Ecclesiastes 2:7
I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me:
Original Language Analysis
Historical Context
Ancient Near Eastern monarchs measured greatness by household size and livestock holdings. Abraham's 318 trained servants (Genesis 14:14) demonstrated his wealth. Job's pre-trial prosperity included 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 female donkeys (Job 1:3). First Kings 4:26 records Solomon maintained 40,000 stalls for horses—though 1 Kings 10:26 gives 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen, suggesting the 40,000 may be a textual variant or include trading stock. Regardless, Solomon's holdings vastly exceeded his contemporaries. Yet Deuteronomy 17:16-17 explicitly warned against kings multiplying horses, wives, and wealth—prohibitions Solomon violated, leading to spiritual compromise (1 Kings 11:1-13). Ecclesiastes reveals the futility of such accumulation.
Questions for Reflection
- What possessions, positions, or people under your influence have you accumulated hoping they would provide significance or security?
- How does Solomon's verdict challenge the assumption that expanding your resources, influence, or household will bring fulfillment?
Analysis & Commentary
I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house—the Hebrew 'avadim' (עֲבָדִים, servants) and 'shefachot' (שְׁפָחוֹת, maidens) describe a large household staff. The phrase 'servants born in my house' (bene bayit, בְּנֵי־בָיִת, literally 'sons of the house') refers to slaves born into household servitude, indicating multi-generational employment. This represented significant wealth and power—one's household size demonstrated social status.
Solomon then adds: I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me. The Hebrew 'miqneh' (מִקְנֶה, cattle/livestock) includes both 'baqar' (בָּקָר, large cattle/oxen) and 'tso'n' (צֹאן, small cattle/sheep and goats). Surpassing 'all that were in Jerusalem before me' means exceeding even King David's substantial holdings. First Kings 4:22-23 records Solomon's daily provisions requiring vast herds. Yet despite commanding unprecedented human and animal resources, none of this produced lasting satisfaction. Jesus later warned: 'a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth' (Luke 12:15).