Eclesiastes 5

Eclesiastes 5

Meyer - Our Daily Homily Ecclesiastes 5:1 To draw nigh to hear is better than to give the sacrifice of fools. (r.v.) This is certainly half of our business, when we kneel to pray. It is a drawing nigh to hear. One has truly said that the closet is not so much an oratory, in the narrow sense of making requests, as an observatory, from which we get new views of God, and new revelations of Him. We are all inclined to be rash with our mouth. We rush into the presence of God, leave our card as on a morning call, and then plunge into the eager rush of our life. We have spoken to Him, but not stayed to hear what He would say in reply. We have suggested many things to Him, but have not sought for his comments, or suggestions, in return. We do not take time to fix the heart’s gaze on the unseen and eternal, or to abstract our mind from the voices of the world, so as to hear the still small voice that speaks in silence and solitude. “Only the waters which in perfect stillness lie Give back an undistorted image of the sky.” Keep thy foot; take off the shoes from thy feet, when entering the Presence-chamber, whether alone or with others. Walk warily and reverently; behold He is near, before whom angels veil their faces with their wings. Come into his presence with holy fear. Let there be no irreverence in demeanor. One writes of the late Mr. Gladstone, “The House of God seemed to be to him at all times just what its name implied; and it is impossible to think of him at any service missing a response, or forgetting ax ‘Amen.’ Devotion, earnestness, and concentrated attention were the regular attributes of his nature when engaged in worship. He realized in the simplest fashion that worship was communing with God.” Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 A Portrait of a True Worshiper First, we are to enter the place of worship to listen (vv. 1-3). Second, we are to enter worship intending to keep the commitments we make to God (vv. 4-6). Third, we enter worship in awe of God (v. 7). (Today in the Word) Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 In God's Presence The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. --Proverbs 1:7 As a farm boy in North Dakota, I often had a sense of awe when I looked at the sky on a clear day or when I listened to the rolling thunder of an approaching storm. God seemed so great, and I felt so small. I often had the same feeling when I entered the church sanctuary or heard my father pray. Today, though, I admit that at times I tend to be quite casual when I think of God, pray, study the Bible, or engage in worship. When we assemble to worship, sing, pray, and listen to the message, we often do these things half-heartedly and with little sense of the fear of God. Ecclesiastes 5 speaks to those issues and warns us not to make promises to God carelessly and superficially! We are inclined to hear only part of what God is saying to us through His Word. But genuine hearing includes careful listening accompanied by obedience. Unkept vows are also a serious matter (vv.2,4-6). Just as many dreams have no basis in reality, the careless speech of the fool in God's presence is empty (vv.3,7). A house of worship is a place For praise and reverent prayer; Let holy thoughts your spirit fill Each time you enter there. --Bosch The fear of God is the beginning of true worship Ray Pritchard - Something New Under the Sun WATCH YOUR MOUTH! Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few. As a dream comes when there are many cares, so the speech of a fool when there are many words. Ecclesiastes 5:1-3 God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few." This is more than just good advice; Solomon has stated a fundamental truth of the spiritual life. While reading the Book of Proverbs I stumbled onto another verse from Solomon that made me stop and think. It's a verse the Lord applied directly to me. The verse is Proverbs 10:8: "The wise in heart accept commands, but a chattering fool comes to ruin." That's a wonderful picture, isn't it? A chattering fool. A simpleton with a dunce cap talking up a storm. I once knew a woman like that. She had had a hard life and along the way something seemed to come loose inside her brain. Every time I saw her I knew I was in for a twenty-minute monologue. She wasn't complaining, really, just spouting nonstop talk. If you tried to interrupt her she would raise her voice and start talking faster. If she got you cornered there was no escape. I suppose you would call her a compulsive talker. What's more, she came to church every