The structure of this verse is quite intricate, resulting in a rhythmic, poetic text. It is made up of two sets of sayings. The first is a chiastic (or X-) structure followed by a complementary phrase.

The second set is shorter but is made up of two balanced statements followed by a comment.

Note that the first set ends with God, while the second set begins with the same word, providing a close link between the two sets. Translating passages like these with intricate poetic arrangements is a challenge. Some translations such as New International Version and Traduction œcuménique de la Bible show the poetic nature of these lines by retaining a rather literal translation and using poetic indentation. The chiastic structure of the first set may or may not be appreciated in other languages (see below for a more detailed discussion). However, the rhythm of the second section should be easy enough to maintain in the translation.

Be not rash with your mouth: the Hebrew idiom warns people against saying things they may not mean, or that they would not say if they took more time thinking about the matter. Qoheleth’s words come as a warning against doing the same as the fool. Rash translates the Hebrew verb “hasten,” reflecting a late Hebrew sense. Its intensive form in Hebrew gives it an even stronger force. With your mouth, or “concerning” your mouth, is part of the idiom, and like “tongue” in Psa 15.3 or “lips” in Pro 16.10, mouth symbolizes what is spoken. Although mouth can also be a figure of speech for what a person eats, the fuller context of this passage makes only one sense possible, namely, talking. For translation “Don’t speak rashly,” “Be careful about what you say,” and “Think before you speak” (Good News Translation) are some possibilities.

Nor let your heart be hasty parallels the opening imperative. As noted above, the Hebrew uses a chiastic form to express this thought. In Hebrew this structure is often used to emphasize an important point. But translators do not need to follow this form unless it can effectively stress the idea in the same manner as the original. Your heart describes a person’s mind, will, or intention. In the present setting it is used to portray the thought process leading to what a person says. Abstract terms like “will” or “intention” may not suit certain languages, so a concrete term like heart or “mind” may be adequate to indicate the thought process. Hasty is also an intensive verb form in Hebrew, indicating the speed at which a person decides to do something. Qoheleth cautions against being too quick to make certain decisions, and so he criticizes any plan not sufficiently thought out. Plans and commitments should not be rushed and ill-considered (see also Pro 20.25).

These first two lines of verse 2 exhibit a certain type of parallelism frequently found in Hebrew. The second line “spells out” or intensifies the first. In the first clause the subject is haste in speaking. In the second clause these ideas are expressed more fully: thinking in the heart leads up to speaking. Some languages appreciate this kind of repetitive build-up, while in others it may be preferable to combine the two: “Think carefully before you…” or “Weigh your words in your heart [or, mind] before you….” Other translation possibilities are “Slow down and think carefully” or “Think carefully about what you will do.”

Both the previous imperatives are given a more precise meaning by the following phrase, to utter a word before God. The phrase “house of God” from the earlier part of the verse and before God in this phrase remind us that we have not left behind the context of worship with which this subsection is primarily concerned. So before God means “in God’s presence” or “in God’s hearing.” The term davar almost certainly carries the meaning word here, but we should not overlook its other possible application describing the “matter” that a worshiper may wish to bring before God. It is also possible to anticipate the narrower focus of the next verses and translate word as “vow,” or “promise.”

To utter is an infinitive construction and may often be retained in that form. Alternatively its meaning can also be given as “whenever you bring” a matter (or, word) before God.

For God is in heaven, and you upon earth: here Qoheleth offers the reason for his warning. Although Israel at times spoke of God as dwelling in the Temple or Tent of Meeting, for the most part the Old Testament sees God as resident in the heavenly places. And it is self-evident that human beings reside on earth. Qoheleth uses this form of expression to remind (rather than teach) his hearers that there is a fundamental difference between God and people, and that such difference must affect the way we relate to God. We should not try to treat God in the same manner we treat our fellow human beings. Many scholars suggest Qoheleth is stating that God is so far above us, he is untouched by human concerns (Barton), or even that he is a heavenly despot (Lauha), but this is reading far too much into the text. A rendering like “Remember, God is in heaven and you are on earth” is appropriate.

Translators can choose a less concrete expression like “God is divine and you are human,” or follow the Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation models.

In some languages contrastive statements of this type may incorporate an emphatic pronoun: “God is in heaven, and you, you are on the earth, … therefore….”

Therefore let your words be few: the particle therefore connects this new imperative to the previous statement; it is the conclusion drawn from that previous statement. The translator should look for an equivalent conjunction or discourse marker to signal this point: “so then” or “because of this.” As a positive command, it basically repeats what was expressed as a negative command at the beginning of the verse. So speaking few words here means much the same as not being rash in what you say. Let your words be few can mean what the obvious sense indicates, namely, a small number of utterances. It can also mean cautious speech, things said only after considerable reflection. In the wisdom setting it is highly likely that this latter is what Qoheleth means (see Pro 10.19). But there is the additional fact that in the present context Qoheleth is commenting about words spoken in God’s presence in prayer or promise.

Models for translation are:

• So don’t promise more than you can fulfill.

• Think carefully or you may promise too much.

• So, then, measure [or, weigh] your words [in his presence].

Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Zogbo, Lynell. A Handbook on the Book of Ecclesiates. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .