 5:2
Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few.
Ecclesiastes 5-8
Chapter 5
Fear God
1 1 5:1 Ch 4:17 in Hebrew Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. 2 2 5:2 Ch 5:1 in Hebrew Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few. 3 For a dream comes with much business, and a fool's voice with many words.
4 When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. 5 It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. 6 Let not your mouth lead you 3 5:6 Hebrew your flesh into sin, and do not say before the messenger 4 5:6 Or angel that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands? 7 For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity; 5 5:7 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a vapor or mere breath; also verse 10 (see note on 1:2) but 6 5:7 Or For when dreams and vanities increase, words also grow many; but God is the one you must fear.
The Vanity of Wealth and Honor
8 If you see in a province the oppression of the poor and the violation of justice and righteousness, do not be amazed at the matter, for the high official is watched by a higher, and there are yet higher ones over them. 9 But this is gain for a land in every way: a king committed to cultivated fields. 7 5:9 The meaning of the Hebrew verse is uncertain
10 He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. 11 When goods increase, they increase who eat them, and what advantage has their owner but to see them with his eyes? 12 Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep.
13 There is a grievous evil that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owner to his hurt, 14 and those riches were lost in a bad venture. And he is father of a son, but he has nothing in his hand. 15 As he came from his mother's womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand. 16 This also is a grievous evil: just as he came, so shall he go, and what gain is there to him who toils for the wind? 17 Moreover, all his days he eats in darkness in much vexation and sickness and anger.
18 Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment 8 5:18 Or and see good in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his lot. 19 Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God. 20 For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart.
Chapter 6
1 There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy on mankind: 2 a man to whom God gives wealth, possessions, and honor, so that he lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God does not give him power to enjoy them, but a stranger enjoys them. This is vanity; 9 6:2 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a vapor or mere breath; also verses 4, 9, 11 (see note on 1:2) it is a grievous evil. 3 If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not satisfied with life's good things, and he also has no burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he. 4 For it comes in vanity and goes in darkness, and in darkness its name is covered. 5 Moreover, it has not seen the sun or known anything, yet it finds rest rather than he. 6 Even though he should live a thousand years twice over, yet enjoy 10 6:6 Or see no good—do not all go to the one place?
7 All the toil of man is for his mouth, yet his appetite is not satisfied. 11 6:7 Hebrew filled 8 For what advantage has the wise man over the fool? And what does the poor man have who knows how to conduct himself before the living? 9 Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the appetite: this also is vanity and a striving after wind.
10 Whatever has come to be has already been named, and it is known what man is, and that he is not able to dispute with one stronger than he. 11 The more words, the more vanity, and what is the advantage to man? 12 For who knows what is good for man while he lives the few days of his vain 12 6:12 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a vapor or mere breath (see note on 1:2) life, which he passes like a shadow? For who can tell man what will be after him under the sun?
Chapter 7
The Contrast of Wisdom and Folly
1
A good name is better than precious ointment,
and the day of death than the day of birth.
2
It is better to go to the house of mourning
than to go to the house of feasting,
for this is the end of all mankind,
and the living will lay it to heart.
3
Sorrow is better than laughter,
for by sadness of face the heart is made glad.
4
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,
but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
5
It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise
than to hear the song of fools.
6
For as the crackling of thorns under a pot,
so is the laughter of the fools;
this also is vanity.
13
7:6
The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a vapor or mere breath (see note on 1:2)
7
Surely oppression drives the wise into madness,
and a bribe corrupts the heart.
8
Better is the end of a thing than its beginning,
and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
9
Be not quick in your spirit to become angry,
for anger lodges in the heart
14
7:9
Hebrew in the bosom
of fools.
10
Say not, “Why were the former days better than these?”
For it is not from wisdom that you ask this.
11
Wisdom is good with an inheritance,
an advantage to those who see the sun.
12
For the protection of wisdom is like the protection of money,
and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.
13
Consider the work of God:
who can make straight what he has made crooked?
14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him.
15 In my vain 15 7:15 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a vapor or mere breath (see note on 1:2) life I have seen everything. There is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his evildoing. 16 Be not overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself? 17 Be not overly wicked, neither be a fool. Why should you die before your time? 18 It is good that you should take hold of this, and from that withhold not your hand, for the one who fears God shall come out from both of them.
