Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Summary
Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this is also vanity and vexation of spirit.
Wandering of the desire
Bible References
Better
Ecclesiastes 2:24
There is nothing better for people than to eat and drink, and to find enjoyment in their work. I also perceived that this ability to find enjoyment comes from God.
Ecclesiastes 3:12
I have concluded that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to enjoy themselves as long as they live,
Ecclesiastes 5:18
I have seen personally what is the only beneficial and appropriate course of action for people: to eat and drink, and find enjoyment in all their hard work on earth during the few days of their life which God has given them, for this is their reward.
Wandering of the desire
Job 31:7
If my footsteps have strayed from the way, if my heart has gone after my eyes, or if anything has defiled my hands,
Proverbs 30:15
The leech has two daughters: "Give! Give!" There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, "Enough" --
Jeremiah 2:20
"Indeed, long ago you threw off my authority and refused to be subject to me. You said, 'I will not serve you.' Instead, you gave yourself to other gods on every high hill and under every green tree, like a prostitute sprawls out before her lovers.
This
Ecclesiastes 6:2
God gives a man riches, property, and wealth so that he lacks nothing that his heart desires, yet God does not enable him to enjoy the fruit of his labor -- instead, someone else enjoys it! This is fruitless and a grave misfortune.
Ecclesiastes 1:2
"Futile! Futile!" laments the Teacher, "Absolutely futile! Everything is futile!"
Ecclesiastes 2:11
Yet when I reflected on everything I had accomplished and on all the effort that I had expended to accomplish it, I concluded: "All these achievements and possessions are ultimately profitless -- like chasing the wind! There is nothing gained from them on earth."
Ecclesiastes 4:4
Then I considered all the skillful work that is done: Surely it is nothing more than competition between one person and another. This also is profitless -- like chasing the wind.