Ecclesiastes 3:20
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All go to one place; all come from dust, and all return to dust.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
"All goes hence to one place; all has sprung out of the dust, and all returns to the dust again." The "one place" is (as at Ecc 6:6) the earth, the great graveyard which finally receives all the living when dead. The art. of the first העפר is that denoting species; the art. of the second is retrospective: to the dust whence he sprang (cf. Psa 104:29; Psa 146:4); otherwise, Gen 3:19 (cf. Job 34:15), "to dust shalt thou return," shalt become dust again. From dust to dust (Sir. 40:11; 41:10) is true of every living corporeal thing. It is true there exists the possibility that with the spirit of the dying man it may be different from what it is with the spirit of the dying beast, but yet that is open to question.
Open source ↗Solomon having shown the vanity of studies, pleasures, and business, and made it to appear that happiness is not to be found in the schools of the learned, nor in the gardens of Epicurus, nor upon the exchange, he proceeds, in this chapter, further to prove his doctrine, and the inference he had drawn from it, That therefore we should cheerfully content ourselves with, and make use of, what God has given us, by showing, I. The mutability of all human affairs (Ecc 3:1-10). II. The immutability of the divine counsels concerning them and the unsearchableness of those counsels (Ecc 3:11-15). III. The vanity of worldly honour and power, which are abused for the support of oppression and persecution if men be not governed by the fear of God in the use of them (Ecc 3:16). For a check to proud oppressors, and to show them their vanity, he reminds them, 1. That they will be called to account for it in the other world (Ecc 3:17). 2. That their condition, in reference to this world (for of that he speaks), is no better than that of the beasts (Ecc 3:18-21). And therefore he concludes that it is our wisdom to make use of what power we have for our own comfort, and not to oppress others with it.
Open source ↗3:20 from dust . . . to dust: The Teacher refers to God’s judgment against human rebellion in Eden (see Gen 3:19).
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
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By the sweat of your brow you will eat your bread, until you return to the ground— because out of it were you taken. For dust you are, and to dust you shall return.”
all flesh would perish together and mankind would return to the dust.
before the dust returns to the ground from which it came and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
even if he lives a thousand years twice over but fails to enjoy his prosperity. Do not all go to the same place?
Whatever you find to do with your hands, do it with all your might, for in Sheol, where you are going, there is no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.
As a cloud vanishes and is gone, so he who goes down to Sheol does not come back up.
Who knows if the spirit of man rises upward and the spirit of the animal descends into the earth?
When You hide Your face, they are terrified; when You take away their breath, they die and return to dust.
After you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people, as your brother Aaron was;
Like sheep they are destined for Sheol. Death will be their shepherd. The upright will rule them in the morning, and their form will decay in Sheol, far from their lofty abode.