THEOSISJerome of Stridon
I have observed a troubling reality under the heavens, often manifesting in humanity. A person blessed by God with wealth, possessions, and renown, yet lacking nothing to satisfy his desires, finds himself powerless to enjoy it; instead, it is a stranger who possesses his riches. This is the essence of emptiness and profound wickedness: even if a man were to father a hundred children and live a long life, if his soul is not filled with substance, what good is it if he has no honorable burial? I proclaim that a stillborn child is better off than he. For he came into this world in vanity and departs in darkness, with his name obscured in that same darkness. Even if he never experienced the warmth of the sun, his rest is far better than his.
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And should he live for two thousand years, yet witness nothing good, all ultimately strive towards the same end.
This illustrates the plight of a greedy wealthy man, exemplifying a frequent human malady: although he lacks nothing that is deemed good in the world, he is tormented by foolish stinginess, hoarding wealth meant for others. Hyperbolically, if he were to have a hundred children and live not two millennia but a thousand years, with his soul ensnared in misery over his greed and avarice, his fate is worse than that of a stillborn, who never experienced the world at all. The stillborn, having encountered neither good nor evil, enjoys more peace than the long-suffering miser tormented by his possessions. Eventually, both share the same fate, being taken by death.
This can also be viewed in relation to Israel, to whom God provided the law, prophets, covenants, and promises, only for the Savior to declare: ‘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 blessing is to be bestowed upon a gathered people from the Gentiles, while the Israelites behold these gifts yet fail to embrace them. We, who were regarded as though stillborn and last among those who prided themselves on their heritage and ancestors, such as Abraham (John 8:39), are in a far better place. Yet, both we and they shall face the same judgment before God.
When it is said that he "shall not even have a burial," it suggests that the rich man is heedless of his own mortality; despite having everything, he hardly prepares a tomb for himself. Alternately, he may meet an untimely death and be laid to rest without proper rites or, more aptly, this implies that he leaves no good deeds behind, failing to create a legacy for future generations, living his life as insubstantial as cattle, despite his means to assert his existence.