A man to whom God hath given riches, and substance, and honour, and his soul wanteth nothing of all that he desireth: yet God doth not give him power to eat thereof, but a stranger shall eat it up. This is vanity and a great misery.
אִ֣ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִתֶּן־ל֣וֹ הָאֱלֹהִ֡ים עֹשֶׁר֩ וּנְכָסִ֨ים וְכָב֜וֹד וְֽאֵינֶ֨נּוּ חָסֵ֥ר לְנַפְשׁ֣וֹ ׀ מִכֹּ֣ל אֲשֶׁר־יִתְאַוֶּ֗ה וְלֹֽא־יַשְׁלִיטֶ֤נּוּ הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ לֶאֱכֹ֣ל מִמֶּ֔נּוּ כִּ֛י אִ֥ישׁ נָכְרִ֖י יֹֽאכֲלֶ֑נּוּ זֶ֥ה הֶ֛בֶל וָחֳלִ֥י רָ֖ע הֽוּא׃
5 Church Fathers comment on this verse · 6 commentaries
What benefit is there in gaining possessions that we cannot carry with us? Would it not be wiser to attain virtues that accompany us, like wisdom, righteousness, purity, bravery, discernment, compassion, love, charity, faith in Christ, and freedom from anger? These qualities will create a refuge for us in the realm of the humble before we arrive there.
I have observed a great evil under the heavens, often found in humanity. A person who enjoys material wealth, possessions, and renown, without any deprivation for his desires, is nonetheless powerless to enjoy these blessings; they are left to others. This is a profound vanity and a grave misfortune: if a man has a multitude of offspring and lives many years, yet his spirit remains unfulfilled, and he receives no burial after his death, I declare that a stillborn child is better off than he. For he arrives in futility and departs in darkness, his name concealed in shadows. Although he may not have witnessed the light of the sun, his rest surpasses that man’s.
Even if he were to live for two thousand years without having experienced any good, does he not ultimately end up in the same grave? This reflects the plight of a miserly rich man, illustrating a common folly: he lacks nothing considered good in this world, yet he is consumed by foolish greed, hoarding wealth he won’t allow himself to enjoy. He could proclaim having a hundred children and living for an exceptionally long time, yet if his heart is tormented by greed, he is worse off than one who was stillborn, having left this life before truly beginning it. The stillborn have known neither joys nor sorrows; the miser, in contrast, possesses goods but is continually plagued by worries and distress. Ultimately, both meet the same end, for death claims them alike.
This situation can be paralleled with Israel, whom God bestowed with the law, the prophets, the covenant, and the promises. Yet the Saviour proclaims: ‘The kingdom of God shall be taken away from you, and it shall be given to a nation producing its fruits’ (Matthew 21:43). This fate is directed towards a people gathered from the Gentiles, while the Israelites witness the blessings yet fail to embrace them. We, who have often been regarded as the last and least, viewed with disdain by those who prided themselves on their heritage—boasting of their forefather Abraham (John 8:39)—find ourselves in a significantly more favorable position. Nonetheless, we and they will face the same destination—the judgment of God.
The statement about not receiving a proper burial may imply that the wealthy individual neglects the thought of his own mortality, so consumed by materialism that he barely considers building a tomb for himself. It could also refer to individuals who meet untimely, violent ends, receiving no burial at all, or perhaps it signifies his lack of virtuous deeds, leaving no legacy for future generations. Despite having the means to make his existence known, he lived without leaving any mark, much like livestock.
What benefit is there for a person who dwells in darkness and is unable to fulfill his desires? Even if he is surrounded by wealth, he forfeits the peace of mind, as he must constantly protect his possessions out of wretched avarice, clinging to things that ultimately offer him no assistance. What could be more lamentable than to suffer by safeguarding that which brings no true value?
Does not the one who gathers vast treasures stress over nothing, uncertain of who will inherit them? Frequently, what a covetous individual has amassed with great effort is squandered in haste by their heir, indulging in excess, while the relentless decay, blind to the present and oblivious to the future, swiftly consumes the accumulated wealth. It is not uncommon for the heir, discontented with the inheritance, to hastily relinquish ownership to strangers. So why do you intricately weave a web that is void and unfruitful, while neglecting the abundant treasures as if they were worthless traps? If they flow to you in abundance, they benefit you not, but further obscure the image of God within you and impose earthly desires upon you.
If someone possesses a likeness of a tyrant, are they not deserving of rebuke? You cast aside the image of your eternal Sovereign and don the semblance of death. Instead, shed the likeness of the adversary from the sanctuary of your soul and embrace the image of Christ, allowing Him to illuminate your spirit, supplanting the depiction of vices. This aligns with David’s words: Lord, in Your city You will render their images powerless (Psalm 72:20). When the Lord beautifies Jerusalem in His likeness, then every semblance of the foes will vanish.
Imagine that God has graciously granted him every desire of his heart, withholding nothing he could have wished for: neither wealth, nor renown, nor any other treasures that humanity covets. Yet, despite having all of this, he suffers as though he has faced the greatest misfortune bestowed by God, which is his failure to utilize these blessings, hoarding them for others, and ultimately passing away without having reaped the benefits for himself or anyone else. I consider this a significant demonstration and a clear revelation of profound moral corruption.
To address the obsessive pursuit of riches, the virtuous individual emphasizes that wealth holds value only when it is utilized; in contrast, it offers no worth in the absence of any pleasure, existing merely as a source of enjoyment. It is preferable to be an unformed being than to have the wealth of a miser; the unformed being is devoid of existence, yet remains oblivious to this void, while the affluent individual comprehends it all too well. Existence in such a state is worse than non-being, regardless of duration. Human labor alone cannot satisfy the soul, nor can mere wisdom; thus, it is wiser to partake in genuine goods with restraint, to master earthly desires, and to refrain from engaging in futile conflicts with divine providence to fulfill those desires. We do not truly know if what we pursue is beneficial or if attaining our ambitions will bring us joy, and the outcomes after death—which often provide solace—are entirely uncertain.
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS