Ecclesiastes 3:21

Who knows if the spirit of man rises upward and the spirit of the animal descends into the earth?

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — The Preacher addresses readers within a meditation on universal mortality, positioned between a statement that all flesh returns to dust and an exhortation to find satisfaction in earthly labor.

The words — The verse hinges on מִי יוֹדֵעַ (mi yoDea', "who knows?") and the phrase רוּחַ בְּנֵי הָאָדָם הָעֹלָה לְמַעְלָה (Ruach bene ha'Adam ha'olah leMa'alah, "the spirit of the children of humankind going upward").

The thread — This uncertainty about life's destination runs alongside Ecclesiastes 12:7, which states the spirit returns to God, while John 14:3 describes a prepared place and a return, and 2 Corinthians 5:1 contrasts the dismantled earthly body with an eternal heavenly dwelling.

Why it lands — The text poses an unanswerable question about whether human and animal spirits share the same postmortem fate, compelling the reader to acknowledge the boundary of human knowledge regarding what follows death.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

מִ֣יmiwho?יוֹדֵ֗עַyo.De.a'[is] knowing ר֚וּחַRu.ach[the] spirit of בְּנֵ֣יbe.Nei[the] children of הָאָדָ֔םha./'a.Dam<the>/ humankind הָעֹלָ֥הha./'o.Lahthat/ is going up הִ֖יאhi'it לְמָ֑עְלָהle./Ma.'e.la/h<to>/ upwards/ <towards>וְר֙וּחַ֙ve./Ru.achand/ [the] spirit of הַבְּהֵמָ֔הha./be.he.Mahthe/ animal[s]הַיֹּרֶ֥דֶתhai./yo.Re.detthat/ is going down הִ֖יאhi'it לְמַ֥טָּהle./Ma.tah<to>/ downwards לָאָֽרֶץ׃la./'A.retzto the/ earth

King James Version

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

Cross-references

Ecclesiastes 12:7 before the dust returns to the ground from which it came and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
John 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and welcome you into My presence, so that you also may be where I am.
2 Corinthians 5:1 For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is dismantled, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.
Luke 16:22 One day the beggar died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. And the rich man also died and was buried.
Philippians 1:23 I am torn between the two. I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better indeed.
Acts 1:25 to take up this ministry and apostleship, which Judas abandoned to go to his rightful place.”
2 Corinthians 5:8 We are confident, then, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.