Ecclesiastes 5:10-12
He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. When goods increase, they increase who eat them, and what advantage has their owner but to see them with his eyes? Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The verse highlights that the desire for more money isn't just about quantity, but about a fundamental inability to enjoy what you have. It’s not simply that the rich man always wants more, but that the very love of wealth prevents him from truly savoring his income or possessions.
The Teacher has been exploring the nature of work and earthly pursuits, noting how the king, just like everyone else, relies on the land's produce. Now, he turns to the insatiable nature of wealth accumulation, revealing that the more one loves money, the less satisfaction they find in it, no matter how much they gain. This endless craving, he concludes, is ultimately empty and futile.
Ever feel like no matter how much you get, you still want more? This verse gets to the heart of that feeling, revealing a truth about human desire.
Solomon, the wise teacher in Ecclesiastes, points out a fundamental flaw in loving money: it's a hunger that can never be truly satisfied.
It's Never Enough
The more you have, the more you want. The ancient scholars noted a saying that perfectly captures this: 'The love of money increases, in proportion as money itself increases.' It's like trying to quench a fire with gasoline – the problem only gets worse.
Why Can't Money Satisfy?
Money, in itself, can't fulfill our deepest needs. It can buy comfort, but not true contentment. The desire for more often blinds us to the real value of what we have, leading us to hoard even when we need to spend for genuine well-being.
The Teacher calls the insatiable desire for wealth 'vanity.' What does he mean by that, and why is it so significant?
The word 'vanity' here in Ecclesiastes isn't just about emptiness; it carries a sense of futility, like chasing after the wind.
A Futile Pursuit
When our hearts are set on accumulating wealth above all else, we end up pursuing something that ultimately offers no lasting satisfaction or true benefit. It's like building a magnificent house on sand – it looks impressive for a while, but it has no solid foundation and will eventually be washed away.
True Gain vs. Apparent Gain
The verse suggests that the 'increase' or 'abundance' we chase with wealth often doesn't yield real profit or joy. The more we have, the more we might have to maintain, leading to greater anxieties and fewer true pleasures. The pursuit itself becomes the focus, rather than any genuine fulfillment it might promise.
Understand the original words
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 directly warns against the dangers of greed, stating that 'a person's life does not consist of the abundance of possessions.' This echoes Ecclesiastes' point that material wealth can never truly satisfy the soul.
1 Timothy 6:10This passage calls the love of money 'a root of all kinds of evils,' directly linking the insatiable desire for wealth to destructive consequences, much like Ecclesiastes labels it as vanity.
Proverbs 27:20This proverb states, 'Hell and the destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never full.' It shares the theme of inherent human insatiability, especially concerning desires, which Ecclesiastes applies specifically to the love of money and wealth.
Matthew 6:24Jesus teaches that 'no one can serve two masters,' and that you cannot serve both God and money. This highlights the exclusivity and consuming nature of the love of money that Ecclesiastes warns against.
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."
The verse highlights that the desire for more money isn't just about quantity, but about a fundamental inability to enjoy what you have. It’s not simply that the rich man always wants more, but that the very love of wealth prevents him from truly savoring his income or possessions.
The Teacher has been exploring the nature of work and earthly pursuits, noting how the king, just like everyone else, relies on the land's produce. Now, he turns to the insatiable nature of wealth accumulation, revealing that the more one loves money, the less satisfaction they find in it, no matter how much they gain. This endless craving, he concludes, is ultimately empty and futile.
The Teacher has been exploring the nature of work and earthly pursuits, noting how the king, just like everyone else, relies on the land's produce. Now, he turns to the insatiable nature of wealth accumulation, revealing that the more one loves money, the less satisfaction they find in it, no matter how much they gain. This endless craving, he concludes, is ultimately empty and futile.
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"He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. When goods increase, they increase who eat them, and what advantage has their owner but to see them with his eyes? Sweet is…" — The verse highlights that the desire for more money isn't just about quantity, but about a fundamental inability to enjoy what you have. It’s not simply that the rich man always wants more, but tha…
