American Standard Version
Ecclesiastes 3:20
20All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.
Ecclesiastes 3:20 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.
- New International Version (NIV)All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return.
- English Standard Version (ESV)All go to one place. All are from the dust, and to dust all return.
- New King James Version (NKJV)All go to one place: all are from the dust, and all return to dust.
Context of Ecclesiastes 3:20
18I said in my heart, It isbecause of the sons of men, that God may prove them, and that they may see that they themselves are but as beasts. 19For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; and man hath no preeminence above the beasts: for all is vanity. All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again. 21Who knoweth the spirit of man, whether it goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast, whether it goeth downward to the earth? 22Wherefore I saw that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him back to see what shall be after him?
Read all of Ecclesiastes 3Ecclesiastes 3:20 word by word
הַכֹּ֥ל הוֹלֵ֖ךְ אֶל־מָק֣וֹם אֶחָ֑ד הַכֹּל֙ הָיָ֣ה מִן־הֶֽעָפָ֔ר וְהַכֹּ֖ל שָׁ֥ב אֶל־הֶעָפָֽר׃Read the interlinear
Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 3:20
- Ecclesiastes 3:21Who knoweth the spirit of man, whether it goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast, whether it goeth downward to the earth?
- Ecclesiastes 6:6yea, though he live a thousand years twice told, and yet enjoy no good, do not all go to one place?
- Ecclesiastes 9:10Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, whither thou goest.
- Genesis 25:8And Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years, and was gathered to his people.
- Numbers 27:13And when thou hast seen it, thou also shalt be gathered unto thy people, as Aaron thy brother was gathered;
- Job 7:9As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away, So he that goeth down to Sheol shall come up no more.
- Job 17:13If I look for Sheol as my house; If I have spread my couch in the darkness;
- Job 30:24Howbeit doth not one stretch out the hand in his fall? Or in his calamity therefore cry for help?
- Psalms 49:14They are appointed as a flock for Sheol; Death shall be their shepherd: And the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; And their beauty shall be for Sheol to consume, That there be no habitation for it.
- Genesis 3:19in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
- Job 10:9Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast fashioned me as clay; And wilt thou bring me into dust again?
- Job 34:15All flesh shall perish together, And man shall turn again unto dust.
- Psalms 104:29Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled; Thou takest away their breath, they die, And return to their dust.
- Daniel 12:2And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 3:20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20All go unto one place - "Man was born To die, nor aught exceeds in this respect The vilest brute. Both transient, frail, and vain, Draw the same breath; alike grow old, decay, And then expire: both to one grave descend; There blended lie, to native dust return'd." - C.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16-22Verses 16-22 That great anomaly in the moral government of this world, the seemingly unequal distribution of rewards and punishments, will be rectified by God, who has future times and events under His control Ecclesiastes 3:16-17. As for people, they are placed by God, who is their teacher, in a humble condition, even on a level with inferior animals, by death, that great instance of their subjection to vanity Ecclesiastes 3:18-19, which reduces to its…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-22Verses 16-22 Without the fear of the Lord, man is but vanity; set that aside, and judges will not use their power well. And there is another Judge that stands before the door. With God there is a time for the redressing of grievances, though as yet we see it not. Solomon seems to express his wish that men might perceive, that by choosing this world as their portion, they brought themselves to a level with the beasts, without being free, as they are, from…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20from dust...to dust: The Teacher talks about God's judgment on human rebellion in Eden (see Genesis 3:19).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-22Ec 3:1-22. Earthly pursuits are no doubt lawful in their proper time and order (Ec 3:1-8), but unprofitable when out of time and place; as for instance, when pursued as the solid and chief good (Ec 3:9, 10); whereas God makes everything beautiful in its season, which man obscurely comprehends (Ec 3:11). God allows man to enjoy moderately and virtuously His earthly gifts (Ec 3:12, 13). What consoles us amidst the instability of earthly blessings is, God's…Read the comment
Topics related to Ecclesiastes 3:20
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain
Commentaries