The Preacher asks rhetorically to underscore humanity’s fundamental ignorance about the future. By framing this as a question rather than a declaration, he invites the reader to search their own experience and arrive at the inescapable conclusion that no human possesses knowledge of coming events or their timing. The interrogative form makes the limitation universal and undeniable.

No direct response is recorded. The Preacher continues his reflection in verse 8, declaring that no one has power over the day of death and there is no discharge from that war, reinforcing the theme of human powerlessness before the future.

The Preacher’s question cuts to the heart of human finitude: we cannot know what is to be. The Hebrew construction emphasizes both the content of future events (what) and their manner or timing (how). By asking ‘who can tell him,’ the Preacher highlights that no human intermediary exists to bridge this knowledge gap. This is not stated but asked because the interrogative form compels readers to examine their own experience and admit their ignorance rather than simply receiving information. The theological weight lies in recognizing that only God inhabits the future (Isaiah 46:10), which should produce humility rather than hubris in human planning. The question ultimately points beyond human wisdom to divine sovereignty, preparing readers to fear God who alone knows all things.