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 .