English Standard Version
Isaiah 51:6
6Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look at the earth beneath; for the heavens vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment, and they who dwell in it will die in like manner; but my salvation will be forever, and my righteousness will never be dismayed.
Isaiah 51:6 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.
- New International Version (NIV)Lift up your eyes to the heavens, look at the earth beneath; the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies. But my salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Lift up your eyes to the heavens, And look on the earth beneath. For the heavens will vanish away like smoke, The earth will grow old like a garment, And those who dwell in it will die in like manner; But My salvation will be forever, And My righteousness will not be abolished.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Look up to the skies above, and gaze down on the earth below. For the skies will disappear like smoke, and the earth will wear out like a piece of clothing. The people of the earth will die like flies, but my salvation lasts forever. My righteous rule will never end!
Context of Isaiah 51:6
4"Give attention to me, my people, and give ear to me, my nation; for a law will go out from me, and I will set my justice for a light to the peoples. 5My righteousness draws near, my salvation has gone out, and my arms will judge the peoples; the coastlands hope for me, and for my arm they wait. Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look at the earth beneath; for the heavens vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment, and they who dwell in it will die in like manner; but my salvation will be forever, and my righteousness will never be dismayed. 7"Listen to me, you who know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear not the reproach of man, nor be dismayed at their revilings. 8For the moth will eat them up like a garment, and the worm will eat them like wool, but my righteousness will be forever, and my salvation to all generations."
Read all of Isaiah 51Isaiah 51:6 word by word
שְׂאוּ֩ לַשָּׁמַ֨יִם עֵֽינֵיכֶ֜ם וְֽהַבִּ֧יטוּ אֶל־הָאָ֣רֶץ מִתַּ֗חַת כִּֽי־שָׁמַ֜יִם כֶּעָשָׁ֤ן נִמְלָ֙חוּ֙ וְהָאָ֙רֶץ֙ כַּבֶּ֣גֶד תִּבְלֶ֔ה וְיֹשְׁבֶ֖יהָ כְּמוֹ־כֵ֣ן יְמוּת֑וּן וִישֽׁוּעָתִי֙ לְעוֹלָ֣ם תִּֽהְיֶ֔ה וְצִדְקָתִ֖י לֹ֥א תֵחָֽת׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Lift upנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: lookH5375
- your eyesעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eyeH5869
- to the heavensשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064
- and lookנָבַטnâbaţ · to lookH5027
- upon the earthאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- shall vanish awayמָלַחmâlach · to dissipateH4414
- like smokeעָשָׁן‛âshân · smokeH6227
- shall wax oldבָּלָהbâlâh · to become oldH1086
- like a garmentבֶּ֫גֶדbeged · garmentH899
- and they that dwellיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
- therein shall dieמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
- in likeכְּמוֹkemô kâmô · likeH3644
- mannerכֵּןkên · gnatH3654
- but my salvationיְשׁוּעָהyeshû‛âh · salvationH3444
- shall be for everעוֹלָם‛ôlâm ‛ôlâm · forever: enduringH5769
- and my righteousnessצְדָקָהtsedâqâh · righteousnessH6666
- shall not be abolishedחָתַתchâthath · to to be dismayedH2865
Cross-references for Isaiah 51:6
- Isaiah 40:26Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name; by the greatness of his might and because he is strong in power, not one is missing.
- Deuteronomy 4:19And beware lest you raise your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, you be drawn away and bow down to them and serve them, things that the Lord your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven.
- Psalms 8:3When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
- Isaiah 34:4All the host of heaven shall rot away, and the skies roll up like a scroll. All their host shall fall, as leaves fall from the vine, like leaves falling from the fig tree.
- Isaiah 50:9Behold, the Lord God helps me; who will declare me guilty? Behold, all of them will wear out like a garment; the moth will eat them up.
- Psalms 102:26They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away,
- Matthew 24:35Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
- Hebrews 1:11they will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment,
- 2 Peter 3:10But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.
- Revelation 6:12When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood,
- Revelation 20:11Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them.
- Isaiah 51:8For the moth will eat them up like a garment, and the worm will eat them like wool, but my righteousness will be forever, and my salvation to all generations."
- Isaiah 45:17But Israel is saved by the Lord with everlasting salvation; you shall not be put to shame or confounded to all eternity.
- Psalms 103:17But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children's children,
- Daniel 9:24"Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place.
- John 3:15that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
Commentaries on Isaiah 51:6
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6My salvation shall be for ever - Aben Ezra says, From this verse divines have learnt the immortality of the soul. Men shall perish as the earth does, because they are formed from it; but they who are filled with the salvation of God shall remain for ever. See Kimchi.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6Lift up your eyes to the heavens - The design of directing their attention to the heavens and the earth is, probably, to impress them more deeply with a conviction of the certainty of his salvation in this manner, namely, the heavens and the earth appear firm and fixed; there is in them no apparent tendency to dissolution and decay. Yet though apparently thus fixed and determined, they will all vanish away, but the promise of God will be unfailing. For…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 4-8Verses 4-8 The gospel of Christ shall be preached and published. How shall we escape if we neglect it? There is no salvation without righteousness. The soul shall, as to this world, vanish like smoke, and the body be thrown by like a worn-out garment. But those whose happiness is in Christ's righteousness and salvation, will have the comfort of it when time and days shall be no more. Clouds darken the sun, but do not stop its course. The believer will…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6die like gnats: Many wicked people will die on the day of God's judgment.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 66. (Is 40:6, 8; Psa 102:26; He 1:11, 12). vanish away--literally, "shall be torn asunder," as a garment [Maurer]; which accords with the context. in like manner--But Gesenius, "Like a gnat"; like the smallest and vilest insect. Jerome translates, as English Version, and infers that "in like manner" as man, the heavens (that is, the sky) and earth are not to be annihilated, but changed for the better (Is 65:17). righteousness--My faithfully fulfilled…Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 51:6
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 51
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
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