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Ecclesiastes 5:11

When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes?

When goods increase ... - the rich man's dependents. Either in the rich man's lifetime, or after his death, all his accumulations shall find their consumers. 'Whoso gathers riches, gathers devourers' (Luther).

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See also Ecclesiastes 5:11 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Ecclesiastes 5:11. _WHEN GOODS INCREASE_] An increase of property always brings an increase of expense, by a multitude of servants; and the owner really possesses no more, and probably _enjoys_...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    THEY ... THAT EAT THEM - i. e., The laborers employed, and the household servants....

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    3. EXHORTATIONS ON DIFFERENT VANITIES CHAPTER 5 _ 1. Concerning worship and vows (Ecclesiastes 5:1)_ 2. Concerning extortions (Ecclesiastes 5:8) 3. The vanities of wealth (Eccle

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    CONCERNING DESPOTISM AND WEALTH. Ecclesiastes 5:8 f. The oppression and injustice that one sees (_in_ an Oriental satrapy) are not to be wondered at when we remember the graded hierarchy of officials...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    GOOD. advantage. OWNERS. Plural of emphasis. THEIR. his....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _When goods increase, they are increased that eat them_ The fact is one which has met the gaze of the moralists of all countries. A large household, numerous retainers, these are but so many elements...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    E. ADMONITIONS CONCERNING THE FUTILITY OF RICHES 5:106:12 1. Riches by themselves are vain. Ecclesiastes 5:10-20 a. They do not satisfy. Ecclesiastes 5:10-12 TEXT 5:10-12 10 He who loves money wil...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    DISHEARTENING OUTLOOK ON LIFE 1-8. Disorders in the religious, in the political world. In the earlier part of this chapter the writer turns from secular to religious matters. H e points out the irrev...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    THE TEACHER SEARCHES FOR THE PURPOSE OF OUR LIVES BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES _HILDA BRIGHT AND KITTY PRIDE_ CHAPTER 5 BE AFRAID TO MAKE GOD ANGRY – ECCLESIASTES 5:1-7 V1 Be careful when you go to God...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    _[Ecclesiastes 5:10]_ בִּ רְבֹות֙ הַ טֹּובָ֔ה רַבּ֖וּ...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    PRACTICAL MAXIMS DEDUCED FROM THIS VIEW OF THE BUSINESS LIFE. (b) A noble philosophy this, and pregnant with practical counsels of great value. For if, as we close our study of this Section of the Bo...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    AND TO TAKE FROM LIFE ITS QUIET AND INNOCENT ENJOYMENTS. Ecclesiastes 5:10 (e) Now surely a life so thick with perils, so beset with temptations, should have a very large and certain reward to offer....

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    AND A MORE HELPFUL AND CONSOLATORY TRUST IN THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE. Ecclesiastes 5:8 Not content with this, however, the Preacher goes on to show how, when they returned from the House of God to the c...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    SECOND SECTION The Quest Of The Chief Good In Devotion To The Affairs Of Business Ecclesiastes 3:1 - Ecclesiastes 5:20 I. IF the true Good is not to be found in the School where Wisdom utters her vo...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    The observation of the religious life brings no truer satisfaction. In this brief passage contempt for religion is not expressed, but there is absolutely no joy or satisfaction manifest. The life is w...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Sleep. Is not the health and content of the poor to be preferred?_...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 1 THROUGH 12. The Book of Ecclesiastes is, up to a certain point, the converse of the Book of Proverbs. (see NOTE TO PROVERBS below) It is the experience of a...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    WHEN GOODS INCREASE, THEY ARE INCREASED THAT EAT THEM,.... When a man's substance increases by trade, or otherwise, very often so it is that his family increases, and he has more mouths to feed, and b...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good [is there] to the owners thereof, saving the beholding [of them] with their eyes? Ver. 11. _When goods increase, they are increase...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _He that loveth silver shall not_, &c. The greatest treasures of silver do not satisfy the covetous possessor of it, both because his mind is insatiable, his desires being increased by and with his ga...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    When goods increase, they are increased that eat them, for with in. creasing wealth comes the demand for more servants, and they and other dependents are consumers rather than producers; AND WHAT GOOD...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    ABSTAINING FROM VICES AND FOSTERING VIRTUES...

  • Mark Dunagan Commentaries

    "WHEN GOOD THINGS INCREASE, THOSE WHO CONSUME THEM INCREASE. SO WHAT IS THE ADVANTAGE OF THEIR OWNERS EXCEPT TO LOOK ON?"THOSE WHO CONSUME THEM INCREASE" -Solomon was well aware of the complex establi...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    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 tha...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    THEY ARE INCREASED THAT EAT THEM; they require and are more commonly attended with a numerous company of servants, and friends, and retinues to consume them; which is a great torment to a covetous man...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Ecclesiastes 5:11 goods H2896 increase H7235 (H8800) increase H7231 (H8804) eat H398 (H8802) profit H3788 o

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    THOUGHTS ABOUT THE BURDENS AND PROBLEMS OF WEALTH (ECCLESIASTES 5:8). Here we find a total contrast to the first seven verses. There the thought was of attitude towards God. Now we move on to the atti...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Ecclesiastes 5:9 ; ECCLESIASTES 6:1 I. In all grades of society human subsistence is very much the same. Even princes are not fed with ambrosia, nor do poets subsist on asphodel. The profit of the ea...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Ecclesiastes 5:8-7 I. We left Koheleth in the act of exhorting us to fear God. The fear of God, of course, implies a belief in the Divine superintendence of human affairs. This belief Koheleth now pro...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Ecclesiastes 3:1 A profound gloom rests on the second act or section of this drama. It teaches us that we are helpless in the iron grip of laws which we had no voice in making; that we often lie at th...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Warnings against a vain religion. The vanity and vexation attending the possession of wealth. CHARACTERS: God, Solomon. CONCLUSION: We should address ourselves to the worship of God with a...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Ecclesiastes 5:1. _Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God._ Avoid wandering thoughts, and be wholly absorbed in devotion. Do not hear the words of prayer only, but desire the blessings soug...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God._ REVERENCE AND FIDELITY This passage is a series of cautions against irreverence and insincerity in worship, against discouragement because of pol...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver._ THE UNSATISFACTORINESS OF MATERIAL WEALTH I. That as goods increase, desire increases. This is not the case universally. There are men whos...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    ECCLESIASTES—NOTE ON ECCLESIASTES 5:8 Life “Under the Sun.” The Preacher observes the hardships of life in a fallen world. ⇐...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    _MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.— Ecclesiastes 5:10_ THE IMPOTENCE OF WEALTH Wealth, though it confers great social influence and power, has yet some elements of weakness, and fails when the sever...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION ECCLESIASTES 5:1 Section 6. Man's outward and secular life being unable to secure happiness and satisfaction, can these be found in _popular religion?_ Religious exercises need the observa...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Keep your foot when you go to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they do not consider the evil that they do (Ecclesiastes 5:1). When you go into the...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 John 2:16; 1 Kings 4:22; 1 Kings 4:23; 1 Kings 5:13; Ecclesiast

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