9 After all , a king who cultivates the field is an advantage to the land . 10 He who loves money will not be satisfied with money , nor he who loves abundance with its income . This too is vanity . 11 When good things increase , those who consume them increase . So what is the advantage to their owners except e to look e on? 12 The sleep of the working man is pleasant , whether he eats little or much ; but the full stomach of the rich man does not allow him to sleep . 13 There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun : riches being hoarded by their owner to his hurt . 14 When those riches were lost through a bad investment and he had fathered a son , then there was nothing e to support him. 15 As he had come naked from his mother's womb , so will he return as he came . He will take nothing e from the fruit of his labor that he can carry in his hand . 16 This also is a grievous evil -exactly as a man is born , thus will he die . So what is the advantage to him who toils for the wind ? 17 Throughout his life he also eats in darkness with great vexation , sickness and anger .
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Ecclesiastes 5:9-17
Commentary on Ecclesiastes 5:9-17
(Read Ecclesiastes 5:9-17)
The goodness of Providence is more equally distributed than appears to a careless observer. The king needs the common things of life, and the poor share them; they relish their morsel better than he does his luxuries. There are bodily desires which silver itself will not satisfy, much less will worldly abundance satisfy spiritual desires. The more men have, the better house they must keep, the more servants they must employ, the more guests they must entertain, and the more they will have hanging on them. The sleep of the labourer is sweet, not only because he is tired, but because he has little care to break his sleep. The sleep of the diligent Christian, and his long sleep, are sweet; having spent himself and his time in the service of God, he can cheerfully repose in God as his Rest. But those who have every thing else, often fail to secure a good night's sleep; their abundance breaks their rest. Riches do hurt, and draw away the heart from God and duty. Men do hurt with their riches, not only gratifying their own lusts, but oppressing others, and dealing hardly with them. They will see that they have laboured for the wind, when, at death, they find the profit of their labour is all gone like the wind, they know not whither. How ill the covetous worldling bears the calamities of human life! He does not sorrow to repentance, but is angry at the providence of God, angry at all about him; which doubles his affliction.