Sunday and was as loyal as she could be. Whenever we had a church supper, she would be in there with the rest of the women talking ninety miles an hour. We became good friends, and many times I was glad to see her because when we talked I didn't have to say anything. Something like that must have been in Solomon's mind when he wrote this proverb. A "chattering fool" is someone who just won't stop talking. And in context, it must refer to a person who always has an explanation, a reason, an excuse for not doing what he is supposed to do. That's hard, isn't it? Just to do what you are told. Most kids have a hard time learning that. So do most adults. Our natural impulse when we are told to do something is to ask, "Why?" That presumes that unless we fully understand or agree, we don't have to obey. As a general principle, that kind of attitude will get you into trouble more often than not. I've been thinking about that in my own life. All too often I talk as an excuse not to obey. When a soldier is given an order, the proper response is obedience, not discussion. There is a time to talk and a time to listen, and there is also a time to do what you are told. As Solomon says, when the time for obedience has come, too much talk makes you look like a chattering fool. Lord, I pray for the gift of saying more with fewer words. Amen. SHINING THE LIGHT How do you cure a person who talks too much? Would other people say that you talk too much? What steps can we all take to become promise keepers and not promise breakers? MORE LIGHT FROM GOD'S WORD Read Proverbs 10:8; Matthew 6:6-8; and 2 Timothy 2:16. Ecclesiastes 5:2 Do not be hasty in word or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven and you are on the earth; therefore let your words be few. KJV Ecclesiastes 5:2 Be 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. NKJ Ecclesiastes 5:2 Do not be rash with your mouth, And let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; Therefore let your words be few. BGT Ecclesiastes 5:1 μὴ σπεῦδε ἐπὶ στόματί σου καὶ καρδία σου μὴ ταχυνάτω τοῦ ἐξενέγκαι λόγον πρὸ προσώπου τοῦ θεοῦ ὅτι ὁ θεὸς ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ καὶ σὺ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἐπὶ τούτῳ ἔστωσαν οἱ λόγοι σου ὀλίγοι LXE Ecclesiastes 5:2 Be not hasty with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be swift to utter anything before God; for God is in heaven above, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few. NET Ecclesiastes 5:2 Do not be rash with your mouth or hasty in your heart to bring up a matter before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth! Therefore, let your words be few. CSB Ecclesiastes 5:2 Do not be hasty to speak, and do not be impulsive to make a speech before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few. ESV 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. NIV Ecclesiastes 5:2 Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few. NLT Ecclesiastes 5:2 Don't make rash promises, and don't be hasty in bringing matters before God. After all, God is in heaven, and you are here on earth. So let your words be few. YLT Ecclesiastes 5:2 Cause not thy mouth to hasten, and let not thy heart hasten to bring out a word before God, for God is in the heavens, and thou on the earth, therefore let thy words be few. NJB Ecclesiastes 5:1 Be in no hurry to speak; do not hastily declare yourself before God; for God is in heaven, you on earth. Be sparing, then, of speech: NRS Ecclesiastes 5:2 Never be rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be quick to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven, and you upon earth; therefore let your words be few. NAB Ecclesiastes 5:1 Be not hasty in your utterance and let not your heart be quick to make a promise in God's presence. God is in heaven and you are on earth; therefore let your words be few. GWN Ecclesiastes 5:2 Don't be in a hurry to talk. Don't be eager to speak in the presence of God. Since God is in heaven and you are on earth, limit the number of your words. BBE Ecclesiastes 5:2 Be not unwise with your mouth, and let not your heart be quick to say anything before God, because God is in heaven and you are on the earth -- so let not the number of your words be great. RSV 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 upon earth; therefore let your words be few. not rash: Ge 18:27,30,32 28:20,22 Nu 30:2-5 Judges 11:30 1Sa 14:24-45 Mk 6:23 thing: or, word for: Ps 115:3 Isa 55:9 Mt 6:9, let thy , Ec 5:3,7 Pr 10:19 Mt 6:7 Jas 3:2 Related Passages: Proverbs 17:28 Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise; When he closes his lips, he is considered prudent. Matthew 6:7+ “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. Matthew 12:36+ “But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. BREVITY IN PRAYER BETTER THAN VERBOSITY Do not be hasty in word or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God - CSB = "Do not be hasty to speak, and do not be impulsive to make a speech before God." Solomon exhorts worshipers to discipline their minds and their mouths. William Barrick on Avoiding Hastiness (Eccl 5:2a)- The first caution against haste addresses the mouth, but the second one addresses the heart (literally, “do not let your heart hurry to cause a word to go out before God”). Biblical wisdom literature warns against hasty words and actions (Eccl 7:9, “eager”; Ec 8:3; Pr 10:19; 20:21; 21:5; 25:8; 28:20, 22; 29:20; Ps 115:3). Hastiness begins in the thoughts then proceeds to the mouth. Solomon exhorts worshipers to discipline their minds and their mouths. God is present everywhere, so the worshiper must always live with that reality, even outside the Temple. For (term of explanation) explains the admonition against hasty words. God is in heaven and you are on the earth God is transcendent, exalted, holy (Isa 57:15), and all-knowing. On the earth refers to our human limitation for we are finite, sinful, and bound by time and space. This gives us a proper perspective of our position so that we might rightly and reverentially come before Him, not as equals, but as created beings continually dependent on His grace and mercy. William Barrick - By declaring that “God is in heaven,” Solomon indicates the dwelling-place of God. However, the statement refers to perspective more than to distance. God is above and beyond this world—beyond the sun. His greatness exceeds anything this world has to offer. Therefore, biblical prayer does not seek to manipulate God the way idolaters attempt to do with their deities. Prayer provides the believer with the opportunity to speak openly with the Lord of all creation. When Jesus taught His disciples how to pray, He also referred to God being in heaven (Matt 6:9). Therefore (term of conclusion) let your words be few This doesn't mean we shouldn’t speak to God, but that our prayers should be thoughtful, humble, and sincere and in context warns against rash vows, empty promises, or wordy religiosity. More words do not equal more holiness. God values heart obedience over verbose speech. Neither the volume, nor the eloquence, nor the frequency of prayers were what influenced Him. In no way could God be manipulated into answering prayer. David Hubbard - Prayer was solemn conversation with a mysterious God. The vast gap between human-kind and God—a gap measured by the difference between “heaven” and “earth”—demanded sobriety, not extravagance (ED: NOT "HASTY" WORDS). Neither the volume, nor the eloquence, nor the frequency of prayers were what influenced Him. In no way could God be manipulated into answering prayer. What He would hear were the simple, sincere, brief words of those who truly submitted to His majesty and sought His help. (See The Preacher's Commentary - Vol. 16: Ecclesiastes) Walter Kaiser on Do not be hasty in word or impulsive in thought - And thereby we are rebuked for all pretense, hypocrisy, and superficial religiosity that hopes to be heard for its “much speaking.” Limits are imposed only on the petitioner’s pretense, and not on the length of his prayers. There may be times when a person’s importunity demonstrates the value and importance of what he asks from God, even as Jacob refused to let the Angel of the Lord go until He blessed him (Gen. 32:26). On the other hand, only fools babble on relentlessly, like a man who has had a busy day and experiences dream after dream all night long (Ec 5:3). (Borrow Quality Living) 🙏 THOUGHT - Consider this prayer - Lord, by You Spirit help me not to come before You with a flood of careless words, but with a heart that listens and obeys, teaching me to honor Your greatness with reverence and truth for the sake of Your Son. Amen. Ray Stedman on God is in heaven - Almost everybody takes the phrase, "God is in heaven." to mean that God is off somewhere, high above the universe, watching the affairs of men, while we insignificant pygmies struggle along down here. But that is not what this is saying at all. Heaven is not some distant place. In the Bible, heaven always means the invisible world of reality, what is going on that we cannot see but yet is really there. God is in that realm, and that is why he