The Meaning of Ecclesiastes 6:8 Explained

Ecclesiastes 6:8

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

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

Darby: For what advantage hath the wise above the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk before the living?

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

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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

What does Ecclesiastes 6:8 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Ecclesiastes 6

1  the vanity of riches without use
3  though a man have many children and a long life
7  the vanity of sight and wandering desires
10  The conclusion of vanities

What do the individual words in Ecclesiastes 6:8 mean?

For what [has] more the wise [man] than the fool what [does have] the poor man who knows [how] to walk before the living
כִּ֛י מַה־ יּוֹתֵ֥ר לֶחָכָ֖ם מִֽן־ ؟ הַכְּסִ֑יל מַה־ לֶּעָנִ֣י יוֹדֵ֔עַ לַהֲלֹ֖ךְ נֶ֥גֶד ؟ הַחַיִּֽים

מַה־  what  [has] 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: לָמָּה 
Sense: what, how, of what kind.
יּוֹתֵ֥ר  more 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄותֵר  
Sense: superiority, advantage, excess adv.
לֶחָכָ֖ם  the  wise  [man] 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: חָכָם  
Sense: wise, wise (man).
מִֽן־  than 
Parse: Preposition
Root: מִן 
Sense: from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than.
؟ הַכְּסִ֑יל  the  fool 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כְּסִיל  
Sense: fool, stupid fellow, dullard, simpleton, arrogant one.
מַה־  what  [does  have] 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: לָמָּה 
Sense: what, how, of what kind.
לֶּעָנִ֣י  the  poor  man 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: עָנִי  
Sense: poor, afflicted, humble, wretched.
יוֹדֵ֔עַ  who  knows  [how] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
לַהֲלֹ֖ךְ  to  walk 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
נֶ֥גֶד  before 
Parse: Preposition
Root: נֶגֶד  
Sense: what is conspicuous, what is in front of adv.
؟ הַחַיִּֽים  the  living 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine plural
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.