Psalm 102:26 kjv
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:
Psalm 102:26 nkjv
They will perish, but You will endure; Yes, they will all grow old like a garment; Like a cloak You will change them, And they will be changed.
Psalm 102:26 niv
They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded.
Psalm 102:26 esv
They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away,
Psalm 102:26 nlt
They will perish, but you remain forever;
they will wear out like old clothing.
You will change them like a garment
and discard them.
Psalm 102 26 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Heb 1:10-12 | He also says, "You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth... They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment..." | Direct quotation of Ps 102:25-27, applied to Christ's divine eternality. |
| 2 Pet 3:10-13 | But the day of the Lord will come like a thief... the heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be destroyed by fire... Looking forward to new heavens and a new earth. | Echoes the perishing of the old creation and the promise of a new one. |
| Isa 51:6 | Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look at the earth beneath... For the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment... but My salvation will last forever. | Parallels the "wearing out like a garment" metaphor for creation's end. |
| Mal 3:6 | "For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed." | Emphasizes God's immutability, His unchanging nature. |
| Jas 1:17 | Every good and perfect gift is from above... coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. | Affirms God's changelessness and perfect nature. |
| Heb 13:8 | Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. | Connects Christ's unchangeableness to the divine attribute of Ps 102:26. |
| Ps 90:2 | Before the mountains were born... from everlasting to everlasting, you are God. | Affirms God's eternality, existing before and beyond creation. |
| Ps 90:4 | For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night. | Highlights God's perspective on time compared to creation's finite existence. |
| Ps 90:5-6 | You sweep them away as with a flood... they are like grass that sprouts anew... | Contrasts the fleeting nature of human life with God's eternality. |
| 1 Pet 1:24-25 | All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever. | Compares the transience of all creation, including humanity, to God's enduring Word. |
| Gen 1:1 | In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. | Establishes God as the Creator, over whom creation has no power. |
| Col 1:16-17 | For by Him all things were created... He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. | Affirms Christ's role in creating and sustaining all things, reinforcing His superiority to creation. |
| Rev 21:1 | Then I saw "a new heaven and a new earth," for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. | Fulfills the "pass away" aspect and points to the ultimate new creation. |
| Isa 65:17 | "For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind." | Prophecy of God's complete renewal, confirming His power to "change" creation. |
| Isa 66:22 | "For as the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before me," declares the LORD, "so will your name and your descendants endure." | Links the endurance of the new creation to God's enduring covenant and people. |
| Matt 24:35 | "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away." | Echoes the transience of creation compared to the eternal Word of God. |
| Mark 13:31 | "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away." | Reiterates the same point as Matthew, underscoring the finality of creation's passing. |
| Luke 21:33 | "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away." | Further reiterates the impermanence of creation against the permanence of God's Word. |
| Heb 12:26-27 | "...Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens... to remove what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain." | Highlights God's intention to remove transient creation for His eternal kingdom. |
| Job 14:7-12 | "There is hope for a tree... but a man dies and is laid low... Till the heavens are no more, they will not awake or be roused from their sleep." | Though focusing on human mortality, it points to a fixed "end" for the heavens. |
| Ps 104:19 | He made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows when to go down. | God's ordering of creation, which, though ordered by Him, is still subject to His future will to change. |
| Isa 24:19-20 | The earth is utterly broken, the earth is split apart... For the windows above are opened, and the foundations of the earth tremble... like a hut, and it sways like a hammock. | Depicts a cosmic judgment leading to the breakdown and eventual "passing away" of the current earth. |
Psalm 102 verses
Psalm 102 26 Meaning
Psalm 102:26 asserts the ultimate impermanence and transient nature of the heavens and the earth, declaring they will decay and pass away like worn-out garments. In sharp contrast, it proclaims the eternal, unchanging, and enduring nature of God, who alone remains forever. This verse underscores God's absolute sovereignty over creation, revealing His power not only to bring forth existence but also to transform or replace the entire cosmic order according to His divine and steadfast will.
Psalm 102 26 Context
Psalm 102 is initially presented as a "Prayer of an afflicted person who is overwhelmed and pours out their lament before the LORD." It begins as a raw, desperate cry from an individual in deep distress, feeling isolated and experiencing personal decay, contrasting their frail, fleeting existence with the perceived divine delay. However, a profound shift occurs in verses 12-28, moving from personal suffering to universal theological truth. The psalmist finds profound solace and hope, not in immediate relief from their present predicament, but in the immutable, eternal nature of God and His unwavering covenant faithfulness to Zion (His people). Verses 25-27, in particular, serve as the theological climax. Here, the suffering individual transcends their personal grief by meditating on the Creator, whose timeless existence stands in absolute contrast to the finite and temporary nature of all creation, including the heavens and the earth. This powerful affirmation reassures the psalmist that despite the visible world's eventual impermanence, God's steadfast character and redemptive purposes for His people will forever endure.
