God’s Word Translation
Isaiah 51:6
6Look at the sky. Look at the earth below. The sky will vanish like smoke. The earth will wear out like clothing, and those who live there will die like flies. But my salvation will last forever, and my righteousness will never fail.
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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)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.
- 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.
Context of Isaiah 51:6
4Pay attention to me, my people. Open your ears to hear me, my nation. My teachings will go out from me. My justice will become a light for the people. 5My righteousness is near. My salvation is on the way. I will bring justice to people. The coastlands put their hope in me, and they wait eagerly for me. Look at the sky. Look at the earth below. The sky will vanish like smoke. The earth will wear out like clothing, and those who live there will die like flies. But my salvation will last forever, and my righteousness will never fail. 7Listen to me, you people who know righteousness, you people who have my teachings in your hearts. Don’t be afraid of being insulted by people. Don’t be discouraged by their ridicule. 8Moths will eat them like clothing. Worms will devour them like wool. But my righteousness will last forever, and my salvation will last throughout every generation.
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 40:26Look at the sky and see. Who created these things? Who brings out the stars one by one? He calls them all by name. Because of the greatness of his might and the strength of his power, not one of them is missing.
- Deuteronomy 4:19Don’t let yourselves be tempted to worship and serve what you see in the sky—the sun, the moon, the stars, or anything else. The Lord your God has given them to all people everywhere.
- Psalms 8:3When I look at your heavens, the creation of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have set in place—
- Isaiah 34:4All the stars in the sky will rot. The heavens will be rolled up like a scroll. The stars will fall like leaves from a grapevine, like green figs from a fig tree.
- Isaiah 50:9The Almighty Lord helps me. Who will find me guilty? They will all wear out like a garment. Moths will eat them.
- Psalms 102:26They will come to an end, but you will still go on. They will all wear out like clothing. You will change them like clothes, and they will be thrown away.
- Matthew 24:35The earth and the heavens will disappear, but my words will never disappear.
- Hebrews 1:11They will come to an end, but you will live forever. They will all wear out like clothes.
- 2 Peter 3:10The day of the Lord will come like a thief. On that day heaven will pass away with a roaring sound. Everything that makes up the universe will burn and be destroyed. The earth and everything that people have done on it will be exposed.
- Revelation 6:12I watched as the lamb opened the sixth seal. A powerful earthquake struck. The sun turned as black as sackcloth made of hair. The full moon turned as red as blood.
- Revelation 20:11I saw a large, white throne and the one who was sitting on it. The earth and the sky fled from his presence, but no place was found for them.
- Isaiah 51:8Moths will eat them like clothing. Worms will devour them like wool. But my righteousness will last forever, and my salvation will last throughout every generation.
- Isaiah 45:17Israel has been saved by the Lord forever. You will never again be ashamed or disgraced.
- Psalms 103:17But from everlasting to everlasting, the Lord’s mercy is on those who fear him. His righteousness belongs to their children and grandchildren,
- Daniel 9:24“Seventy sets of seven time periods have been assigned for your people and your holy city. These time periods will serve to bring an end to rebellion, to stop sin, to forgive wrongs, to usher in everlasting righteousness, to put a seal on a prophet’s vision, and to anoint the Most Holy One.
- John 3:15Then everyone who believes in him will 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
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