God & Savior

Ecclesiastes 3:21

Who knows if the spirit of man rises upward and the spirit of the animal descends into the earth?
Ecclesiastes 3:21
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Original language and places

Reference data from open datasets, shown as published by their sources. Word-by-word English is a literal guide, not a translation.

Original language (Hebrew)

מִ֣י יוֹדֵ֗עַ ר֚וּחַ בְּנֵ֣י הָאָדָ֔ם הָעֹלָ֥ה הִ֖יא לְמָ֑עְלָה וְר֙וּחַ֙ הַבְּהֵמָ֔ה הַיֹּרֶ֥דֶת הִ֖יא לְמַ֥טָּה לָאָֽרֶץ׃

  1. מִ֣יmi“who?”
    Pronoun, interrogative · from מִי · “who?” · Strong's H4310
  2. יוֹדֵ֗עַyo.De.a'“[is] knowing”
    Verb, qal, participle (active), masculine, singular, absolute · from יָדַע · “to know” · Strong's H3045
  3. ר֚וּחַRu.ach“[the] spirit of”
    Noun, feminine, singular, construct · from רוּחַ · “spirit” · Strong's H7307G
  4. בְּנֵ֣יbe.Nei“[the] children of”
    Noun, masculine, plural, construct · from בֵּן · “descendant” · Strong's H1121G
  5. הָאָדָ֔םha.'a.Dam“<the> humankind”
    Definite article + Noun, masculine, singular, absolute · from אָדָם · “man” · Strong's H0120G
  6. הָעֹלָ֥הha.'o.Lah“that is going up”
    Definite article + Verb, qal, participle (active), feminine, singular, absolute · from עָלָה · “rise” · Strong's H5927G
  7. הִ֖יאhi'“it”
    Pronoun, personal, 3rd person, feminine, singular · from הוּא · “he; she; it” · Strong's H1931
  8. לְמָ֑עְלָהle.Ma.'e.lah“<to> upwards <towards>”
    Preposition + Adjective, cardinal number, both genders, singular, absolute + Suffix, directional · from מַ֫עַל · “above” · Strong's H4605
  9. וְר֙וּחַ֙ve.Ru.ach“and [the] spirit of”
    Conjunction + Noun, feminine, singular, construct · from רוּחַ · “spirit” · Strong's H7307G
  10. הַבְּהֵמָ֔הha.be.he.Mah“the animal[s]”
    Definite article + Noun, feminine, singular, absolute · from בְּהֵמָה · “animal” · Strong's H0929
  11. הַיֹּרֶ֥דֶתhai.yo.Re.det“that is going down”
    Definite article + Verb, qal, participle (active), feminine, singular, absolute · from יָרַד · “to go down” · Strong's H3381
  12. הִ֖יאhi'“it”
    Pronoun, personal, 3rd person, feminine, singular · from הוּא · “he; she; it” · Strong's H1931
  13. לְמַ֥טָּהle.Ma.tah“<to> downwards”
    Preposition + Adjective, cardinal number, masculine, singular, absolute · from מַ֫טָּה · “beneath” · Strong's H4295
  14. לָאָֽרֶץ׃la.'A.retz“to the earth”
    Preposition with article + Noun, feminine, singular, absolute · from אֶ֫רֶץ · “soil” · Strong's H0776H
  • Hebrew and Aramaic words: STEP Bible (STEPBible.org), based on work at Tyndale House, Cambridge. CC BY 4.0. Source (version ed476a8)