Bible Strands
Isaiah 25:8
He will swallow up death forever. The Lord GOD will wipe away the tears from every face and remove the disgrace of His people from the whole earth. For the LORD has spoken.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The text declares Yahweh’s future action toward His people and all nations following the removal of the covering that enfolds them. This pronouncement occurs in the prophetic "day" of divine intervention described in the surrounding context.
The words — The verb בִּלַּ֤ע (bi.La') literally means "he will swallow up," describing the complete removal of הַמָּוֶת (ha.Ma.vet), "death." The verb וּמָחָ֨ה (u.ma.Chah) means "and he will wipe away," applied to דִמְעָה (dim.'Ah), "tears."
The thread — The promise of God wiping away tears and abolishing death reappears in Revelation 21:4 and Revelation 7:17, while the theme of mortality being consumed by immortality parallels 1 Corinthians 15:54.
Why it lands — The text demands recognition that divine sovereignty alone terminates mortality and sorrow, requiring the reader to align expectation with Yahweh’s declared fulfillment rather than human effort.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it.
Cross-references
- Revelation 21:4 ‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,’ and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.”
- Revelation 7:17 For the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd. ‘He will lead them to springs of living water,’ and ‘God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”
- 1 Corinthians 15:54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come to pass: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
- Hosea 13:14 I will ransom them from the power of Sheol; I will redeem them from Death. Where, O Death, are your plagues? Where, O Sheol, is your sting? Compassion is hidden from My eyes.
- 1 Corinthians 15:26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
- Isaiah 35:10 So the redeemed of the LORD will return and enter Zion with singing, crowned with everlasting joy. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee.
- Revelation 20:14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death—the lake of fire.
- 2 Timothy 1:10 And now He has revealed this grace through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has abolished death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the gospel,
- Isaiah 30:26 The light of the moon will be as bright as the sun, and the light of the sun will be seven times brighter—like the light of seven days—on the day that the LORD binds up the brokenness of His people and heals the wounds He has inflicted.
- Malachi 3:17 “They will be Mine,” says the LORD of Hosts, “on the day when I prepare My treasured possession. And I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.