Solomon here links covetousness, or selfish greed, with a lack of understanding. In this scenario, it is a person in a position of power (the prince) who is covetous, and therefore, a great oppressor. Oppression is just a word that describes suffering inflicted by another. Today, you may not be in a position of great power. So, the suffering that would result from your covetousness might not have the same dramatic impact of someone with more power. But, don’t mistake the point. Suffering always results from covetousness. The covetous heart never stops looking for selfish gain, even if the desired object causes another to suffer. A good example of this is lust. Unquenched lust always results in the suffering of others, whether it is the object of the lust or others in the relationship. On the other hand, the individual that realizes the destructive nature of covetousness on all parties learns to hate greed and prolongs his days.