Translations
F.O.G.MPrimary
F.O.G MessageSo what real advantage does the wise man have over the fool? And what does the poor man gain by knowing how to carry himself before others?
F.O.GSecondary
The F.O.GFor what advantage does the wise man have over the fool? And what does the poor man gain who knows how to walk before the living?
KJV
King James VersionFor what hath the wise more than the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk before the living?
BSB
Berean Standard BibleWhat advantage, then, has the wise man over the fool? What gain comes to the poor man who knows how to conduct himself before others?
Footnotes
לַהֲלֹךְ נֶגֶד הַחַיִּים — literally "to walk before/against the living" — is an idiom of disputed meaning. It likely means "to know how to conduct oneself in society" (social wisdom that secures standing among others), or possibly "to have mastered the practical art of navigating life." Either way, Qohelet's point is that even this hard-won social or practical competence confers no ultimate advantage — the shrewd poor man shares the same destination as the fool.
