The Meaning of Ecclesiastes 3:20 Explained

Ecclesiastes 3:20

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

YLT: The whole are going unto one place, the whole have been from the dust, and the whole are turning back unto the dust.

Darby: All go unto one place: all are of the dust, and all return to dust.

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

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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

What does Ecclesiastes 3:20 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Ecclesiastes 3

1  by the necessary change of times, vanity is added to human travail
11  is an excellence in God's works
16  as for man, God shall judge his works hereafter, though here he be like a beast

What do the individual words in Ecclesiastes 3:20 mean?

All go to place one all are from the dust and all return dust
הַכֹּ֥ל הוֹלֵ֖ךְ אֶל־ מָק֣וֹם אֶחָ֑ד הַכֹּל֙ הָיָ֣ה מִן־ הֶֽעָפָ֔ר וְהַכֹּ֖ל שָׁ֥ב הֶעָפָֽר

הוֹלֵ֖ךְ  go 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
מָק֣וֹם  place 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מָקֹום  
Sense: standing place, place.
אֶחָ֑ד  one 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: אֶחָד  
Sense: one (number).
הֶֽעָפָ֔ר  the  dust 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עָפָר  
Sense: dry earth, dust, powder, ashes, earth, ground, mortar, rubbish.
וְהַכֹּ֖ל  and  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
שָׁ֥ב  return 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
הֶעָפָֽר  dust 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עָפָר  
Sense: dry earth, dust, powder, ashes, earth, ground, mortar, rubbish.