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Ecclesiastes 6:9

9 Better 1is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the appetite: this also is 2vanity and a striving after 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.

Ecclesiastes 6:9 In-Context

7 All the toil of man is for his mouth, yet his appetite is not satisfied.
8 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?
9 Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the appetite: this also is vanity and a striving after wind.
10 Whatever has come to be has already been named, and it is known what man is, and that he is not able to dispute with one stronger than he.
11 The more words, the more vanity, and what is the advantage to man?

Cross References 2

  • 1. Ecclesiastes 11:9
  • 2. See Ecclesiastes 1:14
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.