Ecclesiastes 5:13

Ecclesiastes 5:13 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt.
• New International Version (NIV)I have seen a grievous evil under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owners,
• English Standard Version (ESV)There is a grievous evil that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owner to his hurt,
• New King James Version (NKJV)There is a severe evil which I have seen under the sun: Riches kept for their owner to his hurt.

Context of Ecclesiastes 5:13

11When good things increase, those who consume them increase. So what is the advantage to their owners except to look on? 12The 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. There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: riches being hoarded by their owner to his hurt. 14When those riches were lost through a bad investment and he had fathered a son, then there was nothing to support him. 15As he had come naked from his mother’s womb, so will he return as he came. He will take nothing from the fruit of his labor that he can carry in his hand.

Ecclesiastes 5:13 word by word

יֵ֚שׁ רָעָ֣ה חוֹלָ֔ה רָאִ֖יתִי תַּ֣חַת הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ עֹ֛שֶׁר שָׁמ֥וּר לִבְעָלָ֖יו לְרָעָתֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear

• Thereיֵשׁyêsh · thereH3426
• is a grievousחָלָהchâlâh · be weak: grievedH2470
• I have seenרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• underתַּחַתtachath · underneath: underH8478
• the sunשֶׁ֫מֶשׁshemesh · sunH8121
• richesעֹ֫שֶׁר‛ôsher · richesH6239
• hoardedשָׁמַרshâmar · to keep: guardH8104
• by their ownerבַּעַלba‛al · masterH1167

Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 5:13

• Ecclesiastes 4:8There was a certain man without a dependent, having neither a son nor a brother, yet there was no end to all his labor. Indeed, his eyes were not satisfied with riches and he never asked, “And for whom am I laboring and depriving myself of pleasure?” This too is vanity and it is a grievous task.
• Ecclesiastes 6:1There is an evil which I have seen under the sun and it is prevalent among men--
• Ecclesiastes 8:9All this I have seen and applied my mind to every deed that has been done under the sun wherein a man has exercised authority over another man to his hurt.
• Genesis 13:5Now Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents.
• Genesis 14:16He brought back all the goods, and also brought back his relative Lot with his possessions, and also the women, and the people.
• Genesis 19:14Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were to marry his daughters, and said, “Up, get out of this place, for the Lord will destroy the city.” But he appeared to his sons-in-law to be jesting.
• Proverbs 1:11If they say, “Come with us, Let us lie in wait for blood, Let us ambush the innocent without cause;
• Proverbs 11:4Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, But righteousness delivers from death.
• Isaiah 2:20In that day men will cast away to the moles and the bats Their idols of silver and their idols of gold, Which they made for themselves to worship,
• Isaiah 32:6For a fool speaks nonsense, And his heart inclines toward wickedness: To practice ungodliness and to speak error against the Lord, To keep the hungry person unsatisfied And to withhold drink from the thirsty.
• Zephaniah 1:18Neither their silver nor their gold Will be able to deliver them On the day of the Lord’s wrath; And all the earth will be devoured In the fire of His jealousy, For He will make a complete end, Indeed a terrifying one, Of all the inhabitants of the earth.
• Luke 12:16And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive.
• Luke 16:1Now He was also saying to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and this manager was reported to him as squandering his possessions.
• Luke 18:22When Jesus heard this, He said to him, “One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
• Luke 19:8Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much.”
• 1 Timothy 6:9But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction.

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 5:13

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 13Riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt - This may be the case through various causes: He may make an improper use of them, and lose his health by them. He may join in an unfortunate partnership and lose all. His riches may excite the desire of the robber; and he may spoil him of his goods, and even take away his life. 4. Or, he may leave them to his son, who turns profligate; spends the whole, and ruins both his body and soul. I have seen this…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-17Verses 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…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 13-14wealth hoarded...wealth lost: Possessions are temporary and can disappear for many reasons.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 13-1413-14. Proofs of God's judgments even in this world (Pr 11:31). The rich oppressor's wealth provokes enemies, robbers, &c. Then, after having kept it for an expected son, he loses it beforehand by misfortune ("by evil travail"), and the son is born to be heir of poverty. Ec 2:19, 23 gives another aspect of the same subject.Read the comment

Topics related to Ecclesiastes 5:13

• Rich, the
• Riches

In the dictionaries

• Abundance
• Angry
• Defer
• Eat
• Error
• Vow
• Synagogue, the Great
• Wisdom

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings