Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 6:7–9

7All a man’s labor is for his mouth,

yet his appetite is never satisfied.a

8What advantage, then, has the wise man over the fool? What gain comes to the poor man who knows how to conduct himself before others? 9Better what the eye can see than the wandering of desire. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.

Footnotes

  • a 6:7 Hebrew filled

Read all of Ecclesiastes 6

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Ecclesiastes 6:7

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Allכָּל־kāl-Noun - masculine singular constructH3605 the whole, all
a man’sהָאָדָ֖םhā·’ā·ḏāmArticle; Noun - masculine singularH120 man, mankind
laborעֲמַ֥ל‘ă·malNoun - masculine singular constructH5999 trouble, labour, toil
for his mouthלְפִ֑יהוּlə·p̄î·hūPreposition-l; Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singularH6310 mouth
yetוְגַם־wə·ḡam-ConjunctionH1571 also, moreover, yea
his appetiteהַנֶּ֖פֶשׁhan·ne·p̄ešArticle; Noun - feminine singularH5315 soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion
is neverלֹ֥אlōAdverb - Negative particleH3808 not
satisfiedתִמָּלֵֽא׃ṯim·mā·lêVerb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person feminine singularH4390 be full, fill

Ecclesiastes 6:8

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Whatמַה־mah-InterrogativeH4100 what? how? aught
advantageיּוֹתֵ֥רyō·w·ṯêrNoun - masculine singularH3148 superiority, advantage, excess
thenכִּ֛יkîConjunctionH3588 burning, branding
has the wise manלֶחָכָ֖םle·ḥā·ḵāmPreposition-l, Article; Adjective - masculine singularH2450 wise
overמִֽן־min-PrepositionH4480 out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not
the foolהַכְּסִ֑ילhak·kə·sîlArticle; Noun - masculine singularH3684 stupid fellow, dullard, fool
Whatמַה־mah-InterrogativeH4100 what? how? aught
to the poor manלֶּעָנִ֣יle·‘ā·nîPreposition-l, Article; Adjective - masculine singularH6041 poor, afflicted, humble, meek
who knowsיוֹדֵ֔עַyō·w·ḏê·a‘Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularH3045 know
how to conduct himselfלַהֲלֹ֖ךְla·hă·lōḵPreposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructH1980 go, come, walk
beforeנֶ֥גֶדne·ḡeḏPrepositionH5048 what is conspicuous or in front
othersהַחַיִּֽים׃ha·ḥay·yîmArticle; Adjective - masculine pluralH2416 alive, living

Ecclesiastes 6:9

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Betterט֛וֹבṭō·wḇAdjective - masculine singularH2896 pleasant, agreeable, good
what the eyeעֵינַ֖יִם‘ê·na·yimNoun - cdH5869 eye
can seeמַרְאֵ֥הmar·’êhNoun - masculine singular constructH4758 sight, appearance, vision
than the wanderingמֵֽהֲלָךְ־mê·hă·lāḵ-Preposition-m; Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructH1980 go, come, walk
of desireנָ֑פֶשׁnā·p̄ešNoun - feminine singularH5315 soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion
Thisזֶ֥הzehPronoun - masculine singularH2088 this, that
tooגַּם־gam-ConjunctionH1571 also, moreover, yea
is futileהֶ֖בֶלhe·ḇelNoun - masculine singularH1892 vapour, breath
and a pursuitוּרְע֥וּתū·rə·‘ūṯConjunctive waw; Noun - feminine singular constructH7469 longing, striving
of the windרֽוּחַ׃rū·aḥNoun - common singularH7307 breath, wind, spirit

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

Ecclesiastes 6:7 John 6:27 · Proverbs 16:26 · 1 Timothy 6:6–8 · Matthew 6:25 · Luke 12:19 · Ecclesiastes 6:3 · Ecclesiastes 5:10 · Genesis 3:17–19

Ecclesiastes 6:8 Proverbs 19:1 · Ecclesiastes 2:14–16

Ecclesiastes 6:9 Ecclesiastes 1:14 · Job 31:7 · Ecclesiastes 11:9 · Ecclesiastes 3:12–13 · Ecclesiastes 4:4 · Ecclesiastes 5:18 · Ecclesiastes 2:11 · Ecclesiastes 1:2

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.