Ecclesiastes 12:7
Strong's Lexicon
[before] the dust
הֶעָפָ֛ר (he·‘ā·p̄ār)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 6083: 1) dry earth, dust, powder, ashes, earth, ground, mortar, rubbish 1a) dry or loose earth 1b) debris 1c) mortar 1d) ore

returns
וְיָשֹׁ֧ב (wə·yā·šōḇ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 7725: 1) to return, turn back 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to turn back, return 1a1a) to turn back 1a1b) to return, come or go back 1a1c) to return unto, go back, come back 1a1d) of dying 1a1e) of human relations (fig) 1a1f) of spiritual relations (fig) 1a1f1) to turn back (from God), apostatise 1a1f2) to turn away (of God) 1a1f3) to turn back (to God), repent 1a1f4) turn back (from evil) 1a1g) of inanimate things 1a1h) in repetition 1b) (Polel) 1b1) to bring back 1b2) to restore, refresh, repair (fig) 1b3) to lead away (enticingly) 1b4) to show turning, apostatise 1c) (Pual) restored (participle) 1d) (Hiphil) to cause to return, bring back 1d1) to bring back, allow to return, put back, draw back, give back, restore, relinquish, give in payment 1d2) to bring back, refresh, restore 1d3) to bring back, report to, answer 1d4) to bring back, make requital, pay (as recompense) 1d5) to turn back or backward, repel, defeat, repulse, hinder, reject, refuse 1d6) to turn away (face), turn toward 1d7) to turn against 1d8) to bring back to mind 1d9) to show a turning away 1d10) to reverse, revoke 1e) (Hophal) to be returned, be restored, be brought back 1f) (Pulal) brought back

to
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's Hebrew 5921: prep 1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against 1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards 1b) above, beyond, over (of excess) 1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence) 1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition) 1e) over (of suspension or extension) 1f) by, adjoining, next, at, over, around (of contiguity or proximity) 1g) down upon, upon, on, from, up upon, up to, towards, over towards, to, against (with verbs of motion) 1h) to (as a dative) conj 2) because that, because, notwithstanding, although

the ground
הָאָ֖רֶץ (hā·’ā·reṣ)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's Hebrew 776: 1) land, earth 1a) earth 1a1) whole earth (as opposed to a part) 1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven) 1a3) earth (inhabitants) 1b) land 1b1) country, territory 1b2) district, region 1b3) tribal territory 1b4) piece of ground 1b5) land of Canaan, Israel 1b6) inhabitants of land 1b7) Sheol, land without return, (under) world 1b8) city (-state) 1c) ground, surface of the earth 1c1) ground 1c2) soil 1d) (in phrases) 1d1) people of the land 1d2) space or distance of country (in measurements of distance) 1d3) level or plain country 1d4) land of the living 1d5) end(s) of the earth 1e) (almost wholly late in usage) 1e1) lands, countries 1e1a) often in contrast to Canaan

from which it came,
כְּשֶׁהָיָ֑ה (kə·še·hā·yāh)
Preposition-k, Pronoun - relative | Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 1961: 1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out 1a) (Qal) 1a1) ----- 1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass 1a1b) to come about, come to pass 1a2) to come into being, become 1a2a) to arise, appear, come 1a2b) to become 1a2b1) to become 1a2b2) to become like 1a2b3) to be instituted, be established 1a3) to be 1a3a) to exist, be in existence 1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time) 1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality) 1a3d) to accompany, be with 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to occur, come to pass, be done, be brought about 1b2) to be done, be finished, be gone

and the spirit
וְהָר֣וּחַ (wə·hā·rū·aḥ)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's Hebrew 7307: 1) wind, breath, mind, spirit 1a) breath 1b) wind 1b1) of heaven 1b2) quarter (of wind), side 1b3) breath of air 1b4) air, gas 1b5) vain, empty thing 1c) spirit (as that which breathes quickly in animation or agitation) 1c1) spirit, animation, vivacity, vigour 1c2) courage 1c3) temper, anger 1c4) impatience, patience 1c5) spirit, disposition (as troubled, bitter, discontented) 1c6) disposition (of various kinds), unaccountable or uncontrollable impulse 1c7) prophetic spirit 1d) spirit (of the living, breathing being in man and animals) 1d1) as gift, preserved by God, God's spirit, departing at death, disembodied being 1e) spirit (as seat of emotion) 1e1) desire 1e2) sorrow, trouble 1f) spirit 1f1) as seat or organ of mental acts 1f2) rarely of the will 1f3) as seat especially of moral character 1g) Spirit of God, the third person of the triune God, the Holy Spirit, coequal, coeternal with the Father and the Son 1g1) as inspiring ecstatic state of prophecy 1g2) as impelling prophet to utter instruction or warning 1g3) imparting warlike energy and executive and administrative power 1g4) as endowing men with various gifts 1g5) as energy of life 1g6) as manifest in the Shekinah glory 1g7) never referred to as a depersonalised force

returns
תָּשׁ֔וּב (tā·šūḇ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's Hebrew 7725: 1) to return, turn back 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to turn back, return 1a1a) to turn back 1a1b) to return, come or go back 1a1c) to return unto, go back, come back 1a1d) of dying 1a1e) of human relations (fig) 1a1f) of spiritual relations (fig) 1a1f1) to turn back (from God), apostatise 1a1f2) to turn away (of God) 1a1f3) to turn back (to God), repent 1a1f4) turn back (from evil) 1a1g) of inanimate things 1a1h) in repetition 1b) (Polel) 1b1) to bring back 1b2) to restore, refresh, repair (fig) 1b3) to lead away (enticingly) 1b4) to show turning, apostatise 1c) (Pual) restored (participle) 1d) (Hiphil) to cause to return, bring back 1d1) to bring back, allow to return, put back, draw back, give back, restore, relinquish, give in payment 1d2) to bring back, refresh, restore 1d3) to bring back, report to, answer 1d4) to bring back, make requital, pay (as recompense) 1d5) to turn back or backward, repel, defeat, repulse, hinder, reject, refuse 1d6) to turn away (face), turn toward 1d7) to turn against 1d8) to bring back to mind 1d9) to show a turning away 1d10) to reverse, revoke 1e) (Hophal) to be returned, be restored, be brought back 1f) (Pulal) brought back

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's Hebrew 413: 1) to, toward, unto (of motion) 2) into (limit is actually entered) 2a) in among 3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion) 4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character) 5) in addition to, to 6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of 7) according to (rule or standard) 8) at, by, against (of one's presence) 9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)

God
הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים (hā·’ĕ·lō·hîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's Hebrew 430: 1) (plural) 1a) rulers, judges 1b) divine ones 1c) angels 1d) gods 2) (plural intensive-singular meaning) 2a) god, goddess 2b) godlike one 2c) works or special possessions of God 2d) the (true) God 2e) God

who
אֲשֶׁ֥ר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's Hebrew 834: 1) (relative part.) 1a) which, who 1b) that which 2) (conj) 2a) that (in obj clause) 2b) when 2c) since 2d) as 2e) conditional if

gave it.
נְתָנָֽהּ׃ (nə·ṯā·nāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's Hebrew 5414: 1) to give, put, set 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to give, bestow, grant, permit, ascribe, employ, devote, consecrate, dedicate, pay wages, sell, exchange, lend, commit, entrust, give over, deliver up, yield produce, occasion, produce, requite to, report, mention, utter, stretch out, extend 1a2) to put, set, put on, put upon, set, appoint, assign, designate 1a3) to make, constitute 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be given, be bestowed, be provided, be entrusted to, be granted to, be permitted, be issued, be published, be uttered, be assigned 1b2) to be set, be put, be made, be inflicted 1c) (Hophal) 1c1) to be given, be bestowed, be given up, be delivered up 1c2) to be put upon

Parallel Strong's
Berean Study Bible
before the dust returns to the ground from which it came and the spirit returns to 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.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
and the dust returns to the earth as it once was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

New American Standard Bible
then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.

King James Bible
Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
Parallel Verses
New International Version
and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

New Living Translation
For then the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.

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

New American Standard Bible
then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.

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

Holman Christian Standard Bible
and the dust returns to the earth as it once was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it."

International Standard Version
then man's dust will go back to the earth, returning to what it was, and the spirit will return to the God who gave it.

NET Bible
and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the life's breath returns to God who gave it.

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

English Revised Version
and the dust return to the earth as it was, and the spirit return 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.
















Cross References
Luke 23:46
And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.

Acts 7:59
And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

Genesis 3:19
In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

Numbers 16:22
And they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation?

Numbers 27:16
Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation,

Job 34:14
If he set his heart upon man, if he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath;

Job 34:15
All flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again unto dust.

Psalm 103:14
For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.

Psalm 104:29
Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.

Psalm 146:4
His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.

Ecclesiastes 3:20
All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.
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