Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ecclesiastes 5:3

For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool’s voice [is known] by multitude of words.

3. For a dream cometh through the multitude of business ] The one psychological fact is meant to illustrate the other. The mind that has lost the power to re-collect itself, haunted and harassed by the cares of many things, cannot enjoy the sweet and calm repose of a dreamless slumber, and that fevered state with its hot thoughts and wild fancies is but too faithful a picture of the worshipper who pours out a multitude of wishes in a “multitude of words.” His very prayers are those of a dreamer. It seems obvious, from the particle that connects this with the preceding verse, that the maxim refers specially to these utterances of the fool and not merely to the folly of his speech in general. The words “is known,” as the italics shew, have nothing answering to them in the Hebrew. The same verb was meant to serve for both the clauses.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Verse 3. For a dream cometh] That is, as dreams are generally the effect of the business in which we have been engaged during the day; so a multitude of words evidence the feeble workings of the foolish heart.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

When mens minds are distracted and oppressed with too much business in the day, they dream of it in the night.

A fools voice is known; it discovers the man to be a foolish, and rash, and inconsiderate man.

By multitude of words; either,

1. In prayer. Or,

2. In vowing, i.e. by making many rash vows, of which he speaks in Ecc 5:4-6, and then returns to the mention of multitude of dreams and many words, Ecc 5:7, which verse may be a comment upon this, and which makes it probable that both that and this verse are to be understood of vows rather than of prayers.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

3. As much “business,”engrossing the mind, gives birth to incoherent “dreams,” somany words, uttered inconsiderately in prayer, give birth to andbetray “a fool’s speech” (Ec10:14), [HOLDEN andWEISS]. But Ec5:7 implies that the “dream” is not a comparison, butthe vain thoughts of the fool (sinner, Ps73:20), arising from multiplicity of (worldly) “business.”His “dream” is that God hears him for his much speaking (Mt6:7), independently of the frame of mind [English Versionand MAURER].

fool’s voiceanswers to”dream” in the parallel; it comes by the many “words”flowing from the fool’s “dream.”

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

For a dream cometh through the multitude of business,…. Or, “for as a dream” q, so Aben Ezra; as that comes through a multiplicity of business in the daytime, in which the mind has been busied, and the body employed; and this brings on dreams in the night season, which are confused and incoherent; sometimes the fancy is employed about one thing, and sometimes another, and all unprofitable and useless, as well as vain and foolish;

and a fool’s voice [is known] by multitude of words; either his voice in conversation, for a fool is full of words, and pours out his foolishness in a large profusion of them; or his voice in prayer, being like a man’s dream, confused, incoherent, and rambling. The supplement, “is known”, may be left out.

q “ut prodit somnium”, Junius Tremellius “nam ut venit”, Piscator; “quia sicut venit”, Mercerus, Ramabachius, so Broughton.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

3. A dream cometh When the mind is crowded with many things the devotions come to have the incoherency of a dream, the thoughts being rambling and disconnected; the whole exercise is thus rendered unprofitable. The is known would be better omitted, as the words are not in the Hebrew. The word “cometh” is naturally supplied. Thus, a fool’s voice that is, unmeaning talk cometh by multitude of words. Vain repetitions will ensue, and the worshipper may think himself heard for his much speaking. The preceding verse enforced seriousness and brevity of speech before God, from the consideration of his high majesty: this verse enjoins it because the lack of it confuses and dissipates the mind of the worshipper.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Ecc 5:3. For a dream cometh through the multitude of business For as a dream bringeth abundance of trouble, so does the voice of an ignorant [or unguarded] man abundance of words. Desvoeux.

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool’s voice is known by multitude of words. (4) When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. (5) Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay. (6) Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands? (7) For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God.

The divers vanities in dreams are what the Preacher is particularly marking in what is here said, and which he speaks lightly of: but not those in which the fear of God is. The scripture account of dreams, and visions of the night, are not what Solomon is speaking of. We know that the Lord was graciously pleased to make use of them upon many and various occasions of good: and when realized, they cease to be dreams; for the divine testimony is upon them. And here they cannot deceive. Elihu saith, that God speaketh in them: Job 33:15-16 . And we have some blessed events said to have been first given in dreams. The dream of Pharaoh made way for great events not only in the family of Israel, but the church itself. Gen 41:1-16 . The great promise of the Spirit is said to be poured out in dreams, Joe 2:28 . Yea, the name of Jesus was first given to Joseph in a dream. Mat 1:20-21 . If the Reader wishes to see more in confirmation of this doctrine, I refer him to several scriptures: Gen 31:37Gen 31:37 ; Jos 7:13 ; 1Sa 28:6 ; 1Ki 3:5 ; Dan 4:5Dan 4:5 , etc. Respecting the subject of vows, we find, it formed a part of the divine directions in this particular, with Israel in the wilderness, Num 30 . Among the followers of Jesus, the solemn dedication of the soul to God in Christ, is the only vow which we are authorized to make. The purchase of Christ’s blood is Christ’s property; and as such, every vow truly such, is to glorify God in our body, and in our spirit, which are his. 1Co 6:20 . It is not very easy to determine what the Preacher meant by the charge: Say not before the angel, that it was an error. An angel, in scripture, means a messenger and hence Christ himself as such, is called the Messenger of the Covenant. Mal 3:1 . But whether Solomon had an eye to Christ, when thus speaking, is not clear. However, his caution is good. And if every idle word is to be accounted for in the day of judgment, rash and inconsiderate expressions of the mouth cause the soul to sin. Mat 12:36 .

Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

Ecc 5:3 For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool’s voice [is known] by multitude of words.

Ver. 3. For a dream cometh through the multitude of business. ] When all the rest of the senses are bound up by sleep, the soul entereth into the shop of the fancy, and operates there usually according to the businesses and employments of the day past; et fieri videntur quae fieri tamen non videntur, saith Tertullian, a those things seem to be done in a dream, which yet are not seen to be done at all: these are but vanae iactationes negotiosae animae, the idle tossings of a busy mind. In like sort a fool, a heartless, sapless fellow, that being sensual and void of “the spirit of grace and supplications,” hath neither the affections nor expressions of holy prayer, “multiplies words without knowledge,” thinks to make out in words what he wants in worth, being , , as Plutarch saith of Alcibiades, one that could talk much but speak little: “His voice is known by multitude of words.” It is but a “voice” that is heard, it is but a sound that is made, like the uncertain sound of a trumpet, that none can tell what it meaneth, what to make of it. Corniculas citius in Africa, quam res rationesque solidus in Turriani scriptis reperias, saith one, b so here if there be any worth of matter in the fool’s words, it is but by chance, as Aristotle saith, c that dreams do by chance foretell those things that come to pass. Let it be our care to shun as much as may be all lavish and superfluous talkativeness and tediousness, but especially in prayer, lest we “offer the sacrifice of fools,” and God be angry with us. For as it is not the loudness of a preacher’s voice, but the weight and holiness of his matter, and the spirit of the preacher, that moves a wise and intelligent hearer, so it is not the labour of the lips, but the travail of the heart that prevails with God. The Baalites’ prayer was not more tedious than Elijah’s short, yet more pithy than short. And it was Elijah that spake loud and sped in heaven. Let the fool learn, therefore, to show more wit in his discourse than words, lest being known by his voice, he meet, as the nightingale did, with some Laconian that will not let to tell him, Vox tu es, praeterea nihil, Thou art a voice, and that’s all.

a Tertull., De Anima, cap. 49.

b Beringer., Contra Idol. cum Salut. Angel.

c Aristot., De Divinat. per Insom.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)