Ecclesiastes 5:10
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What's easily missed is that the verse points not just to the insatiability of wealth's lovers, but also to the lack of real enjoyment. Even with growing riches, the possessor often gets no true benefit or satisfaction, only more to manage or look at, making the pursuit ultimately empty.
He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Teacher is shifting from discussing injustice in government to the personal, internal struggles related to wealth. He's observed how those who exploit others often chase more riches, only to find their desire is never quenched. This leads directly to the realization that even accumulating vast wealth offers no true contentment, and this perpetual, unfulfilled longing is ultimately pointless.
Ever feel like no matter how much you have, it's never enough? This verse dives deep into that very human struggle.
Ecclesiastes lays bare a timeless truth: the love of money is a hunger that can never be truly satisfied. It's not just about having enough to live on; it's a deep-seated desire for more. The more you get, the more you want. Think about it: even with a full wallet, the desire for another dollar, another acquisition, keeps nagging. This insatiable appetite isn't about meeting needs, but about a craving that grows with every gain. It’s a treadmill where the finish line keeps moving further away.
We often think wealth brings ultimate fulfillment. But what if it actually distracts us from what truly satisfies?
The verse calls this relentless pursuit of wealth 'vanity.' That's a powerful word in Ecclesiastes, meaning futility, emptiness, or a puff of smoke. It signifies something that looks real and valuable but ultimately offers no lasting substance. Wealth promises satisfaction, security, and happiness, but the verse insists it falls short. The 'increase' or 'abundance' that wealth brings doesn't deliver true fulfillment. It can create more responsibilities, more worries, and a greater desire to protect what you have, rather than enjoying it. It’s like chasing after the wind – you exert a lot of effort but grasp nothing solid.
Understand the original words
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kesef · Hebrew noun
Material wealth, currency, or the medium of exchange. Biblically, the love of money is warned against as it can lead to idolatry and misplaced trust, as it cannot provide ultimate satisfaction.
Jesus echoes this same warning, directly stating that 'a person's life does not consist of the abundance of his possessions,' highlighting the futility of chasing material wealth for satisfaction.
1 Timothy 6:10This passage clearly states, 'For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils,' directly linking the insatiable desire for wealth mentioned in Ecclesiastes to destructive behavior.
Proverbs 27:20This proverb offers a parallel thought: 'The grave and destruction are never full, and so men's eyes are never satisfied,' illustrating the endless, unfulfilling nature of human desire, particularly for possessions.
Matthew 6:24Jesus' teaching here about not being able to serve both God and money underscores the inherent conflict that the love of wealth creates, often leading one away from true fulfillment.
Hebrews 13:5This verse presents the antidote to the love of money by stating, 'Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have,' implying that true satisfaction comes from contentment, not endless accumulation.
pooleEcclesiastes 5:10: "He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity."
The greatest treasures of silver do not satisfy the covetous possessor of it; partly because his mind is insatiable, and his desires are increased by and with gains; partly because silver of itself cannot satisfy his natural desires and necessities as the fruits of the field can do, and the miserable wretch grudgeth to part with his silver, though it be…
clarkeEcclesiastes 5:10: "He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity."
He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver - The more he gets, the more he would get; for the saying is true: - Crescit amor nummi, quantum ipsa pecunia crescit. "The love of money increases, in proportion as money itself increases."
What's easily missed is that the verse points not just to the insatiability of wealth's lovers, but also to the lack of real enjoyment. Even with growing riches, the possessor often gets no true benefit or satisfaction, only more to manage or look at, making the pursuit ultimately empty.
The Teacher is shifting from discussing injustice in government to the personal, internal struggles related to wealth. He's observed how those who exploit others often chase more riches, only to find their desire is never quenched. This leads directly to the realization that even accumulating vast wealth offers no true contentment, and this perpetual, unfulfilled longing is ultimately pointless.
The Teacher is shifting from discussing injustice in government to the personal, internal struggles related to wealth. He's observed how those who exploit others often chase more riches, only to find their desire is never quenched. This leads directly to the realization that even accumulating vast wealth offers no true contentment, and this perpetual, unfulfilled longing is ultimately pointless.
"He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity." — What's easily missed is that the verse points not just to the insatiability of wealth's lovers, but also to the lack of real enjoyment. Even with growing riches, the possessor often gets no true…
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Last reviewed October 2026
