Ecclesiastes 5:9

The NET Bible®

The produce of the land is seized by all of them, even the king is served by the fields.

Parallel Translations

New Living Translation
Even the king milks the land for his own profit!

Update Bible Version
And the advantage of a land is for everyone. There is a king to [protect] the cultivated field.

New Century Version
The wealth of the country is divided up among them all. Even the king makes sure he gets his share of the profits.

Webster's Bible Translation
Moreover, the profit of the earth is for all: the king [himself] is served by the field.

World English Bible
Moreover the profit of the earth is for all. The king profits from the field.

Amplified Bible
After all, a king who cultivates the field is an advantage to the land.

English Standard Version
But this is gain for a land in every way: a king committed to cultivated fields.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and ferthermore the kyng of al erthe comaundith to the seruaunt.

English Revised Version
Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field.

Berean Standard Bible
The produce of the earth is taken by all; the king himself profits from the fields.

Contemporary English Version
And since the king is the highest official, he benefits most from the taxes paid on the land.

American Standard Version
Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field.

Bible in Basic English
It is good generally for a country where the land is worked to have a king.

Complete Jewish Bible
The lover of money never has enough money; the lover of luxury never has enough income. This too is pointless.

Darby Translation
Moreover the earth is every way profitable: the king [himself] is dependent upon the field.

Easy-to-Read Version
Even the king is a slave—his country owns him.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance, with increase; this also is vanity.

King James Version (1611)
Moreouer the profit of the earth is for all: the king himselfe is serued by the field.

New Life Bible
After all, a country does better with a king in power.

New Revised Standard
But all things considered, this is an advantage for a land: a king for a plowed field.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And the abundance of the earth is ouer all: the King also consisteth by the fielde that is tilled.

George Lamsa Translation
Moreover the riches of the earth are for all; the king, himself, is served by cultivating his own field.

Good News Translation
Even a king depends on the harvest.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, the profit of the earth, is, for all, - a king, by the field, is served.

Douay-Rheims Bible
(5-8) Moreover there is the king that reigneth over all the land subject to him.

Revised Standard Version
But in all, a king is an advantage to a land with cultivated fields.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
The encrease of the earth vpholdeth all thyng: yea the kyng hym selfe is maynteyned by husbandry.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
He that loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver: and who has loved gain, in the abundance thereof? this is also vanity.

Christian Standard Bible®
The profit from the land is taken by all; the king is served by the field.

Hebrew Names Version
Moreover the profit of the eretz is for all. The king profits from the field.

King James Version
Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field.

Lexham English Bible
The produce of the land is exploited by everyone; even the king profits from the field of the poor!

Literal Translation
And the advantage of a land, it is among all; even a king has a field being tilled.

Young's Literal Translation
And the abundance of a land is for all. A king for a field is served.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The whole londe also with the feldes and all that is therin, is in subieccion and bondage vnto ye kinge.

New American Standard Bible
After all, a king who cultivates the field is beneficial to the land.

New King James Version
Moreover the profit of the land is for all; even the king is served from the field.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
After all, a king who cultivates the field is an advantage to the land.

Legacy Standard Bible
But the advantage of the land in everything is this—a king committed to a cultivated field.

Contextual Overview

⁹ The produce of the land is seized by all of them, even the king is served by the fields. ¹⁰ The one who loves money will never be satisfied with money, he who loves wealth will never be satisfied with his income. This also is futile. ¹¹ When someone's prosperity increases, those who consume it also increase; so what does its owner gain, except that he gets to see it with his eyes? ¹² The sleep of the laborer is pleasant—whether he eats little or much— but the wealth of the rich will not allow him to sleep. ¹³ Here is a misfortune on earth that I have seen: Wealth hoarded by its owner to his own misery. ¹⁴ Then that wealth was lost through bad luck; although he fathered a son, he has nothing left to give him. ¹⁵ Just as he came forth from his mother's womb, naked will he return as he came, and he will take nothing in his hand that he may carry away from his toil. ¹⁶ This is another misfortune: Just as he came, so will he go. What did he gain from toiling for the wind? ¹⁷ Surely, he ate in darkness every day of his life, and he suffered greatly with sickness and anger.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the profit: Genesis 1:29, Genesis 1:30, Genesis 3:17-19, Psalms 104:14, Psalms 104:15, Psalms 115:16, Proverbs 13:23, Proverbs 27:23-27, Proverbs 28:19, Jeremiah 40:10-12

the king: 1 Samuel 8:12-17, 1 Kings 4:7-23, 1 Chronicles 27:26-31

Reciprocal: Genesis 3:23 - till Genesis 9:20 - an husbandman 1 Corinthians 12:22 - General

Cross-References

1 Chronicles 1:2
Kenan, Mahalalel, Jered,

Luke 3:37
the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalalel, the son of Kenan,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Moreover, the profit of the earth is for all,.... Or, "the excellency of the earth in" or "above all things [is] this" y; 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" z; 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 a 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 c; many of the Roman generals, and high officers, were called from the plough, particularly Cincinnatus d; 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 e.''

The Midrash interprets it of the holy blessed God.

y ויתרון ארץ בכל היא "et praestantia terrae in omnibus ipsa", Montanus; "porro excellentia terrae prae omnibus est", Vatablus; "et praecellentia terrae in omnibus est", Gejerus. z מלך לשדה נעבד "rex agro sit servus", Montanus, Piscator, Gejerus; "rex agro servit", Mercerus, so some in Drusius. a Vid. Martin. Sinic. Histor. l. 2. p. 36. & l. 4. p. 92. & l. 3. p. 287. b Xenophon. Oeconom. p. 482. c Homer. Iliad. 18. v. 550-558. d Flor. Hist. Roman. l. 1. c. 11. e So Schmidt Rambachius.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The king himself is served by the field - Rather, the king is subject to the field, i. e., is dependent on its cultivation. The higher ranks, if they oppress the lower, lose thereby their own means of subsistence.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ecclesiastes 5:9. The profit of the earth is for all — The earth, if properly cultivated, is capable of producing food for every living creature; and without cultivation none has a right to expect bread.

The king himself is served by the field. — Without the field he cannot have supplies for his own house; and, unless agriculture flourish, the necessary expenses of the state cannot be defrayed. Thus, God joins the head and feet together; for while the peasant is protected by the king as executor of the laws, the king himself is dependent on the peasant; as the wealth of the nation is the fruit of the labourer's toil.