רָאִיתִי עֲבָדִים עַל סוּסִים, אֵלּוּ יִשְׁמְעֵאלִים. וְשָׂרִים הֹלְכִים כַּעֲבָדִים, זֶה יוֹסֵף. אָמַר רַבִּי לֵוִי עַבְדָּא זָבִין, וּבַר אַמְתָא מְזַבֵּין, וּבַר חוֹרִין מִזְדַּבֵּן לְתַרְוֵיהוֹן. רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא הֲוָה סָלֵיק לְרוֹמִי, פָּגַע בֵּיהּ חַד סָרִיס מִן מַלְכוּתָא, אֲמַר לֵיהּ אַתְּ הוּא רַבֵּיהוֹן דִּיהוּדָאֵי, אֲמַר לֵיהּ אִין, אֲמַר לֵיהּ שְׁמִיעַ מִינָאי תְּלַת מִילִּין, דְּעַל סוּס מֶלֶךְ, דְּעַל חֲמַר בֶּן חוֹרִין, מִנְעָלִים בְּרַגְלָיו בַּר נָשׁ, דְּלָא דֵין וְלָא דֵין, חֲפִיר טַב מִינֵיהּ. אֲמַר תְּלַת מִילִּין אֲמַרְתְּ, תְּלַת מִילֵּי שְׁמַע לִי חִילּוּפֵיהֶן, הַדְרַת פָּנִים זָקָן, שִׂמְחַת לֵבָב אִשָּׁה, נַחֲלַת ה' בָּנִים, אוֹי לוֹ לְאוֹתוֹ הָאִישׁ דְּחָסַר שְׁלָשְׁתָּן, וְלֹא עוֹד שֶׁקְּדָמוֹ הַכָּתוּב, רָאִיתִי עֲבָדִים עַל סוּסִים, כֵּיוָן דִּשְׁמַע הַהוּא סָרִיס כֵּן, טָרַף רֵישֵׁיהּ אַגּוּדָא וּמִית. דָּבָר אַחֵר, רָאִיתִי עֲבָדִים עַל סוּסִים, זֶה אַחְאָב. וְשָׂרִים הֹלְכִים כַּעֲבָדִים עַל הָאָרֶץ, זֶה אֵלִיָּהוּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (מלכים א יח, מו): וְיַד ה' הָיְתָה אֶל אֵלִיָּהוּ וַיְשַׁנֵּס מָתְנָיו וַיָּרָץ לִפְנֵי אַחְאָב וגו'.
“I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking on the ground like servants” (Ecclesiastes 10:7). “I have seen servants upon horses” – these are Ishmaelites; “and princes walking on the ground like servants” – this is Joseph. Rabbi Levi said: A slave purchased, and the son of a maidservant sold, and a free man was sold to both of them. Rabbi Akiva was ascending to Rome; he encountered a certain eunuch from the royal court. He said to him: ‘Are you the rabbi of the Jews?’ [Rabbi Akiva] said to him: ‘Yes.’ He said to [Rabbi Akiva]: ‘Hear these three matters from me: One on a horse is a king; one on a donkey is a free man; one with shoes on his feet is a person; [therefore,] one without this and without that, one buried in a ditch is preferable to him.’ [Rabbi Akiva] said: ‘You said three matters, hear from me three alternative matters: The glory of a face is the beard, the joy of the heart is a wife, and “the portion of the Lord is children” (Psalms 127:3). Woe unto that man who is lacking these three. Moreover, the verse preceded it: “I have seen servants upon horses.” When that eunuch heard this, he banged his head against the wall and died. Another matter: “I have seen servants upon horses” – this is Ahab; “and princes walking on the ground like servants” – this is Elijah, as it is stated: “[And Ahab rode and went to Yizre’el.] The hand of the Lord was upon Elijah, and he girded his loins and ran before Ahab…” (I Kings 18:45–46).