Ecclesiastes 12:9 (YLT)

Passage

And further, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge, and gave ear, and sought out--he made right many similes.

Nearby Context

Ecclesiastes 12:7 And the dust returneth to the earth as it was, And the spirit returneth to God who gave it.

Ecclesiastes 12:8 Vanity of vanities, said the preacher, the whole <FI>is<Fi> vanity.

Ecclesiastes 12:9 And further, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge, and gave ear, and sought out--he made right many similes.

Ecclesiastes 12:10 The preacher sought to find out pleasing words, and, written <FI>by<Fi> the upright, words of truth.

Ecclesiastes 12:11 Words of the wise <FI>are<Fi> as goads, and as fences planted <FI>by<Fi> the masters of collections, they have been given by one shepherd.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "further", "preacher", "wise", "still", "taught", "people", "knowledge", and "gave". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "further" and "preacher", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 8's "Vanity of vanities said the preacher the..." into verse 10's "The preacher sought to find out pleasing...", so "further" and "preacher" belong inside that flow. In Ecclesiastes context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "further" and "preacher" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.