The Meaning of Ecclesiastes 1:6 Explained

Ecclesiastes 1:6

KJV: The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.

YLT: Going unto the south, and turning round unto the north, turning round, turning round, the wind is going, and by its circuits the wind hath returned.

Darby: The wind goeth towards the south, and turneth about towards the north: it turneth about continually, and the wind returneth again to its circuits.

ASV: The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it turneth about continually in its course, and the wind returneth again to its circuits.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The wind  goeth  toward the south,  and turneth about  unto the north;  it whirleth about continually,  and the wind  returneth again  according to his circuits. 

What does Ecclesiastes 1:6 Mean?

Context Summary

Ecclesiastes 1:1-18 - The Testimony Of An Unsatisfied Soul
All is vanity! This cry finds an echo in human hearts of every age and clime. Clod meant man to be happy. "These things," said our Lord, "I have spoken to you, that your joy may be full." "The fruit of the Spirit is joy." Yet the air is laden with complaint and bitterness. Men are asking constantly, "Is life worth living?" The present age is full of unrest and weariness, of war and strife, of unsatisfied yearnings and desires. The mistake is that men seek to solve the mystery of life and to find their happiness apart from God, who has made us for Himself.
This book was written and incorporated in the Bible to show that man's quest for happiness is vain, so long as it is apart from God. Solomon had unbounded opportunities for pursuing his quest. Youth, wealth, wisdom, royalty, human love were his, but when all were mixed in the golden cup of his life, he turned from the draught unsatisfied and sad. Listen to the sigh of the sated voluptuary: Vanity of vanities! Let us turn from these bitter experiences to 1 John 2:15-17. [source]

Chapter Summary: Ecclesiastes 1

1  the preacher shows that all human courses are vain
4  because the creatures are restless in their courses
9  they bring forth nothing new, and all old things are forgotten
12  and because he has found it so in the studies of wisdom

What do the individual words in Ecclesiastes 1:6 mean?

Goes toward the south and turns around to the north continually continually whirls about the wind and on its circuit comes again the wind
הוֹלֵךְ֙ אֶל־ דָּר֔וֹם וְסוֹבֵ֖ב אֶל־ צָפ֑וֹן סוֹבֵ֤ב ׀ סֹבֵב֙ הוֹלֵ֣ךְ הָר֔וּחַ וְעַל־ סְבִיבֹתָ֖יו שָׁ֥ב הָרֽוּחַ

הוֹלֵךְ֙  Goes 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
אֶל־  toward 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
דָּר֔וֹם  the  south 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּרֹום  
Sense: south.
וְסוֹבֵ֖ב  and  turns  around 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: סָבַב  
Sense: to turn, turn about or around or aside or back or towards, go about or arou nd, surround, encircle, change direction.
צָפ֑וֹן  the  north 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: צָפֹון  
Sense: north (of direction), northward.
סוֹבֵ֤ב ׀  continually 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: סָבַב  
Sense: to turn, turn about or around or aside or back or towards, go about or arou nd, surround, encircle, change direction.
סֹבֵב֙  continually 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: סָבַב  
Sense: to turn, turn about or around or aside or back or towards, go about or arou nd, surround, encircle, change direction.
הוֹלֵ֣ךְ  whirls  about 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
הָר֔וּחַ  the  wind 
Parse: Article, Noun, common singular
Root: רוּחַ  
Sense: wind, breath, mind, spirit.
וְעַל־  and  on 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
סְבִיבֹתָ֖יו  its  circuit 
Parse: Adverb, third person masculine singular
Root: מוּסָב 
Sense: places round about, circuit, round about adv.
שָׁ֥ב  comes  again 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
הָרֽוּחַ  the  wind 
Parse: Article, Noun, common singular
Root: רוּחַ  
Sense: wind, breath, mind, spirit.