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Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

Ecclesiastes 5:9

Is served by. — Or, is servant to. Many eminent interpreters connect this verse with what precedes, and translate, “and on the whole the profit of the land is a king devoted to agriculture,” an observation which it is hard to clear of the charge of irrelevance. I prefer, as in our version, to connect with the following verses, and the best explanation I can give of the connection of the paragraph is that it contains a consideration intended to mitigate the difficulty felt at the sight of riches acquired by oppression, namely, that riches add little to the real happiness of the possessors.

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See also Ecclesiastes 5:9 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Ecclesiastes 5:9. _THE PROFIT OF THE EARTH IS FOR ALL_] The earth, if properly cultivated, is capable of producing food for every living creature; and without cultivation none has a right to exp...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    THE KING HIMSELF IS SERVED BY THE FIELD - Rather, the king is subject to the field, i. e., is dependent on its cultivation. The higher ranks, if they oppress the lower, lose thereby their own means of...

  • 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

    IS. "it [is]. " FOR ALL. [consists] in the whole, i.e. not confined to one day....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _Moreover the profit of the earth is for all_ The verse is difficult and has been very variously interpreted. The most satisfactory renderings follow: BUT THE PROFIT OF A LAND EVERY WAY IS A KING FOR...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    THE KING HIMSELF, &C.— _The king is served on account of the field._ Desvoeux. Houbigant renders the verse, _And when these things are so, it is advantageous for the land that there be a king who may...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    3. Recognize God as the Ruler over all. Ecclesiastes 5:8-9 TEXT 5:8-9 8 If you see oppression of the poor and denial of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be shocked at the sight, fo...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field. THE PROFIT (PRODUCE) OF THE EARTH IS (ORDAINED) FOR (THE COMMON GOOD OF) ALL: (EVEN) THE KING (HIMSELF) IS SERV...

  • Darby's translation notes (1890)

    5:9 upon (e-13) Lit. 'enslaved to.' Others understand it thus. 'The profit of the land in all respects is a king addicted to agriculture.'...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    RM 'But the profit of a land every way is a king that maketh himself servant to the field'; because a ruler whose taste lies in that wholesome direction is unlikely to be given to amassing wealth: cp....

  • 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 5:8]_ וְ יִתְרֹ֥ון אֶ֖רֶץ בַּ †...

  • 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)

    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...

  • 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...

  • 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...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    Moreover the (g) profit of the earth is for all: the king (h) [himself] is served by the field. (g) The earth is to be preferred above all things which belong to this life. (h) Kings and princes can...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Money. Avarice is like a dropsy, (Calmet) or poison, infecting all the person. (Sallust.) --- The miser is the slave, and not the possessor, of his riches, (St. Chrysostom) like Tantalus, who could n...

  • 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

    MOREOVER, THE PROFIT OF THE EARTH IS FOR ALL,.... Or, "the excellency of the earth in" or "above all things [is] this" y; that God most high rules over all the earth, and is higher than the kings of i...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king [himself] is served by the field. Ver. 9. _Moreover, the profit of the earth is for all,_] viz., For all sorts of men, and for all kind of uses....

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

    _The profit of the earth is for all_ The fruits of the earth are necessary and beneficial to all men. The wise man, after some interruption, returns to his former subject, the vanity of riches; one ev...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    Moreover, the profit of the earth, the increase or produce of the land, IS FOR ALL; THE KING HIMSELF IS SERVED BY THE FIELD, and therefore the great Lord of all will finally punish all those who abuse...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    ABSTAINING FROM VICES AND FOSTERING VIRTUES...

  • Mark Dunagan Commentaries

    "AFTER ALL,. KING WHO CULTIVATES THE FIELD IS AN ADVANTAGE TO THE LAND." Points To Note: 1 Solomon was well acquainted with political intrigue (1 Kings 1-2). The whole system is one of corruption, an...

  • 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

    THE PROFIT OF THE EARTH, the fruits procured from the earth by the skill and labour of the husbandman, is for all; are necessary and beneficial to all men whatsoever. The wise man, after some interrup...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Ecclesiastes 5:9 profit H3504 land H776 king H4428 served H5647 (H8738) field H7704 the profit -...

  • 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 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

    CRITICAL NOTES.— ECCLESIASTES 5:8. IN A PROVINCE] Such being far distant from the seat of government it was more likely that there oppression would be practised by subordinate rulers. _Higher than the...

  • 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 Chronicles 27:26; 1 Kings 4:7; 1 Samuel 8:12; Genesis 1:29;...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Profit — The fruits of the earth. For all — Necessary and beneficial to all men. The wise man, after some interruption, returns to his former subject, the vanity of riches, one evidence whereof he men...

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