the Week of Proper 15 / Ordinary 20
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Good News Translation
Ecclesiastes 6:8
Bible Study Resources
Concordances:
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What advantage then does the wise person have over the fool? What advantage is there for the poor person who knows how to conduct himself before others?
For what advantage has the wise more than the fool? What has the poor man, that knows how to walk before the living?
For what hath the wise more than the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk before the living?
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?
For what advantage does the wise person have over the fool? What does the poor person have, knowing how to walk before the living?
In this way a wise person is no better off than a fool. Then, too, it does a poor person little good to know how to get along in life.
For what advantage has the wise man over the fool [for being worldly-wise is not the secret to happiness]? What advantage has the poor man who has learned how to walk [publicly] among the living [with men's eyes on him; for being poor is not the secret to happiness either]?
For what advantage has the wise more than the fool? What has the poor man, that knows how to walk before the living?
For what hath the wise man more then the foole? what hath the poore that knoweth how to walke before the liuing?
For what advantage does the wise man have over the fool? What advantage does the afflicted man have, knowing how to walk before the living?
What advantage, then, has the wise man over the fool? What gain comes to the poor man who knows how to conduct himself before others?
We may be sensible, yet we are no better off than a fool. And if we are poor, it still doesn't do us any good to try to live right.
What advantage has the wise over the fool, or the person with experience, if he is poor?
For what advantage hath the wise above the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk before the living?
In the same way a wise person is no better than a fool is. It is better to be a poor person who knows how to accept life as it is.
The wise man has an advantage over the fool. What! Does the poor man know how to go through life?
So do the wise really have an advantage over fools? Can the poor really gain anything by knowing how to act in front of others?
For what is the advantage to the wise more than the fool? What advantage is to the poor who knows how to walk before the living?
For what hath the wyse more then the foole? What helpeth it the poore, that he knoweth to walke before the lyuynge?
For what advantage hath the wise more than the fool? or what hath the poor man, that knoweth how to walk before the living?
What have the wise more than the foolish? and what has the poor man by walking wisely before the living?
For what advantage hath the wise more than the fool? or the poor man that hath understanding, in walking before the living?
For what hath the wise more then the foole? what hath the poore, that knoweth to walke before the liuing?
For what hath the wise more then the foole? What helpeth it the poore that he knoweth to walke with fooles before the lyuyng?
For what advantage has the wise man over the fool, since even the poor knows how to walk in the direction of life?
For what advantage hath the wise more than the fool? or what hath the poor man, that knoweth to walk before the living?
What hath a wijs man more than a fool? and what hath a pore man, no but that he go thidur, where is lijf?
For what advantage has the wise more than the fool? [or] what has the poor man, that knows how to walk before the living?
For what hath the wise more than the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk before the living?
So what advantage does a wise man have over a fool? And what advantage does a pauper gain by knowing how to survive?
For what more has the wise man than the fool? What does the poor man have, Who knows how to walk before the living?
So are wise people really better off than fools? Do poor people gain anything by being wise and knowing how to act in front of others?
For what is better for the wise man than for the fool? And what good does the poor man have who knows how to walk among the living?
For what advantage have the wise over fools? And what do the poor have who know how to conduct themselves before the living?
For what profit hath the wise man, over the dullard? What can, the poor man, know - so as to walk before the living?
What hath the wise man more than the fool? and what the poor man, but to go thither, where there is life?
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?
For what advantage [is] to the wise above the fool? What to the poor who knoweth to walk before the living?
So what advantage has a sage over a fool, or over some poor wretch who barely gets by? 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.
For what advantage does the wise man have over the fool? What advantage does the poor man have, knowing how to walk before the living?
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
what hath the wise: Ecclesiastes 2:14-16, Ecclesiastes 5:11
the poor: Genesis 17:1, Psalms 101:2, Psalms 116:9, Proverbs 19:1, Luke 1:6, 1 Timothy 6:17
Reciprocal: Ecclesiastes 2:16 - how Ecclesiastes 2:22 - hath man Romans 3:1 - advantage
Cross-References
God looked at the world and saw that it was evil, for the people were all living evil lives.
I am going to send a flood on the earth to destroy every living being. Everything on the earth will die,
You have done me a great favor and saved my life. But the hills are too far away; the disaster will overtake me, and I will die before I get there.
The Lord is our protector and glorious king, blessing us with kindness and honor. He does not refuse any good thing to those who do what is right.
He protects everyone who loves him, but he will destroy the wicked.
If you do this, both God and people will be pleased with you.
Those who find me find life, and the Lord will be pleased with them.
The Lord is pleased with good people, but condemns those who plan evil.
In the desert I showed mercy to those people who had escaped death. When the people of Israel longed for rest,
The angel said to her, "Don't be afraid, Mary; God has been gracious to you.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
For what hath the wise more than the fool,.... More delight and pleasure, in gratifying his senses, by eating and drinking: the wise man enjoys no more than the fool; the fool finds as much pleasure in the labour of his hands, which is for his mouth, as the wise man does; and the wise man can get no more satisfaction to his mind, from these outward gratifications, than the fool;
what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk before the living? either, what does the poor man want more than the rich man, that knows how to get his bread, and is diligent and industrious among men to live, and does get a livelihood for himself and family; he enjoys all the sweets and comforts of life, as well as the rich man: or what hath the poor knowing man? as Aben Ezra interprets it, according to the accents; what has he more or does he enjoy more, than the poor foolish man, provided he has but sense enough to behave himself among men, so as to have bread to eat, and clothes to wear; which is as much as any man can enjoy, be he ever so rich or so wise?
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Connect these verses with Ecclesiastes 6:2-3 : “All labor is undertaken with a view to some profit, but as a rule the people who labor are never satisfied. What advantage then has he who labors if (being rich) he is wise, or if being poor he knows how to conduct himself properly; what advantage have such laborers above a fool? (None, so far as they are without contentment, for) a thing present before the eyes is preferable to a future which exists only in the desire.”
Ecclesiastes 6:8
What - literally, what profit (as in Ecclesiastes 1:3).
Knoweth ... living - i. e., “Knows how to conduct himself rightly among his contemporaries.”
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Ecclesiastes 6:8. For what hath the wise more than the fool? — They must both labour for the same end. Both depend upon the labour of themselves or others for the necessaries of life. Both must eat and drink in order to live; and the rich man can no more eat two meals at a time, than he can comfortably wear two changes of raiment. The necessaries of life are the same to both, and their condition in life is nearly similar; liable to the same diseases, dissolution, and death.
