Ecclesiastes 5 11

Ecclesiastes 5:11 kjv

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?

Ecclesiastes 5:11 nkjv

When goods increase, They increase who eat them; So what profit have the owners Except to see them with their eyes?

Ecclesiastes 5:11 niv

As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owners except to feast their eyes on them?

Ecclesiastes 5:11 esv

When goods increase, they increase who eat them, and what advantage has their owner but to see them with his eyes?

Ecclesiastes 5:11 nlt

The more you have, the more people come to help you spend it. So what good is wealth ? except perhaps to watch it slip through your fingers!

Ecclesiastes 5 verses

Ecclesiastes 5 11 Meaning

Ecclesiastes 5:11 conveys the observation that as material possessions and wealth expand, so do the people or expenditures associated with them. This creates a net effect where the apparent increase in resources offers no genuine, lasting advantage or practical benefit to the owner beyond the superficial satisfaction of merely looking at what they possess. It highlights the vanity and burden of excessive accumulation, implying that such wealth often dissipates through greater overheads, dependents, or demands, leaving the accumulator without true profit or lasting fulfillment.

Ecclesiastes 5 11 Context

Ecclesiastes chapter 5 serves as a practical commentary on human conduct, particularly in relation to one's interactions with God and the pursuit of earthly desires. Beginning with advice on approaching God with reverence (vv. 1-7), the chapter transitions to an critique of social injustice and oppression (vv. 8-9), noting that even kings are affected by corruption. Verse 10 explicitly introduces the vanity of wealth: "Whoever loves money never has enough money." Ecclesiastes 5:11 directly follows and expands on this theme, illustrating why the love of money is unsatisfying. It's not merely that more money doesn't satisfy a greedy heart, but that material accumulation intrinsically creates further burdens and consumes itself. This verse, along with the subsequent verses (12-17) that further detail the troubles associated with wealth (loss, sleeplessness, lack of enjoyment, isolation), collectively paint a picture of wealth as a source of frustration and vanity, rather than satisfaction, within Qoheleth's larger exploration of the meaning of life "under the sun."

Ecclesiastes 5 11 Word analysis

• When goods increase (בִּרְבוֹת הַטּוֹבָה - birbot ha-tovah):

  • Goods (הַטּוֹבָה - ha-tovah): Lit. "the good thing" or "the goodness." In context, it refers to material possessions, wealth, prosperity, or resources. This word often carries a positive connotation (e.g., God saw that it was tov "good" in Gen 1), but here its "increase" is paradoxically presented as bringing little benefit. It suggests that even inherently good things can become burdensome or futile when excessively accumulated.
  • Increase (בִּרְבוֹת - birbot): From the root rabah (רבה), meaning "to multiply," "to become great," "to grow numerous." It denotes quantitative growth. The verb choice emphasizes the proliferation of assets.

• they are increased that eat them (רָבוּ אוֹכְלֶיהָ - ravu ochleha):

  • Increased (רָבוּ - ravu): Same root rabah as "increase" earlier, emphasizing a corresponding multiplication.
  • that eat them (אוֹכְלֶיהָ - ochleha): Lit. "her eaters" or "her consumers." This is a metaphorical term for those who consume, utilize, or deplete the resources. This can include:
    • Dependents/Servants: More wealth often necessitates more staff, servants, or extended family who live off it.
    • Tax Collectors: Governments or authorities impose taxes proportionate to wealth, consuming a portion.
    • Maintenance/Security Costs: Larger estates or more assets require more upkeep, protection, and management, draining resources.
    • Hangers-on/Exploiters: People who gather around the wealthy to benefit from their prosperity.This phrase encapsulates the various ways an increase in wealth naturally leads to an increase in expenditures or the number of people sharing in it, effectively diluting the owner's net gain.

• And what advantage (וּמַה כִּשְׁרוֹן - u-mah kishron):

  • Advantage (כִּשְׁרוֹן - kishron): While some translations use yithron (יתרון), the common Qoheleth word for "profit" or "advantage," the Masoretic Text uses kishron (כִּשְׁרוֹן) here, meaning "skill," "success," "profit," or "gain." Though less frequent, it carries a similar sense of something genuinely worthwhile or beneficial. The rhetorical question implies that there is little or no kishron in such an increase.

• has their owner (לְבַעֲלֶיהָ - le-ba'aleha):

  • Owner (לְבַעֲלֶיהָ - le-ba'aleha): Lit. "to her owners" or "to her masters." Ba'al means owner or master. The plural form suggests a collective sense or a general principle applicable to any who possess such wealth.

• but to see them with his eyes (כִּי אִם־רְאוּת עֵינָיו - ki im-re'ut einav):

  • But to see (כִּי אִם־רְאוּת - ki im-re'ut): "except the seeing of..." This phrase highlights the only remaining "benefit."
  • with his eyes (עֵינָיו - einav): Emphasizes the purely superficial, visual, and non-substantive nature of the "advantage." The owner gets to behold his wealth, but not necessarily enjoy its full use or derive true profit from it. This sharply contrasts with true enjoyment or practical utility, underscoring the vanity (hevel) that Qoheleth often identifies with earthly pursuits. The satisfaction is fleeting, visual, and devoid of deep fulfillment.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "When goods increase, they are increased that eat them": This forms an inverse correlation—or rather, a proportionate burden. The supposed gain is nullified by an equal or greater increase in consumption, maintenance, or shared interest. It implies that material growth, beyond a certain point, becomes self-defeating in terms of personal gain.
  • "And what advantage has their owner but to see them with his eyes?": This rhetorical question is the conclusion of the observation, emphasizing the emptiness of wealth acquisition for its own sake. The true profit (kishron) is absent, leaving only a visual, temporary, and unfulfilling pleasure. This phrase functions as a direct counter-argument to the common belief that more wealth necessarily leads to more happiness or greater security.

Ecclesiastes 5 11 Bonus section

This verse subtly introduces an aspect of hevel (vanity/futility), a key theme in Ecclesiastes, by showing that wealth, despite its allure, doesn't translate into lasting benefit for the possessor. It can be seen as a gentle polemic against the then-common (and perennial) idea that prosperity is an unmitigated good and an end in itself. Qoheleth, often seen as a pragmatist, highlights that the "reality on the ground" contradicts this idealist view. The inherent burdens and self-consuming nature of large fortunes are often overlooked by those aspiring to them. This perspective encourages a reevaluation of what constitutes true "advantage" or "profit" in life, implicitly steering one towards seeking lasting values not subject to the diminishing returns of material accumulation.

Ecclesiastes 5 11 Commentary

Ecclesiastes 5:11 presents a realistic and sober perspective on the accumulation of wealth, directly challenging the assumption that greater possessions equate to greater benefit or satisfaction. Qoheleth, the Preacher, observes that for every increment of wealth gained, there's a corresponding increase in those who consume it—whether these are servants, staff, dependants, tax collectors, or simply the increased costs of management and security. The very process of acquiring and maintaining significant wealth creates its own demands, essentially nullifying any "profit" (kishron) for the owner. The perceived "advantage" shrinks to merely "seeing" the wealth with one's eyes—a shallow, sensory pleasure devoid of deeper meaning or practical value. This points to the vanity (hevel) inherent in pursuing material gain as an ultimate goal. It's a truth applicable to all eras: the more you have, the more you have to manage, the more others expect from you, and the more demands are placed upon your resources. True fulfillment, the Preacher consistently suggests, does not lie in this treadmill of accumulation.