Darby Bible
Ecclesiastes 3:20
20All go unto one place: all are of the dust, and all return to dust.
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 is thus with the children of men, that God may prove them, and that they should see that they themselves are but beasts. 19For what befalleth the children of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other, and they have all one breath; and man hath no pre-eminence above the beast: for all is vanity. All go unto one place: all are of the dust, and all return to dust. 21Who knoweth the spirit of the children of men? Doth it go upwards? and the spirit of the beasts, doth it go downwards to the earth? 22And I have seen that there is nothing better than that man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion; for who shall bring him 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 the children of men? Doth it go upwards? and the spirit of the beasts, doth it go downwards to the earth?
- Ecclesiastes 6:6Yea, though he live twice a thousand years, yet hath he seen no good: do not all go to one place?
- Ecclesiastes 9:10Whatever thy hand findeth to do, do with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, whither thou goest.
- Genesis 25:8And Abraham expired and died in a good old age, old and full [of days]; and was gathered to his peoples.
- Numbers 27:13And when thou hast seen it, thou also shalt be gathered unto thy peoples, as Aaron thy brother was gathered,
- Job 7:9The cloud consumeth and vanisheth away; so he that goeth down to Sheol shall not come up.
- Job 17:13If I wait, Sheol is my house; I spread my bed in the darkness:
- Job 30:24Indeed, no prayer [availeth] when he stretcheth out [his] hand: though they cry when he destroyeth.
- Psalms 49:14Like sheep are they laid in Sheol: Death feedeth on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their comeliness shall be for Sheol to consume, that there be no habitation for them.
- Genesis 3:19In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, until thou return to 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 made me as clay, and wilt bring me into dust again.
- Job 34:15All flesh would expire together, and man would return to the dust.
- Psalms 104:29Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled; thou takest away their breath, they expire 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, to 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
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