Matthew Poole and continuators on Ecclesiastes 5:2

2 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.

Speak not without good understanding and due consideration.

Do not give way to every sudden motion of thine Heart, nor suffer it to break out of thy Lips till thou hast well weighed it.

Either 1. in Prayers directed to him. Or, 2. in solemn Vows and Promises made in God's presence; which were very much in use in those times, and of which he speaks in the following Verses, where he presseth us to pay our Vows when we have made them, as here he seems to caution us in making them.

Is a God of infinite Majesty, not to be despised or abused; of infinite Holiness, not to be polluted or offended; of infinite Knowledge, observing all our words and carriages, not to be deceived.

Thou art a poor Earth-worm, infinitely below him, and therefore shouldst stand in awe of him and fear to offend him.

Either 1. in Prayer. Use not vain repetitions, nor multitude of words in Prayer, as if they were necessary to inform God of thy state, or to prevail with God to grant thy requests, or as if thou shouldst certainly be heard upon that very account, as Christ also cautions us, Mat. 6. 7. For otherwise it is not unlawful, nay somtimes it is a duty, to use long Prayers and consequently many words, and to repeat the same words in Prayer, as is manifest from Nehem. 9. 3. Dan. 9. 18, 19. Mat. 26. 44. Luke 6. 12. and many other places. Or, 2. in vowing. Be not too prodigal in making more Vowsand Promises than thou art either able or willing and resolved to perform, remembring that God looks down from Heaven, and heareth all thy Vows, and expects a punctual accomplishment of them. Compare the Notes on v. 3.

Marginal references: Or, Word.; Prov. 10. 19.