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."

◄ Isaiah 66:24 ►

New International Version
“And they will go out and look on the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; the worms that eat them will not die, the fire that burns them will not be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind.”

New Living Translation
And as they go out, they will see the dead bodies of those who have rebelled against me. For the worms that devour them will never die, and the fire that burns them will never go out. All who pass by will view them with utter horror.”

English Standard Version
“And they shall go out and look on the dead bodies of the men who have rebelled against me. For their worm shall not die, their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.”

Berean Standard Bible
“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.”

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
“And they shall go forth and look Upon the corpses of the men Who have transgressed against Me. For their worm does not die, And their fire is not quenched. They shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.”

New American Standard Bible
“Then they will go out and look At the corpses of the people Who have rebelled against Me. For their worm will not die And their fire will not be extinguished; And they will be an abhorrence to all mankind.”

NASB 1995
“Then they will go forth and look On the corpses of the men Who have transgressed against Me. For their worm will not die And their fire will not be quenched; And they will be an abhorrence to all mankind.”

NASB 1977
“Then they shall go forth and look On the corpses of the men Who have transgressed against Me. For their worm shall not die, And their fire shall not be quenched; And they shall be an abhorrence to all mankind.”

Legacy Standard Bible
“Then they will go forth and look On the corpses of the men Who have transgressed against Me. For their worm will not die And their fire will not be quenched; And they will be an object of contempt to all mankind.”

Amplified Bible
“Then they will go forth and look Upon the dead bodies of the [rebellious] men Who have transgressed against Me; For their worm (maggot) will not die, And their fire will not go out; And they will be an abhorrence to all mankind.”

Christian Standard Bible
“As they leave, they will see the dead bodies of those who have rebelled against me; for their worm will never die, their fire will never go out, and they will be a horror to all humanity.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
As they leave, they will see the dead bodies of the men who have rebelled against Me; for their worm will never die, their fire will never go out, and they will be a horror to all mankind.”

American Standard Version
And they shall go forth, and look upon the dead bodies 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.

Contemporary English Version
My people will go out and look at the dead bodies of those who turned against me. The worms there never die, the fire never stops burning, and the sight of those bodies will be disgusting to everyone.

English Revised 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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then they will go out and look at the corpses of those who have rebelled against me. The worms that eat them will not die. The fire that burns them will not go out. All humanity will be disgusted by them.

Good News Translation
"As they leave, they will see the dead bodies of those who have rebelled against me. The worms that eat them will never die, and the fire that burns them will never be put out. The sight of them will be disgusting to all people."

International Standard Version
"Then they will go out and look upon the dead bodies of the people who rebelled against me. For their worm will not die, nor will their fire be extinguished, and they will remain an object of revulsion to all humanity."

Majority Standard Bible
“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.”

NET Bible
"They will go out and observe the corpses of those who rebelled against me, for the maggots that eat them will not die, and the fire that consumes them will not die out. All people will find the sight abhorrent."

New Heart English Bible
"They shall go forth, and look on the dead bodies of the men who have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they will be loathsome to all humankind."

Webster's Bible Translation
And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcasses 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 to all flesh.

World English Bible
“They will go out, and look at the dead bodies of the men who have transgressed against me; for their worm will not die, nor will their fire be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind.”

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
“And they have gone forth, "" And looked on the carcasses of the men "" Who are transgressing against Me, "" For their worm does not die, "" And their fire is not quenched, "" And they have been an abhorrence to all flesh!”

Young's Literal Translation
And they have gone forth, And looked on the carcases of the men Who are transgressing against me, For their worm dieth not, And their fire is not quenched, And they have been an abhorrence to all flesh!

Smith's Literal Translation
And they went forth and saw the carcasses of the men transgressing against me: for their worm shall not die, and their fire shall not be quenched; and they were an abhorrence to all flesh.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
And they shall go out, and see the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against me: their worm shah not die, and their fire shall not be quenched: and they shall be a loathsome sight to all flesh.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And they will go out, and they will view the carcasses of the men who have transgressed against me. Their worm will not die, and their fire will not be extinguished. And they will be a sight to all flesh even unto revulsion.

New American Bible
They shall go out and see the corpses of the people who rebelled against me; For their worm shall not die, their fire shall not be extinguished; and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.

