Ecclesiastes 5:1

Keep thy foot. In Hebrew Bibles, in the LXX, and in the Vulgate, this is v. 17 of ch. 4. “Keep thy foot” is equivalent to the colloquial expression “Watch your step,” and is used here in a figurative sense, in harmony with the thought of Gen. 17:1 and Ps. 119:101.

Home of God. The ancient tabernacle was called “the house of Jehovah” (1 Sam. 1:7; 2 Sam. 12:20). The same title was later used of the Temple in Jerusalem (see 1 Kings 3:1).

Sacrifice of fools. The “fools” here referred to “do evil” when they enter “the house of God” by not keeping their “foot” and not being “ready to hear.” They are unaware of Him in whose presence they stand (v. 2), their thoughts are upon earthly things, and as a result their words are often rash, hasty, and many. Those who attend church, so unaware of the presence of God that they think and converse on common topics, are here classed by the wise man as “fools.” Their worship is mere form.

They do evil. Ignorant of God’s spiritual requirements, they fail to worship Him sincerely and intelligently (see John 4:24). They sin in their self-imposed ignorance, and as a result their worship and their gifts — thoughtlessly offered — are unacceptable to God.