Useful Bible Studies > Ecclesiastes Commentary > chapter 10

Is money the answer for everything?

Ecclesiastes 10:19

The real subject of Ecclesiastes 10:19 seems to be the rulers from Ecclesiastes 10:16. They have prepared everything for their own pleasure. They have ordered the food for their party. It will be plentiful so that they will really enjoy themselves.

There will be plenty of wine, too. These important people consider it a terrible thing to run out of wine. They must drink until the alcohol controls them completely. In their opinion, that is essential for a good party.

Money will provide everything that they want in order to make themselves happy. For a poor man, it can be difficult to afford a good party. But they are princes. The whole wealth of the country is for them to enjoy. They can afford everything that they want. There seems no limit to their supply of money. So they spend it for their own pleasure.

Such attitudes are lazy, greedy and evil. If a poor man behaved like that, he would ruin his home (Ecclesiastes 10:18). When rulers do such things, they ruin their country.

The people in the country are angry, but they are afraid (Ecclesiastes 10:20). It is clear to them that great troubles must soon happen in their country (Ecclesiastes 11:2). Their situation is desperate, but they can do nothing about it (Ecclesiastes 11:3-4).

The Bible has several accounts of rulers who have behaved in this manner. Isaiah warned about such behaviour in Isaiah 5:9-13. Even Babylon, the richest city in the world, lost its power in this manner (Daniel chapter 5).

Next part: When even your thoughts can be dangerous (Ecclesiastes 10:20)

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© 2019, Keith Simons.