King James Version

Ecclesiastes 3:21

Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?

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Hebrew

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מִ֣יmiwhoמִיparticle, interrogative — “who”H4310who? (occasionally, by a peculiar idiom, of things); also (indefinitely) whoever; often used in oblique construction with prefix or suffixany (man), [idiom] he, [idiom] him, [phrase] O that! what, which, who(-m, -se, -soever), [phrase] would to God.יוֹדֵ֗עַyodeaknowיָדַעverb, qal, participle, absolute — “know”, a verb used as a describing wordH3045to 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.)acknowledge, acquaintance(-ted with), advise, answer, appoint, assuredly, be aware, (un-) awares, can(-not), certainly, comprehend, consider, [idiom] could they, cunning, declare, be diligent, (can, cause to) discern, discover, endued with…ר֚וּחַruchaangerרוּחַnoun, common, both genders, singular, construct — “anger”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH7307wind; 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).בְּנֵ֣יbenesonבֵּןnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct — “son”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1121a 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 father or brother), etc.)[phrase] afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ([phrase]) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, [phrase] (young) bullock, [phrase] (young) calf, […הָאָדָ֔םhaadamthe personאָדָםdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the person”, the ordinary formH120ruddy i.e. a human being (an individual or the species, mankind, etc.)[idiom] another, [phrase] hypocrite, [phrase] common sort, [idiom] low, man (mean, of low degree), person.הָעֹלָ֥הhaolahthe ascend upעָלָהdefinite article, verb, qal, participle, absolute — “the ascend up”, a verb used as a describing wordH5927to ascend, intransitively (be high) or actively (mount); used in a great variety of senses, primary and secondary, literal and figurativearise (up), (cause to) ascend up, at once, break (the day) (up), bring (up), (cause to) burn, carry up, cast up, [phrase] shew, climb (up), (cause to, make to) come (up), cut off, dawn, depart, exalt, excel, fall, fetch up, get up, (make t…הִ֖יאhias for herהוּאpronoun, personal, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “as for her”H1931he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally (instead of copula) as or arehe, as for her, him(-self), it, the same, she (herself), such, that (...it), these, they, this, those, which (is), who.לְמָ֑עְלָהlemaelahto aboveמַעַלpreposition, adverb, directional ending — “to above”H4605properly, the upper part, used only adverbially with prefix upward, above, overhead, from the top, etc.above, exceeding(-ly), forward, on ([idiom] very) high, over, up(-on, -ward), very.וְר֨וּחַ֙veruchaand angerרוּחַconjunction, noun, common, both genders, singular, construct — “and anger”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH7307wind; 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).הַבְּהֵמָ֔הhabhemahthe beastבְּהֵמָהdefinite article, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “the beast”, the ordinary formH929properly, a dumb beast; especially any large quadruped or animal (often collective)beast, cattle.הַיֹּרֶ֥דֶתhayoredetthe bring downיָרַדdefinite article, verb, qal, participle, absolute — “the bring down”, a verb used as a describing wordH3381to 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)[idiom] abundantly, bring down, carry down, cast down, (cause to) come(-ing) down, fall (down), get down, go(-ing) down(-ward), hang down, [idiom] indeed, let down, light (down), put down (off), (cause to, let) run down, sink, subdue, take…הִ֖יאhias for herהוּאpronoun, personal, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “as for her”H1931he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally (instead of copula) as or arehe, as for her, him(-self), it, the same, she (herself), such, that (...it), these, they, this, those, which (is), who.לְמַ֥טָּהlematahto beneathמַטָּהpreposition, adverb — “to beneath”H4295downward, below or beneath; often adverbially with or without prefixesbeneath, down(-ward), less, very low, under(-neath).לָאָֽרֶץlaaretsto earthאֶרֶץpreposition, with the article, noun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “to earth”, the ordinary formH776the earth (at large, or partitively a land)[idiom] common, country, earth, field, ground, land, [idiom] natins, way, [phrase] wilderness, world.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

Who knoweth the spirit of man whether it goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast whether it goeth downward to the earth?

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

Who knoweth the spirit of man, whether it goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast, whether it goeth downward to the earth?

Young’s Literal Translation

Who knoweth the spirit of the sons of man that is going up on high, and the spirit of the beast that is going down below to the earth?

World English Bible

Who knows the spirit of man, whether it goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, whether it goes downward to the earth?”

Darby Translation

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

Douay-Rheims

Who knoweth if the spirit of the children of Adam ascend upward, and if the spirit of the beasts descend downward?

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Who knoweth the spirit of man whether it goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast whether it goeth downward to the earth?

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And who has seen the spirit of the sons of man, whether it goes upward? and the spirit of the beast, whether it goes downward to the earth?

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ τίς εἶδε πνεῦμα υἱῶν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, εἰ ἀναβαίνει αὐτὸ ἄνω; καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ κτήνους, εἰ καταβαίνει αὐτὸ κάτω εἰς γῆν;