Ecclesiastes 5:1

The NET Bible®

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Contextual Overview

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

thy foot: Genesis 28:16, Genesis 28:17, Exodus 3:5, Leviticus 10:3, Joshua 5:15, 2 Chronicles 26:16, Psalms 89:7, Isaiah 1:12-20, 1 Corinthians 11:22, Hebrews 12:28, Hebrews 12:29

ready: Acts 10:33, Acts 17:11, James 1:19, 1 Peter 2:1, 1 Peter 2:2

give: Genesis 4:3-5, 1 Samuel 13:12, 1 Samuel 13:13, 1 Samuel 15:21, 1 Samuel 15:22, Psalms 50:8-18, Proverbs 15:8, Proverbs 21:27, Isaiah 1:12-15, Isaiah 66:3, Jeremiah 7:21-23, Hosea 6:6, Hosea 6:7, Malachi 1:10, Malachi 1:11, Hebrews 10:26

Reciprocal: Genesis 28:20 - vowed Genesis 35:2 - clean Exodus 19:21 - break Exodus 20:26 - thy nakedness Leviticus 14:25 - General Leviticus 19:30 - reverence Judges 11:30 - General Job 35:13 - God Ecclesiastes 5:6 - thy mouth Acts 7:33 - Put

Cross-References

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Gill's Notes on the Bible

Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God,.... The house of the sanctuary of the Lord, the temple built by Solomon; and so any place of divine worship, where the word of God is preached, and his ordinances administered. The wise man, having observed many vanities under the sun, directs men to the house of God, where they might learn the nature of them, and how to avoid them; though if care was not taken, they would find or introduce vanity there; which, of all vanities, is the worst, and ought to be guarded against. Wherefore, when men go to any place of divine worship, which to do is their duty and interest, and for their honour, pleasure, and profit, they should take care to "keep [their] feet", for the singular is here put for the plural, not from going into it; nor does it signify a slow motion towards it, which should be quick, in haste, showing earnestness, fervency, and zeal; but they should keep their feet in proper case, in a suitable condition. The allusion is either to the pulling off of the shoes off the feet, ordered to Moses and Joshua, when on holy ground, Exodus 3:5; and which the Jews observed, when they entered the temple on their festivals and sabbaths, even their kings, as Juvenal k jeers them: not that such a rite should be literally used now, or what is analogous to it; putting off of the hat, in a superstitious veneration of a place; but what was signified by it, as the putting off of the old man, with his deeds, laying aside depraved affections and sordid lusts; two apostles, James and Peter, have taught us this, when we come to the house of God to hear his word, James 1:21; or the allusion is to the custom of persons in those eastern countries dressing or washing their feet when they visited, especially those of any note; and entered into their houses on any business, as Mephibosheth, when he waited on David, 2 Samuel 19:24; or to the practice of the priests, who washed their feet when they went into the tabernacle of the Lord, Exodus 30:19. Schindler l says that hence (because of this text) the Jews had before their synagogues an iron fixed in the wall (which we call a "scraper"), on which they cleaned their shoes before they went into the synagogue. All which may denote the purity and cleanness of the conversation of the true worshippers of God; for, as the feet are the instruments of the action of walking, they may intend the conduct and behaviour of the saints in the house of God, where they should take care to do all things according to his word, which is a lamp to the feet, and a light unto the path: moreover, what the feet are to the body, that the affections are to the soul; and these, when a man enters into the house of God for worship, should be set on divine and spiritual things, and not on the world, and the things of it, which will choke the word heard, and make it unprofitable; the thoughts should be composed, sedate, and quiet, and the mind attentive to what is spoken or done; or otherwise, if diverted by other objects, the service will be useless;

and be more ready to hear than to give the sacrifice of fools; there are sacrifices to be offered unto God in his house, which are acceptable to him; the sacrifices of beneficence and alms deeds to the poor, with which he is well pleased; and the presentation of the bodies of men, as a holy, living, and acceptable sacrifice unto him; and especially their hearts, and those as broken and contrite, which are the sacrifices of God; as also the sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving, which are acceptable to him through Jesus Christ: and under the former dispensation, while sacrifices were in use by divine appointment, when they were offered up in the faith of the sacrifice of Christ, they were well pleasing to God; but when they were not done in faith, and were without repentance for sin and reformation of life; when men retained their sins with them, and made these a cover for them, and thought by them to make atonement for their crimes, they were no other than the sacrifices of fools, and abominable unto God; see Isaiah 1:11; when these sacrifices were performed in the best manner, moral duties, as hearing and obeying the word of the Lord, and showing mercy to men, and offering up the spiritual sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving, were preferred unto them,

1 Samuel 15:22; and much more to the sacrifices of fools. To be ready, or near m, is to hear the word of the Lord, as Jarchi interprets it; though Aben Ezra understands it of God being near to hear his people, when they call upon him in truth. The word of the Lord was not only read publicly in the temple and synagogues, but was explained by the priests and prophets, the ecclesiastical rulers of the people; see Malachi 2:7; so the Targum,

"draw near thine ear to receive the doctrine of the law, from the priests and wise men:''

and so the people of God should draw near to hear the word; be swift to hear it, attentive to it, and receive it with all reverence, humility, love, and affection; and should not take up with mere outward forms, which is but the sacrifice of fools;

for they consider not that they do evil; or "know not" n; they think they are doing well, and doing God good service, when they are doing ill; they know not truly the object of worship, nor the spiritual nature of it, nor the right end and true use of it: or, "they know not, [only] to do evil", so Aben Ezra supplies it: to do good they have no knowledge: or, "they know not to do the will", or "good pleasure" o; that is, of God; this sense of the word Aben Ezra mentions.

k "Observant ubi festa mero pede sabbata reges", Satyr. 6. v. 158. l Lexic. Pentaglott. col. 1692. m קרוב "propinquus", Montanus; "propinquior", Mercerus, Schmidt. n אינם יודעים "non ipsi scientes", Montanus; "nesciunt", Pagninus, Mercerus, Cocceius; "scire nolunt", Schmidt. o לעשות רע "facere veluntatem ejus", Pagninus, Mercerus.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Keep thy foot - i. e., Give thy mind to what thou art going to do.

The house of God - It has been said that here an ordinary devout Hebrew writer might have been expected to call it “the house of Yahweh;” but to those who accept this book as the work of Solomon after his fall into idolatry, it will appear a natural sign of the writer’s self-humiliation, an acknowledgment of his unworthiness of the privileges of a son of the covenant, that he avoids the name of the Lord of the covenant (see Ecclesiastes 1:13 note).

Be more ready to hear - Perhaps in the sense that, “to draw near for the purpose of hearing (and obeying) is better than etc.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

CHAPTER V

The reverence to be observed in attending Divine worship, 1-3.

We should be faithfu1 to over engagements, 4-7.

The oppression of the innocent, 8.

The king dependent on the produce of the soil, 9.

Against covetousness, 10, 11.

The peace of the honest labourer, 12.

The evil effect of riches, 13, 14.

Man cannot carry his property to the grave, 15-17.

We should thankfully enjoy the blessings of God, 18-20.

NOTES ON CHAP. V

Verse Ecclesiastes 5:1. 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, c. - 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.