פירוש על ישעיהו 51:6

the heavens shall vanish like smoke The princes of the hosts of the heathens who are in heaven.

Lift up your eyes, etc. Philosophers derive from this verse the doctrine of the immortality of the soul of man;⁶If all die, and the salvation of the Lord still remains, there must be left something, that is to enjoy that salvation; if the bodies die, the souls are supposed to remain alive. According to I. E. this is not the idea expressed by the words of this verse; they contain rather in a hyperbolical manner, the idea that the salvation of the Lord is sure to come, even if the present sad aspect of affairs gives no room for that hope. their doctrine is right; but this verse certainly does not contain it. השמים The sky.⁷A. V., The heavens.—According to I. E. there are various kinds of heavenly worlds, some of which possess immortality; the sky, (רקיע) is the lowest, the one nearest to the earth. הארץ The inhabited part of the earth. Both may perish, but the salvation of the Lord, His faithfulness, His righteousness remains⁸I. E. comparing this phrase with a similar one (Ps. 112:3) explains the verb היה by the verb עמד, which more exclusively expresses duration, while היה has also the meaning to become, signifying a single act. for ever.

shall vanish Heb. נִמְלָחוּ, shall rot away. Comp. (Jer. 38:12) “Rags and decayed clothing (בְּלוֹאֵי הַסְּחָבוֹת),” a decayed garment. Another explanation of נִמְלָחוּ is: shall be stirred. This is an expression similar to “the sailors of (מַלָּחֵי) the sea,” who stir the water with the oars that guide the ship. Comp. also (Ex. 30:35) “Stirred (מְמֻלָּח), pure, and holy.”

and the earth the rulers of the earth.

and its inhabitants the rest of the people.

and My salvation for My people shall be forever. Another explanation is: [It refers] actually [to] the heavens and the earth, and this is its explanation: Raise your eyes and look at the heaven and at the earth, and see how strong and sturdy they are, yet they shall rot away, but My righteousness and My salvation shall be forever. Hence, My righteousness is sturdier and stronger than they.