(8.) =For what is profiting to the wise beyond the befooled? what= (repeated, ‘even what’) =to the poor= (but ‘poor’ in the sense of oppressed or unfortunate) =made to know to walk in the presence of the living ones?= We must notice, in explaining this very obscure passage, that החיים, being with the article, must be looked upon as denoting lives generally; moreover נגד has the meaning of ‘in the presence of,’ ‘amongst,’ ‘in the midst of.’ Thus the advantage, or that which is really profitable to the wise, is to know how to walk, proceed, or act; to know which way to go in the presence of the living; in what way, therefore, to direct himself through life and amongst its pleasures and difficulties, so as to make no mistakes as the befooled does. Thus we obtain a connected sense. The anxiety is for enjoyment, but satisfaction is impossible. What, then, is the advantage or profit of wisdom, in the sense of knowing what is best to do under a given set of circumstances? and what advantage gives it over the man who is dissatisfied equally, but does _not_ know this? The answer is, Just the same as to a man in distress, who can manage to live. Existence itself is the struggle for life; but the wise rise to the top, and the fools sink. 9 Better _is_ the sight of │ Good is a sight with one’s eyes the eyes ¹than the wandering │ above a longing for one knows of the desire: this _is_ also │ not what: another instance this vanity and vexation of spirit. │ of evanescence and vexation of │ spirit. ¹ _Hebrew_ walking of the │ soul. │ (9.) =Good= is =the seeing= of =the eyes above the walking the soul= (but the participle מראה is singular, and eyes are plural, hence ‘better is a sight with the eye than,’ etc. But may not there be this equivoke? מהלך might be a participle also, and then the whole would read thus, ‘A real good, the seeing of the eye, the wandering of the soul’). =Moreover, this= is =vanity and vexation of spirit= (this clause being in this case the answer to the above. So curt and enigmatical a sentence was no doubt in some way intended to be equivocal). 10 That which hath been is │ What then is that which named already, and it is known │ will be? The present state that it _is_ man: neither may │ of things, called by its true he contend with him that is │ name, and known what it really mightier than he. │ is――Old Adam, unable to obtain │ a decision in a cause with a │ Power superior to himself.