Psalm 102 26 Word analysis
- "They" (יֹאבֵדוּ, yo'vedu): This plural pronoun refers back to "the heavens" and "the earth" mentioned in the preceding verse (Psalm 102:25). It encompasses all created physical reality.
- "will perish" (יֹאבֵדוּ, yo'vedu): Derived from the Hebrew root אָבַד ('abad), meaning "to be lost," "to vanish," "to perish," or "to be destroyed." This signifies a definitive cessation of their current form and function, an appointed end for all material creation.
- "but You" (וְאַתָּה, v'attah): The Hebrew conjunctive vav ("and," here strongly "but" or "whereas") introduces a sharp and deliberate contrast. "You" is a direct, intimate address to God, emphasizing His unique and incomparable nature, fundamentally distinct from everything created.
- "will remain" (תַעֲמֹד, ta'amod): From the root עָמַד ('amad), meaning "to stand," "to endure," "to persist," or "to be fixed." This term directly opposes the notion of perishing, affirming God's eternal, unchangeable, and steadfast existence, utterly immune to the processes of decay and entropy that govern creation.
- "they will all wear out" (יִבְלוּ, yivlu): From the Hebrew root בָּלָה (balah), meaning "to wear out," "to grow old," "to become used up," or "to decay." This word paints a vivid picture of the inevitable aging, deterioration, and eventual uselessness that characterizes all created matter, inherent in its temporal existence.
- "like a garment" (כַּבֶּגֶד, kav'eged): The prefix ka (כְּ) translates to "like" or "as." בֶּגֶד (beged) refers to a piece of clothing, cloak, or garment. This metaphor powerfully conveys the fragility, temporary utility, and the expectation of being discarded or replaced once worn. It underscores the transitory nature of the physical universe, which God regards as something disposable or renewable at His discretion.
- "You will change them" (תַּחֲלִיפֵם, tachaliFem): From the root חָלַף (chalaf), meaning "to change," "to replace," "to pass away," or "to be renewed." This verb denotes God's active, sovereign intervention. It's not merely passive decay, but God actively brings about a transformation or replacement. This points beyond mere destruction towards a divinely orchestrated alteration, perhaps even a renewal.
- "like a robe" (כַּלְּבוּשׁ, kallevush): Another clothing metaphor. לְבוּשׁ (levush) also means clothing, specifically a robe or apparel. This reinforces the idea of something that can be removed, altered, or replaced by its wearer at will, signifying divine control and choice over creation's destiny. The nuance of "robe" may subtly imply a more significant or official garment, reinforcing God's regal authority over His creation.
- "and they will pass away" (וְיַחֲלֹפוּ, v'yachalofu): From the same root חָלַף (chalaf) as "change." When applied to the subjects ("they"), it carries the nuance of passing out of existence or vanishing. While "change" applies to God's action, this describes the direct consequence for creation—it will cease in its current form. This reinforces the impermanence declared in "will perish," serving as a final, definitive statement on creation's temporal limitations.
Psalm 102 26 Bonus section
This passage from Psalm 102:25-27 carries profound Christological significance within Christian theology, as it is directly quoted and applied to Jesus Christ in Hebrews 1:10-12. By applying these verses, which extoll God's eternality and sovereignty over creation, to Jesus, the author of Hebrews conclusively asserts Jesus' divine nature, His pre-existence, and His unchangeable essence, thereby unequivocally equating Him with the immutable God of the Old Testament. This direct application in the New Testament is foundational for understanding the divinity of Christ. Furthermore, the concept of creation "wearing out" and being "changed like a robe" finds its ultimate fulfillment and deeper meaning in the New Testament promise of a "new heaven and a new earth" (Rev 21:1; 2 Pet 3:13). This "change" implies not just annihilation but a divinely purposed transformation and renewal, culminating in a redeemed cosmos where righteousness dwells, all as part of God's eternal redemptive plan for humanity. Thus, Psalm 102:26 points beyond the conclusion of the old creation towards the glorious anticipation of the new.
Psalm 102 26 Commentary
Psalm 102:26 delivers a profound theological truth by juxtaposing the stark transience of all created reality with the unchanging and eternal nature of God Himself. Everything visible and temporal, including the very fabric of the heavens and the earth, is subject to a divinely ordained process of decay, wearing out, and ultimate passing away. The vivid imagery of worn-out garments strikingly illustrates this impermanence; just as a human disposes of old clothes, God exercises absolute sovereignty over His creation. This implies not only an eventual end to the present cosmic order but, critically, God's active power to usher in a new one, signifying a transformation or renewal rather than mere obliteration. This divine capacity to "change" creation paradoxically undergirds God's own immutable nature – His power and purpose remain constant even as His creation experiences radical shifts. For the suffering psalmist, and indeed for all who place their trust in the Creator, this verse offers immense comfort: human life is fleeting, earthly circumstances are volatile, and even the grand universe is impermanent, but the God to whom one prays endures forever, ensuring that His covenant promises and redemptive plans for His people are eternally secure and unshakeable. It decisively shifts the ultimate anchor of hope from fragile human experience to immutable divine permanence.