Ecclesiastes 2:7

7 I bought slaves, male and female, who had children, giving me even more slaves; then I acquired large herds and flocks, larger than any before me in Jerusalem.

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 designed gardens and parks and planted a variety of fruit trees in them,

6 made pools of water to irrigate the groves of trees.

7 I bought slaves, male and female, who had children, giving me even more slaves; then I acquired large herds and flocks, larger than any before me in Jerusalem.

8 I piled up silver and gold, loot from kings and kingdoms. I gathered a chorus of singers to entertain me with song, and - most exquisite of all pleasures - voluptuous maidens for my bed.

9 Oh, how I prospered! I left all my predecessors in Jerusalem far behind, left them behind in the dust. What's more, I kept a clear head through it all.