Nothing new under the sun . . . people still enjoy being around success, money, gifts, and receiving public recognition. What strikes us, by contrast, in this reading is the bond between friends and riches.

It’s easy to have lots of friends when you shower them with presents, goodies, trips, privileges and advantages of all sorts! Easy to be surrounded with ‟bought” friendship. But honestly, what kind of friendship is this? If the number of your friends depends on what you give them, then the rich would get more and the poor would lose them.