14 But those riches H6239 perish H6 by evil H7451 travail: H6045 and he begetteth H3205 a son, H1121 and there is nothing H3972 in his hand. H3027
The LORD H3068 killeth, H4191 and maketh alive: H2421 he bringeth down H3381 to the grave, H7585 and bringeth up. H5927 The LORD H3068 maketh poor, H3423 and maketh rich: H6238 he bringeth low, H8213 and H637 lifteth up. H7311 He raiseth up H6965 the poor H1800 out of the dust, H6083 and lifteth up H7311 the beggar H34 from the dunghill, H830 to set H3427 them among princes, H5081 and to make them inherit H5157 the throne H3678 of glory: H3519 for the pillars H4690 of the earth H776 are the LORD'S, H3068 and he hath set H7896 the world H8398 upon them.
And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left H3498 in thine house H1004 shall come H935 and crouch H7812 to him for a piece H95 of silver H3701 and a morsel H3603 of bread, H3899 and shall say, H559 Put H5596 me, I pray thee, into one H259 of the priests' offices, H3550 that I may eat H398 a piece H6595 of bread. H3899
Whose harvest H7105 the hungry H7457 eateth up, H398 and taketh H3947 it even out H413 of the thorns, H6791 and the robber H6782 swalloweth up H7602 their substance. H2428
He hath swallowed down H1104 riches, H2428 and he shall vomit them up again: H6958 God H410 shall cast them out H3423 of his belly. H990 He shall suck H3243 the poison H7219 of asps: H6620 the viper's H660 tongue H3956 shall slay H2026 him. He shall not see H7200 the rivers, H6390 the floods, H5104 the brooks H5158 of honey H1706 and butter. H2529 That which he laboured H3022 for shall he restore, H7725 and shall not swallow it down: H1104 according to his substance H2428 shall the restitution H8545 be, and he shall not rejoice H5965 therein. Because he hath oppressed H7533 and hath forsaken H5800 the poor; H1800 because he hath violently taken away H1497 an house H1004 which he builded H1129 not; Surely he shall not feel H3045 quietness H7961 in his belly, H990 he shall not save H4422 of that which he desired. H2530 There shall none of his meat H400 be left; H8300 therefore shall no man look H2342 for his goods. H2898 In the fulness H4390 H4390 of his sufficiency H5607 he shall be in straits: H3334 every hand H3027 of the wicked H6001 shall come H935 upon him. When he is about to fill H4390 his belly, H990 God shall cast H7971 the fury H2740 of his wrath H639 upon him, and shall rain H4305 it upon him while he is eating. H3894 He shall flee H1272 from the iron H1270 weapon, H5402 and the bow H7198 of steel H5154 shall strike him through. H2498 It is drawn, H8025 and cometh out H3318 of the body; H1465 yea, the glittering sword H1300 cometh out H1980 of his gall: H4846 terrors H367 are upon him. All darkness H2822 shall be hid H2934 in his secret places: H6845 a fire H784 not blown H5301 shall consume H398 him; it shall go ill H3415 with him that is left H8300 in his tabernacle. H168 The heaven H8064 shall reveal H1540 his iniquity; H5771 and the earth H776 shall rise up H6965 against him. The increase H2981 of his house H1004 shall depart, H1540 and his goods shall flow away H5064 in the day H3117 of his wrath. H639 This is the portion H2506 of a wicked H7563 man H120 from God, H430 and the heritage H5159 appointed H561 unto him by God. H410
Surely every man H376 walketh H1980 in a vain shew: H6754 surely they are disquieted H1993 in vain: H1892 he heapeth up H6651 riches, and knoweth H3045 not who shall gather H622 them.
Let his children H1121 be fatherless, H3490 and his wife H802 a widow. H490 Let his children H1121 be continually H5128 vagabonds, H5128 and beg: H7592 let them seek H1875 their bread also out of their desolate places. H2723 Let the extortioner H5383 catch H5367 all that he hath; and let the strangers H2114 spoil H962 his labour. H3018 Let there be none to extend H4900 mercy H2617 unto him: neither let there be any to favour H2603 his fatherless children. H3490
For God giveth H5414 to a man H120 that is good H2896 in his sight H6440 wisdom, H2451 and knowledge, H1847 and joy: H8057 but to the sinner H2398 he giveth H5414 travail, H6045 to gather H622 and to heap up, H3664 that he may give H5414 to him that is good H2896 before H6440 God. H430 This also is vanity H1892 and vexation H7469 of spirit. H7307
Ye looked H6437 for much, H7235 and, lo, it came to little; H4592 and when ye brought H935 it home, H1004 I did blow H5301 upon it. Why? saith H5002 the LORD H3068 of hosts. H6635 Because H3282 of mine house H1004 that is waste, H2720 and ye run H7323 every man H376 unto his own house. H1004
Since those days were, when one came H935 to an heap H6194 of twenty H6242 measures, there were but ten: H6235 when one came H935 to the pressfat H3342 for to draw out H2834 fifty H2572 vessels out of the press, H6333 there were but twenty. H6242 I smote H5221 you with blasting H7711 and with mildew H3420 and with hail H1259 in all the labours H4639 of your hands; H3027 yet ye turned not to me, saith H5002 the LORD. H3068
Lay G2343 not G3361 up G2343 for yourselves G5213 treasures G2344 upon G1909 earth, G1093 where G3699 moth G4597 and G2532 rust G1035 doth corrupt, G853 and G2532 where G3699 thieves G2812 break through G1358 and G2532 steal: G2813 But G1161 lay up G2343 for yourselves G5213 treasures G2344 in G1722 heaven, G3772 where G3699 neither G3777 moth G4597 nor G3777 rust G1035 doth corrupt, G853 and G2532 where G3699 thieves G2812 do G1358 not G3756 break through G1358 nor G3761 steal: G2813
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Ecclesiastes 5
Commentary on Ecclesiastes 5 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 5
Solomon, in this chapter, discourses,
So that if we can but learn out of this chapter how to manage the business of religion, and the business of this world (which two take up most of our time), so that both may turn to a good account, and neither our sabbath days nor our week-days may be lost, we shall have reason to say, We have learned two good lessons.
Ecc 5:1-3
Solomon's design, in driving us off from the world, by showing us its vanity, is to drive us to God and to our duty, that we may not walk in the way of the world, but by religious rules, nor depend upon the wealth of the world, but on religious advantages; and therefore,
Ecc 5:4-8
Four things we are exhorted to in these verses:-
Ecc 5:9-17
Solomon had shown the vanity of pleasure, gaiety, and fine works, of honour, power, and royal dignity; and there is many a covetous worldling that will agree with him, and speak as slightly as he does of these things; but money, he thinks, is a substantial thing, and if he can but have enough of that he is happy. This is the mistake which Solomon attacks, and attempts to rectify, in these verses; he shows that there is as much vanity in great riches, and the lust of the eye about them, as there is in the lusts of the flesh and the pride of life, and a man can make himself no more happy by hoarding an estate than by spending it.
Ecc 5:18-20
Solomon, from the vanity of riches hoarded up, here infers that the best course we can take is to use well what we have, to serve God with it, to do good with it, and take the comfort of it to ourselves and our families; this he had pressed before, ch. 2:24; 3:22. Observe,