Ecclesiastes 5:3

For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words. FOR A DREAM COMETH ... BUSINESS. As much "business," engrossing the mind, gives birth to incoherent "dreams," so many words, uttered inconsiderately in prayer, give birth to and betray "a fool's speech" (). (Holden and Hengstenberg.) But implies that the "dream" is not a comparison, but the vain thoughts of the fool (sinner) (), arising from multiplicity of (worldly) "business." His "dream" is, that God hears him for his much speaking (), independently of the frame of mind. "Fool's voice" answers to "dream" in the parallel; it come...

1-3 Address thyself to the worship of God, and take time to compose thyself for it. Keep thy thoughts from roving and wandering: keep thy affections from running out toward wrong objects. We should avoid vain repetitions; copious prayers are not here condemned, but those that are unmeaning. How often our wandering thoughts render attendance on Divine ordinances little better than the sacrifice of fools! Many words and hasty ones, used in prayer, show folly in the heart, low thoughts of God, and careless thoughts of our own souls....

Verse Ecclesiastes 5:3. _FOR A DREAM COMETH_] That is, as _dreams_ are generally the effect of the business in which we have been engaged during the day; so a _multitude of words_ evidence the feeble workings of the foolish heart....

EXPOSITION ECCLESIASTES 5:1 Section 6. Man's outward and secular life being unable to secure happiness and satisfaction, can these be found in _popular religion?_ Religious exercises need the observation of strict rules, which are far from meeting with general attention. Koheleth proceeds to give instruction, in the form of maxims, concerning public worship, prayer, and vows. ECCLESIASTES 5:1 This verse, in the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin Bibles, forms the conclusion of Ecclesiastes 4:1; and is taken independently; but the division in our version is more natural, and the connection of this with the following verses is obvious....

FOR A DREAM COMETH THROUGH THE MULTITUDE OF BUSINESS,.... Or, "for as a dream" q, 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. q כי בא "ut prodit somnium", Junius Tremellius "nam ut venit", Piscator; "quia sicut venit", Mercerus, Ramabachius, so Broughton....

3. EXHORTATIONS ON DIFFERENT VANITIES CHAPTER 5 _ 1. Concerning worship and vows (Ecclesiastes 5:1)_ 2. Concerning extortions (Ecclesiastes 5:8) 3. The vanities of wealth (Ecclesiastes 5:10) 4. The conclusion (Ecclesiastes 5:18) Ecclesiastes 5:1. The writer, King Solomon, seems to have been exhausted in his descriptions as to the things under the sun. He pauseth and turns to something different. He meditates on worship, that man aims to get in touch with the unsee

REALITY IN RELIGION. This section deals with worship and vows. Those who go to the house of God (whether Temple or synagogue is not clear) must go reverently and thoughtfully. Keep thy foot recalls the Oriental practice of removing one's shoes in sacred places (Exodus 3:5). The great requirement in religion is not the ritual sacrifice but the spirit of discipleship and obedience (1 Samuel 15:22 and the prophets _passim)._ Read, with a slight change, for they know nothing except how to do evil. Ecclesiastes 5:2 may refer to prayer (_cf._ Matthew 6:7) or to vows (_cf._...

_For a dream cometh through the multitude of business_ The one psychological fact is meant to illustrate the other. The mind that has lost the power to re-collect itself, haunted and harassed by the cares of many things, cannot enjoy the sweet and calm repose of a dreamless slumber, and that fevered state with its hot thoughts and wild fancies is but too faithful a picture of the worshipper who pours out a multitude of wishes in a "multitude of words." His very prayers are those of a dreamer. It seems obvious, from the particle that connects this with the preceding verse, that the maxim refers specially to these utterances of the fool and not merely to the folly of his speech in general. The words "is known," as the italics shew, have nothing answering to them in the Hebrew. The same verb was meant to serve for both the clauses....

FOR A DREAM COMETH THROUGH THE MULTITUDE OF BUSINESS— _For as a dream bringeth abundance of trouble, so does the voice of an ignorant_ [_or unguarded_] _man abundance of words._ Desvoeux....

D. GUIDELINES FOR THE WORK OF WORSHIP Ecclesiastes 5:1-9 1. Watch your step in God's house. Ecclesiastes 5:1 a TEXT 5:1a Ecclesiastes 5:1 a Guard your steps as you go to the house of God, THOUGHT QUESTIONS 5:1a 114. Since vanity is still under consideration, where are we now to guard against it? 115. What would the house of God be in Solomon's day? 116. Why should one guard his steps when going to the temple? PARAPHRASE 5:1a Watch your step when you come to the temple. Remember it is God's house. COMMENT 5:1a For the first time the Preacher resorts to admonition. It is direct and extended. He is concerned about the possible