Ecclesiastes 5:7 Meaning: Fear God When Dreams and Words Multiply
For in the multitude of dreams there are vanities, as well as in many words; but you must fear God.
For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God.
For in the multitude of dreams there are vanities, and in many words: but fear thou God.
For, in the abundance of dreams both vanities and words abound; but fear thou God.
For in the multitude of dreams are vanities; so with many words: but fear God.
Meaning in one sentence
What does Ecclesiastes 5:7 mean? The verse contrasts the vanity of many dreams and many words with the simple command to fear God.
Context
Ecclesiastes 5 sits within the Preacher's long reflection on all the ways people chase what fades. Earlier in the chapter, the warning sounds clear: do not rush into a vow before God, and do not pile up excuses when you fail to keep it. Dreams were seen as possible messages from heaven, and long prayers showed devotion. But the Preacher has seen too many people hide behind both, dreams that never came true, prayers that went nowhere. Verse 7 gathers the evidence and names it: all that noise is vanity. The one posture that holds is fear of God, not a cowering fright, but the reverent awe that makes a person stop talking and start listening.
Key Words
The word behind “vanities” is the same one that drives the whole book, it means vapor, a breath, something that vanishes the instant you try to hold it. The Preacher uses it constantly because he wants us to feel how insubstantial our best efforts can be. “Dreams” here are not merely nighttime visions. As the Cambridge Bible notes, they represent what people thought were divine messages. Trusting them is like building on fog. “Many words” picks up the same problem: the long prayers, the elaborate vows, the excuses made afterward. Gill says plainly, “there are many vain things which are uttered in making of them.” Against all that stands the command to fear God. That fear is not dread but the settled reverence that silences our rush to speak and our trust in our own spiritual experiences. It is the one thing that does not evaporate.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christian readers have long seen this verse as the hinge between empty religion and real faith. Matthew Henry connects it directly to the sin of broken vows: fear God, and you will be careful with your promises. Wesley adds that dreams and many words are full of folly, so “fear the wrath of God, and therefore be sparing in making vows.” The Geneva Bible draws a different thread, linking the verse to injustice in society rather than worship. Keil and Delitzsch ground it in the Old Testament law of vows, where the fear of God keeps a person honest. Across these readings, the center holds: all the noise is vanity, but the fear of God is solid ground.
A common misunderstanding
Some readers take this verse as a blanket warning against ever dreaming or having spiritual feelings. In fact, the Preacher is not condemning dreams themselves. He is warning against trusting them as a substitute for simply fearing God. The surrounding passage is about broken vows and careless prayers. The problem is using dreams, or the many words of prayer, as an excuse to avoid keeping your word to God.
Living This Out
This week you will make promises. Some will be small, a commitment at work, a prayer you whisper in the morning. Others might feel big, like a vow you make when life feels desperate. The Preacher asks you to hold those promises loosely in your hands and let the fear of God hold them instead. Before you speak, pause. Before you promise, remember who you are speaking to. Let the quiet awe of God shape what you say and whether you say it at all.
Main takeaway: When your spiritual life feels noisy and empty, the one thing that settles it is a simple, steady fear of God.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Sometimes we talk a lot to God but forget to listen. This verse says it is better to respect God quietly than to say many words without meaning them. When you fear God, your words become careful and true.
For ages 9, 12
You might feel pressure to have big spiritual experiences or to pray for a long time to show you are serious. This verse reminds you that God does not need a show. What He wants is your honest respect and trust. When you fear God, you stop trying to impress Him and start depending on Him. That is the only thing that never turns out empty.
Questions People Ask
What does 'multitude of dreams' mean in Ecclesiastes 5:7?
It refers to the many dreams people had and then treated as divine messages, using them to justify their actions or to feel spiritual without being obedient. The Preacher warns against trusting such dreams because they often lead to vanity, empty confidence in something that fades.
Why are 'many words' mentioned alongside dreams?
Many words here connect to the long prayers and hasty vows people made before God, especially in the verses just before (Ecclesiastes 5:2, 6). Just as dreams can be unreliable, so can a flood of words spoken without thought or kept promises.
Does Ecclesiastes 5:7 mean we should never make vows?
No. The chapter as a whole teaches to make vows carefully and then keep them (verses 4, 5). The warning is against making many vows rashly and then using excuses, like dreams, to avoid fulfilling them. The fear of God leads to integrity, not silence.
What does 'fear God' mean in this verse?
It means reverent awe and humble trust, not terror. Throughout Ecclesiastes, fearing God is the posture that leads to wisdom and obedience (Ecclesiastes 12:13). Here it stands in contrast to the empty noise of dreams and many words, it is the solid center that does not shift.
How does this verse connect to the problem of suffering and injustice in Ecclesiastes 5:8?
The same fear of God that stops you from empty words also steadies you when you see injustice. Verse 8 says not to be shocked at oppression because there are higher authorities at work. The fear of God keeps you from rage or despair, trusting that God sees what you see.
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