What is the meaning of Ecclesiastes 5:6?
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.
