Tree of Life Version
Ecclesiastes 5:13
13or wealth lost in a bad investment, and when he fathers a son, there is nothing in his hand.
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
11The sleep of the laborer is sweet, whether he eats little or much— but the excess of the rich permits him no sleep. 12There is a grievous wrong that I have seen under the sun: wealth hoarded by its owner to his own hurt, or wealth lost in a bad investment, and when he fathers a son, there is nothing in his hand. 14As he came from his mother’s womb, naked he will return as he came. He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hand. 15This too is a grievous wrong. Just as he came, so will he go, so what does he gain, from his toiling for the wind?
Read all of Ecclesiastes 5Ecclesiastes 5:13 word by word
יֵ֚שׁ רָעָ֣ה חוֹלָ֔ה רָאִ֖יתִי תַּ֣חַת הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ עֹ֛שֶׁר שָׁמ֥וּר לִבְעָלָ֖יו לְרָעָתֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 5:13
- Ecclesiastes 4:8There is one who has no one else, neither son nor brother, yet there is no end to all his toil. His eyes are not content with riches. “So, for whom am I toiling, and depriving myself of prosperity?” This too is meaningless— a grievous task!
- Ecclesiastes 6:1There is a misery that I have seen under the sun, and it is heavy upon humanity.
- Ecclesiastes 8:9I have seen all this while applying my mind to everything done under the sun: sometimes one person dominates another person to his own harm.
- Genesis 13:5Now Lot, who was going with Abram, also had sheep and cattle and tents,
- Genesis 14:16He brought back all the possessions, and also brought back his kinsman Lot and his possessions, as well as the women and the other people.
- Genesis 19:14So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law who were going to marry his daughters, “Get up!” he said, “Get out of this place! For Adonai is about to destroy the city!” But in the eyes of his sons-in-law, he was like a joker.
- Proverbs 1:11Suppose they say: “Come with us! Let’s lie in wait for blood! Let’s ambush the innocent— for no reason!
- Proverbs 11:4Riches make no profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.
- Isaiah 2:20In that day a man will cast away his idols of silver and his idols of gold, which they made to worship, to the moles and to the bats!
- Isaiah 32:6For the fool speaks foolishness and his heart works wickedness, to practice ungodliness, and speak error about Adonai, to deprive the hungry of food and withhold drink from the thirsty.
- Zephaniah 1:18Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to rescue them on the day of Adonai’s wrath. With the fire of His passion the entire earth will be consumed. For He will make a total, dreadful annihilation of all the inhabitants of the earth.
- Luke 12:16And Yeshua told them a parable, saying, “The land of a certain rich man produced good crops.
- Luke 16:1Now Yeshua was also saying to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a household manager, and this manager was accused of squandering his belongings.
- Luke 18:22When Yeshua heard this, He said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all, as much as you have, and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”
- Luke 19:8But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord. “Look, Master, half of my possessions I give to the poor, and if I have somehow cheated anyone, I repay four times as much!”
- 1 Timothy 6:9But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and a trap and many foolish and harmful desires that 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
In the dictionaries
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
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