יֵ֚שׁ רָעָ֣ה חֹולָ֔ה רָאִ֖יתִי תַּ֣חַת הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ עֹ֛שֶׁר שָׁמ֥וּר לִבְעָלָ֖יו לְרָעָתֹֽו׃
Contextual Introduction
Ecclesiastes 5:12 delivers a paradoxical observation: wealth, often seen as a blessing, can bring harm to its possessor. The verse uses compact Hebrew syntax with thematic irony. The grammar enhances the verse’s pathos by employing apposition, participial constructions, and purpose clauses to emphasize that hoarded wealth is not neutral—it may destroy the one who clings to it.
Grammatical Focus: Existential ישׁ-Clause, Noun Apposition, and Construct Chains
1. יֵ֚שׁ רָעָ֣ה חֹולָ֔ה – Existential with Appositive Qualifier
– יֵ֚שׁ (“there is”) introduces an existential clause—an observation of something present.
– רָעָ֣ה (“an evil”) is the subject.
– חֹולָ֔ה (“sick, grievous”) acts as an adjective modifying רָעָה, strengthening the severity of the “evil.”
Together: “There is a grievous evil…”
2. רָאִ֖יתִי תַּ֣חַת הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ – First-Person Observation with Spatial Marker
– רָאִ֖יתִי (“I have seen”) is Qal perfect 1cs from רָאָה (“to see”), anchoring the statement in personal witness.
– תַּ֣חַת הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ (“under the sun”) is a repeated phrase in Ecclesiastes, signifying life within the temporal, mortal world.
This clause emphasizes the observational, empirical tone of the book.
3. עֹ֛שֶׁר שָׁמ֥וּר לִבְעָלָ֖יו לְרָעָתֹֽו – Construct Chain with Infinitive Purpose
– עֹ֛שֶׁר (“wealth”) is the object of the observation.
– שָׁמ֥וּר (Qal passive participle from שָׁמַר, “to guard”) = “kept” or “hoarded.”
– לִבְעָלָ֖יו (“for its owner”) is a dative construct indicating possession.
– לְרָעָתֹֽו (“to his harm”) is a purpose clause using the preposition לְ to express result or end.
Altogether: “wealth that is kept by its owner to his harm.”
Theological and Literary Implications
This verse offers a direct challenge to the idea that wealth brings security. The passive participle שָׁמ֥וּר ironically subverts expectation—what is guarded carefully ends up being dangerous. The final phrase לְרָעָתֹֽו mirrors the earlier רָעָ֣ה חֹולָ֔ה, creating inclusio and reinforcing the theme of destructive attachment.
Qohelet’s message is not anti-wealth but anti-hoarding. The syntax aligns with the theology: subject-verb-object structures echo clarity and inevitability, while prepositional purpose phrases show moral consequence.
Versions and Comparative Observations
The Septuagint: ἔστιν κακία, ἣν εἶδον ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον· πλοῦτος φυλασσόμενος τῷ κατόχῳ εἰς κακίαν αὐτοῦ – closely tracks the Hebrew, especially the participial structure and final irony.
The Vulgate: Est etiam alia infirmitas pessima, quam vidi sub sole: divitiae conservatae in malum domini sui – mirrors the Hebrew existential opening and concludes with the ironic outcome.
In later Jewish thought, especially rabbinic literature, this idea is echoed in warnings against stinginess and in the concept that mammon (possessions) must serve a righteous purpose, or they become a snare.
When Wealth Wounds: Grammar as Moral Lens
Ecclesiastes 5:12 lets grammar reveal theology. The participle שָׁמ֥וּר hides danger under its careful surface. The preposition לְ in לְרָעָתֹֽו is no mere marker—it announces doom. Syntax in this verse is more than structure; it’s diagnosis. The message is simple and surgically precise: guarded wealth, when hoarded for self, turns against its owner.
