Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.
Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? - literally, Wilt thou cause, thine eyes to fly upon? etc. (cf. 1 Samuel 15:19, "fly upon the spoil"). So the Qeri' ( hataa`iyp (H5774)). But the Kethibh need not be changed (hataa`ip). 'Will thine eye fly upon that?' etc. (Maurer). But Gesenius translates even the Kethibh as the English version. "Which is not" - i:e., which suddenly vanishes. What the world designates as especially substance, God calls "that which is not" Which has no solid existence.
For (riches) certainly make (literally, make, make) themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven. So the Qeri' ( yaa`uwp (H5774)); but the Kethibh (wªhop), 'As an eagle, and as birds of the heaven.' The eagle flies for the longest time and to the greatest distance. So riches in flying away.