Bible Strands
Luke 21:33
Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Jesus speaks to his disciples in the midst of his eschatological discourse, having just declared that the current generation will see the temple's destruction (v. 32) and before warning them to stay alert (v. 34).
The words — παρελεύομαι (pareleuomai) literally means "to go past" or "to pass by"; the same verb is applied to heaven and earth and then explicitly denied of "My words," making the contrast structural rather than merely rhetorical.
The thread — Matthew 24:35 and Mark 13:31 carry the identical statement; Isaiah 40:8 echoes the principle with the word of God standing forever against the withering of grass.
Why it lands — It is a claim of absolute reliability: what Jesus has said will outlast the physical cosmos, so the reader is asked to treat those words as the one fixed point in a world that is not.
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 Greek words
King James Version
Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.
Cross-references
- Isaiah 40:8 The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.”
- Mark 13:31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.
- Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.
- Isaiah 51:6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look at the earth below; for the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment, and its people will die like gnats. But My salvation will last forever, and My righteousness will never fail.
- Psalms 102:26 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.
- Matthew 5:18 For I tell you truly, until heaven and earth pass away, not a single jot, not a stroke of a pen, will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.
- 1 Peter 1:25 but the word of the Lord stands forever.” And this is the word that was proclaimed to you.
- 2 Peter 3:7 And by that same word, the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
- Revelation 20:11 Then I saw a great white throne and the One seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from His presence, and no place was found for them.