sees much more than we do. As I look out on this congregation this morning I see your bodies. They reveal certain things -- some of you are interested, some of you are asleep. If I were to pray for you, however, there is no way I could understand the tremendous complexity and depth of struggle that many of you are going through. But God does. God not only sees you, he sees what is inside of you, what even you cannot see. He sees your heredity, your environment, your struggles. He sees every one of us that way. Remember that when you are dealing with God. When he speaks to you through his word, that word is so much more true than anything you can come up with as an explanation of life because God sees all of life, from beginning to end. He is in heaven and you upon earth, so for heaven's sake, don't start griping about what God has handed you. That is the Searcher's argument. The saints have had to learn this lesson from time immemorial. It is reflected in a hymn by William Cowper, His wonders to perform; He plants his footsteps in the sea, And rides upon the storm. Deep in unfathomable mines Of never ending skill, He treasures up his bright designs, And works his sovereign will. You fearful saints, fresh courage take; The clouds you so much dread, are big with mercies, and shall break In blessings on your head. The Last Word Do not be hasty in word or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven and you are on the earth; therefore let your words be few. Ecclesiastes 5:2 One day during a university philosophy class, a student made some inflammatory remarks about the professor’s views. To the surprise of the other students, the teacher thanked him and moved on to another comment. When he was asked later why he didn’t respond to the student, he said, “I’m practicing the discipline of not having to have the last word.” This teacher loved and honored God, and he wanted to embody a humble spirit as he reflected this love. His words remind me of another Teacher—this one from long ago, who wrote the book of Ecclesiastes. Although not addressing how to handle an angry person, he said that when we approach the Lord we should guard our steps and “go near to listen” rather than being quick with our mouths and hasty in our hearts. By doing so we acknowledge that God is the Lord and we are those whom He has created (Ecclesiastes 5:1–2). Lord God, I want to honor You and I bow before You now in silence. Teach me how to pray and how to listen. Carefully chosen words honor God. Today's Insights The power and significance of our words is a repeated topic in Scripture. Following the admonitions of Proverbs and anticipating the words of Jesus and James (see Proverbs 10:13, 32; 12:16–17; 13:3; 16:1; Matthew 12:34; Luke 6:45; James 3:3–12), the writer of Ecclesiastes warns about controlling our tongues. Why do we need to watch what we say? Because our words are a recognition of who we are in relationship to God. When the writer warns, “God is in heaven and you are on earth” (Ecclesiastes 5:2), he is saying that humility is the proper attitude toward our words because we do not know everything. Being “quick with your mouth” (v. 2) may lead us to say things that are untrue and make plans based on wrong information. How does knowing that God—the Creator of the universe—is in heaven and we are on earth help you to humbly choose your words? Ecclesiastes 5:3 For the dream comes through much effort and the voice of a fool through many words. KJV Ecclesiastes 5:3 For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words. NKJ Ecclesiastes 5:3 For a dream comes through much activity, And a fool's voice is known by his many words. BGT Ecclesiastes 5:2 ὅτι παραγίνεται ἐνύπνιον ἐν πλήθει περισπασμοῦ καὶ φωνὴ ἄφρονος ἐν πλήθει λόγων LXE Ecclesiastes 5:3 For through the multitude of trial a dream comes; and a fool's voice is with a multitude of words. NET Ecclesiastes 5:3 Just as dreams come when there are many cares, so the rash vow of a fool occurs when there are many words. CSB Ecclesiastes 5:3 For dreams result from much work and a fool's voice from many words. ESV Ecclesiastes 5:3 For a dream comes with much business, and a fool's voice with many words. NIV Ecclesiastes 5:3 As a dream comes when there are many cares, so the speech of a fool when there are many words. NLT Ecclesiastes 5:3 Too much activity gives you restless dreams; too many words make you a fool. YLT Ecclesiastes 5:3 For the dream hath come by abundance of business, and the voice of a fool by abundance of words. NJB Ecclesiastes 5:2 From too much worrying comes illusion, from too