19 Wisdom gives strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city.
20 Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.
21 Do not take to heart all the things that people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you. 22 Your heart knows that many times you yourself have cursed others.
23 All this I have tested by wisdom. I said, “I will be wise,” but it was far from me. 24 That which has been is far off, and deep, very deep; who can find it out?
25 I turned my heart to know and to search out and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know the wickedness of folly and the foolishness that is madness. 26 And I find something more bitter than death: the woman whose heart is snares and nets, and whose hands are fetters. He who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is taken by her. 27 Behold, this is what I found, says the Preacher, while adding one thing to another to find the scheme of things— 28 which my soul has sought repeatedly, but I have not found. One man among a thousand I found, but a woman among all these I have not found. 29 See, this alone I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes.
Chapter 8
Keep the King's Command
1
Who is like the wise?
And who knows the interpretation of a thing?
A man's wisdom makes his face shine,
and the hardness of his face is changed.
2 I say: 16 8:2 Hebrew lacks say Keep the king's command, because of God's oath to him. 17 8:2 Or because of your oath to God 3 Be not hasty to go from his presence. Do not take your stand in an evil cause, for he does whatever he pleases. 4 For the word of the king is supreme, and who may say to him, “What are you doing?” 5 Whoever keeps a command will know no evil thing, and the wise heart will know the proper time and the just way. 18 8:5 Or and judgment 6 For there is a time and a way for everything, although man's trouble 19 8:6 Or evil lies heavy on him. 7 For he does not know what is to be, for who can tell him how it will be? 8 No man has power to retain the spirit, or power over the day of death. There is no discharge from war, nor will wickedness deliver those who are given to it. 9 All this I observed while applying my heart to all that is done under the sun, when man had power over man to his hurt.
Those Who Fear God Will Do Well
10 Then I saw the wicked buried. They used to go in and out of the holy place and were praised 20 8:10 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Vulgate; most Hebrew manuscripts forgotten in the city where they had done such things. This also is vanity. 21 8:10 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a vapor or mere breath; also twice in verse 14 (see note on 1:2) 11 Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil. 12 Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life, yet I know that it will be well with those who fear God, because they fear before him. 13 But it will not be well with the wicked, neither will he prolong his days like a shadow, because he does not fear before God.
Man Cannot Know God's Ways
14 There is a vanity that takes place on earth, that there are righteous people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked, and there are wicked people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity. 15 And I commend joy, for man has nothing better under the sun but to eat and drink and be joyful, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of his life that God has given him under the sun.
16 When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done on earth, how neither day nor night do one's eyes see sleep, 17 then I saw all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. However much man may toil in seeking, he will not find it out. Even though a wise man claims to know, he cannot find it out.
Footnotes
[1] 5:1 Ch 4:17 in Hebrew[2] 5:2 Ch 5:1 in Hebrew
[3] 5:6 Hebrew your flesh
[4] 5:6 Or angel
[5] 5:7 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath”; also verse 10 (see note on 1:2)
[6] 5:7 Or For when dreams and vanities increase, words also grow many; but
[7] 5:9 The meaning of the Hebrew verse is uncertain
[8] 5:18 Or and see good
[9] 6:2 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath”; also verses 4, 9, 11 (see note on 1:2)
[10] 6:6 Or see
[11] 6:7 Hebrew filled
[12] 6:12 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath” (see note on 1:2)
[13] 7:6 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath” (see note on 1:2)
[14] 7:9 Hebrew in the bosom
[15] 7:15 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath” (see note on 1:2)
[16] 8:2 Hebrew lacks say
[17] 8:2 Or because of your oath to God
[18] 8:5 Or and judgment
[19] 8:6 Or evil
[20] 8:10 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Vulgate; most Hebrew manuscripts forgotten
[21] 8:10 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath”; also twice in verse 14 (see note on 1:2)
Table of Contents
Introduction to Ecclesiastes
Timeline
Author
The author of Ecclesiastes calls himself “the Preacher” (1:1). Some interpreters have concluded that this was Solomon, while others think he was a role-playing writer later than Solomon. Either way, the book claims that its wisdom comes from the “one Shepherd” (12:11), the Lord himself.
Theme and Interpretation of Ecclesiastes
The theme of Ecclesiastes is the necessity of fearing God in this fallen, confusing world. Each human being wants to understand all the ways God is acting in the world, but he cannot, because he is not God. And yet the faithful do not despair but cling to God, even when they cannot see what God is doing. The Lord deserves his people’s trust. They can leave everything to him while they seek to understand what it means to “fear God and keep his commandments” (12:13). This is true wisdom.
Key Themes
- The tragic reality of the fall. The Preacher is painfully aware that the creation has been damaged by sin (7:29; Rom. 8:20, 22). He speaks as one who eagerly awaits the resurrection age (Rom. 8:23).
- The “vanity” of life. The book begins and ends with the exclamation, “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity” (Eccles. 1:2; 12:8). The phrase pictures something fleeting and elusive. All the endeavors and pleasures of earthly life are only temporary. When one sees the consequences of sin in this fallen world, one is left in utter frustration, anger, and sorrow. The more one tries to understand life, the more mysterious it becomes (1:12–18).
- Sin and death. By sinning, human beings forfeited the righteousness they originally had before God (7:29), and thus all people are sinners (7:20). Death was a result of the fall. The Preacher is only too aware of this dreadful reality that affects everyone (e.g., 2:14–17; 3:18–21; 6:6).
- The joy and the frustration of work. God gave Adam work to accomplish prior to the fall, but part of the punishment of his sin was that his work would become difficult (Gen. 2:15; 3:17–19). Both realities are seen in the Preacher’s experience, as he finds his work to be both satisfying (Eccles. 2:10, 24; 3:22; 5:18–20; 9:9–10) and aggravating (2:18–23; 4:4–8).
- The grateful enjoyment of God’s good gifts. The Preacher spends a great deal of time commenting on the twisted realities of a fallen world, but this does not blind him to the beauty of God’s world (3:11). Nor does it cause him to despise God’s good gifts of human relationships, food, drink, and satisfying labor (5:18–20; 8:15; 9:7, 9). These are to be received humbly and enjoyed fully as blessings from God.
- The fear of God. The fact that “all is vanity” should drive people to take refuge in God, fearing and revering him (7:18; 8:12–13; 12:13–14).
Outline
- Introduction and Theme (1:1–3)
- First Catalog of “Vanities” (1:4–2:26)
- Poem: A Time for Everything (3:1–8)
- Fear God, the Sovereign One (3:9–15)
- Second Catalog of “Vanities” (3:16–4:16)
- Fear God, the Holy and Righteous One (5:1–7)
- Life “Under the Sun” (5:8–7:24)
- The Heart of the Problem: Sin (7:25–29)
- More on Life “Under the Sun” (8:1–12:7)
- Final Conclusion and Epilogue (12:8–14)
Fact: Ecclesiastes
Ecclesiastes encourages God’s people to trust him in a fallen and often confusing world, in which sin and heartache touch every corner of the globe. We are to “fear God and keep his commandments” (12:13), even when we cannot understand everything that is going on around us.
Fact: Vanity, vanities, and vain
The words vanity, vanities, and vain occur nearly 40 times in Ecclesiastes. Their literal meaning is “vapor” or “breath,” so they are used to describe things that can be fleeting or elusive, like the search for meaning and purpose in life.
Fact: “Eat, drink, and be merry”?
“Eat, drink, and be merry”? Ecclesiastes advises those who serve God to enjoy his gifts of food, drink, comfort, married life, and honest work (9:7–9; compare 2:24–26; 3:13; 5:19–20).
Fact: The peaceful shadows of old age
The peaceful shadows of old age. The righteous will enjoy a long and peaceful old age, like the shadows of evening (8:13). There is no such hope, however, for the wicked.
