What is the meaning of Ecclesiastes 5:3?

As a dream comes through many cares

• “For a dream comes with much activity…” (Ecclesiastes 5:3a). Solomon pictures an anxious sleeper whose mind churns all night. The more cares he carries, the more restless and fragmented his dreams become.

• Life’s pressures do not stay neatly contained; they overflow. Proverbs 12:25 observes, “Anxiety weighs down the heart.” Jesus likewise notes that life’s worries choke spiritual growth (Luke 8:14).

• The point: internal overload inevitably surfaces. Just as cares spill into dreams, hidden turmoil spills into conduct. Our private burdens cannot be ignored; they demand surrender to God (Psalm 55:22; 1 Peter 5:7).

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so the speech of a fool comes with many words

• “…and a fool’s voice with many words” (Ecclesiastes 5:3b). An unwise person vents whatever swirls inside, piling up speech without restraint.

• Proverbs 10:19 cautions, “When words are many, sin is unavoidable,” while Proverbs 17:27 praises the one who “restrains his words.” The fool does neither.

• Jesus warns that “for every careless word people speak, they will give an account on the day of judgment” (Matthew 12:36). Endless talk reveals a heart lacking reverence.

• Instead, Scripture calls us to “be swift to hear, slow to speak” (James 1:19) and to let our words be “few” in God’s presence (Ecclesiastes 5:2).

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summary

Like an overworked mind producing restless dreams, an overfull heart produces reckless speech. Excessive talking exposes folly and invites sin, while measured words reflect trust in the Lord. Hand your cares to God, quiet your tongue, and honor Him with thoughtful, restrained speech.