much talking, the accents of folly. NRS Ecclesiastes 5:3 For dreams come with many cares, and a fool's voice with many words. NAB Ecclesiastes 5:2 For nightmares come with many cares, and a fool's utterance with many words. GWN Ecclesiastes 5:3 Daydreaming comes when there are too many worries. Careless speaking comes when there are too many words. BBE Ecclesiastes 5:3 As a dream comes from much business, so the voice of a foolish man comes with words in great number. RSV Ecclesiastes 5:3 For a dream comes with much business, and a fool's voice with many words. fool: Ec 10:12-14 Pr 10:19 15:2 WHEN WORDS REPLACE WISDOM For (term of explanation) uses a proverb-like saying to explain the previous passage. Basically Solomon is saying hasty prayers (or any other irreverent approach) are like a crazy dream, and we all know how real our dreams can seem when we awake, only to realize they are not reality and have no substance! The dream comes through much effort (inyan) and the voice of a fool (kesil; Lxx - aphron) through many words (verbosity) - NET = "Just as dreams come when there are many cares, so the rash vow of a fool occurs when there are many words." NIV = "As a dream comes when there are many cares, so the speech of a fool when there are many words." The dream comes through much effort speaks of stress and anxiety (Can you identify with that? I can!) This suggests that an abundance of activity or striving leads to dreams, which may be empty, illusory, or overwhelming. Notice how to detect a fool - listen for his many words. In other words foolishness prompts wordiness! In short, fools speak much but say little (of substance or value)! 🙏 THOUGHT- This verse reminds us that not all speech is valuable—and that in the presence of God, reverent silence is often more appropriate than a flood of hollow words. The fool is not necessarily insincere, but he is careless. He talks much but reflects little. Just as overwork can exhaust and distort our sleep, over-talking can exhaust and distort our worship. In an age of constant noise—texts, tweets, endless opinions—God calls us to quiet reverence and thoughtful reflection. We should not speak hastily in prayer, in church, or in spiritual matters. When you pray today, speak less—and listen more. Let your heart weigh each word before your lips release it. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you avoid thoughtless repetition and instead approach God in sincerity, brevity, and faith. Honor God with reverent sincerity— not verbosity. William Barrick on the dream - The “dream” might be nothing more than “day-dreams, reducing worship to verbal doodling.” (Borrow The message of Ecclesiastes : a time to mourn, and a time to dance) “Much effort” (Eccl 5:3) identifies what distracts an individual from the proper exercise of worship and causes the increase of hasty words. Context indicates that the meaning probably involves the thought that “many have delusions of their competence before God and acceptability to him.” (Borrow Duane Garrett) The reader of the New Testament cannot but be reminded of James 1:19+, “This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger.” One recalls Jesus' similar words in Mt 6:7+ "And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words." David Hubbard - A piety gone stale permitted vain, dream-like babbling as a substitute for prayer. No wonder the Preacher took pains to point out its futility. (See The Preacher's Commentary - Vol. 16: Ecclesiastes) Walter Kaiser - only fools babble on relentlessly, like a man who has had a busy day and experiences dream after dream all night long (Ec 5:3). (Borrow Quality Living) John Butler - The illustration of a dream being caused by much activity, so in like manner, many words indicate and produce a fool. The injunction to “let thy words be few” is good for any situation in life. Effort (06045) inyan from anah - to be occupied, busied. Inyan means a task, a burden, a job to be performed, a responsibility to be met, a need to be satisfied. Appears only in Ecclesiastes often with a negative connotation—wearisome labor under the sun.Solomon spoke of the task that God has allotted to humanity (Ec 3:10) and declared that it is a grievous one, full of pain and leading nowhere (Ec 1:13; 2:23). It is significant that he chose to describe life as a task, an assignment, rather than as a pleasure or a source of satisfaction. Man just does his job over and over again, with no good result in view. The sinner spends his life gathering resources, only to give them to the good (2:26). Even the good gathers riches only to