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EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

Isaiah 51:6

The heavens and the earth are not as permanent as they may seem.

• Here ‘smoke’ is a picture word, to mean something that has no substance. So it quickly blows away.

• Nothing in this life or in this world is permanent. But God makes an absolute promise to rescue people. A person’s continuous state of liberty and health of spirit are the results of God’s action.

• The phrase ‘free the prisoner’ does not merely mean someone who is in an actual prison. For example, ‘prison’ can be a word picture to mean the situation of a person with an evil habit. He or she is totally unable to escape from the practice.

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See also Isaiah 51:6 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Isaiah 51:6. _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 i...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    LIFT 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...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 51 Jehovah Encourages His Faithful People, the Remnant of Israel 1. _The call to remember Abraham (Isaiah 51:1)_ 2. _Zion to be comforted (Isaiah 51:3)_ 3. His righteousness near and His arm...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    A HEARTENING CONSOLATION. Yahweh, in words that echo Isaiah 50:4, bids His people, who seek the victory which ever eludes them, consider their origin. Abraham was but one; yet He made him a great peop...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    SHALL. will have. IN LIKE MANNER. so. There is no ancient authority for "as. gnat", as some render it....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Isaiah 51:1-16. Encouragements addressed to true Israelites The strain of consolation, which was interrupted by the soliloquy of the Servant at ch. Isaiah 50:4, is now resumed, and is continued till...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    The universal extension of the true religion is the second ground of comfort which the prophet is commissioned to offer to his fellow believers. The language of Isaiah 51:4 is obviously moulded on tha...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    From the thought of the universality of religion the prophet rises to that of its eternity, which is here expressed by a contrast of surprising boldness between the "things which are seen" and the "th...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    LIFT UP YOUR EYES, &C.— The prophet here, as a second argument of consolation, foretels the abolition of the old oeconomy, and the establishment of the new. He speaks of the old oeconomy, or politico-...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    3. RULE, CHAPTER 51 a. TURN TO JUSTICE TEXT: Isaiah 51:1-8 1 Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek Jehovah: look unto the rock whence ye were hewn, and to the hole of the...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    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 l...

  • Darby's translation notes (1890)

    51:6 manner; (d-40) Others 'shall die like a gnat.'...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    1, 2. In the past God made Israel a great nation from a single ancestor, and that wonderful growth should be an encouragement to the righteous remnant now to believe in their restoration....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    The v. contrasts the certainty of God's purposes for His people with, the transitory character of the visible world....

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    SHALL DIE IN LIKE MANNER — _i.e.,_ shall vanish into nothingness. Many commentators, however, render, _shall die like gnats;_ shall live their little day and pass away; thus supplying a third similitu...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    שְׂאוּ֩ לַ † שָּׁמַ֨יִם עֵֽינֵיכֶ֜ם וְֽ הַבִּ֧יטוּ...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    “AWAKE, O ARM OF JEHOVAH!” Isaiah 51:1-11 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:...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    Three messages to the faithful immediately follow. The first is a call to courage (verses Isa 51:1-8), in which they are charged to look back to Abraham, to look on to the nearness of God's activity,...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the (g) heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall become old like a garment, and its inhabitants shall die in lik...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Fail. Matthew xxiv. 35. The prosperity of the Jews was not of long duration. But the Church will remain till the end of time._...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    Here is another gracious call of the Lord, full of mercy and love, like the former; seemingly directed to those who have not only sought the Lord, but are joined in covenant to him, and know him. The...

