Psalms 102:26 · Bible study
Psalms 102:26 Commentary: Creation’s Transience and God’s Enduring Nature
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Psalm 102:26 contrasts creation's perishable nature with God's changeless eternity. How the heavens and earth wear out like a garment, yet God remains the same.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The heavens and earth are temporary; God endures and will transform creation.
- Key words: perish, endure, wear out, garment, change.
- Main debate: Does 'perish' mean total destruction or transformation into new heavens and earth?
- Theological theme: God's immutability and sovereignty over creation; hope of new creation.
- Best use: Comfort in suffering and mortality; assurance of God's faithfulness.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
They will perish, but You remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing You will change them, and they will be passed on.
WEB World English Bible 2000
They will perish, but you will endure. Yes, all of them will wear out like a garment. You will change them like a cloak, and they will be changed.
KJV King James Version 1769
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:
ASV American Standard Version 1901
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:
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
They--They perish, and Thou remainest, And all of them as a garment become old, As clothing Thou changest them, And they are changed.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
They shall perish, but thou continuest; and all of them shall grow old as a garment: as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed.
Translations in other languages (9 available)
Ellos perecerán, y tú permanecerás; y todos ellos como un vestido se envejecerán; como una ropa de vestir los mudarás, y serán mudados:
Eles se destruirão, porém tu permanecerás; e todos eles como vestimentas se envelhecerão; como roupas tu os mudarás, e serão mudados.
Tu as anciennement fondé la terre,
Sie werden vergehen, aber du bleibest. Sie werden veralten wie ein Gewand; sie werden verwandelt wie ein Kleid, wenn du sie verwandeln wirst.
Gij hebt voormaals de aarde gegrond, en de hemelen zijn het werk Uwer handen;
Essi periranno, ma tu rimani; tutti quanti si logoreranno come un vestito; tu li muterai come una veste e saranno mutati.
I pierwej niżeliś założył ziemię, i niebiosa, dzieło rąk twoich.
天地 都要滅沒，你 卻要長存；天地都 要如外衣 漸漸舊了。你要將天地如裡衣 更換，天地就都改變了。
They will come to an end, but you will still go on; they all will become old like a coat, and like a robe they will be changed:
Verse in Context
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that Psalm 102:26 contrasts the transience of the created order with God's eternal nature. Barnes links the verse directly to Hebrews 1:10, 12, where it is applied to the Son. Gill notes that the heavens and earth 'shall be changed' as to form, not utterly destroyed, the garment is replaced, not annihilated. Clarke emphasizes that 'necessary duration belongs to God only'; all else wears out. The Cambridge Bible observes that compared to God's eternity, even the enduring heavens prove temporary. The consensus is clear: creation is not self-sustaining; it depends moment by moment on the Creator who both made it and will transform it.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: God is eternal and creation depends on Him for its continued existence and renewal.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Perish vs. Change | All agree that creation will not remain in its current state. | Some interpret 'perish' as literal destruction followed by new creation; others see a transformation of the existing order. |
| Application to Christ | The verse is applied to the Son in Hebrews 1:10, 12. | Whether the psalmist originally had the Messiah in view or the New Testament applies it typologically. |
| State of the New Heavens and Earth | God will bring about a new creation. | Whether this happens after the current universe is annihilated or renewed. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Psalm 102 bears the superscription 'A prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed and pours out his complaint before the LORD.' Many commentators, including Calvin and Keil & Delitzsch, place its composition during the Babylonian exile, when God's people had lost temple, land and hope. In verses 23, 24 the psalmist pleads not to be cut off in mid-life, a cry that resonates with the nation's near-extinction. Then, in verses 25, 27, he pivots from human frailty to divine constancy.
Verse 26 draws directly on the prophetic vocabulary of Isaiah: the heavens and earth 'wear out like a garment' (Isa 51:6) and are to be changed (Isa 34:4). For the exile community, this language was both a warning and a promise. The same God who could shake the cosmos could also restore a broken people. The garment imagery would have been vivid in a culture where woolen clothes wore thin and were traded for new ones. God does not discard the old creation carelessly; He changes it, just as He would change the fortunes of His captive people.
The verse thus functions as the theological anchor for the psalm's closing hope: 'The children of your servants will continue; their offspring will be established before you' (v. 28). Creation's transience is not cause for despair but for confidence in the One who remains the same (v. 27).
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for Psalm 102:26.
Reception History
Psalm 102:26 has been read in Christian tradition as a key witness to God's eternity and the transience of creation. The author of Hebrews (1:10, 12) directly applies it to Christ, identifying the eternal Son as the one who laid the foundations of the earth and who will remain when the heavens are folded up like a garment. Early church fathers such as Athanasius and Augustine used the verse to argue for the Son's divinity. In the liturgy, the verse has been sung in hymns of lament and hope, for example, in the Requiem Mass it underscores the fleeting nature of earthly life. During the Reformation, both Calvin and Luther drew on the psalm to comfort believers facing persecution: the same God who changes the heavens will never abandon His people. Modern readers continue to find in this verse a solid anchor for hope in a world of decay.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Permanence of the Creator: God 'endures' while everything else gives way. His years have no end (v. 27). This is the foundation for all hope.