OT Testimony that All Are under Sin (3:9)
| Romans 3 | OT Reference |
|---|---|
| Sinful Condition | |
| v. 10, none is righteous | Ps. 14:3/53:3; Eccles. 7:20 |
| v. 11a, no one understands | Ps. 14:2/53:2 |
| v. 11b, no one seeks for God | Ps. 14:2/53:2 |
| v. 12, all have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one | Ps. 14:3/53:3 |
| Sinful Speech (note progression from throat to tongue to lips) | |
| v. 13a, b, their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive | Ps. 5:10, Septuagint (English, 5:9) |
| v. 13c, the venom of asps is under their lips | Ps. 140:3 |
| v. 14, their mouth is full of curses and bitterness | Ps. 10:7 |
| Sinful Action | |
| v. 15, their feet are swift to shed blood | Prov. 1:16/Isa. 59:7 |
| v. 16, in their paths are ruin and misery | Isa. 59:7 |
| v. 17, and the way of peace they have not known | Isa. 59:8 |
| Summary Statement | |
| v. 18, there is no fear of God before their eyes | Ps. 36:1 |
Eccles. 5:4 People should keep their promises, or vows, to God. By taking a vow, a worshiper would promise to perform a specific act if God would respond favorably to a particular petition.
Eccles. 5:1–7 Fear God, the Holy and Righteous One. In this section, the encouragement to “fear God” is motivated by his holy and righteous character (compare note on 3:9–15).
Eccles. 5:8–9 The political maneuvering of sinful officials results in suffering for the powerless.
Eccles. 5:13–14 riches were kept . . . to his hurt. A man endured hardship and sacrificed in order to acquire wealth but was never able to enjoy it, because it was lost in a bad venture.
Eccles. 5:17 The man’s selfish, fearful greed resulted in a truly wretched life.
Eccles. 5:20 he will not much remember . . . his life. The one to whom God grants contentment focuses on blessings from God rather than the darker realities of human existence.
Eccles. 6:3–6 Long life and many children are among earth’s greatest blessings, but a discontented heart will be unsatisfied even with these.
Eccles. 5:10–6:9 The Preacher observes the destructive nature of greed and concludes that a life of contentment is much better (compare Phil. 4:11; 1 Tim. 6:6, 8; Heb. 13:5).
Eccles. 6:10–11 To “name” something is to exercise authority over it. God is the one who has named all things, and therefore he rules over all. It is foolish for mere mortals to dispute God’s sovereign ordering of the world. To do so only produces more words and more vanity.
Eccles. 6:12 For who knows what is good for man? Even the wisest humans cannot give absolutely correct advice based on a certain knowledge of what will be.
Eccles. 7:1 The verses that follow indicate that the day of death refers not to one’s own passing but rather to experiencing the death of another. Bereavement often increases spiritual wisdom more than the joy one feels over a newborn child.
Eccles. 7:7 Oppression refers here to blackmail.
Eccles. 7:11–12 Wisdom is similar to money in that both provide real protection against the misfortunes of life. Wisdom, however, preserves the life of him who has it.
Eccles. 7:15 Righteous and righteousness can refer to being “right” or “just” in one’s cause. The Preacher has observed instances in which a person who was technically in the right still lost his case.
Eccles. 7:16–18 Be not overly righteous. One should not always insist on being proved right in an argument. On the other hand, be not overly wicked, neither be a fool. That is, one should also know when to stand firm for a just cause.
OT Testimony that All Are under Sin (3:9)
| Romans 3 | OT Reference |
|---|---|
| Sinful Condition | |
| v. 10, none is righteous | Ps. 14:3/53:3; Eccles. 7:20 |
| v. 11a, no one understands | Ps. 14:2/53:2 |
| v. 11b, no one seeks for God | Ps. 14:2/53:2 |
| v. 12, all have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one | Ps. 14:3/53:3 |
| Sinful Speech (note progression from throat to tongue to lips) | |
| v. 13a, b, their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive | Ps. 5:10, Septuagint (English, 5:9) |
| v. 13c, the venom of asps is under their lips | Ps. 140:3 |
| v. 14, their mouth is full of curses and bitterness | Ps. 10:7 |
| Sinful Action | |
| v. 15, their feet are swift to shed blood | Prov. 1:16/Isa. 59:7 |
| v. 16, in their paths are ruin and misery | Isa. 59:7 |
| v. 17, and the way of peace they have not known | Isa. 59:8 |
| Summary Statement | |
| v. 18, there is no fear of God before their eyes | Ps. 36:1 |
Eccles. 5:8–7:24 Life “Under the Sun.” The Preacher observes the hardships of life in a fallen world.
Eccles. 7:27 “Find” is a key word in vv. 25–29. It means “figure out” or “comprehend.”
