There is a grievous evil I have seen under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owner, There is a grievous evil I have seen under the sun:Solomon identifies a painful reality in fallen human life: possessions meant to serve people can become instruments of sorrow. Life in the world often exposes the limits of earthly security and the misery produced by trusting in what cannot endure. Ecc 6:1-2 There is another evil I have seen under the sun,…
Ecc 2:18-19 I hated all for which I had toiled under the sun,…
Jas 5:1-3 Come now, you who are rich, weep and wail…
wealth hoarded to the harm of its owner, Wealth guarded selfishly can enslave the one who possesses it through fear, anxiety, isolation, and false confidence. The owner may lose the ability to enjoy God’s gifts, neglect those in need, and become spiritually impoverished while materially rich. Jesus warned against laying up treasures on earth, where they perish or can be taken away (Matthew 6:19–21), and Paul taught that the love of money brings many sorrows (1 Timothy 6:9–10). Wealth is a gift to be received with gratitude and used responsibly, not a master to be served. Luk 12:15-21 And he said to them, “Watch out! Guard yourselves…
1Ti 6:9-10 Those who want to be rich, however, fall into temptation…
Hag 1:6 You have planted much but harvested little…
Persons / Places / Events 1. Solomon- Traditionally considered the author of Ecclesiastes, Solomon was the king of Israel known for his wisdom, wealth, and building projects, including the Temple in Jerusalem. 2. Israel- The nation where Solomon reigned, representing a place of both spiritual significance and material prosperity during his time. 3. The Owner- The individual who hoards wealth, experiencing harm as a result of their actions, illustrating a universal human tendency. 4. Under the Sun- A phrase used throughout Ecclesiastes to denote life on earth, emphasizing the temporal and often futile nature of worldly pursuits. 5. Wealth- Material riches that, when hoarded, can lead to negative consequences for the individual, as observed by Solomon. Teaching Points The Danger of Hoarding WealthHoarding wealth can lead to spiritual and emotional harm, as it often becomes an idol that distracts from God. The Temporary Nature of Earthly RichesWealth is fleeting and cannot provide lasting satisfaction or security, reminding us to focus on eternal values. Generosity as a RemedyPracticing generosity can counteract the negative effects of hoarding, aligning our hearts with God's purposes and blessing others. Contentment in God's ProvisionFinding contentment in what God provides helps us avoid the trap of accumulating wealth for its own sake. Stewardship and ResponsibilityWe are called to be good stewards of the resources God entrusts to us, using them to further His kingdom rather than for selfish gain. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the concept of "wealth hoarded to the harm of its owner" challenge our modern views on saving and investing? 2. In what ways can we practice generosity to counteract the negative effects of hoarding wealth? 3. How does the phrase "under the sun" in Ecclesiastes shape our understanding of the temporary nature of earthly pursuits? 4. What are some practical steps we can take to ensure we are storing up treasures in heaven rather than on earth? 5. How can we cultivate contentment in God's provision, and what role does gratitude play in this process? Connections to Other Scriptures Proverbs 11:24-25- These verses discuss the paradox of generosity leading to greater wealth, contrasting with the hoarding of riches leading to poverty. Matthew 6:19-21- Jesus teaches about storing treasures in heaven rather than on earth, aligning with the theme of the futility of hoarding wealth. 1 Timothy 6:9-10- Paul warns about the dangers of the love of money, which can lead to ruin and destruction, echoing the harm mentioned in Ecclesiastes 5:13. People SolomonPlaces JerusalemTopics Downfall, Evil, Grievous, Harm, Hoarded, Hurt, Kept, Namely, Owner, Owners, Painful, Possessor, Riches, Sore, Thereof, WealthDictionary of Bible Themes Ecclesiastes 5:13 5967 thrift
8262 generosity, human Ecclesiastes 5:8-15 5916 pessimism Ecclesiastes 5:10-14 8812 riches, ungodly use Ecclesiastes 5:10-15 5907 miserliness Ecclesiastes 5:13-15 8701 affluence Library Naked or Clothed?
'As he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.'--ECCLES. v. 15. '... Their works do follow them.'--REV. xiv. 13. It is to be observed that these two sharply contrasted texts do not refer to the same persons. The former is spoken of a rich worldling, the latter of 'the dead who die in the Lord.' The unrelieved gloom of the one is as a dark background against which the triumphant assurance of …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy ScriptureLessons for Worship and for Work
'Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil. 2. Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter anything before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth; therefore let thy words be few. 3. For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words. 4. When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for He hath …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture Things to be Meditated on as Thou Goest to the Church.