New Revised Standard Version
And they shall go out and look at the dead bodies of the people who have rebelled against me; for their worm shall not die, their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
And they shall go forth and look on the dead bodies of the men that have transgressed against me; for their coals shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And they shall come out and they shall see the corpses of the men, they who have done evil against me, for their worm does not die and their fire is not put out, and they shall be a wonder to everybody.

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
And they shall go forth, and look Upon the carcasses of the men that have rebelled against Me; For their worm shall not die, Neither shall their fire be quenched; And they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And they shall go forth, and see the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, and their fire shall not be quenched; and they shall be a spectacle to all flesh.

Audio Bible

Context

God's Final Judgments Against the Wicked
…23From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come to worship before Me,” says the LORD. 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 · Download

Cross References

Mark 9:43-48
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. / where ‘their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched.’ / If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. ...

Matthew 13:41-42
The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will weed out of His kingdom every cause of sin and all who practice lawlessness. / And they will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Revelation 14:10-11
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. / And the smoke of their torment rises forever and ever. Day and night there is no rest for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.”

Revelation 20:10
And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, into which the beast and the false prophet had already been thrown. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

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.

Matthew 25:41
Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

Matthew 25:46
And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

2 Thessalonians 1:9
They will suffer the penalty of eternal destruction, separated from the presence of the Lord and the glory of His might,

Jude 1:7
In like manner, Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, who indulged in sexual immorality and pursued strange flesh, are on display as an example of those who sustain the punishment of eternal fire.

Revelation 19:20
But the beast was captured along with the false prophet, who on its behalf had performed signs deceiving those who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. Both the beast and the false prophet were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.

Jeremiah 7:33
The corpses of this people will become food for the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and there will be no one to scare them away.

Jeremiah 19:6-8
So behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when this place will no longer be called Topheth or the Valley of Ben-hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter. / And in this place I will ruin the plans of Judah and Jerusalem. I will make them fall by the sword before their enemies, by the hands of those who seek their lives, and I will give their carcasses as food to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth. / I will make this city a desolation and an object of scorn. All who pass by will be appalled and will scoff at all her wounds.

Ezekiel 20:47-48
Say to the forest of the Negev: Hear the word of the LORD! This is what the Lord GOD says: I am about to ignite in you a fire, and it will devour all your trees, both green and dry. The blazing flame will not be quenched, and by it every face from south to north will be scorched. / Then all people will see that I, the LORD, have kindled it; it will not be quenched.”

Ezekiel 39:4-5
On the mountains of Israel you will fall—you and all your troops and the nations with you. I will give you as food to every kind of ravenous bird and wild beast. / You will fall in the open field, for I have spoken, declares the Lord GOD.

Psalm 37:20
But the wicked and enemies of the LORD will perish like the glory of the fields. They will vanish; like smoke they will fade away.

Treasury of Scripture

And they shall go forth, and look on the carcasses 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 to all flesh.

and look

Isaiah 66:16
For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many.

Psalm 58:10,11
The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked…

Ezekiel 39:9-16
And they that dwell in the cities of Israel shall go forth, and shall set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and the bucklers, the bows and the arrows, and the handstaves, and the spears, and they shall burn them with fire seven years: …

their worm

Isaiah 14:11
Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee.

Mark 9:44-49
Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched…

Revelation 14:10,11
The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: …

their fire

Isaiah 34:10
It shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever: from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever.

Matthew 3:12
Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

and they

Isaiah 65:15
And ye shall leave your name for a curse unto my chosen: for the Lord GOD shall slay thee, and call his servants by another name:

Daniel 12:2
And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

1 Thessalonians 2:15,16
Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men: …

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Isaiah 66

1. The glorious God will be served in humble sincerity
5. He comforts the humble by showing the confusion of their enemies
7. With the marvelous growth
10. And the gracious benefits of the church
15. God's severe judgments against the wicked
18. The Gentiles shall have an holy church
24. And see the damnation of the wicked

Berean Study Bible

And they will go out
This phrase indicates a movement or transition from one state or place to another. In the context of Isaiah 66, it suggests a departure from the holy city or a place of judgment. The Hebrew root for "go out" is "yatsa," which often implies a purposeful action or mission. Historically, this can be seen as the faithful leaving the presence of God’s judgment, symbolizing a separation between the righteous and the wicked.