Eccles. 7:25–29 The Heart of the Problem: Sin. The Preacher has made numerous references to human sinfulness. This short section helps to explain how this sorry condition came about.
Eccles. 7:28–29 One man . . . I found, but a woman . . . I have not found. The Preacher is unable to “figure out” human beings. His one firm conclusion is that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes, that is, humans were not content to remain in their state of righteousness but instead rebelled against God (see Genesis 3).
Eccles. 8:1 Who is like . . . and who knows? True wisdom is rare. If one possesses such wisdom, it is obvious to others.
Eccles. 8:2 Keep the king’s command. The verb “keep” here means “protect” or “keep watch over.” The king’s counselor should restrain the king from making foolish decisions on account of his oath to God.
Eccles. 8:3 Be not hasty to go from his presence. When a king gives an unwise command, his counselor should not necessarily leave his service. At the same time, the counselor should not be so eager to obey the king that he becomes involved in an evil cause.
Eccles. 8:4–6 Given the power of kings, it takes a great deal of courage to question the wisdom of the king’s decision. The wise counselor, however, will find the proper time and the just way for doing so.
Eccles. 8:7–8 It is risky to offer correction to the king. But the counselor should remember that no man has power to retain the spirit, or power over the day of death. He should not let the king’s power intimidate him into keeping quiet.
Eccles. 8:10–13 The Preacher has already pointed out that people do not always get what they deserve in this life (3:16; 4:1; 5:8). But this does not mean that it makes no difference how one lives, for it will be well with those who fear God.
Fact: The peaceful shadows of old age
The peaceful shadows of old age. The righteous will enjoy a long and peaceful old age, like the shadows of evening (8:13). There is no such hope, however, for the wicked.
Eccles. 8:14–15 It is a puzzling vanity that the wicked appear to escape judgment and receive blessings. It is equally puzzling that the righteous sometimes receive the treatment the wicked deserve.
Eccles. 8:17 True wisdom includes the humility to admit that man cannot fully understand all of reality in a fallen world.
S4:162 Ecclesiastes 5-8
Listen NowDive Deeper | Ecclesiastes 5-8
The Preacher of Ecclesiastes presents a perspective of God that may feel different from how many of us approach him today. He urges us to carefully watch our steps, our words, and our hearts. Why? His simple answer is found in Ecclesiastes 5:2: "Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few." Our primary role is to revere God simply because he is God, and we are not.
This reverence should shape how we live, how we worship, and how we keep his commands. Our God is worthy of awe and honor because of who he is. He is the King. His identity alone—apart from anything he has done for us—should bring us to our knees in worship.
Ecclesiastes 5:2 also emphasizes quietness before the Lord. This isn't because God doesn't want to hear from us—He absolutely does. As our Father, he longs for relationship with us. But he is also our God and King, and this passage reminds us to prioritize listening over speaking. Through Jesus' sacrifice, the gap between us and a holy God has been bridged, and his Spirit now resides in us. Because of this, it's incredibly important to pay attention to what he wants to say.
Our words and actions should reflect the God we serve, which is why we are called to be thoughtful and slow to speak. Living with a healthy fear of the Lord protects us from making rash vows, allowing our words to lead us into sin, or disobeying the king's supreme word (Ecclesiastes 8:4). Revering God is not only right—it is wise.
The Preacher of Ecclesiastes gives us a beautiful promise that "it will be well with those who fear God, because they fear before him." (Ecclesiastes 8:12) No other reason is needed. He is enough.
This month's memory verse
"But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
– Isaiah 53:5-6
Discussion Questions
1. When in your life have you rushed ahead with a decision without first listening to what God has to say about it? How did it go for you?
2. How important would you say listening to the Holy Spirit is? In what moments of daily life can you be more attentive to the Spirit and what he may be trying to say to you?
3. Why do you think our society seems to have a harder time viewing the Lord with holy reverence than the Preacher did?
4. Do you ever sit in silence for extended periods of time with the Lord? Is that comfortable or uncomfortable for you? Why do you think that is?
5. Is it easier for you to "[b]e still before the LORD" (Psalm 37:7) or to be "rash with your mouth" (Ecclesiastes 5:2)? What are ways you can work on learning how to fear the Lord through your heart, mouth, and actions?