Ecclesiastes 3 · Verse 20

Ecclesiastes 3:20

All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.
Ecclesiastes 3:20, King James Version

Ecclesiastes 3:20 in other translations

BSBAll go to one place; all come from dust, and all return to dust.
WEBAll go to one place. All are from the dust, and all turn to dust again.
ASVAll go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.
YLTThe whole are going unto one place, the whole have been from the dust, and the whole are turning back unto the dust.
DARBYAll go unto one place: all are of the dust, and all return to dust.
BBEAll go to one place, all are of the dust, and all will be turned to dust again.
WebsterAll go to one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.

What does Ecclesiastes 3:20 mean?

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 20 All 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.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Ecclesiastes 3:16-22

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…

Read the full comment on Ecclesiastes 3:16-22 →

Ecclesiastes 3:20 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

הַכֹּ֥לha.Kol<the> everythingH3605
הוֹלֵ֖ךְho.Lekh[is] goingH1980
אֶל\־'el-toH413
מָק֣וֹםma.KomplaceH4725
אֶחָ֑ד'e.ChadoneH259
הַכֹּל֙ha.Kol<the> everythingH3605
הָיָ֣הha.Yahit wasH1961
מִן\־min-fromH4480
הֶֽעָפָ֔רhe.'a.Farthe dustH6083
וְהַכֹּ֖לve.ha.Koland <the> everythingH3605
שָׁ֥בshav[is] returningH7725
אֶל\־'el-toH413
הֶעָפָֽר\׃he.'a.Farthe dustH6083

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Ecclesiastes 3:20

  • Genesis 3:19

    In 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 34:15

    All flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again unto dust.

  • Ecclesiastes 12:7

    Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

  • Numbers 27:13

    And when thou hast seen it, thou also shalt be gathered unto thy people, as Aaron thy brother was gathered.

  • Job 10:9-10

    Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast made me as the clay; and wilt thou bring me into dust again? Hast thou not poured me out as milk, and curdled me like cheese?

  • Job 7:9

    As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away: so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more.

  • Ecclesiastes 3:21

    Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?

  • Ecclesiastes 9:10

    Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

  • Psalms 104:29

    Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.

  • Ecclesiastes 6:6

    Yea, though he live a thousand years twice told, yet hath he seen no good: do not all go to one place?

  • Psalms 49:14

    Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling.

  • Genesis 25:17

    And these are the years of the life of Ishmael, an hundred and thirty and seven years: and he gave up the ghost and died; and was gathered unto his people.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
go.
21; 6:6; 9:10; Ge 25:8,17; Nu 27:13; Job 7:9; 17:13; 30:24; Ps 49:14
all are.
Ge 3:19; Job 10:9,10; 34:15; Ps 104:29; Da 12:2

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Ecclesiastes 3:19

    For 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; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.

  • Ecclesiastes 3:20

    All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.

  • Ecclesiastes 3:21

    Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?

Read all of Ecclesiastes 3

Ecclesiastes 3:20 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Todo va á un lugar: todo es hecho del polvo, y todo se tornará en el mismo polvo.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Tout va dans un même lieu, tout est de poussière, et tout retourne à la poussière.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Alles geht an einen Ort; alles ist aus dem Staube geworden, und alles kehrt zum Staube zurück.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		et omnia pergunt ad unum locum. De terra facta sunt, et in terram pariter revertuntur.