Ecclesiastes5:12

1: “the worker”

This is not a slave, but a hard-working common man. The word “common” is not used here but it is implied by the contrast between this person and one who is wealthy.

2: “does not allow”

This word means “to place something somewhere, or lay something down and leave it there or let it remain there, at rest, undisturbed.” In contexts like this one it can mean “allow or permit.” It comes from a root which means “rest.”

3: “sleep”

The picture being painted here is of one who either has to get up during the night to tend to things, or does not lay still, but tosses and turns. The hard-working common man may not have an abundance of things, but he has peace, he has a sense of satisfaction from his efforts, and he has few headaches in life because his life is simple. The wealthy man, however, may have lots of stuff but he also has many concerns and worries.

All our stuff requires care and maintenance; some of our stuff brings more bills and expenses with it. A good night’s sleep is seen here as a basic, fundamental thing for life; the hard-working poor have it, but the wealthy have made choices which have compromised even this basic, essential aspect of life – sleep. On the mission fields of Honduras, Nicaragua and Mexico I have seen the difference between the simple, laid back life of those without electricity, and the fast-paced, hectic lifestyles of those with electricity and lots of modern gadgets. In modern times it is the presence or absence of electricity that makes the biggest difference. Although Solomon did not have electricity, he did have wealth and stuff. Here it sounds like he observed the simple lifestyle of the poor and almost envied them. Their lives revolved around their families, not their stuff. What a concept!