Isaiah 51 · Verse 6

Isaiah 51:6

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.
Isaiah 51:6, King James Version

Isaiah 51:6 in other translations

BSBLift up your eyes to the heavens, and look at the earth below; for the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment, and its people will die like gnats. But My salvation will last forever, and My righteousness will never fail.
WEBLift up your eyes to the heavens, and look at the earth beneath; for the heavens will vanish away like smoke, and the earth will wear out like a garment. Its inhabitants will die in the same way, but my salvation will be forever, and my righteousness will not be abolished.
ASVLift 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.
YLTLift ye up to the heavens your eyes, And look attentively unto the earth beneath, For the heavens as smoke have vanished, And the earth as a garment weareth out, And its inhabitants as gnats do die, And My salvation is to the age, And My righteousness is not broken.
DARBYLift up your eyes to the heavens, and look on the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall grow 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.
BBELet your eyes be lifted up to the heavens, and turned to the earth which is under them: for the heavens will go in flight like smoke, and the earth will become old like a coat, and its people will come to destruction like insects: but my salvation will be for ever, and my righteousness will not come to an end.
WebsterLift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall become old like a garment, and its inhabitants shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.

What does Isaiah 51:6 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
6. (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 promise (see on Is 51:5).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 6 My 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.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Isaiah 51:4-8

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…

Read the full comment on Isaiah 51:4-8 →

Isaiah 51:6 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

שְׂאוּ֩se.'Ulift upH5375
לַשָּׁמַ֨יִםla.sha.Ma.yimto the heavensH8064
עֵֽינֵיכֶ֜ם'ei.nei.Khemeyes yourH5869
וְֽהַבִּ֧יטוּve.ha.Bi.tuand lookH5027
אֶל\־'el-toH413
הָאָ֣רֶץha.'A.retzthe earthH776
מִתַּ֗חַתmi.Ta.chat<from> beneathH8478
כִּֽי\־ki-forH3588
שָׁמַ֜יִםsha.Ma.yim[the] heavensH8064
כֶּעָשָׁ֤ןke.'a.Shanlike <the> smokeH6227
נִמְלָ֙חוּ֙nim.La.chuthey will be dispersedH4414
וְהָאָ֙רֶץ֙ve.ha.'A.retzand the earthH776
כַּבֶּ֣גֶדka.Be.gedlike <the> garmentH899
תִּבְלֶ֔הtiv.Lehit will wear outH1086
וְיֹשְׁבֶ֖יהָve.yo.she.Vei.haand inhabitants itsH3427
כְּמוֹ\־ke.mov-likeH3644
כֵ֣ןkhengnat[s]H3654
יְמוּת֑וּןye.mu.Tunthey will die !H4191
וִישֽׁוּעָתִי֙vi.shu.'a.Tiand salvation myH3444
לְעוֹלָ֣םle.'o.Lamfor everH5769
תִּֽהְיֶ֔הtih.Yehit will beH1961
וְצִדְקָתִ֖יve.tzid.ka.Tiand righteousness myH6666
לֹ֥אlo'notH3808
תֵחָֽת\׃\ \סte.Chatit will be brokenH2865

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Isaiah 51:6

  • Matthew 24:35

    Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

  • Psalms 102:25-26

    Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed:

  • Hebrews 1:10-12

    And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.

  • Isaiah 34:4

    And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree.

  • Revelation 6:12-14

    And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.

  • John 3:15-16

    That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

  • 2 Peter 3:10-12

    But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

  • John 10:27-29

    My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.

  • Isaiah 51:8

    For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool: but my righteousness shall be for ever, and my salvation from generation to generation.

  • Isaiah 13:13

    Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the Lord of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.

  • Revelation 20:11

    And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

  • Isaiah 40:26

    Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Lift up.
40:26; De 4:19; Ps 8:3,4
the heavens.
34:4; 50:9; Ps 102:26; Mt 24:35; Heb 1:11,12; 2Pe 3:10-12
Re 6:12-14; 20:11
my salvation.
8; 45:17; Ps 103:17; Da 9:24; Joh 3:15,16; 5:24; 10:27-29; 2Th 2:16
Heb 5:9; 9:12,15

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Isaiah 51:5

    My righteousness is near; my salvation is gone forth, and mine arms shall judge the people; the isles shall wait upon me, and on mine arm shall they trust.

  • Isaiah 51:6

    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.

  • Isaiah 51:7

    Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings.

Read all of Isaiah 51

Isaiah 51:6 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Alzad á los cielos vuestros ojos, y mirad abajo á la tierra: porque los cielos serán deshechos como humo, y la tierra se envejecerá como ropa de vestir, y de la misma manera perecerán sus moradores: mas mi salud será para siempre, mi justicia no perecerá.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Élevez vos yeux vers les cieux, et regardez vers la terre, en bas; car les cieux s’évanouiront comme la fumée, et la terre vieillira comme un vêtement, et ceux qui y habitent mourront également; mais mon salut sera à toujours, et ma justice ne défaillira pas.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Hebet eure Augen auf gen Himmel und blicket auf die Erde unten! denn die Himmel werden zergehen wie Rauch, und die Erde wird zerfallen wie ein Kleid, und ihre Bewohner werden dahinsterben. Aber mein Heil wird in Ewigkeit sein, und meine Gerechtigkeit wird nicht zerschmettert werden.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Levate in cælum oculos vestros, et videte sub terra deorsum: quia cæli sicut fumus liquescent, et terra sicut vestimentum atteretur, et habitatores ejus sicut hæc interibunt: salus autem mea in sempiternum erit, et justitia mea non deficiet.