Ecclesiastes 6:9New American Standard Bible (NASB ©1995) [2]
— What the eyes see is better than what the soul desires. This too is futility and a striving after wind.
King James Version (KJV 1769) [2]
— Better [is] the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this [is] also vanity and vexation of spirit.
English Revised Version (ERV 1885)
— Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this also is vanity and a striving after wind.
American Standard Version (ASV 1901) [2]
— Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this also is vanity and a striving after wind.
Webster's Revision of the KJB (WEB 1833)
— Better [is] the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this [is] also vanity and vexation of spirit.
Darby's Translation (DBY 1890)
— Better is the seeing of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this also is vanity and pursuit of the wind.
Rotherham's Emphasized Bible (EBR 1902)
— Better what the eyes behold, than the wandering of desire,—even this, was vanity, and a feeding on wind.
Young's Literal Translation (YLT 1898)
— Better [is] the sight of the eyes than the going of the soul. This also [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.
Douay-Rheims Challoner Revision (DR 1750)
— Better it is to see what thou mayst desire, than to desire that which thou canst not know. But this also is vanity, and presumption of spirit.
Geneva Bible (GNV 1560)
— The sight of ye eye is better then to walke in ye lustes: this also is vanitie, ? vexation of spirit.
Original King James Bible (AV 1611) [2]
— Better [is] the sight of the eyes, then the wandering of the desire: this [is] also vanitie and vexation of spirit.
Lamsa Bible (1957)
— Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire; this is also vanity and vexation of spirit.
Brenton Greek Septuagint (LXX, Restored Names)
— The sight of the eyes is better than that which wanders in soul: this is also vanity, and waywardness of spirit.
Full Hebrew Names / Holy Name KJV (2008) [2] [3]
— Better [is] the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this [is] also vanity and vexation of spirit. |
Better
2896 {2896} Primeטוֹבtowb{tobe}
From H2895; good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun, both in the masculine and the feminine, the singular and the plural ( good, a good or good thing, a good man or woman; the good, goods or good things, good men or women), also as an adverb ( well).
[ is] the sight
4758 {4758} Primeמַרְאֶהmar'eh{mar-eh'}
From H7200; a view (the act of seeing); also an appearance (the thing seen), whether (real) a shape (especially if handsome, comeliness; often plural the looks), or (mental) a vision.
of the eyes
5869 {5869} Primeעַיִן`ayin{ah'-yin}
Probably a primitive word; an eye (literally or figuratively); by analogy a fountain (as the eye of the landscape).
than the wandering
1980 {1980} Primeהָלַךְhalak{haw-lak'}
Akin to H3212; a primitive root; to walk (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively).
z8800 <8800> Grammar
Stem - Qal (See H8851) Mood - Infinitive (See H8812) Count - 4888
x4480 (4480) Complementמִןmin{min}
For H4482; properly a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses.
of the desire:
5315 {5315} Primeנֶפֶשׁnephesh{neh'-fesh}
From H5314; properly a breathing creature, that is, animal or (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental).
this
x2088 (2088) Complementזֶהzeh{zeh}
A primitive word; the masculine demonstrative pronoun, this or that.
[ is] also
x1571 (1571) Complementגַּםgam{gam}
By contraction from an unused root meaning to gather; properly assemblage; used only adverbially also, even, yea, though; often repeated as correlation both... and.
vanity
1892 {1892} Primeהֶבֶלhebel{heh'-bel}
From H1891; emptiness or vanity; figuratively something transitory and unsatisfactory; often used as an adverb.
and vexation
7469 {7469} Primeרְעוּתr@`uwth{reh-ooth'}
Probably from H7462; a feeding upon, that is, grasping after.
of spirit.
7307 {7307} Primeרוּחַruwach{roo'-akh}
From H7306; wind; by resemblance breath, that is, a sensible (or even violent) exhalation; figuratively life, anger, unsubstantiality; by extension a region of the sky; by resemblance spirit, but only of a rational being (including its expression and functions). |
Ecclesiastes 6:9
_ _ Answer to the question in Ecclesiastes 6:8. This is the advantage:
_ _ Better is the sight of the eyes — the wise man’s godly enjoyment of present seen blessings
_ _ than the (fool’s) wandering — literally, walking (Psalms 73:9), of the desire, that is, vague, insatiable desires for what he has not (Ecclesiastes 6:7; Hebrews 13:5).
_ _ this — restless wandering of desire, and not enjoying contentedly the present (1 Timothy 6:6, 1 Timothy 6:8). |
Ecclesiastes 6:9
The fight — The comfortable enjoyment of what a man hath. Than — Restless desires of what a man hath not. This — Wandering of the desire. |
Ecclesiastes 6:9
Better [is] the (g) sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this [is] also vanity and vexation of spirit.
(g) To be content with that which God has given is better than to follow the desires that can never be satisfied. |
- Better:
Ecclesiastes 2:24 [There is] nothing better for a man, [than] that he should eat and drink, and [that] he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it [was] from the hand of God.
Ecclesiastes 3:12-13 I know that [there is] no good in them, but for [a man] to rejoice, and to do good in his life. ... And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it [is] the gift of God.
Ecclesiastes 5:18 Behold [that] which I have seen: [it is] good and comely [for one] to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it [is] his portion.
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- wandering of the desire:
- Heb. walking of the soul,
Job 31:7 If my step hath turned out of the way, and mine heart walked after mine eyes, and if any blot hath cleaved to mine hands;
Proverbs 30:15-16 The horseleach hath two daughters, [crying], Give, give. There are three [things that] are never satisfied, [yea], four [things] say not, [It is] enough: ... The grave; and the barren womb; the earth [that] is not filled with water; and the fire [that] saith not, [It is] enough.
Jeremiah 2:20 For of old time I have broken thy yoke, [and] burst thy bands; and thou saidst, I will not transgress; when upon every high hill and under every green tree thou wanderest, playing the harlot.
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- this:
Ecclesiastes 6:2 A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honour, so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it: this [is] vanity, and it [is] an evil disease.
Ecclesiastes 1:2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all [is] vanity.
Ecclesiastes 1:14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.
Ecclesiastes 2:11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all [was] vanity and vexation of spirit, and [there was] no profit under the sun.
Ecclesiastes 2:22-23 For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun? ... For all his days [are] sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.
Ecclesiastes 4:4 Again, I considered all travail, and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbour. This [is] also vanity and vexation of spirit.
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