Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sinThis phrase emphasizes the power of words and their potential to lead to sin. In biblical context, the mouth often symbolizes the heart's intentions (
Matthew 12:34). The warning here is against rash vows or promises, which were common in ancient Israelite culture. The Law of Moses addressed the seriousness of vows (
Numbers 30:2), highlighting the importance of integrity and the consequences of failing to fulfill one's word. The connection between speech and action is a recurring theme in Scripture, as seen in
James 3:5-6, where the tongue is described as a small part of the body that can cause great harm.
and do not tell the messenger that your vow was a mistake
In ancient times, a messenger or priest might be sent to collect on vows made to God. This phrase warns against attempting to retract a vow by claiming it was made in error. Such actions reflect a lack of reverence for God and a failure to recognize the sanctity of one's promises. The cultural context underscores the seriousness of vows, as they were considered binding and sacred. This aligns with Jesus' teaching inMatthew 5:33-37, where He advises against making oaths altogether, advocating for simple and honest communication.
Why should God be angry with your words
This rhetorical question highlights the divine response to insincere or careless speech. In the Old Testament, God's anger is often depicted as a response to disobedience and irreverence (Exodus 32:10). The phrase serves as a reminder of God's holiness and the expectation of His people to uphold their commitments. It reflects the broader biblical principle that God values truth and integrity, as seen inProverbs 12:22, which states that lying lips are an abomination to the Lord.
and destroy the work of your hands?
The consequence of God's anger is described as the destruction of one's labor. This reflects the biblical principle of divine retribution, where disobedience leads to tangible consequences (Deuteronomy 28:15-68). The "work of your hands" symbolizes one's efforts and achievements, which can be undone by God's judgment. This serves as a warning to maintain integrity and sincerity in one's relationship with God. The phrase also echoes the futility of human endeavors without divine favor, a theme prevalent throughout Ecclesiastes.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
The Preacher (Qoheleth)Traditionally identified as King Solomon, the author of Ecclesiastes, who shares wisdom on the futility of life without God.
2.
GodThe ultimate judge and authority who holds individuals accountable for their words and actions.
3.
The MessengerLikely a temple official or priest who would hear vows and ensure they are fulfilled.
4.
The VowA solemn promise made to God, often in the context of worship or seeking divine favor.
5.
The Work of Your HandsRepresents the efforts and achievements of an individual, which can be jeopardized by careless words.
Teaching Points
Guard Your WordsOur words have power and can lead us into sin. We must be mindful of what we say, especially in the presence of God.
The Seriousness of VowsMaking a vow to God is a serious commitment. We should not make promises lightly or without the intention to fulfill them.
Accountability Before GodGod holds us accountable for our words and actions. We should live with the awareness that our speech can impact our relationship with Him.
Integrity in WorshipOur worship and promises to God should be sincere and not made out of impulse or emotion. True worship involves integrity and honesty.
Consequences of CarelessnessCareless words can lead to the destruction of our efforts and achievements. We must be diligent in aligning our speech with God’s will.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Ecclesiastes 5:6?
2.How can we avoid letting our "mouth lead us into sin" today?
3.What does Ecclesiastes 5:6 teach about the importance of keeping vows?
4.How does James 3:6 relate to controlling our speech in Ecclesiastes 5:6?
5.Why should we fear God when making promises, according to Ecclesiastes 5:6?
6.How can we apply the warning against "rash words" in our daily lives?
7.What does Ecclesiastes 5:6 teach about the consequences of making hasty vows to God?
8.How does Ecclesiastes 5:6 reflect the importance of careful speech in one's spiritual life?
9.Why does Ecclesiastes 5:6 warn against letting your mouth lead you into sin?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Ecclesiastes 5?
11.What are the key events in Jeremiah's life?
12.Ecclesiastes 4:5-6 appears to favor quietness over hard work--how is this consistent with scriptures that commend diligence (e.g., Proverbs 6:6-8)?
13.If God is all-good, why does He accept human sacrifices in some cases (Judges 11:30-39)?
14.What does 'likeness of sinful flesh' mean for Jesus?What Does Ecclesiastes 5:6 Mean
Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin“Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin” (Ecclesiastes 5:6a).
• Scripture repeatedly links careless speech to sinful action.Proverbs 10:19 warns that “when words are many, transgression is unavoidable,” andJames 3:5-6 shows how a small tongue can set the whole course of life on fire.
• When we speak rashly—especially in making vows—we bind ourselves to follow through (Numbers 30:2;Deuteronomy 23:21-23). Failing to keep those promises drags our whole person (“flesh”) into sin.
• Jesus intensifies the caution: “By your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:36-37).
Practical takeaway:
– Think before promising.
– Let speech be “Yes, yes” or “No, no” (Matthew 5:37).
– Invite the Spirit to bridle the tongue daily (Psalm 141:3).
and do not tell the messenger that your vow was a mistakeTemple worshipers in Solomon’s day might send a representative (“messenger”) from the priests to collect a vowed offering. Reneging felt tempting once the emotion of worship cooled. Ecclesiastes forbids saying, “My vow was a mistake.”
•Proverbs 20:25 calls it a snare to dedicate something rashly and then reconsider.
•Malachi 1:14 curses the worshiper who promises a choice animal but substitutes a blemished one.
•Psalm 66:13-14 celebrates the opposite attitude—paying vows willingly.
Bullet points for today:
– Commitments to God (finances, service, relationships) are not negotiable after the fact.
– Honoring vows displays integrity before people and reverence before God (Psalm 15:4).
Why should God be angry with your wordsWords matter to God because they reveal the heart (Luke 6:45). When vows become empty talk, He is not neutral.
•Ecclesiastes 5:2 already cautions: “God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.”
• Ananias and Sapphira’s story shows divine anger over deceptive giving (Acts 5:3-5).
•Isaiah 29:13 exposes lips that honor God while hearts are far away, provoking His displeasure.
Living it out:
– Examine motives before speaking.
– Confess and repent quickly when words outrun obedience (1 John 1:9).
and destroy the work of your handsBroken vows invite tangible consequences. Scripture links covenant unfaithfulness with fruitless labor.
•Haggai 1:5-11 describes withheld blessings—crops failing, wages disappearing—because pledges to rebuild the temple were ignored.
•Malachi 3:9-11 speaks of devourers eating harvests when offerings are withheld.
•Psalm 127:1 reminds us that without the Lord’s favor, our toil is in vain.
Principles for believers:
– God still disciplines out of love (Hebrews 12:6), sometimes by frustrating plans until obedience is restored.
– Faithful follow-through invites His blessing on work (Proverbs 16:3).
summaryEcclesiastes 5:6 presses us to match words with deeds. Rash speech can entangle the whole person in sin; backpedaling on promises angers God and undermines the fruit of our labor. Thoughtful, truthful, and obedient speech honors the Lord and safeguards the work He entrusts to us.
(6)
The angel.--It has been proposed to translate this word the "messenger," or ambassador of God, and understand "the priest" (see
Malachi 2:7); and it has been regarded as one of the notes of later date in this book that the word should be used in such a sense. But even in the passage of Malachi there is no trace that the word "angel" had then become an ordinary name for the priest, such as would be intelligible if used in that sense without explanation from the context. Neither, again, is there reason for supposing that the priest had power to dispense with vows alleged to have been rashly undertaken. The power given him (Leviticus 27) is of a different nature. I therefore adhere to the obvious sense, which suggests that the real vow is observed and recorded by a heavenly angel. It falls in with this view that the phrase is "
beforethe angel." If an excuse pleaded to a priest was intended, we should have, "Say not thou
tothe priest."
Error.--The word is that which describes sins ofignorance(Numbers 15). The tacit assumption in this verse, that God interposes to punish when His name is taken in vain, clearly expresses the writer's real conviction, and shows that such a verse asEcclesiastes 9:2 is only the statement of a speculative difficulty.
Verse 6. -
Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin. "Thy flesh" is equivalent to "thyself," the whole personality, the idea of the flesh, as a distinct part of the man, sinning, being alien from Old Testament ontology. The injunction means - Do not, by uttering rash or inconsiderate vows, which you afterwards evade or cannot fulfill, bring sin upon yourself, or, as others render, bring punishment upon yourself. Septuagint, "Suffer not thy mouth to Cause thy flesh to sin(
τοῦ ὠξαμαρτῆσαι τὴν σάρκα σου);" Vulgate,
Ut peccare facias carnem tuam. Another interpretation, but not so suitable, is this - Do not let thy mouth (
i.
e. thy appetite) lead thee to break the vow of abstinence, and indulge in meat or drink from which (as,
e.g., a Nazarite) thou wast bound to abstain.
Neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error. If we take "angel" (
malak) in the usual sense (and there seems no very forcible reason why we should not), it must mean the angel of God in whose special charge you are placed, or the angel who was supposed to preside over the altar of worship, or that messenger of God whose duty it is to watch man's doings and to act as the minister of punishment (
2 Samuel 24:16). The workings of God's providence are often attributed to angels; and sometimes the names of God and angel are interchanged (see
Genesis 16:9, 13;
Genesis 18:2, 3, etc.;
Exodus 3:2, 4;
Exodus 23:20, etc.). Thus the Septuagint here renders, "Say not before the face of God (
πρὸ =προσώπουτοῦ Θεοῦ)." If this interpretation be allowed, we have an argument for the literal explanation of the much-disputed passage in
1 Corinthians 11:10,
διὰ τοὺς ἀγγέλους. Thus, too, in 'The Testaments of the XII. Patriarchs,' we have, "The Lord is witness, and his angels are witnesses, concerning the word of your mouth" ('Levi,' 19). But most commentators consider that the word here means "messenger" of Jehovah, in the sense of priest, the announcer of the Divine Law, as in the unique passage
Malachi 2:7. Traces of a similar use of
ἄγγελος may be found in the New Testament (
Revelation 1:20;
Revelation 2:1, etc.). According to the first interpretation, the man comes before God with his excuse; according to the second, he comes to the priest, and confesses that he was thoughtless and overhasty in making his vow, and desires to be released from it, or, at any rate, by some means to evade its fulfillment. His excuse may possibly look to the cases mentioned in
Numbers 15:22, etc., and he may wish to urge that the vow was made in ignorance (Septuagint,
Ὅτι ἄγνοιά ἐστι, "It is an ignorance"), and that therefore he was not responsible for its incomplete execution. We do not know that a priest or any officer of the temple had authority to release from the obligation of a
Tow,
so that the excuse made "before" him would seem to be objectless, while the evasion of a solemn promise made in the Name of God might well be said to be done in the presence of the observing and recording angel. The Vulgate rendering,
Non eat providentia, makes the man account for his neglect by assuming that God takes no heed of such things; he deems the long-suffering of God to be indifference and disregard (comp.
Ecclesiastes 8:11;
Ecclesiastes 9:3). The original does not bear this interpretation.
Wherefore should God be angry at thy voice - the words in which thy evasion and dishonesty are expressed -
and destroy the work of thine hands?i.
e. punish thee by calamity, want of success, sickness, etc., God's moral government being vindicated by earthly visitations.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
Do notאַל־(’al-)Adverb
Strong's 408:Notletתִּתֵּ֤ן(tit·tên)Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 5414:To give, put, setyour mouthפִּ֙יךָ֙(pî·ḵā)Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 6310:The mouth, edge, portion, side, according tocause your bodyבְּשָׂרֶ֔ךָ(bə·śā·re·ḵā)Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 1320:Flesh, body, person, the pudenda of a, manto sin,לַחֲטִ֣יא(la·ḥă·ṭî)Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct
Strong's 2398:To miss, to sin, to forfeit, lack, expiate, repent, lead astray, condemnand do notוְאַל־(wə·’al-)Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's 408:Nottellתֹּאמַר֙(tō·mar)Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 559:To utter, saythe messengerהַמַּלְאָ֔ךְ(ham·mal·’āḵ)Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4397:A messenger, of God, an angelthatכִּ֥י(kî)Conjunction
Strong's 3588:A relative conjunction[your vow]הִ֑יא(hî)Pronoun - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1931:He, self, the same, this, that, as, arewas a mistake.שְׁגָגָ֖ה(šə·ḡā·ḡāh)Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 7684:A mistake, inadvertent transgressionWhyלָ֣מָּה(lām·māh)Interrogative
Strong's 4100:What?, what!, indefinitely whatshould Godהָֽאֱלֹהִים֙(hā·’ĕ·lō·hîm)Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430:gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlativebe angryיִקְצֹ֤ף(yiq·ṣōp̄)Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7107:To crack off, burst out in ragewithעַל־(‘al-)Preposition
Strong's 5921:Above, over, upon, againstyour wordsקוֹלֶ֔ךָ(qō·w·le·ḵā)Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 6963:A voice, soundand destroyוְחִבֵּ֖ל(wə·ḥib·bêl)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2254:To wind tightly, to bind, a pledge, to pervert, destroy, to writhe in painthe workמַעֲשֵׂ֥ה(ma·‘ă·śêh)Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4639:An action, a transaction, activity, a product, propertyof your hands?יָדֶֽיךָ׃(yā·ḏe·ḵā)Noun - fdc | second person masculine singular
Strong's 3027:A hand
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OT Poetry: Ecclesiastes 5:6 Don't allow your mouth to lead you (Ecclesiast. Ec Ecc Eccles.) 
