Guard your steps when you go to the house of God.This phrase emphasizes the importance of approaching worship with reverence and mindfulness. The "house of God" refers to the temple in Jerusalem, the central place of worship for the Israelites. In biblical times, the temple was not only a place for sacrifices but also a symbol of God's presence among His people. The admonition to "guard your steps" suggests a careful and respectful approach, recognizing the holiness of the place and the seriousness of worship. This echoes the instructions given to Moses at the burning bush (
Exodus 3:5) and Joshua before the commander of the Lord's army (
Joshua 5:15), where they were told to remove their sandals because they were on holy ground. It underscores the need for a heart prepared to meet God, aligning with the broader biblical theme of approaching God with humility and sincerity (
Psalm 24:3-4).
Draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools,
Listening is prioritized over offering sacrifices, highlighting the value of obedience and understanding over mere ritual. This reflects the prophetic tradition found in1 Samuel 15:22, where Samuel tells Saul that obedience is better than sacrifice. The "sacrifice of fools" refers to offerings made without genuine repentance or understanding, which God does not desire (Isaiah 1:11-17). In the cultural context of ancient Israel, sacrifices were a central part of religious life, but they were meant to be expressions of a heart aligned with God's will. This phrase calls for a posture of learning and submission to God's word, reminiscent of Jesus' teaching inMatthew 7:24-27 about the wise man who builds his house on the rock by hearing and doing God's word.
who do not know that they do wrong.
This part of the verse highlights the danger of ignorance in worship. The "fools" are those who are unaware of their wrongdoing, possibly due to a lack of self-examination or understanding of God's requirements. This ignorance can lead to empty rituals and a false sense of security, as seen in the warnings to the Israelites in the prophets (e.g.,Hosea 4:6, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge"). It serves as a caution against complacency and the assumption that external acts of worship are sufficient. This ignorance contrasts with the wisdom literature's emphasis on the fear of the Lord as the beginning of knowledge (Proverbs 1:7). In the New Testament, Jesus criticizes the Pharisees for their focus on outward rituals while neglecting the weightier matters of the law (Matthew 23:23). This phrase calls believers to seek true understanding and alignment with God's will, which is ultimately fulfilled in Christ, who is the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24).
Persons / Places / Events
1.
Solomon- Traditionally considered the author of Ecclesiastes, Solomon was the king of Israel known for his wisdom, wealth, and building projects, including the temple in Jerusalem.
2.
House of God- Refers to the temple in Jerusalem, a central place of worship for the Israelites where sacrifices and offerings were made.
3.
Sacrifice of Fools- This phrase refers to offerings made without genuine reverence or understanding, often out of ritualistic obligation rather than heartfelt devotion.
Teaching Points
Approach God with ReverenceWhen entering into worship or prayer, do so with a heart prepared to listen and learn, acknowledging the holiness of God.
Value Listening Over SpeakingPrioritize listening to God's Word and His guidance over offering empty words or promises. This reflects a heart truly seeking to understand and obey.
Avoid Empty RitualsEnsure that your acts of worship and service are genuine and not merely out of habit or obligation. True worship stems from a sincere relationship with God.
Recognize the Consequences of FoolishnessUnderstand that offering the "sacrifice of fools" can lead to unintentional wrongdoing. Seek wisdom and discernment in your spiritual practices.
Lists and Questions
Top 10 Lessons from Ecclesiastes 5
How can one persistently strive to achieve their goals?
What are the Songs of Ascent in the Bible?
Ecclesiastes 1:5 - The verse suggests a geocentric view of the sun moving around the earth; does this contradict modern astronomy?
Where should you store your true treasures?V.
(1) In the Hebrew division this is the last verse of the preceding chapter; but clearly here a new section begins, containing proverbs in the second person singular, which has not hitherto been used. There is no obvious connection with what has gone before; possibly the precepts here introduced were traditionally known to have been part of Solomon's teaching.
They consider not.--The most natural translation of this clause would be, "They know not how to do evil,"i.e.,are incapable of doing evil. This would force us to understand the subject of the clause to be, not the fools, but those who are ready to hear. The Authorised Version exhibits one of the expedients resorted to in order to get a better meaning. Another is, "They are without knowledge, so that they do evil."
Verses 1-7. - 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.
Verse 1. - This verse, in the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin Bibles, forms the conclusion of
Ecclesiastes 4, and is taken independently; but the division in our version is more natural, and the connection of this with the following verses is obvious.
Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, Some read "feet" instead of "foot," but the singular and plural numbers are both found in this signification (comp.
Psalm 119:59, 105;
Proverbs 1:15;
Proverbs 4:26, 27). To "keep the foot" is to be careful of the conduct, to remember what you are about, whither you are going. There is no allusion to the sacerdotal rite of washing the feet before entering the holy place (
Exodus 30:18, 19), nor to the custom of removing the shoes on entering a consecrated building, which was a symbol of reverential awe and obedient service. The expression is simply a term connected with man's ordinary life transferred to his moral and religious life.
