The Hebrew word mothar means profit, advantage, surplus, or preeminence. It derives from the root yathar (H3498, to remain over, to excel) and denotes that which remains as gain or advantage beyond what is expected. It is a key word in the wisdom literature, particularly in Ecclesiastes.
In Ecclesiastes, the Preacher asks the fundamental question: what is the mothar — the profit — of all human labor? This word drives the entire book's inquiry into the meaning of life. Wisdom has mothar over folly (Ecclesiastes 2:13), yet even this advantage is shadowed by death. The theological tension is deliberate: earthly mothar is real but limited, pointing beyond itself to the eternal profit found only in fearing God and keeping His commandments (Ecclesiastes 12:13).