New International Version
Isaiah 51:6
6Lift 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.
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.
- 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.
- 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“Listen to me, my people; hear me, my nation: Instruction will go out from me; my justice will become a light to the nations. 5My righteousness draws near speedily, my salvation is on the way, and my arm will bring justice to the nations. The islands will look to me and wait in hope for my arm. 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. 7“Hear me, you who know what is right, you people who have taken my instruction to heart: Do not fear the reproach of mere mortals or be terrified by their insults. 8For the moth will eat them up like a garment; the worm will devour them like wool. But my righteousness will last forever, my salvation through 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 and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.
- Deuteronomy 4:19And when you look up to the sky and see the sun, the moon and the stars—all the heavenly array—do not be enticed into bowing down to them and worshiping things the Lord your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven.
- Psalms 8:3When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
- Isaiah 34:4All the stars in the sky will be dissolved and the heavens rolled up like a scroll; all the starry host will fall like withered leaves from the vine, like shriveled figs from the fig tree.
- Isaiah 50:9It is the Sovereign Lord who helps me. Who will condemn me? They will all wear out like a garment; the moths will eat them up.
- Psalms 102:26They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded.
- Matthew 24:35Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never 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. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.
- Revelation 6:12I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red,
- Revelation 20:11Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them.
- Isaiah 51:8For the moth will eat them up like a garment; the worm will devour them like wool. But my righteousness will last forever, my salvation through all generations.”
- Isaiah 45:17But Israel will be saved by the Lord with an everlasting salvation; you will never be put to shame or disgraced, to ages everlasting.
- Psalms 103:17But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children—
- Daniel 9:24“Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place.
- John 3:15that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”
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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