The house of God is the temple. The tabernacle is called "the house of Jehovah" (
1 Samuel 1:7;
2 Samuel 12:20), and this name is commonly applied to the temple;
e.g.,
1 Kings 3:1;
2 Chronicles 8:16;
Ezra 3:11. But "house of God" is applied also to the temple (
2 Chronicles 5:14;
Ezra 5:8, 15, etc.), so that we need not, with Bullock, suppose that Koheleth avoids the name of the Lord of the covenant as "a natural sign of the writer's humiliation after his fall into idolatry, and an acknowledgment of his unworthiness of the privileges of a son of the covenant." It is probable that the expression here is meant to include synagogues as well as the great temple at Jerusalem, since the following clause seems to imply that exhortation would be heard there, which formed no part of the temple service. The verse has furnished a text on the subject of the reverence due to God's house and service from Chrysostom downwards.
And be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools. Various are the renderings of this clause. Wright, "For to draw near to hear is (better) than the fools offering sacrifices." (So virtually Knobel, Ewald, etc.) Ginsburg, "For it is nearer to obey than to offer the sacrifice of the disobedient;"
i.
e. it is the straighter, truer way to take when you obey God than when you merely perform outward service. The Vulgate takes the infinitive verb as equivalent to the imperative, as the Authorized Version,
Appropinqua ut audias; but it is best to regard it as pure infinitive, and to translate, "To approach in order to hear is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools." The sentiment is the same as that in
1 Samuel 15:22, 'Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams." The same thought occurs in
Proverbs 21:3;
Psalm 50:7-15; and continually in the prophets;
e.g.,
Isaiah 1:11;
Jeremiah 7:21-23;
Hosea 6:6, etc. It is the reaction against the mere ceremonialism which marked the popular religion. Koheleth had seen and deplored this at Jerusalem and elsewhere, and he enunciates the great troth that it is more acceptable to God that one should go to his house to hear the Law read and taught and expounded, than to offer a formal sacrifice, which, as being the offering of a godless man is called in proverbial language "the sacrifice of fools" (
Proverbs 21:27). The verb used here, "give" (nathan), is not the usual expression for offering sacrifice, and may possibly refer to the feast which accompanied such sacrifices, and which often degenerated into excess (Delitzsch). That the verb rendered "to hear" does not mean merely "to obey" is plain from its reference to conduct in the house of God. The reading of the Law, and probably of the prophets, formed a feature of the temple service in Koheleth's day; the expounding of the same in public was confined to the synagogues, which seem to have originated in the time of the exile, though there were doubtless before that time some regular occasions of assembling together (see
2 Kings 4:23).
For they consider not that they do evil;
Ὅι οὐκεἰσὶν εἰδότες τοῦ ποιῆσαι κακόν (Septuagint);
Qui nesciunt quid faciunt mali (Vulgate); "They are without knowledge, so that they do evil" (Delitzsch, Knobel, etc.); "As they (who obey) know not to do evil" (Gins-burg). The words can scarcely mean, "They know not that they do evil;" nor, as Hitzig has, "
They know not how to be sorrowful." There is much difficulty in understanding the passage according to the received reading, and Nowack, with others, deems the text corrupt. If we accept what we now find, it is best to translate, "They know not, so that they do evil;"
i.
e. their ignorance predisposes them to err in this matter. The persons meant are the "fools" who offer unacceptable sacrifices. These know not how to worship God heartily and properly, and, thinking to please him with their formal acts of devotion, fall into a grievous sin.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
Guardשְׁמֹ֣ר(šə·mōr)Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 8104:To hedge about, guard, to protect, attend toyour stepsרַגְלְךָ֗(raḡ·lə·ḵā)Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 7272:A foot, a step, the pudendawhenכַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר(ka·’ă·šer)Preposition-k | Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834:Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order thatyou goתֵּלֵךְ֙(tê·lêḵ)Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 1980:To go, come, walktoאֶל־(’el-)Preposition
Strong's 413:Near, with, among, tothe houseבֵּ֣ית(bêṯ)Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1004:A houseof God.הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים(hā·’ĕ·lō·hîm)Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430:gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlativeDraw nearוְקָר֣וֹב(wə·qā·rō·wḇ)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 7138:Nearto listenלִשְׁמֹ֔עַ(liš·mō·a‘)Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 8085:To hear intelligentlyrather than to offerמִתֵּ֥ת(mit·têṯ)Preposition-m | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 5414:To give, put, setthe sacrificeזָ֑בַח(zā·ḇaḥ)Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2077:A slaughter, the flesh of an animal, a sacrificeof fools,הַכְּסִילִ֖ים(hak·kə·sî·lîm)Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3684:Stupid fellow, dullard, foolwhoכִּֽי־(kî-)Conjunction
Strong's 3588:A relative conjunctiondo notאֵינָ֥ם(’ê·nām)Adverb | third person masculine plural
Strong's 369:A non-entity, a negative particleknow thatיוֹדְעִ֖ים(yō·wḏ·‘îm)Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 3045:To knowthey doלַעֲשׂ֥וֹת(la·‘ă·śō·wṯ)Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 6213:To do, makewrong.רָֽע׃(rā‘)Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7451:Bad, evil
Links
Ecclesiastes 5:1 NIVEcclesiastes 5:1 NLTEcclesiastes 5:1 ESVEcclesiastes 5:1 NASBEcclesiastes 5:1 KJV
Ecclesiastes 5:1 BibleApps.comEcclesiastes 5:1 Biblia ParalelaEcclesiastes 5:1 Chinese BibleEcclesiastes 5:1 French BibleEcclesiastes 5:1 Catholic Bible
OT Poetry: Ecclesiastes 5:1 Guard your steps when you go (Ecclesiast. Ec Ecc Eccles.) 
