Ecclesiastes 6:8

KJV1611 – Modern English

For what has the wise more than the fool? what does the poor have, who knows to walk before the living?

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

כִּ֛י מַה־יוֹתֵ֥ר לֶחָכָ֖ם מִֽן־הַכְּסִ֑יל מַה־לֶּעָנִ֣י יוֹדֵ֔עַ לַהֲלֹ֖ךְ נֶ֥גֶד הַחַיִֽים׃

Transliteration

For what-yôṯēr to-the-ḥāḵām from-the-hakkəsîl? What-to-the-leʿānî yôḏēaʿ to-lahălōḵ neḡeḏ the-haḥayyîm?

Grammar Details

• *yôṯēr*: noun, masculine singular - advantage/profit
• *ḥāḵām*: adjective, masculine singular - wise man
• *hakkəsîl*: definite article + noun, masculine singular - the fool
• *leʿānî*: preposition + definite article + adjective, masculine singular - to the poor
• *yôḏēaʿ*: verb, Qal participle, masculine singular - knowing
• *lahălōḵ*: preposition + verb, Qal infinitive construct - to walk
• *neḡeḏ*: preposition - before/in front of
• *haḥayyîm*: definite article + noun, masculine plural - the living/life

Word Meanings

• *yôṯēr*: advantage/profit/benefit/surplus
• *ḥāḵām*: wise man/sage
• *hakkəsîl*: the fool/the stupid one
• *leʿānî*: to the poor/to the afflicted/to the humble
• *yôḏēaʿ*: knowing/understanding
• *lahălōḵ neḡeḏ haḥayyîm*: to walk before the living/to conduct oneself in life

Other Translations

• Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

  What advantage has the wise person over the fool? What does the poor person gain by knowing how to conduct themselves before the living?

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  For what hath the wise more than the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk before the living?

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  For what advantage hath the wise more than the fool? [or] what hath the poor man, that knoweth how to walk before the living?

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  For what hath the wise more than the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk before the living?

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  For what hath the wyse more then the foole? What helpeth it the poore, that he knoweth to walke before the lyuynge?

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  For what hath the wise man more then the foole? what hath the poore that knoweth how to walke before the liuing?

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  For what hath the wise more then the foole? What helpeth it the poore that he knoweth to walke with fooles before the lyuyng?

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  For what hath the wise more than the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk before the living?

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  For what advantage has the wise more than the fool? What has the poor man, that knows how to walk before the living?

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  For what advantage `is' to the wise above the fool? What to the poor who knoweth to walk before the living?

• American Standard Version (1901)

  For what advantage hath the wise more than the fool? `or' what hath the poor man, that knoweth how to walk before the living?

• American Standard Version (1901)

  For what advantage hath the wise more than the fool? [or] what hath the poor man, that knoweth how to walk before the living?

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  What have the wise more than the foolish? and what has the poor man by walking wisely before the living?

• World English Bible (2000)

  For what advantage has the wise more than the fool? What has the poor man, that knows how to walk before the living?

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  So what advantage does a wise man have over a fool? And what advantage does a pauper gain by knowing how to survive?

Referenced Verses

• Gen 17:1 : 1 And when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, I am Almighty God; walk before me and be perfect.
• Ps 101:2 : 2 I will conduct myself wisely in a blameless way. O when will you come to me? I will walk within my house with a blameless heart.
• Ps 116:9 : 9 I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living.
• Prov 19:1 : 1 Better is the poor who walks in his integrity, than he who is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.
• Eccl 2:14-16 : 14 The wise man's eyes are in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I myself perceived that the same event happens to them all. 15 So I said in my heart, "As it happens to the fool, so it happens even to me. And why was I then more wise?" Then I said in my heart, "This also is vanity." 16 For there is no more remembrance of the wise than of the fool forever, since what now is will all be forgotten in the days to come. And how does the wise man die? Just like the fool.
• Eccl 5:11 : 11 When goods increase, they who eat them increase, and what good is there to the owners, except the beholding of them with their eyes?
• Luke 1:6 : 6 They were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
• 1 Tim 6:17 : 17 Charge those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy;