Ecclesiastes 5 · Verse 9

Ecclesiastes 5:9

Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field.

Ecclesiastes 5:9, King James Version

Ecclesiastes 5:9 in other translations

BSB	The produce of the earth is taken by all; the king himself profits from the fields.
WEB	Moreover the profit of the earth is for all. The king profits from the field.
ASV	Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field.
YLT	And the abundance of a land is for all. A king for a field is served.
DARBY	Moreover the earth is every way profitable: the king himself is dependent upon the field.
BBE	It is good generally for a country where the land is worked to have a king.
Webster	Moreover, the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field.

What does Ecclesiastes 5:9 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

9. "The profit (produce) of the earth is (ordained) for (the common good of) all: even the king himself is served by (the fruits of) the field" (2Ch 26:10). Therefore the common Lord of all, high and low, will punish at last those who rob the "poor" of their share in it (Pr 22:22, 23; Am 8:4-7).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 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 expect bread. The king himself is served by the field - Without the field he cannot have supplies for his own house; and, unless agriculture flourish, the necessary expenses of the state cannot be defrayed. Thus, God joins the head and feet together; for while the peasant is protected by the king as executor of the laws, the king himself is dependent on the peasant; as the wealth of the nation is the fruit of the laborer's toil.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Ecclesiastes 5:9-17

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 than he does his luxuries. There are bodily desires which silver itself will not satisfy, much less will worldly abundance satisfy spiritual desires. The more men have, the better house they must keep, the more servants they must employ, the more guests they must entertain, and the more they will have hanging on them. The sleep of the labourer is sweet, not only because he is tired, but because he has little care to break his sleep. The sleep of the diligent Christian, and his long sleep, are sweet; having spent himself and his time in the service of God, he can cheerfully repose in God as his Rest. But those who have every thing else, often fail to secure a good night's sleep; their abundance breaks their rest. Riches do hurt, and draw away the heart from God and duty. Men do hurt with their riches, not only gratifying their own lusts, but oppressing others, and dealing hardly with them. They will see that they have laboured for the wind, when, at death, they find the profit of their labour is all gone like the wind, they know not whither. How ill the covetous worldling bears the calamities of human life! He does not sorrow to repentance, but is angry at the providence of God, angry at all about him; which doubles his affliction.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Ecclesiastes 5:9 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְיִתְר֥וֹןve.yit.Ronand [the] profit ofH3504

אֶ֖רֶץ'E.retza landH776

בַּכֹּ֣לba.Kol[is] in <the> everythingH3605

ה֑וּאhi'itH1931

מֶ֥לֶךְMe.lekha kingH4428

לְשָׂדֶ֖הle.sa.Dehto a fieldH7704

נֶעֱבָֽד\׃ne.'e.Vadhe has been servedH5647

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Ecclesiastes 5:9

Psalms 115:16
The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s: but the earth hath he given to the children of men.
1 Kings 4:7-23
And Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, which provided victuals for the king and his household: each man his month in a year made provision. And these are their names: The son of Hur, in mount Ephraim: The son of Dekar, in Makaz, and in Shaalbim, and Beth–shemesh, and Elon–beth–hanan: The son of Hesed, in Aruboth; to him pertained Sochoh, and all the land of Hepher: …
Genesis 1:29-30
And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.
Psalms 104:14-15
He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth; And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man’s heart.
1 Chronicles 27:26-31
And over them that did the work of the field for tillage of the ground was Ezri the son of Chelub: And over the vineyards was Shimei the Ramathite: over the increase of the vineyards for the wine cellars was Zabdi the Shiphmite: And over the olive trees and the sycomore trees that were in the low plains was Baal–hanan the Gederite: and over the cellars of oil was Joash: And over the herds that fed in Sharon was Shitrai the Sharonite: and over the herds that were in the valleys was Shaphat the son of Adlai: …
Proverbs 27:23-27
Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds. For riches are not for ever: and doth the crown endure to every generation? The hay appeareth, and the tender grass sheweth itself, and herbs of the mountains are gathered. The lambs are for thy clothing, and the goats are the price of the field. …
Jeremiah 40:10-12
As for me, behold, I will dwell at Mizpah to serve the Chaldeans, which will come unto us: but ye, gather ye wine, and summer fruits, and oil, and put them in your vessels, and dwell in your cities that ye have taken. Likewise when all the Jews that were in Moab, and among the Ammonites, and in Edom, and that were in all the countries, heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant of Judah, and that he had set over them Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan; Even all the Jews returned out of all places whither they were driven, and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah, unto Mizpah, and gathered wine and summer fruits very much.
Proverbs 13:23
Much food is in the tillage of the poor: but there is that is destroyed for want of judgment.
Proverbs 28:19
He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread: but he that followeth after vain persons shall have poverty enough.
1 Samuel 8:12-17
And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots. And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers. And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants. And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants. …
Genesis 3:17-19
And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

the profit.
Ge 1:29,30; 3:17-19; Ps 104:14,15; 115:16; Pr 13:23; 27:23-27
Pr 28:19; Jer 40:10-12
the king.
1Sa 8:12-17; 1Ki 4:7-23; 1Ch 27:26-31

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Ecclesiastes 5:8
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 than they.
Ecclesiastes 5:9
Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field.
Ecclesiastes 5:10
He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.

Read all of Ecclesiastes 5

Ecclesiastes 5:9 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Además el provecho de la tierra es para todos: el rey mismo está sujeto á los campos.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Celui qui aime l’argent n’est point rassasié par l’argent, et celui qui aime les richesses ne l’est pas par le revenu. Cela aussi est vanité.
German Elberfelder 1871	Aber ein König, der sich dem Ackerbau widmet, ist durchaus ein Vorteil für ein Land.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Avarus non implebitur pecunia, et qui amat divitias fructum non capiet ex eis; et hoc ergo vanitas.