Ecclesiastes 4:14

"For he has come out of prison to become king, even though he was born poor in his kingdom."he" -There is some disagreement as to whether the individual here is the old and foolish king or the youth who replaced him. 1. The youth may have been imprisoned because the old king feared him as. political foe. 2. The king in this verse became king the old fashioned way, i.e. he earned it. In the same land in which he now rules, he was born into poverty. 3. Some see Solomon speaking about himself, he had played the part of the foolish king, and the youthful supplanter is Jeroboam, who was exiled to Egypt (1 Kings 11:26-40). "To realize that one can rise from unlikely circumstances (from the lowest of circumstances) to become king, to supplant one who already has control, demonstrates the lack of security of life even in the highest office in the land, even in the days of absolute rulers" (Kidwell p. 106).

But the youth of this verse could have been the king who was know old and foolish. The old king could have been. national hero, one with whom all the common people could identify. One not born into royalty, but rather,. man who had worked his way up through the ranks. One who had become king, not by inheritance, but through his own strength, courage, bravery and skill. But power, ease, and wealth had corrupted this young and idealistic man, and know he found himself arrogant, foolish and unpopular!