Ecclesiastes 5:1
Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil.
Ecclesiastes 5:1 in other translations
| BSB | Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong. |
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| WEB | Guard your steps when you go to God’s house; for to draw near to listen is better than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they don’t know that they do evil. |
| ASV | Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God; for to draw nigh to hear is better than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they know not that they do evil. |
| YLT | Keep thy feet when thou goest unto a house of God, and draw near to hear rather than to give of fools the sacrifice, for they do not know they do evil. |
| DARBY | Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and draw near to hear, rather than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they know not that they do evil. |
| BBE | Put your feet down with care when you go to the house of God, for it is better to give ear than to make the burned offerings of the foolish, whose knowledge is only of doing evil. |
| Webster | Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil. |
What does Ecclesiastes 5:1 mean?
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain
Adam Clarke's Commentary
Introduction
The reverence to be observed in attending Divine worship, Ecc 5:1-3. We should be faithful to over engagements, Ecc 5:4-7. The oppression of the innocent, 8. The king dependent on the produce of the soil, Ecc 5:9. Against covetousness, Ecc 5:10, Ecc 5:11. The peace of the honest laborer, Ecc 5:12. The evil effect of riches, Ecc 5:13, Ecc 5:14. Man cannot carry his property to the grave, Ecc 5:15-17. We should thankfully enjoy the blessings of God, Ecc 5:18-20. Verse 1 Keep thy foot - This verse the Hebrew and all the versions join to the preceding chapter. Solomon, having before intimated, though very briefly, that the only cure against human vanity is a due sense of religion, now enters more largely on this important subject, and gives some excellent directions with regard to the right performance of Divine service, the nature of vocal and mental prayer, the danger of rash vows, etc. - C. The whole verse might be more literally translated thus: - "Guard thy steps as thou art going to the house of God; and approach to hearken, and not to give the sacrifice of fools, for none of them have knowledge about doing evil." "They offer gifts for their sins, and do not turn from their evil works; for they know not (they distinguish not) between good and evil." See the Chaldee.Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Ecclesiastes 5:1-3
Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain
Ecclesiastes 5:1 in the original Hebrew
Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.
Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).
Cross references for Ecclesiastes 5:1
- James 1:19
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
- Hebrews 12:28-29
Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire.
- Proverbs 15:8
The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord: but the prayer of the upright is his delight.
- 1 Peter 2:1-2
Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
- Isaiah 1:12-20
When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts? Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood. …
- Proverbs 21:27
The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination: how much more, when he bringeth it with a wicked mind?
- Joshua 5:15
And the captain of the Lord’s host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.
- Exodus 3:5
And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.
- Psalms 89:7
God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him.
- 1 Corinthians 11:22
What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.
- Isaiah 66:3
He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog’s neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine’s blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations.
- Acts 17:11
These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
8 in murmuring against oppression;
9 and in riches.
18 Joy in riches is the gift of God.
thy foot.
Ge 28:16,17; Ex 3:5; Le 10:3; Jos 5:15; 2Ch 26:16; Ps 89:7
Isa 1:12-20; 1Co 11:22; Heb 12:28,29
ready.
Ac 10:33; 17:11; Jas 1:19; 1Pe 2:1,2
give.
Ge 4:3-5; 1Sa 13:12,13; 15:21,22; Ps 50:8-18; Pr 15:8; 21:27
Isa 1:12-15; 66:3; Jer 7:21-23; Ho 6:6,7; Mal 1:10,11; Heb 10:26
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain
Context
- Ecclesiastes 5:1
Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil.
- 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.
Ecclesiastes 5:1 in other languages
| Spanish Reina-Valera 1909 | CUANDO fueres á la casa de Dios, guarda tu pie; y acércate más para oir que para dar el sacrificio de los necios: porque no saben que hacen mal. |
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| French Bible J.N. Darby 1885 | Ne te presse point de ta bouche, et que ton cœur ne se hâte point de proférer une parole devant Dieu; car Dieu est dans les cieux, et toi sur la terre: c’est pourquoi, que tes paroles soient peu nombreuses. |
| German Elberfelder 1871 | Bewahre deinen Fuß, wenn du zum Hause Gottes gehst; und nahen, um zu hören, ist besser, als wenn die Toren Schlachtopfer geben: denn sie haben keine Erkenntnis, so daß sie Böses tun. - |
| Latin Clementine Vulgate | Ne temere quid loquaris, neque cor tuum sit velox ad proferendum sermonem coram Deo. Deus enim in cælo, et tu super terram; idcirco sint pauci sermones tui. |