Ecclesiastes 5:13
"There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt."

Commentary

Gill's Exposition

There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun,.... Or "an evil sickness" (m). A sinful disease in the person with whom it is found, and very disagreeable to others to behold; it is enough to make one sick to see it; and what he is about to relate he himself was an eyewitness of: namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt; laid up in barns

and granaries, as the fruits of the earth; or in chests and coffers, as gold and silver, for the use and service of the owners of them; and which yet have been to their real injury; being either used by them in a luxurious and intemperate way, so have brought diseases on their bodies, and damnation to their souls; or not used at all for their own good, or the good of others, which brings the curse of God upon them, to their ruin and destruction, both here and hereafter: and oftentimes so it is, and which no doubt had fallen under the observation of Solomon, that some who have been great misers, and have hoarded up their substance, without using them themselves, or sharing them with others, have not only been plundered of them, but, for the sake of them, their lives have been taken away in a most barbarous manner, by cutthroats and villains; sometimes by their own servants, nay, even by their own children. Riches ill gotten and ill used are very prejudicial to the owners; and if they are well got, but ill used, or not used at all, greatly hurt the spiritual and eternal state of men; it is a difficult thing for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven, and a covetous man cannot; if a professor, the word he hears is choked and made unprofitable; he errs from the faith, and pierces himself through with many sorrows now, and is liable to eternal damnation hereafter. The Targum interprets it of a man that gathers riches, and does no good with them; but keeps them to himself, to do himself evil in the world to come. (m) "morbus malus", Tigurine version, Vatablus.

Source: Gill's Exposition (Public Domain)

Hebrew Word Studies (10 words)

H0006 אָבַד
Definition:

30+;אָֽבְדוּPsalm 10:16+ (+Ezekiel 6:3ᵐ5Co) etc.;ImperfectיאֹבַדJob 3:3;Jeremiah 4:9;יאֹבֵ֑דּJob 20:72t.; 3 feminine singularתּאֹבַדDeuteronomy 22:34t.;תּאֹבֵ֑דJob 8:133t.;יאֹבְדוּJudges 5:313t.;יאֹבֵ 30+;אָֽבְדוּPsalm 10:16+ (+Ezekiel 6:3ᵐ5Co) etc.;ImperfectיאֹבַדJob 3:3;Jeremiah 4:9;יאֹבֵ֑דּJob 20:72t.; 3 feminine singularתּאֹבַדDeuteronomy 22:34t.;תּאֹבֵ֑דJob 8:133t.;יאֹבְדוּJudges 5:313t.;יאֹבֵ

Possible Meanings:
  • perish (semantic_range)
  • they shall perish (semantic_range)
  • destroy (semantic_range)
  • be destroyed (semantic_range)
H6239 עשֶׁר
Definition:

25riches; —׳עabsoluteGenesis 31:627t. constructEsther 1:4; suffixעָשְׁרוֺJeremiah 9:225t.,עָשְׁרָםPsalm 49:7;Proverbs 14:24; + (or "")כָּבוֺד1Kings 3:13;Proverbs 3:169t.;׳עָשָׂה עJeremiah 17:11, compa 25riches; —׳עabsoluteGenesis 31:627t. constructEsther 1:4; suffixעָשְׁרוֺJeremiah 9:225t.,עָשְׁרָםPsalm 49:7;Proverbs 14:24; + (or "")כָּבוֺד1Kings 3:13;Proverbs 3:169t.;׳עָשָׂה עJeremiah 17:11, compa

Possible Meanings:
  • a ten (semantic_range)
H1931 הוּא
Definition:

23Kt, seeהוּא.הוּאmasculineהִיאfeminine(plural masculineהֵ֫מָּה,הֵם; feminineהֵ֫נָּה,הֵן[the latter only with prefixes]; see these words),pronoun of the 3rd person singular,he, she, used also(in both 23Kt, seeהוּא.הוּאmasculineהִיאfeminine(plural masculineהֵ֫מָּה,הֵם; feminineהֵ֫נָּה,הֵן[the latter only with prefixes]; see these words),pronoun of the 3rd person singular,he, she, used also(in both

H6045 עִנְיָן
Definition:

13occupation, task, only Ecclesiastes (Aramaic loan-word LagBN 205; common in Late Hebrew); —׳עabsoluteEcclesiastes 2:26;Ecclesiastes 3:10;Ecclesiastes 5:2;Ecclesiastes 8:16; suffixכַּעַס עִנְיָנוֺEcc 13occupation, task, only Ecclesiastes (Aramaic loan-word LagBN 205; common in Late Hebrew); —׳עabsoluteEcclesiastes 2:26;Ecclesiastes 3:10;Ecclesiastes 5:2;Ecclesiastes 8:16; suffixכַּעַס עִנְיָנוֺEcc

