Ecclesiastes 5:3

3 Dreams come to people when they worry a lot. When foolish people talk, they use too many words.

Ecclesiastes 5:3 Meaning and Commentary

Ecclesiastes 5:3

For a dream cometh through the multitude of business
Or, "for as a dream" ^F17, so Aben Ezra; as that comes through a multiplicity of business in the daytime, in which the mind has been busied, and the body employed; and this brings on dreams in the night season, which are confused and incoherent; sometimes the fancy is employed about one thing, and sometimes another, and all unprofitable and useless, as well as vain and foolish; and a fool's voice [is known] by multitude of words;
either his voice in conversation, for a fool is full of words, and pours out his foolishness in a large profusion of them; or his voice in prayer, being like a man's dream, confused, incoherent, and rambling. The supplement, "is known", may be left out.

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FOOTNOTES:

F17 (ab yk) "ut prodit somnium", Junius & Tremellius; "nam ut venit", Piscator; "quia sicut venit", Mercerus, Ramabachius, so Broughton.

Ecclesiastes 5:3 In-Context

1 Be careful what you say when you go to God's house. Go there to listen. Don't be like foolish people when you offer your sacrifice. They do what is wrong and don't even know it.

2 Don't be too quick to speak. Don't be in a hurry to say anything to God. He is in heaven. You are on earth. So use only a few words when you speak.

3 Dreams come to people when they worry a lot. When foolish people talk, they use too many words.

4 When you make a promise to God, don't wait too long to carry it out. He isn't pleased with foolish people. So do what you have promised.

5 It is better to make no promise at all than to make a promise and not keep it.