Ecclesiastes 5:9

9 and furthermore the king of all (the) earth commandeth to the servant. (and ultimately the King of all the earth commandeth to all his servants.)

Ecclesiastes 5:9 Meaning and Commentary

Ecclesiastes 5:9

Moreover, the profit of the earth is for all
Or, "the excellency of the earth in" or "above all things [is] this" ^F25; that God most high rules over all the earth, and is higher than the kings of it, and all oppressors in it; or in all respects there is a preference, a superior excellency in the country as opposed to the city, especially in this, that there are not so many tumults, riots, and oppressions there; though this is mostly understood of the preference and superior excellency of agriculture, or tillage of the earth. So the Targum,

``the excellency of the praise of tilling the earth is above all things:''

and to the same purpose Jarchi and Aben Ezra; and the profit arising from it is enjoyed by all; it is for all, even the beasts of the field have grass from hence, as well as man has bread corn, and all other necessaries; the king [himself] is served by the field;
his table is served with bread corn, and flesh, and wine, and fruits of various sorts, the produce of the earth, which spring from it, or are nourished by it; were it not for husbandry the king himself and his family could not subsist; and therefore it becomes kings to encourage it, and not oppress those who are employed in it: or "the king [is a] servant to the field" ^F26; some kings have addicted themselves to husbandry, and been great lovers of it, as Uzziah was, ( 2 Chronicles 26:10 ) ; and some of the Chinese emperors, as their histories ^F1 show; and the kings of Persia {b}: Vulcan, in the shield of Achilles, represented the reapers, gatherers, and binders of sheaves at work in the field, and a king standing among the sheaves with a sceptre in his hand, looking on with great pleasure, while a dinner is prepared by his orders for the workmen ^F3; many of the Roman generals, and high officers, were called from the plough, particularly Cincinnatus ^F4; and these encouraged husbandry in their subjects, as well as took care of their own farms. There is another sense of the words given, besides many more;

``and the most excellent Lord of the earth (that is, the most high God) is the King of every field that is tilled; (that is, the King of the whole habitable world;) or the King Messiah, Lord of his field, the church, and who is the most eminent in all the earth ^F5.''

The Midrash interprets it of the holy blessed God.

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FOOTNOTES:

F25 (ayh lkb Ura Nwrtyw) "et praestantia terrae in omnibus ipsa", Montanus; "porro excellentia terrae prae omnibus est", Vatablus; "et praecellentia terrae in omnibus est", Gejerus.
F26 (dben hdvl Klm) "rex agro sit servus", Montanus, Piscator, Gejerus; "rex agro servit", Mercerus, so some in Drusius.
F1 Vid. Martin. Sinic. Histor. l. 2. p. 36. & l. 4. p. 92. & l. 3. p. 287.
F2 Xenophon. Oeconom. p. 482.
F3 Homer. Iliad. 18. v. 550-558.
F4 Flor. Hist. Roman. l. 1. c. 11.
F5 So Schmidt Rambachius.

Ecclesiastes 5:9 In-Context

7 Where be many dreams, be full many vanities, and words without number; but dread thou God. (Where there be many dreams, there is much that is empty and futile, and words without number; rather, fear thou God/rather, have thou reverence for God.)

8 If thou seest false challenges of needy men, and violent dooms (If thou seest the poor oppressed, and grave injustice), and that rightfulness is destroyed in the province, wonder thou not on this doing; for another is higher than an high man, and also other men be more high above these men;

9 and furthermore the king of all (the) earth commandeth to the servant. (and ultimately the King of all the earth commandeth to all his servants.)

10 An avaricious man shall not be [ful]filled of money; and he that loveth riches shall not take (the) fruits of them; and therefore this is vanity. (A greedy person shall never be fulfilled, or filled full, with money; and he who loveth riches shall never truly enjoy their fruits, or their earnings; and so this is empty and futile.)

11 Where there be many riches, also many men there be, that eat those (Where there be many riches, there also be many people, who shall eat them); and what profiteth it to the holder, but that he seeth [the] riches with his eyes?