and see
The act of seeing here is not just physical sight but a deeper understanding or realization. The Hebrew word "ra'ah" can mean to perceive or consider. This implies that the observers will gain insight or comprehension of the consequences of rebellion against God. It is a moment of revelation and acknowledgment of divine justice.

the dead bodies
This phrase is stark and vivid, emphasizing the finality of judgment. The Hebrew term "peger" refers to corpses, highlighting the physical and spiritual death that results from sin. In a historical context, this imagery would resonate with the aftermath of battles or divine retribution, serving as a somber reminder of the cost of disobedience.

of those who have rebelled against Me
Rebellion against God is a central theme in the Bible, often leading to dire consequences. The Hebrew word "pasha" means to transgress or revolt. This rebellion is not just a simple act of disobedience but a willful defiance against God’s authority. Scripturally, it underscores the seriousness of turning away from God’s commandments and the inevitable judgment that follows.

for their worm will never die
This phrase is a metaphor for eternal decay and suffering. The "worm" represents the ongoing nature of judgment, drawing from the Hebrew "tola'at," which can refer to maggots or decay. It signifies a perpetual state of corruption, often interpreted as the eternal consequences of sin. This imagery is meant to evoke a sense of urgency in repentance and faithfulness.

their fire will never be quenched
Fire is a common biblical symbol for judgment and purification. The unquenchable fire, from the Hebrew "esh," signifies an eternal punishment that cannot be extinguished. This reflects the irreversible nature of divine judgment for those who persist in rebellion. It serves as a powerful warning of the seriousness of sin and the need for redemption.

and they will be a horror
The term "horror" here, from the Hebrew "dera'on," implies something detestable or abominable. It conveys the idea that the fate of the rebellious will serve as a perpetual reminder of the consequences of sin. Historically, such imagery would be a deterrent, encouraging the faithful to remain steadfast in their devotion to God.

to all mankind
This phrase universalizes the message, indicating that the judgment and its lessons are not limited to a specific group but are meant for all humanity. The Hebrew "basar" for mankind emphasizes the inclusivity of this warning. It serves as a call to all people to recognize the sovereignty of God and the importance of living in accordance with His will. This universal scope underscores the global relevance of the prophetic message and the call to repentance.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(24) And they shall go forth . . .--As at the close of Isaiah 48, 57, each ending a great section of the volume, so here, the vision of restoration and blessedness is balanced by that of the righteous condemnation of the wicked. The outward imagery is suggested, as in Joel 3:12; Zechariah 14:12, by that of the great battle of the Lord (Isaiah 66:15-16). Those who are slain in that battle are thought of as filling the valleys round about Jerusalem, especially the valley of Jehoshaphat ("Jehovah judges "), devoured by worms, or given to the flames. Taken strictly, therefore, the words do not speak of the punishment of the souls of men after death, but of the defeat and destruction upon earth of the enemies of Jehovah. The words that tell us that "the worm shall not die" and that "the fire shall not be quenched" point, however, to something more than this, to be read between the lines. And so those words became the starting-point of the thoughts of later Judaism as to Gehenna (Ecclesiasticus 8:17; Judith 16:17, and the Targum on this passage), of the words in which our Lord Himself gave utterance to what, at least, seemed to express those thoughts (Mark 9:44-48), of the dominant eschatology of Christendom. Even so taken, however, with this wider range, it is still a question whether the words are to be taken literally or figuratively (though this, perhaps, is hardly a question), whether the bodies, which represent souls, are thought of as not destroyed, but only tormented, or as consumed to nothing, by the fire and by the worm, whether those two agents represent sufferings of sense or spirit. The one aspect of the future life which they tend to exclude is that which presents the idea of a suffering that may be purifying. That idea is not without apparent support in other passages of Scripture (e.g., Romans 5:17-21; Romans 11:32; 1Peter 3:19; 1Peter 4:6); but we cannot say that it entered into the prophet's thoughts here. What he emphasises is the eternal antagonism between the righteousness of God and man's unrighteousness, and this involves the punishment of the latter as long as it exists. In any case there is a strange solemnity in this being the last word of the prophet's book of revelation, even as there is a like awfulness in the picture of the final judgment, which appears in Matthew 25:46, at all but the close of our Lord's public teaching. Cheyne quotes a singular rubric of the Jewish ritual, that when this chapter, or Ecclesiastes 12, or Malachi 3, was read in the synagogue, the last verse but one should be repeated after the last, so that mercy might appear as in the end triumphant after and over judgment. . . .

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 24. - And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases, etc. Here is more imagery, which it is impossible to understand literally. The carcases could not remain always to be looked at, nor while they remained could the sight of them be otherwise than loathsome to God's redeemed saints. Again, they could not be at the same time burnt with fire and eaten by worms. "The prophet, by the very mode of description adopted by him, precludes the possibility of our conceiving of the thing set forth as realized in any material form in this present state. He is speaking of the future state, but in figures drawn from the present world" (Delitzsch). Does he mean more than this - that the redeemed shall have in their thoughts, at any rate from time to time, the fact that, while they have by God's great mercy been saved and brought into His kingdom, there are those who have not been saved, but lie for ever under the awful sentence of God's wrath? This is a knowledge which the redeemed must have, and which may well produce a salutary effect on them, intensifying their gratitude and maintaining in them a spirit of reverent fear. Their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched (comp. Mark 9:44, 46, 48). It cannot be by chance that the evangelical prophet concludes his glorious prophecy with this terrible note of warning. Either he was divinely directed thus to terminate his teaching, or he felt the need that there was of his emphasizing all the many warnings dispersed throughout his "book" by a final, never-to-be-forgotten picture. The undying worm and the quenchless fire - images introduced by him - became appropriated thenceforth to the final condition of impenitent sinners (Jud. 16:17; Ecclus. 7:17), and were even adopted by our Lord himself in the same connection (Mark 9.). The incongruity of the two images shows that they are not to be understood literally; but both alike imply everlasting continuance, and are incompatible with either of the two modern heresies of universalism or annihilationism. They shall be an abhorring unto all flesh (comp. Daniel 12:2, where the word deraon is rendered "contempt"). The Jewish rabbis regarded it as anomalous that any portion of Scripture should conclude with words of ill omen. When, therefore, this chapter was read in the synagogue, or the last of Ecclesiastes, or Lamentations, or Malachi, they directed that after the reading of the last verse, the last verse but one should he repeated, to correct the sad impression that would otherwise have been left upon the mind. But Isaiah thought it salutary to leave this sad impression (comp. Isaiah 48:22; Isaiah 57:21).

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

“As they go forth,
וְיָצְא֣וּ (wə·yā·ṣə·’ū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 3318: To go, bring, out, direct and proxim

they will see
וְרָא֔וּ (wə·rā·’ū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 7200: To see

the corpses
בְּפִגְרֵי֙ (bə·p̄iḡ·rê)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 6297: A carcase, an idolatrous image

of the men
הָאֲנָשִׁ֔ים (hā·’ă·nā·šîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

who have rebelled against Me;
הַפֹּשְׁעִ֖ים (hap·pō·šə·‘îm)
Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 6586: To break away, trespass, apostatize, quarrel

for
כִּ֣י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

their worm
תוֹלַעְתָּ֞ם (ṯō·w·la‘·tām)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 8438: The crimson-grub, of the color, from it, cloths dyed therewith

will never
לֹ֣א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

die,
תָמ֗וּת (ṯā·mūṯ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 4191: To die, to kill

their fire
וְאִשָּׁם֙ (wə·’iš·šām)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - common singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 784: A fire

will never
לֹ֣א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

be quenched,
תִכְבֶּ֔ה (ṯiḵ·beh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 3518: To be quenched or extinguished, to go out

and they will be
וְהָי֥וּ (wə·hā·yū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

a horror
דֵרָא֖וֹן (ḏê·rā·’ō·wn)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1860: An object of aversion

to all
לְכָל־ (lə·ḵāl)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

mankind.”
בָּשָֽׂר׃ (bā·śār)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1320: Flesh, body, person, the pudenda of a, man

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OT Prophets: Isaiah 66:24 They shall go forth and look (Isa Isi Is)