1. That thou art going to the court of the Lord, and to speak with the great God by prayer; and to hear his majesty speak unto thee by his word; and to receive his blessing on thy soul, and thy honest labour, in the six days past. 2. Say with thyself by the way--"As the hart brayeth for the rivers of water, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, even for the living God: When shall I come and appear before the presence of God? For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety Literature.
i. editions of chrysostom's works. S. Joannis Chrysostomi, archiepiscopi Constantinopolitani, Opera omnia quæ exstant vel quæ ejus nomine circumferuntur, ad mss. codices Gallicos, Vaticanos, Anglicos, Germanicosque castigata, etc. Opera et studio D.Bernardi de Montfaucon, monachi ordinis S. Benedicti e congregatione S. Mauri, opem ferentibus aliis ex codem sodalitio, monachis. Greek and Latin, Paris, 1718-'38, in 13 vols., fol. This is the best edition, and the result of about twenty …
St. Chrysostom—On the Priesthood Ninth Day for God's Spirit on Our Mission Work
WHAT TO PRAY.--For God's Spirit on our Mission Work "The evangelisation of the world depends first of all upon a revival of prayer. Deeper than the need for men--ay, deep down at the bottom of our spiritless life, is the need for the forgotten secret of prevailing, world-wide prayer." "As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate Me Barnabas and Saul. Then when they had fasted and prayed, they sent them away. So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed."--ACTS …
Andrew Murray—The Ministry of Intercession Thoughts Upon Worldly-Riches. Sect. Ii.
TIMOTHY after his Conversion to the Christian Faith, being found to be a Man of great Parts, Learning, and Piety, and so every way qualified for the work of the Ministry, St. Paul who had planted a Church at Ephesus the Metropolis or chief City of all Asia, left him to dress and propagate it, after his departure from it, giving him Power to ordain Elders or Priests, and to visit and exercise Jurisdiction over them, to see they did not teach false Doctrines, 1 Tim. i. 3. That they be unblameable in …
William Beveridge—Private Thoughts Upon a Christian Life There is a Blessedness in Reversion
Blessed are the poor in spirit. Matthew 5:3 Having done with the occasion, I come now to the sermon itself. Blessed are the poor in spirit'. Christ does not begin his Sermon on the Mount as the Law was delivered on the mount, with commands and threatenings, the trumpet sounding, the fire flaming, the earth quaking, and the hearts of the Israelites too for fear; but our Saviour (whose lips dropped as the honeycomb') begins with promises and blessings. So sweet and ravishing was the doctrine of this …
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12 How to be Admonished are those who Give Away what is their Own, and those who Seize what Belongs to Others.
(Admonition 21.) Differently to be admonished are those who already give compassionately of their own, and those who still would fain seize even what belongs to others. For those who already give compassionately of their own are to be admonished not to lift themselves up in swelling thought above those to whom they impart earthly things; not to esteem themselves better than others because they see others to be supported by them. For the Lord of an earthly household, in distributing the ranks and …
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great Covenanting Confers Obligation.
As it has been shown that all duty, and that alone, ought to be vowed to God in covenant, it is manifest that what is lawfully engaged to in swearing by the name of God is enjoined in the moral law, and, because of the authority of that law, ought to be performed as a duty. But it is now to be proved that what is promised to God by vow or oath, ought to be performed also because of the act of Covenanting. The performance of that exercise is commanded, and the same law which enjoins that the duties …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting Ecclesiastes
It is not surprising that the book of Ecclesiastes had a struggle to maintain its place in the canon, and it was probably only its reputed Solomonic authorship and the last two verses of the book that permanently secured its position at the synod of Jamnia in 90 A.D. The Jewish scholars of the first century A.D. were struck by the manner in which it contradicted itself: e.g., "I praised the dead more than the living," iv. 2, "A living dog is better than a dead lion," ix. 4; but they were still more …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Ecclesiastes 5:13 NIVEcclesiastes 5:13 NLTEcclesiastes 5:13 ESVEcclesiastes 5:13 NASBEcclesiastes 5:13 KJV
Ecclesiastes 5:13 Commentaries
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