Ecclesiastes 12:7

Cross-references For Better Understanding a Related Topics b Additional Materials c

Summary

• What happens at death? This verse tells us the first thing that happens.

• Once this happens, we will never return to this life "under the sun." At this point, the full reality of "meaninglessness" will take over - from the perspective of life "under the sun." (The focus here is not on what happens after life "under the sun" is over.)

Details and/or Comments

• This passage fits with what was written in 3:21, "Who knows the spirit of man, whether it goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, whether it goes downward to the earth?"

1. In chapter 3, we are told that people who are living cannot observe what happens to the spirit after death - though perhaps what happens is implied.
2. In chapter 12, we are told what happens to humans.

• There is a fundamental difference between humans and animals - a difference also seen in the book of Genesis. Unlike animals, God personally breathed the "breath of life" into humans (Genesis 2:7); and at death, some part of the human - called the "spirit" (or "breath") will return to God (Ecclesiastes 12:7).

The Hebrew words in these two verses are different. The Genesis word for "breath" is more inclusive of the totality of human life; the Ecclesiastes word for "spirit" (or "breath") has a greater emphasis on the aspect of a human that relates to God.

Scripture

Ecclesiastes 12:7

Scripture Passage	Comments and Links
Ecc 12:7 and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.	What happens at the death of a human? Those who are still alive can observe this: The body ("dust") returns to the earth. What we can't observe: The spirit returns to God. (Yet it is stated as a fact that it does happen.) Death Differences Between Humans and Other Created Species

Scripture Passages (Only books that have relevance to this study have active links. The others are in italics.) Genesis  •  Exodus  •  Leviticus  •  Numbers  •  Deuteronomy  •  Joshua  •  Judges  •  Ruth  •  1 Samuel  •  2 Samuel  •  1 Kings  •  2 Kings  •  1 Chronicles  •  2 Chronicles  •  Ezra  •  Nehemiah  •  Esther  •  Job  •  Psalms  •  Proverbs  •  Ecclesiastes  •  Song of Solomon  •  Isaiah  •  Jeremiah  •  Lamentations  •  Ezekiel  •  Daniel  •  Hosea  •  Joel  •  Amos  •  Obadiah  •  Jonah  •  Micah  •  Nahum  •  Habakkuk  •  Zephaniah  •  Haggai  •  Zechariah  •  Malachi Matthew  •  Mark  •  Luke  •  John  •  Acts  •  Romans  •  1 Corinthians  •  2 Corinthians  •  Galatians  •  Ephesians  •  Philippians  •  Colossians  •  1 Thessalonians  •  2 Thessalonians  •  1 Timothy  •  2 Timothy  •  Titus  •  Philemon  •  Hebrews  •  James  •  1 Peter  •  2 Peter  •  1 John  •  2 John  •  3 John  •  Jude  •  Revelation

—— To avoid any copyright issues, all Scripture is either from a public domain translation (such as the World English Bible), my own translation, or a combination of these. ——

The name "Yahweh," when present in an Old Testament passage, represents the Hebrew name for the God of the Bible.

Unless otherwise noted, all notes and comments are © by Dennis Hinks.