Ecclesiastes 6:9
in Ecclesiastes 6Better what the eye can see than the wandering of desire. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this also is vanity and a striving after wind.
KJV
Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this is also vanity and vexation of spirit.
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This verse in Ecclesiastes 6
Commentary
9 notes on this verse"Better is what the eyes see than what is imagined. That, too, is futility and a vexation of the spirit." Symmachus interpreted this clearly, he says: "it is better to make provision, than to walk about as it pleases you". That is, it is better to do all things according to what you know to be right in your mind, which is the eye of the soul, than to follow the desire of your heart. For this is to wander in spirit, just as Ezekiel says: "he who walks by the desire of his heart" [Ezek. 11, 21.].
This site's exposition
All a man’s labor is for his mouth
on Ecclesiastes 6:7-9
The chapter turns to the common case: All a man’s labor is for his mouth, yet his appetite is never satisfied. The question What advantage, then, has the wise man over the fool levels rank. The proverb sets what the eye can see above the wandering of desire.
This site's exposition
Better what the eye can see
Jamieson, Fausset and Brown read what the eye can see as blessings already present, and the wandering as the reach after what a man lacks. Clarke gives the Hebrew behind wandering as the traveling of the soul. Henry adds that even a desire fulfilled disappoints.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church2 voices
A commentator
BonaventureCommentary on Ecclesiastes, Chapter 6 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
To this life one cannot rightly arrive without knowledge: therefore he adds: "It is better to see what you desire," that is, to know the life which you long for: "than to desire what you do not know," that is, to wish to arrive there …
A commentator
BonaventureCommentary on Ecclesiastes, Chapter 7 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
It is asked concerning what he says: "It is better to see what you desire than to desire what you do not know." Therefore it does not involve a contradiction that someone can desire what he does not know. On the contrary: Augustine says that …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
This wandering of the desire is vanity and vexation of spirit. It is vanity at the best; if what is desired, be obtained, it proves not what we promised ourselves from it, but commonly the wandering desire is crossed and disappointed, and then it turns to vexation of spirit.
Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire - This is translated by the Vulgate, as a sort of adage: Melius est videre quod cupias, quam desiderare quod nescias, “It is better to see what one desires than to covet what one knows not.” It is better to enjoy the present than to feed one’s self with vain desires of the future. What we translate the wandering of desire, מהלך נפש mehaloch nephesh, is the travelling of the soul. What is this? Does it simply mean desire?
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Answer to the question in Ec 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 (Ps 73:9), of the desire, that is, vague, insatiable desires for what he has not (Ec 6:7;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
Whatever has been has already been named. The stature and greatness that had been established during his lifetime, “has already been named,” i.e., it already was and passed, he already had attained fame, and now it has passed, and it was made known that he was a man.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
That which has been in the world, behold! its name has long been called, and has been made known to the children of men from the day that the first Adam existed, and all is the decree of the Lord; and men cannot stand in judgment with the Lord of the world, who is stronger than he.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence.
The words behind it
10 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ט֛וֹב | tov | [is] good | H2896 → | 538 times |
| מַרְאֵ֥ה | mareh | [the] sight of | H4758 → | |
| עֵינַ֖יִם | ʾeinayim | eyes | H5869 → | 887 times |
| מֵֽהֲלָךְ־ | mehalokh- | more than going | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| נָ֑פֶשׁ | nafesh | desire | H5315 → | 754 times |
| גַּם־ | gam- | also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| זֶ֥ה | zeh | this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| הֶ֖בֶל | hevel | [is] futility | H1892 → | 73 times |
| וּרְע֥וּת | ureut | and striving of | H7469 → | 7 times |
| רֽוּחַ׃ | ruach | wind | H7307 → | 378 times |
ט֛וֹב[is] good
tovH2896 →538 times
מַרְאֵ֥ה[the] sight of
marehH4758 →
עֵינַ֖יִםeyes
ʾeinayimH5869 →887 times
מֵֽהֲלָךְ־more than going
mehalokh-H1980 →1546 times
נָ֑פֶשׁdesire
nafeshH5315 →754 times
גַּם־also
gam-H1571 →769 times
זֶ֥הthis
zehH2088 →1180 times
הֶ֖בֶל[is] futility
hevelH1892 →73 times
וּרְע֥וּתand striving of
ureutH7469 →7 times
רֽוּחַ׃wind
ruachH7307 →378 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Ecclesiastes 1:2“Futility of futilities,” says the Teacher, “futility of futilities! Everything is futile!”
it leads to
- Psalms 39:5–6
You, indeed, have made my days as handbreadths, and my lifetime as nothing before You. Truly each man at his best exists as but a breath. Selah
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 144:4
Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow.
- Romans 8:20
For the creation was subjected to futility, not by its own will, but because of the One who subjected it, in hope
- Psalms 39:5–6
Through
Ecclesiastes 1:14I have seen all the things that are done under the sun, and have found them all to be futile, a pursuit of the wind.
it leads to
- Ecclesiastes 2:26
To the man who is pleasing in His sight, He gives wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner He assigns the task of gathering and accumulating that which he will hand over…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Ecclesiastes 2:11
Yet when I considered all the works that my hands had accomplished and what I had toiled to achieve, I found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind; there was nothing to…
- Ecclesiastes 2:26
Through
Ecclesiastes 5:18Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting: to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in all the labor one does under the sun during the few days of life…
it leads to
- Ecclesiastes 2:24
Nothing is better for a man than to eat and drink and enjoy his work. I have also seen that this is from the hand of God.
- Ecclesiastes 3:12–13
I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and do good while they live,
- Ecclesiastes 3:22
I have seen that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work, because that is his lot. For who can bring him to see what will come after him?
- Ecclesiastes 2:24
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Ecclesiastes
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Bonaventure, Commentary on Ecclesiastes, Chapter 6; Bonaventure, Commentary on Ecclesiastes, Chapter 7; Charles Bridges, An Exposition of the Book of Ecclesiastes; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Ecclesiastes; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.