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Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents
5:1-7 Fear God, the Holy and Righteous One. The previous exhortation to "fear God" was motivated by God's sovereignty (3:9-15); in this section, it is motivated by his holy and righteous character.
5:4 When you vow a vow to God. The Preacher wishes to keep people from uttering rash or meaningless words during the worship of God (vv. 1-2), and in particular he has in mind the careless taking of a religious vow as an act of piety (cf. Deut. 23:21-23). By taking a vow, a worshiper would promise to perform a specific act (such as making a sacrifice) if God would respond favorably to a particular petition (Gen. 28:20-22; Judg. 11:30-31; 1 Sam. 1:11). Since making a sacrifice was costly, however, people often looked for some excuse to avoid following through with it (e.g., Eccles. 5:6).
5:7 God is the one you must fear. Cf. 3:14; 12:13; and see Introduction: Key Themes.
