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Ecclesiastes 5:3

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3 For a dream comes with much business, and a fool's voice with 1many words.
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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.

FOOTNOTES:

F17 (ab yk) "ut prodit somnium", Junius & Tremellius; "nam ut venit", Piscator; "quia sicut venit", Mercerus, Ramabachius, so Broughton.
Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Ecclesiastes 5:3 In-Context

1 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 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.

Cross References 1

  • 1. Proverbs 10:19; [Job 11:2]
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.