die and have them pass to someone else (4:8). In a slightly different idiom, the writer declares that hoarding riches and not receiving the benefit is an evil affair, a bad business (5:14). Solomon said that he tried to determine the nature of life, the meaning of man's task, but found the inquiry impossible (8:16). In 5:3, the Preacher declares that a dream comes through a task, perhaps an idiom for much effort. INYAN - 8V - effort(1), investment(1), task(6). Eccl. 1:13; Eccl. 2:23; Eccl. 2:26; Eccl. 3:10; Eccl. 4:8; Eccl. 5:3; Eccl. 5:14; Eccl. 8:16 Ecclesiastes 5:4 When you make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it; for He takes no delight in fools. Pay what you vow! KJV Ecclesiastes 5:4 When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. NKJ Ecclesiastes 5:4 When you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it; For He has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you have vowed-- BGT Ecclesiastes 5:3 καθὼς ἂν εὔξῃ εὐχὴν τῷ θεῷ μὴ χρονίσῃς τοῦ ἀποδοῦναι αὐτήν ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν θέλημα ἐν ἄφροσιν σὺν ὅσα ἐὰν εὔξῃ ἀπόδος LXE Ecclesiastes 5:4 Whenever thou shalt vow a vow to God, defer not to pay it; for he has no pleasure in fools: pay thou therefore whatsoever thou shalt have vowed. NET Ecclesiastes 5:4 When you make a vow to God, do not delay in paying it. For God takes no pleasure in fools: Pay what you vow! CSB Ecclesiastes 5:4 When you make a vow to God, don't delay fulfilling it, because He does not delight in fools. Fulfill what you vow. ESV Ecclesiastes 5:4 When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. NIV Ecclesiastes 5:4 When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. NLT Ecclesiastes 5:4 When you make a promise to God, don't delay in following through, for God takes no pleasure in fools. Keep all the promises you make to him. YLT Ecclesiastes 5:4 When thou vowest a vow to God, delay not to complete it, for there is no pleasure in fools; that which thou vowest -- complete. NJB Ecclesiastes 5:3 If you make a vow to God, discharge it without delay, for God has no love for fools. Discharge your vow. NRS Ecclesiastes 5:4 When you make a vow to God, do not delay fulfilling it; for he has no pleasure in fools. Fulfill what you vow. NAB Ecclesiastes 5:3 When you make a vow to God, delay not its fulfillment. For God has no pleasure in fools; fulfill what you have vowed. GWN Ecclesiastes 5:4 When you make a promise to God, don't be slow to keep it because God doesn't like fools. Keep your promise. BBE Ecclesiastes 5:4 When you take an oath before God, put it quickly into effect, because he has no pleasure in the foolish; keep the oath you have taken. RSV Ecclesiastes 5:4 When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it; for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. vow: Ge 28:20 35:1,3 Nu 30:2 De 23:21-23 Ps 50:14 76:11 119:106 Isa 19:21 Mt 5:33 for: Ps 147:10,11 Mal 1:10 Heb 10:6 pay: Ps 66:13,14 116:14,16-18 Jon 2:9 Related Passages: Psalm 76:11 Make vows to the LORD your God and fulfill them; Let all who are around Him bring gifts to Him who is to be feared. (Vowing and paying cannot be separated) PROMISES MADE PROMISES KEPT When you make a vow (neder; Lxx - euche) to God, do not be late in paying it; for (term of explanation) He takes no delight in fools (kesil; Lxx - aphron). NET = "When you make a vow to God, do not delay in paying it. For God takes no pleasure in fools: Pay what you vow!" We see this painfully played out in the life of Jephthah who appears to have lost his daughter as a result of keeping his vow (see Jdg 11:29–40+). Delay in fulfilling a vow may suggest insincerity, forgetfulness, or deceit. God is not mocked and does not overlook such carelessness. A fool in this context is not intellectually deficient but spiritually careless—treating God lightly or making empty promises. While fools delay, the faithful obey, so vow carefully and pay promptly. Pay what you vow! This is a direct command to follow through, because God values faithful obedience over impulsive commitments. David Hubbard - Vows played a prominent part in the lives of Israel’s men and women. A vow was one way to show how seriously they took their need to God. In times of emergency they used vows to underline their prayer requests (1 Sam. 1:11; Ps. 22:25–26). A barren woman who longed for a son, a frightened soldier under enemy attack, an innocent person accused of serious crime—each might vow to offer a special sacrifice to God if God would deliver him or her from the predicament. (Borrow Ecclesiastes page 132) Henry