Isaiah 66:24

“As they go forth, they will see the corpses of the men who have rebelled against Me; for their worm will never die, their fire will never be quenched, and they will be a horror to all mankind.”

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The LORD speaks to the people, concluding a vision of continuous worship with a declaration about the fate of the rebellious.

The words — תוֹלַעְתָּם (to.la'.Ta/m) = their worm and כִּי (ki) = for. The text states their worm will not die and their fire will not be quenched.

The thread — The text says the rebellious face permanent decay and unquenched fire, a theme that runs in Isaiah 14:11, Revelation 14:10, and Daniel 12:2.

Why it lands — The text asks readers to acknowledge the absolute finality of judgment against rebellion, contrasting it with the worship described in the preceding verse.

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

וְיָצְא֣וּve./ya.tze.'Uand/ they will go out וְרָא֔וּve./ra.'Uand/ they will look בְּפִגְרֵי֙be./fig.Reion/ [the] corpses of הָאֲנָשִׁ֔יםha./'a.na.Shimthe/ people הַפֹּשְׁעִ֖יםha./po.she.'Imwho/ rebelledבִּ֑יB/iagainst/ meכִּ֣יkifor תוֹלַעְתָּ֞םto.la'.Ta/mworm/ their לֹ֣אlo'not תָמ֗וּתta.Mutit will die וְאִשָּׁם֙ve./'i.Sha/mand/ fire/ their לֹ֣אlo'not תִכְבֶּ֔הtikh.Behit will be extinguished וְהָי֥וּve./ha.Yuand/ they will be דֵרָא֖וֹןde.ra.'onan abhorrence לְכָל־le./kholto/ all בָּשָֽׂר׃ba.Sarflesh

King James Version

And 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.

Cross-references

Isaiah 14:11 Your pomp has been brought down to Sheol, along with the music of your harps. Maggots are your bed and worms your blanket.
Revelation 14:10 he too will drink the wine of God’s anger, poured undiluted into the cup of His wrath. And he will be tormented in fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb.
Daniel 12:2 And many who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to everlasting life, but others to shame and everlasting contempt.
1 Thessalonians 2:15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets and drove us out as well. They are displeasing to God and hostile to all men,
Revelation 21:8 But to the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death.”
Psalms 58:10 The righteous will rejoice when they see they are avenged; they will wash their feet in the blood of the wicked.
Isaiah 34:10 It will not be quenched—day or night. Its smoke will ascend forever. From generation to generation it will lie desolate; no one will ever again pass through it.
Mark 9:43 If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two hands and go into hell, into the unquenchable fire.
Isaiah 1:31 The strong man will become tinder and his work will be a spark; both will burn together, with no one to quench the flames.
Zechariah 14:12 And this will be the plague with which the LORD strikes all the peoples who have warred against Jerusalem: Their flesh will rot while they stand on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths.