What is the meaning of Ecclesiastes 5:9? The produce of the earth • From the first page of Scripture, harvest is described as God’s gracious gift to humanity. Genesis 1:29: “I have given you every seed-bearing plant…”; Psalm 104:14 – 15 celebrates that He “causes the grass to grow for the livestock and provides crops for man to cultivate.” • The Preacher of Ecclesiastes is reminding us that the land itself, under God’s hand, is the primary source of wealth and sustenance. • Because the earth is the Lord’s (Psalm 24:1), its yields are not random; they testify to His faithfulness (Acts 14:17). Is taken by all • Whether rich or poor, righteous or wicked, everyone draws life from the same soil. Jesus notes the impartiality of God’s provision in Matthew 5:45. • Old Testament gleaning laws (Leviticus 19:9–10) showed that produce was meant to reach beyond landowners to the needy, underscoring shared dependence. • Ecclesiastes echoes Proverbs 27:18, where both caretaker and master alike “eat the fruit” of the fig tree—nobody is exempt from relying on the common bounty. • Work is assumed: “If anyone is unwilling to work, he shall not eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:10). Yet the same verse assumes food remains the universal necessity. The king himself • Even the highest authority must live off what the soil provides. Solomon’s own table required vast daily provisions (1 Kings 4:22–23). • This levels human status: princes and paupers alike are mere recipients of God’s earthbound generosity (Psalm 146:3–4). • By including “the king himself,” the verse subtly rebukes pride. Isaiah 40:6–7 reminds rulers, “All flesh is grass… the grass withers.” Profits from the fields • Royal prosperity grows from the same furrows plowed by commoners. Taxes, tribute, and commerce all trace back to harvest (1 Samuel 8:14–15; Romans 13:6). • A well-ordered kingdom encourages agriculture, for “abundant crops come by the strength of the ox” (Proverbs 14:4). Conversely, oppression that crushes farmers ultimately starves the throne (Proverbs 28:16). • The line therefore counsels wise governance: protect and steward the fields, and both people and king flourish together (2 Chronicles 31:5). summary Ecclesiastes 5:9 teaches that God’s earth produces wealth for everyone without exception—peasant and monarch alike. Our shared dependence on the land humbles the proud, dignifies honest labor, and urges leaders to guard the sources of provision. Recognizing this common reliance turns hearts from envy or oppression toward gratitude, stewardship, and justice under the sovereign Provider. |
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