Ecclesiastes 1:6
New International Version
The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course.

New Living Translation
The wind blows south, and then turns north. Around and around it goes, blowing in circles.

English Standard Version
The wind blows to the south and goes around to the north; around and around goes the wind, and on its circuits the wind returns.

Berean Standard Bible
The wind blows southward, then turns northward; round and round it swirls, ever returning on its course.

King James Bible
The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.

New King James Version
The wind goes toward the south, And turns around to the north; The wind whirls about continually, And comes again on its circuit.

New American Standard Bible
Blowing toward the south, Then turning toward the north, The wind continues swirling along; And on its circular courses the wind returns.

NASB 1995
Blowing toward the south, Then turning toward the north, The wind continues swirling along; And on its circular courses the wind returns.

NASB 1977
Blowing toward the south, Then turning toward the north, The wind continues swirling along; And on its circular courses the wind returns.

Legacy Standard Bible
Going toward the south, Then circling toward the north, The wind goes circling along; And on its circular courses the wind returns.

Amplified Bible
The wind blows toward the south, Then circles toward the north; The wind circles and swirls endlessly, And on its circular course the wind returns.

Christian Standard Bible
Gusting to the south, turning to the north, turning, turning, goes the wind, and the wind returns in its cycles.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Gusting to the south, turning to the north, turning, turning, goes the wind, and the wind returns in its cycles.

American Standard Version
The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it turneth about continually in its course, and the wind returneth again to its circuits.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
It goes to the South and is circled to the North and the wind goes to its circuits and the wind returns

Brenton Septuagint Translation
arising there it proceeds southward, and goes round toward the north. The wind goes round and round, and the wind returns to its circuits.

Contemporary English Version
The wind blows south, the wind blows north; round and round it blows over and over again.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Maketh his round by the south, and turneth again to the north: the spirit goeth forward surveying all places round about, and returneth to his circuits.

English Revised Version
The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it turneth about continually in its course, and the wind returneth again to its circuits.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The wind blows toward the south and shifts toward the north. Round and round it blows. It blows in a full circle.

Good News Translation
The wind blows south, the wind blows north--round and round and back again.

International Standard Version
The wind blows southward, then northward, constantly circulating, and the wind comes back again in its courses.

JPS Tanakh 1917
The wind goeth toward the south, And turneth about unto the north; It turneth about continually in its circuit, And the wind returneth again to its circuits.

Literal Standard Version
Going to the south, and turning around to the north, turning around, turning around, the wind is going, and by its circuits the wind has returned.

Majority Standard Bible
The wind blows southward, then turns northward; round and round it swirls, ever returning on its course.

New American Bible
Shifting south, then north, back and forth shifts the wind, constantly shifting its course.

NET Bible
The wind goes to the south and circles around to the north; round and round the wind goes and on its rounds it returns.

New Revised Standard Version
The wind blows to the south, and goes around to the north; round and round goes the wind, and on its circuits the wind returns.

New Heart English Bible
The wind goes toward the south, and turns around to the north. It turns around continually as it goes, and the wind returns again to its courses.

Webster's Bible Translation
The wind goeth towards the south, and turneth about to the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to its circuits.

World English Bible
The wind goes toward the south, and turns around to the north. It turns around continually as it goes, and the wind returns again to its courses.

Young's Literal Translation
Going unto the south, and turning round unto the north, turning round, turning round, the wind is going, and by its circuits the wind hath returned.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Everything is Futile
5The sun rises and the sun sets; it hurries back to where it rises. 6The wind blows southward, then turns northward; round and round it swirls, ever returning on its course. 7All the rivers flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full; to the place from which the streams come, there again they flow.…

Cross References
John 3:8
The wind blows where it wishes. You hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."

Ecclesiastes 1:7
All the rivers flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full; to the place from which the streams come, there again they flow.

Ecclesiastes 11:5
As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the bones are formed in a mother's womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.


Treasury of Scripture

The wind goes toward the south, and turns about to the north; it whirls about continually, and the wind returns again according to his circuits.

Job 3:8
Let them curse it that curse the day, who are ready to raise up their mourning.

Acts 27:13-15
And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete…

Jump to Previous
Blowing Circling Circuit Circuits Circular Continually Continues Courses Goes North Returneth Returning Returns Round South Swirling Towards Turneth Turning Turns Whirleth Wind
Jump to Next
Blowing Circling Circuit Circuits Circular Continually Continues Courses Goes North Returneth Returning Returns Round South Swirling Towards Turneth Turning Turns Whirleth Wind
Ecclesiastes 1
1. the preacher shows that all human courses are vain
4. because the creatures are restless in their courses
9. they bring forth nothing new, and all old things are forgotten
12. and because he has found it so in the studies of wisdom














(6) The order of the Hebrew words permits the first clause, "going towards the south and returning towards the north," to be understood in continuation of the description of the movements of the sun, and so some interpreters have taken them, but probably erroneously. The verse gains in liveliness if more literally rendered, "going towards the south and circling towards the north, circling, circling goes the wind, and to its circles the wind returns."

Verse 6. - The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; literally, going towards the south, and circling towards the north. These words, as we have seen above, are referred to the sun by the Septuagint, Vulgate, and Syriac; but it is best to make this verse refer only to the wind - a fresh example of motion continually repeated with no real progress to an end. Thus each verse comprises one subject and idea, ver. 4 being concerned with the earth, ver. 5 with the sun, ver. 6 with the wind, and ver. 7 with the waters. There seems to be no particular force in the naming of north and south, unless it be in contrast to the sun's motion from east to west, mentioned in the preceding verse. The words following show that these two directions are not alone intended. Thus the four quarters are virtually included. It whirleth about continually. The original is more forcible, giving by its very form the idea of weary monotony. The subject is delayed till the last, thus: Going towards the south... circling, circling, goeth the wind; i.e. it blows from all quarters at its own caprice. And the wind returneth again according to his circuits. And on its circlings returneth the wind; it comes back to the point whence it started. The wind, seemingly the freest of all created things, is bound by the same law of immutable changeableness, insensate repetition.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Blowing
הוֹלֵךְ֙ (hō·w·lêḵ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

southward,
דָּר֔וֹם (dā·rō·wm)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1864: The south, poet, the south wind

then turning
וְסוֹבֵ֖ב (wə·sō·w·ḇêḇ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 5437: To turn about, go around, surround

northward,
צָפ֑וֹן (ṣā·p̄ō·wn)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 6828: Hidden, dark, the north as a, quarter

round
סוֹבֵ֤ב ׀ (sō·w·ḇêḇ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 5437: To turn about, go around, surround

[and] round
סֹבֵב֙ (sō·ḇêḇ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 5437: To turn about, go around, surround

the wind
הָר֔וּחַ (hā·rū·aḥ)
Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 7307: Wind, breath, exhalation, life, anger, unsubstantiality, a region of the sky, spirit

swirls,
הוֹלֵ֣ךְ (hō·w·lêḵ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

ever returning
שָׁ֥ב (šāḇ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again

on
וְעַל־ (wə·‘al-)
Conjunctive waw | Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

[its]
הָרֽוּחַ׃ (hā·rū·aḥ)
Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 7307: Wind, breath, exhalation, life, anger, unsubstantiality, a region of the sky, spirit

course.
סְבִיבֹתָ֖יו (sə·ḇî·ḇō·ṯāw)
Adverb | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5439: A circle, neighbour, environs, around


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OT Poetry: Ecclesiastes 1:6 The wind goes toward the south (Ecclesiast. Ec Ecc Eccles.)
Ecclesiastes 1:5
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