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:
I acquired male and female servants, and had servants who were born in my household. I also owned large herds of cattle and flocks of sheep and goats - more livestock than anyone who had lived in Jerusalem before me.
The writer is describing how he accumulated great wealth, including many servants and vast herds of animals, more than any previous ruler in Jerusalem.
📚 Historical Context
Ecclesiastes is traditionally attributed to King Solomon, the ancient king of Israel known for his extraordinary wisdom and wealth, who ruled around 970-931 BC. In this verse, Solomon is describing his accumulation of servants, livestock, and other possessions as part of his personal experiments to find meaning in life, highlighting the excesses of his reign in Jerusalem. This reflects the cultural norms of the ancient Near East, where such wealth symbolized status and power but often led to spiritual emptiness.
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