Ecclesiastes 5 Study Notes

5:1-7 This passage deals with religious behavior, and it warns that we should not try to impress God. It is in two parallel parts. First, positively, come to the house of God in humble obedience; negatively, do not try to impress God with big sacrifices and big vows; and then there is a proverb that big dreams and many words come from an overworked fool. Second, positively, fulfill your vow; negatively, do not make a vow you cannot keep; and then a proverb, many dreams and many words are futile, so it is better to fear God. The foundation of these teachings is our mortality: God is in heaven and you are on earth. Because we are weak, small, and prone to fail, we should give up on trying to impress God with vows, gifts, and promises. We cannot impress him; our place is to be humble and obedient. This text calls on us to depend on the grace of God and not on our religious deeds.

5:8-9 Once again, the Teacher looks at political matters. In these verses he tells us not to be surprised by corruption. Layers of governmental bureaucracy are supposed to insure that every official is accountable to others and is behaving properly, but all these layers of government can make for more layers of corruption. If that is the case, should we abandon the idea of government and embrace anarchy? No. Government, although never free from corruption, is not something we can do without. Verse 9 could be translated, “And among everything a land’s advantage is this: a king for a cultivated field.” That is, the king is a benefit to agriculture (which represents the economy). For example, the king protected his people from enemies, maintained irrigation canals, and settled property disputes. Government is necessary, but corruption is inescapable.

5:10-6:6 This is a lengthy passage on wealth. It makes the point that a life spent pursuing wealth is futile. Ecclesiastes 5:10-20 gives a series of seven reasons not to devote ourselves to getting rich. First, seeking wealth is an endless quest, because those who want to get rich never feel that they have enough (v. 10). Second, if you get rich, you attract people who care nothing for you but just want your money (v. 11a). Third, once you acquire much money, you cannot do anything with it but look at it (v. 11b). Fourth, working people are not full of anxieties and they sleep well; the rich are awake at night worrying about their investments (v. 12). Fifth, wealthy people live in a world of high-stakes financial deals. They can lose their money in bad business deals just when they need the money for their families. In the world of finance, men put their families at risk (vv. 13-14). Sixth, at death you lose it all. You cannot take it with you (vv. 15-16). Seventh, the quest for riches is hard and bitter, and days are spent in tedious and vexing work. It is far better to get by with fewer things and less money and be able to enjoy life (vv. 17-20).