Ecclesiastes 6:8

Ecclesiastes 6:8 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For what hath the wise more than the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk before the living?
• New International Version (NIV)What advantage have the wise over fools? What do the poor gain by knowing how to conduct themselves before others?
• English Standard Version (ESV)For what advantage has the wise man over the fool? And what does the poor man have who knows how to conduct himself before the living?
• New King James Version (NKJV)For what more has the wise man than the fool? What does the poor man have, Who knows how to walk before the living?

Context of Ecclesiastes 6:8

6Even if the man lives a thousand years twice, but does not see good things--do not all go to one and the same place?” 7All a person’s labor is for his mouth, and yet his appetite is not satisfied. For what advantage does the wise person have over the fool? What does the poor person have, knowing how to walk before the living? 9What the eyes see is better than what the soul desires. This too is futility and striving after wind. 10Whatever exists has already been named, and it is known what man is; for he cannot dispute with the one who is mightier than he is.

Ecclesiastes 6:8 word by word

כִּ֛י מַה־יּוֹתֵ֥ר לֶחָכָ֖ם מִֽן־הַכְּסִ֑יל מַה־לֶּעָנִ֣י יוֹדֵ֔עַ לַהֲלֹ֖ךְ נֶ֥גֶד הַחַיִּֽים׃Read the interlinear

• whatמָהmâh mah mâ ma meh · what?H4100
• advantageיוֹתֵרyôthêr · advantageH3148
• does the wiseחָכָםchâkâm · wiseH2450
• have overמִן־min minnîy minnêy · fromH4480
• the foolכְּסִילkesîyl · foolH3684
• does the poorעָנִי‛ânîy · afflictedH6041
• have, knowingיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• to walkהָלַךְhâlak · to go: walkH1980
• beforeנֶ֫גֶדneged · beforeH5048
• the livingחַיchay · aliveH2416

Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 6:8

• Ecclesiastes 2:14The wise person’s eyes are in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I know that one and the same fate happens to both of them.
• Ecclesiastes 5:11When good things increase, those who consume them increase. So what is the advantage to their owners except to look at them?
• Genesis 17:1Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless.
• Psalms 101:2I will carefully attend to the blameless way. When will You come to me? I will walk within my house in the integrity of my heart.
• Psalms 116:9I shall walk before the Lord In the land of the living.
• Proverbs 19:1Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity Than a person who is perverse in speech and is a fool.
• Luke 1:6They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord.
• 1 Timothy 6:17Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to set their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 6:8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8For what hath the wise more than the fool? - They must both labor for the same end. Both depend upon the labor of themselves or others for the necessaries of life. Both must eat and drink in order to live; and the rich man can no more eat two meals at a time, than he can comfortably wear two changes of raiment. The necessaries of life are the same to both, and their condition in life is nearly similar; liable to the same diseases, dissolution, and death.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7-9Verses 7-9 Connect these verses with Ecclesiastes 6:2-3: “All labor is undertaken with a view to some profit, but as a rule the people who labor are never satisfied. What advantage then has he who labors if (being rich) he is wise, or if being poor he knows how to conduct himself properly; what advantage have such laborers above a fool? (None, so far as they are without contentment, for) a thing present before the eyes is preferable to a future which…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-12Verses 7-12 A little will serve to sustain us comfortably, and a great deal can do no more. The desires of the soul find nothing in the wealth of the world to give satisfaction. The poor man has comfort as well as the richest, and is under no real disadvantage. We cannot say, Better is the sight of the eyes than the resting of the soul in God; for it is better to live by faith in things to come, than to live by sense, which dwells only upon present…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8-9What advantage, then, has the wise man over the fool?: They have an advantage if they enjoy and are content with what the Lord has given them.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. For--"However" [Maurer]. The "for" means (in contrast to the insatiability of the miser), For what else is the advantage which the wise man hath above the fool?" What--advantage, that is, superiority, above him who knows not how to walk uprightly hath the poor who knoweth to walk before the living?--that is, to use and enjoy life aright (Ec 5:18, 19), a cheerful, thankful, godly "walk" (Psa 116:9).Read the comment

Topics related to Ecclesiastes 6:8

• Contentment
• Poor

In the dictionaries

• Synagogue, the Great

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 6

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings