complete verse (Ecclesiastes 6:9)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Ecclesiastes 6:9:

  • Kupsabiny: “It is better for a person to be satisfied with what he has than when greed for everything pushes him along. These things are very useless, like when a person chases after wind.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Being content with what you have
    is better than what you do not have.
    This too is meaningless,
    and is just like chasing the wind.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “This has no value; as-if like you (sing.) are only chasing the wind. Therefore (it is) better that you (sing.) will now be just content of what you (sing.) have than to keep desiring for something-else.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “It is better to enjoy the things that we already have
    than to constantly want more things;
    continually wanting more things is senseless,
    like chasing the wind.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Ecclesiastes 6:9

The first half of the verse represents a proverbial saying, and the second half is Qoheleth’s conclusion summarizing his response to the problem raised. This saying brings together four terms that are used elsewhere in 6.1-8: better (“good” in verses 3, 6), sight (“seen” and “enjoy” in 1, 5, 6), wandering (“go,” “goes,” and “conduct [himself]” in 4, 6, 8), and desire (Hebrew nefesh in 3). This demonstrates how closely the saying here is related with the problem Qoheleth has outlined in verses 1-8. This proverbial saying quoted by Qoheleth can be introduced with “It is said that…” or “There is a saying that….”

Better is the sight of the eyes: as the first element of the “better” saying, the sight of the eyes is given priority. We have seen already that although Better is a comparative form, yet the sense is that there is nothing more important or valuable than the item mentioned first in the saying, so that Better can be translated “best.” The second element in the comparison, the wandering of desire, is given no value at all.

The sight of the eyes does not mean what a person looks like, nor does it mean a person’s ability to see. Here the proverb refers to the things beyond us, which we look at, and in particular the wealth and possessions we gather. These things provide pleasure to the viewer and are given a value that is higher than “desires.” We may render the phrase “what a person has obtained” or “what a person has laid hold of.”

Than the wandering of desire: this is the second element of the comparison, and it has a negative value. The phrase is literally “the walking of the being.” On nefesh, “being” or “desire,” see comments on verses 3 and 7. The use of the same vocabulary suggests that there is a logical connection between this verse and the earlier ones. This means that the sense of the verb for “go” or “walk” in verses 4 and 6 may have bearing on the way in which it is used in this verse. In those earlier verses it spoke of a person’s path or progress through life, and so here it probably carries the same general sense. It suggests the search for fulfillment of our desires and longings. In other words the saying notes that there is value in deriving pleasure and enjoyment from the material things around us. But endlessly pursuing what is only a dream is of no value.

This also is vanity and a striving after wind: on this saying see comments on 1.14. The initial this, we believe, points to the issues raised in these verses rather than the narrower reference to the proverb itself. Such a conclusion seems warranted because of the close connection between this verse and the previous section, verses 1-8. For this we can say “this lack of lasting satisfaction….”

Qoheleth argues that being unable to find lasting satisfaction is hard to understand. On the one hand the proverb quoted suggests that to enjoy material things, “the sight of the eyes,” is better than the endless pursuit of some dream, because even if that dream should be realized, there is no lasting satisfaction; we always yearn for more. Qoheleth agrees that this is an enigma, a problem we cannot expect to solve. It is like trying to shepherd the wind.

In translation we can express this by:

• Enjoying what we have is better than dreaming about what we don’t have. This is not easy to do. It’s like trying to shepherd the wind.

• There is a saying that enjoying what we have is better than just dreaming. But it’s hard to understand why we are never satisfied. It is as hard as trying to control the wind.

Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Zogbo, Lynell. A Handbook on the Book of Ecclesiates. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ecclesiastes 6:9

6:9a Better what the eye can see than the wandering of desire.

⌊Be content with⌋ what you have, rather than always wanting something different.
-or-
It is better to be happy with what you have than to always want more and more. (English Easy-to-Read Version)

6:9b This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.

⌊Desiring what you do not have⌋ is pointless, just like chasing the wind.
-or-

⌊Always wanting more and more⌋ is useless. It is like trying to control where the wind blows.

6:9a-b (combined)

It is better to look at what is in front of you than to go looking for what you want. Even this is pointless. It’s like trying to catch the wind. (God’s Word)
-or-
It’s better to enjoy what we have than to always want something else, because that makes no more sense than chasing the wind. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
It is good to enjoy the things that we have. That is better than to want more things all the time. If you always try to get more things, that has no purpose. It is like somebody who tries to catch the wind. (EEB)

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Commentaire sur la traduction de l'Ecclésiaste 6.9

Face à l’insatisfaction de travailler et de ne pas obtenir ce que l’on veut (Ecc 6.7), Qohéleth conseille aux gens de se contenter de ce qu’ils ont. La Parole de Vie propose « Il vaut mieux se contenter de ce qu’on a que de se laisser entraîner par ses désirs », mais l’hébreu est un peu plus compliqué, litt. : « bon vue des yeux que allant נֶפֶשׁ nèfèš ». Comme beaucoup d’autres comparaisons dans ce livre, celle-ci commence par le mot טוֹב ṭôv, « il est bon de… », Mieux vaux….

« ce que les yeux voient » renvoie à ce qu’on possède déjà, « ce qu’on a dans la main » (La Bible du Semeur). Ceci vaut mieux, dit Qohéleth, que de s’occuper de, ou de courir après, ce que le נֶפֶשׁ nèfèš (la personne, ses désirs) veut.

Cela est aussi vanité et poursuite de vent. Voir Introduction au commentaire de traduction de l’Ecclésiaste et Ecc 1.14.

6.10-12

Qohéleth continue ses réflexions sur l’état de l’être humain, ici exprimé par le mot hébreu אָדָם ʾâdâm, qui apparaît dans chacun de ces trois versets. Ceux-ci terminent par trois questions rhétoriques (11c, 12ab). Les mots interrogatifs מָה mâh, « quoi », et מִי mi, qui, figurent plusieurs fois.

Qohéleth considère encore une fois ce qui arrivera après à une personne, c’est-à-dire, après sa mort.

Source: Zogbo, Lynell. L’Ecclésiaste – Manuel de traduction – Commentaire linguistique et exégétique de la Bible. Alliance biblique universelle, 2021.