There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt.
There is a terrible problem I have observed in this world: wealth that people hoard for themselves, which ends up causing them harm.
The writer is pointing out that holding onto riches too tightly can actually hurt the very people who own them.
📚 Historical Context
King Solomon, traditionally viewed as the author of Ecclesiastes, was the wealthiest king in Israel's history and had observed how riches affected both himself and others around him. In ancient times, wealth was often stored in physical forms like gold, silver, and goods, making hoarding more visible and sometimes more dangerous. Solomon wrote from experience about the vanity and potential dangers of pursuing and accumulating wealth without wisdom.
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