Isaiah 66 · Verse 24

Isaiah 66:24

And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.
Isaiah 66:24, King James Version

Isaiah 66:24 in other translations

BSB“As they go forth, they will see the corpses of the men who have rebelled against Me; for their worm will never die, their fire will never be quenched, and they will be a horror to all mankind.”
WEB“They will go out, and look at the dead bodies of the men who have transgressed against me; for their worm will not die, nor will their fire be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind.”
ASVAnd they shall go forth, and look upon the dead bodies of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.
YLTAnd they have gone forth, And looked on the carcases of the men Who are transgressing against me, For their worm dieth not, And their fire is not quenched, And they have been an abhorrence to all flesh!
DARBYAnd they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorrence unto all flesh.
BBEAnd they will go out to see the dead bodies of the men who have done evil against me: for their worm will ever be living, and their fire will never be put out, and they will be a thing of fear to all flesh.
WebsterAnd they shall go forth, and look upon the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring to all flesh.

What does Isaiah 66:24 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
24. go forth, and look--as the Israelites looked at the carcasses of the Egyptians destroyed at the Red Sea (Ex 14:30; compare Is 26:14-19; Psa 58:10; 49:14; Mal 4:1-3). carcasses, &c.--(Is 66:16), those slain by the Lord in the last great battle near Jerusalem (Zec 12:2-9; 14:2-4); type of the final destruction of all sinners. worm ... not die--(Mr 9:44, 46, 48). Image of hell, from bodies left unburied in the valley of Hinnom (whence comes Gehenna, or "hell"), south of Jerusalem, where a perpetual fire was kept to consume the refuse thrown there (Is 30:33). It shall not be inconsistent with true love for the godly to look with satisfaction on God's vengeance on the wicked (Re 14:10). May God bless this Commentary, and especially its solemn close, to His glory, and to the edification of the writer and the readers of it, for Jesus' sake!

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 24 For their worm shall not die - These words of the prophet are applied by our blessed Savior, Mar 9:44, to express the everlasting punishment of the wicked in Gehenna, or in hell. Gehenna, or the valley of Hinnom, was very near to Jerusalem to the south-east: it was the place where the idolatrous Jews celebrated that horrible rite of making their children pass through the fire, that is, of burning them in sacrifice to Moloch. To put a stop to this abominable practice, Josiah defiled, or desecrated, the place, by filling it with human bones, 2Kgs 23:10, 2Kgs 23:14; and probably it was the custom afterwards to throw out the carcasses of animals there, when it also became the common burying place for the poorer people of Jerusalem. Our Savior expressed the state of the blessed by sensible images; such as paradise, Abraham's bosom, or, which is the same thing, a place to recline next to Abraham at table in the kingdom of heaven. See Mat 8:11. Coenabat Nerva cum paucis. Veiento proxies, atque etiam in sinu recumbebat. "The Emperor Nerva supped with few. Veiento was the first in his estimation, and even reclined in his bosom." Plin. Epist. 4:22. Compare Joh 13:23; for we could not possibly have any conception of it but by analogy from worldly objects. In like manner he expressed the place of torment under the image of Gehenna; and the punishment of the wicked by the worm which there preyed on the carcasses, and the fire that consumed the wretched victims. Marking however, in the strongest manner, the difference between Gehenna and the invisible place of torment; namely, that in the former the suffering is transient: - the worm itself which preys upon the body, dies; and the fire which totally consumes it, is soon extinguished: - whereas in the figurative Gehenna the instruments of punishment shall be everlasting, and the suffering without end; "for there the worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." These emblematical images, expressing heaven and hell, were in use among the Jews before our Savior's time; and in using them he complied with their notions. "Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God," says the Jew to our Savior, Luk 14:15. And in regard to Gehenna, the Chaldee paraphrase as I observed before on Isa 30:33, renders everlasting or continual burnings by "the Gehenna of everlasting fire." And before his time the son of Sirach, 7:17, had said, "The vengeance of the ungodly is fire and worms." So likewise the author of the book of Judith, chap. 16:17: "Wo to the nations rising up against my kindred: the Lord Almighty will take vengeance of them in the day of judgment, in putting fire and worms in their flesh;" manifestly referring to the same emblem. - L. Kimchi's conclusion of his notes on this book is remarkable: - "Blessed be God who hath created the mountains and the hills, And hath endued me with strength to finish the book of salvation: He shall rejoice us with good tidings and reports; He shall show us a token for good: - And the end of his miracles he shall cause to approach us." Several of the Versions have a peculiarity in their terminations: - And they shall be to a satiety of sight to all flesh. Vulgate. And thei schul ben into fyllyng of sigt to all fleshe. Old MS. Bible. And they shall be as a vision to all flesh. Septuagint. And the wicked shall be punished in hell till the righteous shall say, - It is enough. Chaldee. They shall be an astonishment to all flesh; So that they shall be a spectacle to all beings. Syriac. The end of the prophecy of Isaiah the prophet. Praise to God who is truly praiseworthy. Arabic. One of my old Hebrew MSS. after the twenty-first verse repeats the twenty-third: "And it shall come to pass that from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord."

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Isaiah 66:15-24

A prophetic declaration is given of the Lord's vengeance on all enemies of his church, especially that of all antichristian opposers of the gospel in the latter days. Is. 66:19,20, set forth the abundance of means for conversion of sinners. These expressions are figurative, and express the plentiful and gracious helps for bringing God's elect home to Christ. All shall be welcome; and nothing shall be wanting for…

Read the full comment on Isaiah 66:15-24 →

Isaiah 66:24 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.

וְיָצְא֣וּve.ya.tze.'Uand they will go outH3318
וְרָא֔וּve.ra.'Uand they will lookH7200
בְּפִגְרֵי֙be.fig.Reion [the] corpses ofH6297
הָאֲנָשִׁ֔יםha.'a.na.Shimthe peopleH582
הַפֹּשְׁעִ֖יםha.po.she.'Imwho rebelledH6586
בִּ֑יBiagainst me
כִּ֣יkiforH3588
תוֹלַעְתָּ֞םto.la'.Tamworm theirH8438
לֹ֣אlo'notH3808
תָמ֗וּתta.Mutit will dieH4191
וְאִשָּׁם֙ve.'i.Shamand fire theirH784
לֹ֣אlo'notH3808
תִכְבֶּ֔הtikh.Behit will be extinguishedH3518
וְהָי֥וּve.ha.Yuand they will beH1961
דֵרָא֖וֹןde.ra.'onan abhorrenceH1860
לְכָל\־le.kholto allH3605
בָּשָֽׂר\׃ba.SarfleshH1320

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

Cross references for Isaiah 66:24

  • Isaiah 14:11

    Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee.

  • Revelation 14:10-11

    The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

  • Daniel 12:2

    And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

  • 1 Thessalonians 2:15-16

    Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men: Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.

  • Revelation 21:8

    But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

  • Psalms 58:10-11

    The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked. So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth.

  • Isaiah 34:10

    It shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever: from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever.

  • Mark 9:43-49

    And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. …

  • Zechariah 14:12

    And this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.

  • Matthew 3:12

    Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

  • Isaiah 1:31

    And the strong shall be as tow, and the maker of it as a spark, and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them.

  • Revelation 19:17-21

    And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. …

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
and look.
16; Ps 58:10,11; Eze 39:9-16; Zec 14:12,18,19; Re 19:17-21
their worm.
14:11; Mr 9:44-49; Re 14:10,11
their fire.
34:10; Mt 3:12
and they.
65:15; Da 12:2; 1Th 2:15,16 CONCLUDING REMARKS ON THE BOOK OF ISAIAH. Isaiah has, with singular propriety, been denominated the Evangelical Prophet, on account of the number and variety of his prophecies concerning the advent and character, the ministry and preaching, the sufferings and death, and the extensive and permanent kingdom of the Messiah. So explicit and determinate are his predictions, as well as so numerous, that he seems to speak rather of things past than of events yet future; and he may be rather called an evangelist than a prophet. Though later critics, especially those on the continent, have expended much labour and learning in order to rob the prophet of his title; yet no one, whose mind is unprejudiced, can be at a loss in applying select portions of these prophecies to the mission and character of Jesus Christ, and to the events in his history which they are cited to illustrate by the sacred writers of the New Testament. In fact, his prophecies concerning the Messiah seem almost to anticipate the Gospel history; so clearly do they predict his Divine character. (Compare ch. 7:14 with Mat. 1:18-23, and Luke 1:27-35; ch. 6:; 9:6; 35:4; 40:5, 9, 19; 42: 6-8; 61:1, with Lu. 4:18; ch. 62:11; 63:1-4;) his miracles, (ch. 35:5, 6;) his peculiar character and virtues, (ch. 11:2, 3; 40:11; 43:1-3;) his rejection, (Compare ch. 6:9-12 with Mar. 13:14; ch. 7:14, 15; 53:3;) his sufferings for our sins, (ch. 50:6; 53:4-11;) his death and burial, (ch. 53:8, 9;) his victory over death, (ch. 25:8; 53:10, 12;) his final glory, (ch. 49:7, 22, 33; 52:13-15; 53:4, 5;) and the establishment, increase, and perfection of his kingdom, (ch. 2:2-4; 9:2, 7; 11:4-10; 16:5; 29:18-24; 32:1; 40:4, 5; 42:4; 46:13; 49:9-13; 51:3-6; 53:6-10; 55:1-3; 59:16-21; 60:; 61:1-5; 65:25;) each specifically pointed out, and pourtrayed with the most striking and discriminating characters. It is impossible, indeed, to reflect on these, and on the whole chain of his illustrious prophecies, and not be sensible that they furnish the most incontestable evidence in support of Christianity. The style of Isaiah has been universally admired as the most perfect model of elegance and sublimity; and as distinguished for all the magnificence, and for all the sweetness of the Hebrew language.

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

Context

  • Isaiah 66:23

    And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord.

  • Isaiah 66:24

    And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.

Read all of Isaiah 66

Isaiah 66:24 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y saldrán, y verán los cadáveres de los hombres que se rebelaron contra mí: porque su gusano nunca morirá, ni su fuego se apagará; y serán abominables á toda carne.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et ils sortiront, et verront les cadavres des hommes qui se sont rebellés contre moi; car leur ver ne mourra pas, et leur feu ne s’éteindra pas, et ils seront en horreur à toute chair.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und sie werden hinausgehen und sich die Leichname der Menschen ansehen, die von mir abgefallen sind; denn ihr Wurm wird nicht sterben und ihr Feuer nicht erlöschen, und sie werden ein Abscheu sein allem Fleische.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et egredientur, et videbunt cadavera virorum qui prævaricati sunt in me; vermis eorum non morietur, et ignis eorum non extinguetur: et erunt usque ad satietatem visionis omni carni.