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Ecclesiastes 3

Eccl. 3:21 KJV (With Strong’s)

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21
Who knoweth
yada` (Hebrew #3045)
to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including observation, care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation, punishment, etc.) (as follow)
KJV usage: acknowledge, acquaintance(-ted with), advise, answer, appoint, assuredly, be aware, (un-)awares, can(-not), certainly, comprehend, consider, X could they, cunning, declare, be diligent, (can, cause to) discern, discover, endued with, familiar friend, famous, feel, can have, be (ig-)norant, instruct, kinsfolk, kinsman, (cause to let, make) know, (come to give, have, take) knowledge, have (knowledge), (be, make, make to be, make self) known, + be learned, + lie by man, mark, perceive, privy to, X prognosticator, regard, have respect, skilful, shew, can (man of) skill, be sure, of a surety, teach, (can) tell, understand, have (understanding), X will be, wist, wit, wot.
Pronounce: yaw-dah'
Origin: a primitive root
the spirit
ruwach (Hebrew #7307)
wind; by resemblance breath, i.e. a sensible (or even violent) exhalation; figuratively, life, anger, unsubstantiality; by extension, a region of the sky; by resemblance spirit, but only of a rational being (including its expression and functions)
KJV usage: air, anger, blast, breath, X cool, courage, mind, X quarter, X side, spirit((-ual)), tempest, X vain, ((whirl-))wind(-y).
Pronounce: roo'-akh
Origin: from 7306
βof man
'adam (Hebrew #120)
ruddy i.e. a human being (an individual or the species, mankind, etc.)
KJV usage: X another, + hypocrite, + common sort, X low, man (mean, of low degree), person.
Pronounce: aw-dawm'
Origin: from 119
ben (Hebrew #1121)
a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like 1, 251, etc.))
KJV usage: + afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-)ite, (anoint-)ed one, appointed to, (+) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-)ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, X came up in, child, colt, X common, X corn, daughter, X of first, + firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, X in, + kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, + mighty, + nephew, old, (+) people, + rebel, + robber, X servant born, X soldier, son, + spark, + steward, + stranger, X surely, them of, + tumultuous one, + valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.
Pronounce: bane
Origin: from {SI 11129}1129{/SI}
that γgoeth
`alah (Hebrew #5927)
to ascend, intransitively (be high) or actively (mount); used in a great variety of senses, primary and secondary, literal and figurative (as follow)
KJV usage: arise (up), (cause to) ascend up, at once, break (the day) (up), bring (up), (cause to) burn, carry up, cast up, + shew, climb (up), (cause to, make to) come (up), cut off, dawn, depart, exalt, excel, fall, fetch up, get up, (make to) go (away, up); grow (over) increase, lay, leap, levy, lift (self) up, light, (make) up, X mention, mount up, offer, make to pay, + perfect, prefer, put (on), raise, recover, restore, (make to) rise (up), scale, set (up), shoot forth (up), (begin to) spring (up), stir up, take away (up), work.
Pronounce: aw-law'
Origin: a primitive root
upward
ma`al (Hebrew #4605)
properly, the upper part, used only adverbially with prefix upward, above, overhead, from the top, etc.
KJV usage: above, exceeding(-ly), forward, on (X very) high, over, up(-on, -ward), very.
Pronounce: mah'al
Origin: from 5927
d, and the spirit
ruwach (Hebrew #7307)
wind; by resemblance breath, i.e. a sensible (or even violent) exhalation; figuratively, life, anger, unsubstantiality; by extension, a region of the sky; by resemblance spirit, but only of a rational being (including its expression and functions)
KJV usage: air, anger, blast, breath, X cool, courage, mind, X quarter, X side, spirit((-ual)), tempest, X vain, ((whirl-))wind(-y).
Pronounce: roo'-akh
Origin: from 7306
of the beast
bhemah (Hebrew #929)
properly, a dumb beast; especially any large quadruped or animal (often collective)
KJV usage: beast, cattle.
Pronounce: be-hay-maw'
Origin: from an unused root (probably meaning to be mute)
that goeth
yarad (Hebrew #3381)
a primitive root; to descend (literally, to go downwards; or conventionally to a lower region, as the shore, a boundary, the enemy, etc.; or figuratively, to fall); causatively, to bring down (in all the above applications): --X abundantly, bring down, carry down, cast down, (cause to) come(-ing) down, fall (down), get down, go(-ing) down(-ward), hang down, X indeed, let down, light (down), put down (off), (cause to, let) run down, sink, subdue, take down.
Pronounce: yaw-rad'
downward
mattah (Hebrew #4295)
downward, below or beneath; often adverbially with or without prefixes
KJV usage: beneath, down(-ward), less, very low, under(-neath).
Pronounce: mat'-taw
Origin: from 5786 with directive enclitic appended
to the earth
'erets (Hebrew #776)
the earth (at large, or partitively a land)
KJV usage: X common, country, earth, field, ground, land, X natins, way, + wilderness, world.
Pronounce: eh'-rets
Origin: from an unused root probably meaning to be firm
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β
of the sons of man.
γ
is ascending.
d
Eccl. 12:7• 7and the dust return to the earth as it was, and the spirit return unto God who gave it. (Eccl. 12:7)

More on:

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Beast,
Earth,
Spirit

Cross References

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Ministry on This Verse

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knoweth.
Eccl. 12:7• 7and the dust return to the earth as it was, and the spirit return unto God who gave it. (Eccl. 12:7)
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Luke 16:22‑23• 22And it came to pass that the poor man died, and that he was carried away by the angels into the bosom of Abraham. And the rich man also died and was buried.
 23And in hades lifting up his eyes, being in torments, he sees Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. (Luke 16:22‑23)
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John 14:3• 3and if I go and shall prepare you a place, I am coming again and shall receive you to myself, that where I am ye also may be. (John 14:3)
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Acts 1:25• 25to receive the lot of this service and apostleship, from which Judas transgressing fell to go to his own place. (Acts 1:25)
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2 Cor. 5:1,8• 1For we know that if our earthly tabernacle house be destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
 8we are confident, I say, and pleased rather to be absent from the body and present with the Lord. (2 Cor. 5:1,8)
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Phil. 1:23• 23But I am pressed by both, having the desire for departure and being with Christ, for it is very much better, (Phil. 1:23)
of man that goeth upwards.
Heb. of the sons of man that isascending.
• {v.21-22} It is true there may be―and there are strong grounds for inferring that there is―a wide difference between the spirit of man, and the spirit of beasts, although the bodies of each are formed of, and return to the dust; but who can tell this absolutely? Who has seen and told what is on the other side of that dread portal? None. So then, again says the wise Preacher, my wisdom sees only good in enjoying the present, for the future is shrouded in an impenetrable cloud, and none can pierce it. (“Ecclesiastes 3” by F.C. Jennings)

J. N. Darby Translation

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21
Who knoweth the spiritf of the children of men? Doth it gog upwards? and the spirit of the beasts, doth it gog downwards to the earth?

JND Translation Notes

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f
"Breath" and "spirit" are the same word in Hebrew.
g
Or "that goeth."