Ecclesiastes 2:7

7 I got men-servants and women-servants, and they gave birth to sons and daughters in my house. I had great wealth of herds and flocks, more than all who were in Jerusalem before me.

Ecclesiastes 2:7 Meaning and Commentary

Ecclesiastes 2:7

I got [me] servants and maidens
Menservants, and maidservants; the Targum adds,

``of the children of Ham, and of the rest of the strange people;''

these were such as he hired, or bought with his money; and had servants born in my house;
and these were all employed by him; either as his retinue and equipage, his attendants and bodyguards; or to take care of his household, his gardens, and pools; or for his horses and chariots, and for various offices; see ( 1 Kings 4:26 1 Kings 4:27 ) ( Ezra 2:58 ) . Villalpandus computes the number of his servants to be forty eight thousand; if there were any pleasure and happiness in such a numerous attendance, Solomon had it; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that
were in Jerusalem before me;
oxen, cows, horses, asses, camels, mules, &c. also sheep and goats; which, as they were profitable, so it was pleasant to see them grazing on the hills and valleys, in the fields, mountains, and meadows.

Ecclesiastes 2:7 In-Context

5 I made myself gardens and fruit gardens, planting in them fruit-trees of all sorts.

6 I made pools to give water for the woods with their young trees.

7 I got men-servants and women-servants, and they gave birth to sons and daughters in my house. I had great wealth of herds and flocks, more than all who were in Jerusalem before me.

8 I got together silver and gold and the wealth of kings and of countries. I got makers of song, male and female; and the delights of the sons of men--girls of all sorts to be my brides.

9 And I became great; increasing more than all who had been before me in Jerusalem, and my wisdom was still with me.