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Ecclesiastes 6:9

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9 Better what the eye sees than the roving of the appetite. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
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Ecclesiastes 6:9 in Other Translations

KJV
9 Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this is also vanity and vexation of spirit.
ESV
9 Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the appetite: this also is vanity and a striving after wind.
NLT
9 Enjoy what you have rather than desiring what you don’t have. Just dreaming about nice things is meaningless—like chasing the wind.
MSG
9 Just grab whatever you can while you can; don't assume something better might turn up by and by. All it amounts to anyway is smoke. And spitting into the wind.
CSB
9 Better what the eyes see than wandering desire. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.

Ecclesiastes 6:9 Meaning and Commentary

Ecclesiastes 6:9

Better [is] the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the
desire
By "the sight of the eyes" is not meant the bare beholding outward riches, as in ( Ecclesiastes 5:11 ) ; but the enjoyment of present mercies; such things as a man is in the possession of, and with which he should be content, ( Hebrews 13:5 ) ; and by "the wandering of the desire", the craving appetite and insatiable lust of the covetous mind, which enlarges its desire as hell, after a thousand things, and everything it can think of; such a mind roves through the whole creation, and covets everything under the sun: now it is better to enjoy contentedly things in sight and in possession, than to let the mind loose in vague desires, after things that may never be come at, and, if attained to, would give no satisfaction; this [is] also vanity and vexation of spirit:
a most vain thing, to give the mind such a loose and liberty in its unbounded desires after worldly things; and a vexation of spirit it is to such a craving mind, that it cannot obtain what it is so desirous of.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Ecclesiastes 6:9 In-Context

7 Everyone’s toil is for their mouth, yet their appetite is never satisfied.
8 What advantage have the wise over fools? What do the poor gain by knowing how to conduct themselves before others?
9 Better what the eye sees than the roving of the appetite. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
10 Whatever exists has already been named, and what humanity is has been known; no one can contend with someone who is stronger.
11 The more the words, the less the meaning, and how does that profit anyone?

Cross References 1

  • 1. S Ecclesiastes 1:14
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