- The Passing of Creation: The heavens and earth 'wear out like a garment.' Nothing in this world, not even what seems most solid, escapes decay. Our confidence must rest elsewhere.
- The Promise of New Creation: God changes creation like a cloak. This points forward to a renewed heavens and earth (Isa 65:17, 66:22). The old order is not abandoned but transformed.
Five-point outline
- Creation is not eternal, it had a beginning and will have an end in its present form.
- God alone endures; His being has no limit.
- The world grows old and loses its glory.
- God will change it, not discard it, but renew it.
- Therefore, our hope rests in the Creator, not in the creation.
Illustration hooks
- A favorite, frayed shirt: You wear it until it falls apart, then you replace it or remake it into something new. The new garment has continuity with the old but serves a renewed purpose.
- The changing of seasons: Autumn leaves die and drop; spring brings fresh growth. The earth itself cycles through decay and renewal, hinting at a greater transformation to come.
- An old house that is renovated: The structure is not torn down to nothing, it is gutted, reframed, and rebuilt. The final result is the same place, but made new.
Questions your congregation is asking
- If the world is going to be destroyed or changed, why should we care about environmental stewardship now?
- How does knowing that God will outlast creation help me face my own aging and mortality?
- Does this verse mean the current universe will be completely annihilated or transformed into something better?
Leading a Discussion
Psalm 102:26 invites us to see the world as temporary and God as permanent. When we are overwhelmed by personal trials or global crises, this verse anchors us in a hope that does not depend on circumstances holding steady. Discuss together what it means to trust the One who remains the same when everything around you is wearing out.
Discussion questions
- Read verses 25, 27 aloud. What stands out to you about the contrast between creation and God?
- The psalmist uses the image of a garment that wears out and is changed. How does this help you understand the fate of the heavens and earth?
- Barnes notes that Hebrews 1:10, 12 applies this verse to Christ. How does knowing that Jesus is the eternal Creator affect the way you read this psalm?
- Gill says the change is 'as to form, not substance.' Do you think the new heavens and earth will be a remake of this universe or a completely new creation? What biblical evidence supports your view?
- How does the certainty that God will outlast creation affect the way you face loss, aging, or death?
- In what areas of your life are you tempted to place more hope in 'things that wear out' than in the God who endures forever?
- Close by reading verse 28. How does the promise that God's servants and their offspring will continue bring comfort in hard times?
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Exodus 3:14 | God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM,” and he said, “You shall tell the children of Israel this: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” |
| Psalms 102:12 | But you, Yahweh, will remain forever; your renown endures to all generations. |
| Isaiah 34:4 | All of the army of the sky will be dissolved. The sky will be rolled up like a scroll, and all its armies will fade away, as a leaf fades from off a vine or a fig tree. |
| Isaiah 51:6 | Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look at the earth beneath; for the heavens will vanish away like smoke, and the earth will wear out like a garment. Its inhabitants will die in the same way, but my salvation will be forever, and my righteousness will not be abolished. |
| Isaiah 65:17 | “For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things will not be remembered, nor come into mind. |
| Isaiah 66:22 | “For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me,” says Yahweh, “so your offspring and your name shall remain. |
| Matthew 24:35 | Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. |
| Luke 21:33 | Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will by no means pass away. |
Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke argues that everything created carries the seeds of its own decay. Only God is eternal by nature; all else must deteriorate or perish over time. He points to cultivated crops like wheat and potatoes, which degenerate even under careful tending, as evidence of this universal law.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that the Hebrew phrase translated "of old" literally means "to the face" and refers to the very beginning of time. His main point is that God's existence reaches back before all generations and changes, and He remains absolutely the same from that start through every age.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin argues that Psalm 102 was composed before the Jews returned from Babylon, not after, as a prayer for restoring the temple and city. He rejects the view that it only describes the later period when rebuilding was hindered. The psalm was given as a form of prayer to lift up the faithful by recalling God’s promises.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible Schools commentary notes a precise contrast: compared with human life the natural world seems permanent, but compared with God's eternity even the heavens and earth are transitory. The writer explicitly distinguishes the psalmist's point here from the later prophetic vision of new heavens and a new earth.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: euen they all shall waxe olde as doeth a garment: as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill stresses that the heavens and earth do not perish in their substance but in their present form and quality. They will be changed like a worn garment folded and set aside, not destroyed utterly. God alone endures unchanged, and Christ as eternal King, Priest, and Prophet remains forever.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch emphasize that the psalmist's plea for a longer life rests not on God's timelessness in itself, but on the coming renewal of the world and restoration of Israel. The poet's deep longing to witness that future age drives his prayer, and he draws this hope directly from the prophecies of Isaiah, which already blend the post-exilic Jerusalem with the final new creation.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry sees the weakening of strength and shortening of days as the dire threat to the Jewish church during the Babylonian captivity, when the promised line of the Messiah appeared ready to fail. He then applies the same words to personal afflictions like chronic illness and a short life. Both readings focus on how God’s promises seem endangered when strength fails.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Perish - As to their present nature and use.