This verse speaks of two related incongruities. The first deals with privilege, the second with responsibility. We are told that fools are not good enough to live in luxury. This is so not only because fools lack the resources to earn and enjoy wealth, but also because the fool’s perverse and weak character will be intoxicated by the thrilling privilege of luxury, causing them to foolishly abuse their wealth. It is worse, however, when a person is given responsibility beyond his competence. He then either will fail outright, injuring himself and spoiling the work for which he is responsible, or he will blame others while clinging to his position, and undermining those superior to and more competent than him. Let us guard our aspirations (Psalm 131:1–3; Romans 12:3), and learn to promote others to higher levels of responsibility and reward which they deserve and can rightly bear (Philippians 2:3–4).
10 It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury, much less for a slave to rule over princes.