The Meaning of Ecclesiastes 5:2 Explained

Ecclesiastes 5:2

KJV: Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.

YLT: Cause not thy mouth to hasten, and let not thy heart hasten to bring out a word before God, for God is in the heavens, and thou on the earth, therefore let thy words be few.

Darby: Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter anything before God: for God is in the heavens, and thou upon earth; therefore let thy words be few.

ASV: Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter anything before God; for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Be not rash  with thy mouth,  and let not thine heart  be hasty  to utter  [any] thing  before  God:  for God  [is] in heaven,  and thou upon earth:  therefore let thy words  be few. 

What does Ecclesiastes 5:2 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Ecclesiastes 5

1  vanities in divine service
8  in murmuring against oppression
9  and in riches
18  Joy in riches is the gift of God

What do the individual words in Ecclesiastes 5:2 mean?

Not do be rash with your mouth and your heart let hastily utter anything before God For God [is] in heaven and you on earth upon thus let be your words few
אַל־ תְּבַהֵ֨ל עַל־ פִּ֜יךָ וְלִבְּךָ֧ יְמַהֵ֛ר לְהוֹצִ֥יא דָבָ֖ר לִפְנֵ֣י הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים כִּ֣י הָאֱלֹהִ֤ים בַּשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙ וְאַתָּ֣ה עַל־ הָאָ֔רֶץ עַֽל־ כֵּ֛ן יִהְי֥וּ דְבָרֶ֖יךָ מְעַטִּֽים

תְּבַהֵ֨ל  do  be  rash 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: בָּהַל  
Sense: to disturb, alarm, terrify, hurry, be disturbed, be anxious, be afraid, be hurried, be nervous.
פִּ֜יךָ  your  mouth 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: פֶּה  
Sense: mouth.
וְלִבְּךָ֧  and  your  heart 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: לֵב 
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.
יְמַהֵ֛ר  let  hastily 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מָהַר  
Sense: (Qal) to hasten.
לְהוֹצִ֥יא  utter 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
דָבָ֖ר  anything 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
לִפְנֵ֣י  before 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים  God 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
הָאֱלֹהִ֤ים  God  [is] 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
בַּשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙  in  heaven 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַיִם  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
וְאַתָּ֣ה  and  you 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, second person masculine singular
Root: אַתְּ 
Sense: you (second pers.
הָאָ֔רֶץ  earth 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
עַֽל־  upon 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
כֵּ֛ן  thus 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֵּן 
Sense: so, therefore, thus.
יִהְי֥וּ  let  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
דְבָרֶ֖יךָ  your  words 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
מְעַטִּֽים  few 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: מְעַט  
Sense: littleness, few, a little, fewness.