King James Version

Ecclesiastes 12:7

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

Study

Hebrew

Tap a word to see its meaning. Words run left to right in English reading order.

וְיָשֹׁ֧בveyashovand againשׁוּבconjunction, verb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and again”, an unfinished actionH7725to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat; often adverbial, again((break, build, circumcise, dig, do anything, do evil, feed, lay down, lie down, lodge, make, rejoice, send, take, weep)) [idiom] again, (cause to) answer ([phrase] again), [idiom] in any case (wise), [idiom] at all, averse, bring (again,…הֶעָפָ֛רheafarthe dustעָפָרdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the dust”, the ordinary formH6083dust (as powdered or gray); hence, clay, earth, mudashes, dust, earth, ground, morter, powder, rubbish.עַלalaboveעַלpreposition — “above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…הָאָ֖רֶץhaaretsthe earthאֶרֶץdefinite article, noun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “the earth”, the ordinary formH776the earth (at large, or partitively a land)[idiom] common, country, earth, field, ground, land, [idiom] natins, way, [phrase] wilderness, world.כְּשֶׁהָיָ֑הkeshehayahas who beהָיָהpreposition, particle, relative, verb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “as who be”, a completed actionH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.וְהָר֣וּחַveharuchaand the angerרוּחַconjunction, definite article, noun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “and the anger”, the ordinary formH7307wind; 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)air, anger, blast, breath, [idiom] cool, courage, mind, [idiom] quarter, [idiom] side, spirit(-ual), tempest, [idiom] vain, (whirl-) wind(-y).תָּשׁ֔וּבtashuvagainשׁוּבverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “again”, an unfinished actionH7725to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat; often adverbial, again((break, build, circumcise, dig, do anything, do evil, feed, lay down, lie down, lodge, make, rejoice, send, take, weep)) [idiom] again, (cause to) answer ([phrase] again), [idiom] in any case (wise), [idiom] at all, averse, bring (again,…אֶלelamongאֵלpreposition — “among”H413near, with or among; often in general, toabout, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).הָאֱלֹהִ֖יםhaelohimthe Godאֱלֹהִיםdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “the God”, the ordinary formH430gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlativeangels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty.אֲשֶׁ֥רasherbecauseאֲשֶׁרparticle, relative — “because”H834who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.[idiom] after, [idiom] alike, as (soon as), because, [idiom] every, for, [phrase] forasmuch, [phrase] from whence, [phrase] how(-soever), [idiom] if, (so) that ((thing) which, wherein), [idiom] though, [phrase] until, [phrase] whatsoever,…נְתָנָֽהּnetanahgiveנָתַןverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “give”, a completed actionH5414to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)add, apply, appoint, ascribe, assign, [idiom] avenge, [idiom] be (healed), bestow, bring (forth, hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, [phrase] cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, [idiom] doubtless, [idiom] wi…

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And the dust returneth to the earth as it was, and the spirit returneth unto God who gave it.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

and the dust returneth to the earth as it was, and the spirit returneth unto God who gave it.

Young’s Literal Translation

And the dust returneth to the earth as it was, And the spirit returneth to God who gave it.

World English Bible

and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

Darby Translation

and the dust return to the earth as it was, and the spirit return unto God who gave it.

Douay-Rheims

And the dust return into its earth, from whence it was, and the spirit return to God, who gave it.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

And the dust returneth to the earth as it was, and the spirit returneth unto God who gave it.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

before the dust also return to the earth as it was, and the spirit return to God who gave it.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ ἐπιστρέψῃ ὁ χοῦς ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν ὡς ἦν, καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα ἐπιστρέψῃ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ὃς ἔδωκεν αὐτό.