  • James Nisbet's Church Pulpit Commentary

    _THE TEMPORAL AND THE ETERNAL_ ‘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 t...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    6._Lift up your eyes toward heaven. _When we see so great changes in the world, we are apt to think that the Church comes within the influence of the sanhe violent motion; and therefore we need to hav...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 51 AND 52. The application is found in Chapter s 51 and 52 to the end of Verse 12 (Isaiah 52:1-12), and that to the remnant of Israel. In Isaiah 51:13 a fresh...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    LIFT UP YOUR EYES TO THE HEAVENS,.... And observe their beauty and order, the constant and regular motion of the heavenly bodies, the firmness and solidity of them: AND LOOK UPON THE EARTH BENEATH; h...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    _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 l...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _Lift up your eyes to the heavens_ Look up to the visible heavens above, which have continued hitherto, and seem likely to continue; _and look upon the earth beneath_ Which seems as firmly established...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    Lift up your eyes to the heavens, with its impression of endless stability, AND LOOK UPON THE EARTH BENEATH, with its uninterrupted succession of generations, both appearing to the human mind as estab...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    THE CERTAINTY OF DELIVERANCE...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    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 t...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    THE HEAVENS SHALL VANISH AWAY LIKE SMOKE, AND THE EARTH SHALL WAX OLD LIKE A GARMENT; the heavens and earth shall pass away, either, 1. Simply, and by a substantial corruption or annihilation, which i...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Isaiah 51:6 up H5375 (H8798) eyes H5869 heavens H8064 look H5027 (H8685) earth H776 heavens H8064 vanish...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    GOD'S OR THE SERVANT'S CALL TO HIS TRUE PEOPLE TO CONSIDER HIS EVERLASTING SALVATION (ISAIAH 51:4). His people are not just to listen, they must also pay heed. They must ‘pay attention' to His instruc...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    CHAPTER 51 EXHORTATIONS TO THE PEOPLE TO RESPOND TO GOD. We now have here three remarkable calls to faithful Israel, ‘listen' (Isaiah 51:1) - ‘attend' (Isaiah 51:4) - ‘listen' (Isaiah 51:7). They have...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Isaiah 51:6 I. Consider, first, the heavens above and the earth beneath, as temporal either in themselves or in regard to us who must "die in like manner." (1) Our text is the record of a great appoin...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    Isaiah 51:1. _Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the Lord: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged. Look unto Abraham your f...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Final redemption of Israel and punishment of oppressors. CHARACTERS: God, Christ. CONCLUSION: Although God's people are called upon to suffer much upon earth, they have an eternal cause to...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Isaiah 51:4. _A law shall proceed from me._ The gospel law of liberty and love is here intended, as in Joel 2:31. No other law ever emanated from Jerusalem. Isaiah 51:5. _My righteousness is near._ Ch...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Lift up your eyes to the heavens._ THE ETERNITY OF RELIGION From the thought of the universality of religion the prophet rises to that of its eternity, which is here expressed by a contrast of surp...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Hearken unto Me, My people_ THE ABSOLUTE IN HUMAN HISTORY Time works mighty changes in human life. Amidst the ceaseless whirl of mutation, is there nothing unchangeable? Is life made up entirely of...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Hearken to Me_ THE THRICE “HEARKEN” These paragraphs are exceedingly dramatic. We become conscious that we are approaching a revelation of unparalleled sublimity which shall be in Scripture what he...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    ISAIAH—NOTE ON ISAIAH 51:4 The second incentive (see vv. Isaiah 51:1) is that the truth of the Lord is going out to the nations with a saving power that will outlast the universe....

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    THE IMMUTABILITY OF THE SALVATION AND RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD Isaiah 51:6. _Lift up your eyes to the heavens, &c._ There is no reason why we should not read these words in their positive and natural sig...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION ISAIAH 51:1 AN ADDRESS TO FAITHFUL ISRAEL, SUGGESTING TOPICS OF COMFORT. The address consists of three nearly equal strophes or stanzas, each commencing with a call, _Shim'u elai_,...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Tonight we have a marvelous study as we look at Isaiah, Chapter s 51-55, in which the prophet sees so clearly the suffering and the rejection of God's provision for man in sending His Son to die for o...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    2 Peter 3:10; 2 Thessalonians 2:16; Daniel 9:24; Deuteronomy 4:19;...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    The heavens — The heavens and earth shall pass away, in regard of their present state, and properties, and use, as smoak is said to vanish, tho' the substance of it be not destroyed....

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