The Meaning of Isaiah 51:6 Explained

Isaiah 51:6

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.

YLT: Lift 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.

Darby: Lift 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.

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Isaiah 51:6 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The sky and the earth may appear to be permanent, but the really permanent realities are God"s promises of coming everlasting salvation and righteousness (cf. Luke 21:33).

Context Summary

Isaiah 51:1-11 - "awake, O Arm Of Jehovah!"
This chapter is extremely dramatic. We are conscious that we are nearing a revelation of unparalleled sublimity. As we hear the thrice Hearken in Isaiah 1:1-8, and the thrice Awake, Isaiah 51:9, which follows, we realize that we are traversing the entrance portico of a noble temple. When God says, Hearken, it is for us to ask Him to fulfill-Awake!
Recall the loneliness of Abraham. "He was but one!" Terah died, Lot dropped away, Hagar was thrust out, Isaac was laid on the altar, but the fire that burned in his heart only grew brighter. Do not despair if you are alone in your stand for God. One acorn, when the life of Nature touches it, may become parent to a forest. These exiled Jews hardly dared to hope that they could escape from their foes. The air was heavy with their revilings, but compare Isaiah 51:8 with Isaiah 50:9. With such assurances we may face a world in arms. The forces of evil are strong, but God is stronger. The clouds threaten, but the sun is shining. Don't forget the Lord thy Maker, thy Redeemer, thy Father! He cannot fail or forsake! [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 51

1  An exhortation after the pattern of Abraham, to trust in Christ
3  By reason of his comfortable promises,
4  Of his righteous salvation
7  And man's mortality
9  Christ by his sanctified arm defends his from the fear of man
17  He bewails the afflictions of Jerusalem
21  And promises deliverance

What do the individual words in Isaiah 51:6 mean?

Lift up to the heavens your eyes and look on the earth beneath for the heavens like smoke will vanish away and the earth like a garment will grow old and those who dwell in it in like manner will die but My salvation forever will be and My righteousness not will be abolished -
שְׂאוּ֩ לַשָּׁמַ֨יִם עֵֽינֵיכֶ֜ם וְֽהַבִּ֧יטוּ אֶל־ הָאָ֣רֶץ מִתַּ֗חַת כִּֽי־ שָׁמַ֜יִם כֶּעָשָׁ֤ן נִמְלָ֙חוּ֙ וְהָאָ֙רֶץ֙ כַּבֶּ֣גֶד תִּבְלֶ֔ה וְיֹשְׁבֶ֖יהָ כְּמוֹ־ כֵ֣ן יְמוּת֑וּן וִישֽׁוּעָתִי֙ לְעוֹלָ֣ם תִּֽהְיֶ֔ה וְצִדְקָתִ֖י לֹ֥א תֵחָֽת ס

שְׂאוּ֩  Lift  up 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: נָשָׂא  
Sense: to lift, bear up, carry, take.
לַשָּׁמַ֨יִם  to  the  heavens 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַיִם  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
עֵֽינֵיכֶ֜ם  your  eyes 
Parse: Noun, cdc, second person masculine plural
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
וְֽהַבִּ֧יטוּ  and  look 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: נָבַט  
Sense: to look, regard.
הָאָ֣רֶץ  the  earth 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
מִתַּ֗חַת  beneath 
Parse: Preposition-m
Root: מִתְחָה 
Sense: the under part, beneath, instead of, as, for, for the sake of, flat, unto, where, whereas.
שָׁמַ֜יִם  the  heavens 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַיִם  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
כֶּעָשָׁ֤ן  like  smoke 
Parse: Preposition-k, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עָשָׁן  
Sense: smoke.
נִמְלָ֙חוּ֙  will  vanish  away 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: מָלַח 
Sense: to tear away, dissipate.
וְהָאָ֙רֶץ֙  and  the  earth 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
כַּבֶּ֣גֶד  like  a  garment 
Parse: Preposition-k, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בֶּגֶד 
Sense: treachery, deceit.
תִּבְלֶ֔ה  will  grow  old 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: בָּלָה  
Sense: to wear out, become old.
וְיֹשְׁבֶ֖יהָ  and  those  who  dwell  in  it 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct, third person feminine singular
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
כֵ֣ן  like  manner 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֵּן 
Sense: so, therefore, thus.
יְמוּת֑וּן  will  die 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural, Paragogic nun
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
וִישֽׁוּעָתִי֙  but  My  salvation 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: יְשׁוּעָה  
Sense: salvation, deliverance.
לְעוֹלָ֣ם  forever 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֹולָם  
Sense: long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world.
תִּֽהְיֶ֔ה  will  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
וְצִדְקָתִ֖י  and  My  righteousness 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: צְדָקָה  
Sense: justice, righteousness.
תֵחָֽת  will  be  abolished 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: חָתַת  
Sense: to be shattered, be dismayed, be broken, be abolished, be afraid.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation