Ecclesiastes 5:13There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: wealth kept by its owner to his harm.
The setting
Jerusalem, ~950 BC. Solomon observing wealthy merchants and nobles whose riches have become their curse...
The emotion here: disturbed by witnessing wealth's destructive power firsthand
The original word
ra'ah (רָעָה) — grievous evil, a moral sickness that spreads like disease
Why it matters
Solomon collected 666 talents of gold annually, yet wrote extensively about wealth's emptiness
Read with care
What most readers miss in Ecclesiastes 5:13
The Hebrew suggests wealth 'kept' like a prisoner — the owner becomes enslaved to what he owns
Common misconceptionPeople think this condemns all wealth. Solomon isn't saying money is evil, but that hoarding wealth to avoid loss actually guarantees spiritual harm.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Ecclesiastes 5:13
Bible Genome reading
Ecclesiastes 5:13 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Ecclesiastes 5:13 comes from the book of Ecclesiastes, written during the United Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Solomon. The dominant emotion in this verse is grieving, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is lamenting. It belongs to the wisdom genre of biblical literature. Key themes include wealth, harm. Notable phrases: grievous evil; wealth kept; to his harm.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same grieving
“By the sweat of your face will you eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you…”
— Genesis 3:19
“Jesus wept.”
— John 11:35
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?”
— Psalms 22:1
“They divide my garments among them. They cast lots for my clothing.”
— Psalms 22:18
“for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;”
— Romans 3:23
Your reflection
What does Ecclesiastes 5:13 mean to you, today?
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