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.
Original Language Analysis
כִּ֤י
H3588
כִּ֤י
Strong's:
H3588
Word #:
1 of 13
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
וְצִדְקָתִי֙
but my righteousness
H6666
וְצִדְקָתִי֙
but my righteousness
Strong's:
H6666
Word #:
8 of 13
rightness (abstractly), subjectively (rectitude), objectively (justice), morally (virtue) or figuratively (prosperity)
לְעוֹלָ֣ם
shall be for ever
H5769
לְעוֹלָ֣ם
shall be for ever
Strong's:
H5769
Word #:
9 of 13
properly, concealed, i.e., the vanishing point; generally, time out of mind (past or future), i.e., (practically) eternity; frequentatively, adverbial
תִּֽהְיֶ֔ה
H1961
תִּֽהְיֶ֔ה
Strong's:
H1961
Word #:
10 of 13
to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
וִישׁוּעָתִ֖י
and my salvation
H3444
וִישׁוּעָתִ֖י
and my salvation
Strong's:
H3444
Word #:
11 of 13
something saved, i.e., (abstractly) deliverance; hence, aid, victory, prosperity
Cross References
Isaiah 50:9Behold, the Lord GOD will help me; who is he that shall condemn me? lo, they all shall wax old as a garment; the moth shall eat them up.Isaiah 51:6Lift 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 66:24And 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.Job 4:19How much less in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the moth?Luke 1:50And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.Hosea 5:12Therefore will I be unto Ephraim as a moth, and to the house of Judah as rottenness.
Historical Context
Egypt, Assyria, Babylon - all great empires that oppressed Israel - fell to ruin while God's people survived. This pattern repeats throughout history: Roman Empire fell, but church endures. Persecutors are forgotten; martyrs are remembered.
Questions for Reflection
- How does the inevitable decay of your opponents encourage patient endurance of present opposition?
- What does it mean that God's salvation continues 'from generation to generation' beyond your lifetime?
Analysis & Commentary
The promise 'the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool' depicts the temporary nature of human opposition - persecutors decay while God's people endure. The contrast 'my righteousness shall be for ever, and my salvation from generation to generation' assures that divine work transcends human lifespans. This encourages long-term faithfulness despite short-term persecution.