H7451 רַע
Definition:

Fromra'a'; bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral) -- adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, + displease(-ure), distress, evil((- favouredness), man, thing), + exceedingly, X great, grief(-vous), harm Fromra'a'; bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral) -- adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, + displease(-ure), distress, evil((- favouredness), man, thing), + exceedingly, X great, grief(-vous), harm

Possible Meanings:
  • misery (semantic_range)
  • injury (semantic_range)
H3205 יָלַד
Definition:

18(3 t. in verse) + 16 t.;יָלָ֑דJeremiah 17:11;וְיָלַדconsecutivePsalm 7:15; suffixיְלָֽדְךָDeuteronomy 32:18; 2masculine singular suffixילדתניJeremiah 2:27Kt; Qrיְלִדְתָּנוּ(Köi. 410Ges§ 70, 2. R. 4) 18(3 t. in verse) + 16 t.;יָלָ֑דJeremiah 17:11;וְיָלַדconsecutivePsalm 7:15; suffixיְלָֽדְךָDeuteronomy 32:18; 2masculine singular suffixילדתניJeremiah 2:27Kt; Qrיְלִדְתָּנוּ(Köi. 410Ges§ 70, 2. R. 4)

Possible Meanings:
  • child (semantic_range)
  • son (semantic_range)
  • boy (semantic_range)
  • youth (semantic_range)
H1121 בֵּן
Definition:

25+;ֵ˜בּןֿEzekiel 18:10; constructבֵּןGenesis 49:22(twice in verse);בֶּןֿGenesis 5:32+;בֶּןEsther 2:5;Nehemiah 6:18, & with prefixGenesis 17:17;Numbers 8:25;1 Chronicles 27:23; 2Chronicles 25:5; 31:16 25+;ֵ˜בּןֿEzekiel 18:10; constructבֵּןGenesis 49:22(twice in verse);בֶּןֿGenesis 5:32+;בֶּןEsther 2:5;Nehemiah 6:18, & with prefixGenesis 17:17;Numbers 8:25;1 Chronicles 27:23; 2Chronicles 25:5; 31:16

Possible Meanings:
  • son (semantic_range)
  • son (semantic_range)
  • children (semantic_range)
  • youth (semantic_range)
  • young men (semantic_range)
H0369 אַיִן
Definition:

23הַנּוֺתֵןרוֺזְנִים לְאָ֑יִןwho bringeth princesto nothing;כְּאַיִןas nothing, ib.Isaiah 40:17;Isaiah 41:11,12;Haggai 2:3;Psalm 39:6;almost(""כִּמְעַט)Psalm 73:2;מֵאַיִןof nothingIsaiah 41:24.2constr 23הַנּוֺתֵןרוֺזְנִים לְאָ֑יִןwho bringeth princesto nothing;כְּאַיִןas nothing, ib.Isaiah 40:17;Isaiah 41:11,12;Haggai 2:3;Psalm 39:6;almost(""כִּמְעַט)Psalm 73:2;מֵאַיִןof nothingIsaiah 41:24.2constr

Possible Meanings:
  • nought (semantic_range)
  • is not (semantic_range)
H3027 יָד
Definition:

26+ often (masculineExodus 17:12see Di; onיִרְמּוּ יָדַיִם2 Samuel 4:1;Zephaniah 3:16; 2Chronicles 15:7;Nehemiah 6:9, see Ges§ 145, 7 a, R. 1)hand(Late Hebrewid.; Aramaicיְדָא,; ZinjirliידDHMSendsch.G 26+ often (masculineExodus 17:12see Di; onיִרְמּוּ יָדַיִם2 Samuel 4:1;Zephaniah 3:16; 2Chronicles 15:7;Nehemiah 6:9, see Ges§ 145, 7 a, R. 1)hand(Late Hebrewid.; Aramaicיְדָא,; ZinjirliידDHMSendsch.G

Possible Meanings:
  • power (semantic_range)
H3972 מְאוּמָה
Definition:

in Assyrianmanman(properlywho ? who ?), assimilatedmamman, ormanma(man, who ?+ Generalizingma),mamma, isany one, minma(min, what ? + ma),mimma, isanything, Dl§ 60, HWB 418 f; WSG 125 f.); —anything, u in Assyrianmanman(properlywho ? who ?), assimilatedmamman, ormanma(man, who ?+ Generalizingma),mamma, isany one, minma(min, what ? + ma),mimma, isanything, Dl§ 60, HWB 418 f; WSG 125 f.); —anything, u

Interlinear data not available for this verse yet.

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