Isaiah 59:21
in Isaiah 59“As for Me, this is My covenant with them,” says the LORD. “My Spirit will not depart from you, and My words that I have put in your mouth will not depart from your mouth or from the mouths of your children and grandchildren, from now on and forevermore,” says the LORD.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And as for me, this is my covenant with them, saith Jehovah: my Spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith Jehovah, from henceforth and for ever.
KJV
As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever.
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This verse in Isaiah 59
Commentary
11 notes on this verseAnd he promises to them, saying: This is my covenant with them, whether the agreement, as all others transferred, or the testament, as the Seventy have set forth. But what the covenant, agreement, and testament are, the following verse shows: My spirit, he says, who is in you, and my words that I have placed in your mouth, will not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your seed, from now on and forever. What is said either to Isaiah, as it seems to me, or to the Lord, as most people think.
This site's exposition
As for Me, this is My covenant with them
“As for Me, this is My covenant with them” makes the promise permanent, for “My Spirit will not depart from you”. The covenant binds Spirit and word across three generations, “your children and grandchildren”. Henry takes it as spoken to the prophetic office and through it to the nation.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
He calls "mouth" that of the apostles, and "seed" of the apostles those who learn from their teaching. Thus he promises grace of the Spirit to those who believe in him.… Thus, we who also enjoy this grace, let us sing praises to the fount …
The Medieval Church1 voice
Third, his pact of strength: this is my covenant with them, says the Lord: my spirit that is in you, the spirit of prophecy; your seed, as to the other prophets and the apostles upon whom his Spirit came like an inheritance through a succession …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
My covenant - What I have promised, to them that turn from their iniquity. My words - Which thou hast uttered by virtue of my spirit. Of thy seed - A promise of the perpetual presence of his word and spirit with the prophets, apostles, and teachers of the church to all ages.
This covenant is here said to be made with them, that is, with those that turn from transgression; for those that cease to do evil shall be taught to do well. But the promise is made to a single person-- My Spirit that is upon thee, being directed either, [1.] To Christ as the head of the church, who received that he might give.
As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord,....
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
He was still as ready and willing to help as ever in answer to prayer: His ear is not heavy, that it cannot hear. Though he has many prayers to hear and answer, and though he has been long hearing prayer, yet he is still as ready to hear prayer as ever.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
covenant with them . . . thee--The covenant is with Christ, and with them only as united to Him (Heb 2:13). Jehovah addresses Messiah the representative and ideal Israel. The literal and spiritual Israel are His seed, to whom the promise is to be fulfilled (Ps 22:30). spirit . . . not depart . . . for ever-- (Jer 31:31-37;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase+unbalanced-parens
This is my covenant with them “This is the covenant which I make with them” - For אותם otham, them, twenty-four MSS., (four ancient), and nine editions have אתם ittam, with them. My Spirit that is upon thee - This seems to be an address to the Messiah; Kimchi says it is to the prophet, informing him that the spirit of prophecy should be given to all Israelites in the days of the Messiah, as it was then given to him, i.e., to the prophet. And my words which I have put in thy mouth - Whatsoever Jesus spoke was the word and mind of God himself; and must, as such, be implicitly received. Nor out of the mouth of thy seed - The same doctrines which Jesus preached, all his faithful ministers preach; and his seed - genuine Christians, who are all born of God, believe; and they shall continue, and the doctrines remain in the seed’s seed through all generations - for ever and ever. This is God’s covenant, ordered in all things and sure.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
As for me - In the previous part of the chapter, the prophet has spoken. Here Yahweh is introduced as speaking himself, and as declaring the nature of the covenant which he would establish. In the verse previous, it had been stated that the qualifications on the part of people for their partaking of the benefits of the Redeemer’s work, were, that they should turn from transgression.
The words behind it
26 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַאֲנִ֗י | vaani | and I | H589 → | 874 times |
| זֹ֣את | zot | this | H2063 → | 603 times |
| בְּרִיתִ֤י | beriti | [is] covenant my | H1285 → | 284 times |
| אוֹתָם֙ | ʾotam | with them | H854 → | 929 times |
| אָמַ֣ר | ʾamar | he says | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יְהוָ֔ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| רוּחִי֙ | ruchi | spirit my | H7307 → | 378 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| עָלֶ֔יךָ | ʾaleikha | [is] on you | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| וּדְבָרַ֖י | udevarai | and words my | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| שַׂ֣מְתִּי | samti | I have put | H7760 → | 584 times |
| בְּפִ֑יךָ | befikha | in mouth your | H6310 → | 498 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יָמ֡וּשׁוּ | yamushu | they will depart | H4185 → | 20 times |
| מִפִּיךָ֩ | mipikha | from mouth your | H6310 → | 498 times |
| וּמִפִּ֨י | umipi | and from [the] mouth of | H6310 → | 498 times |
| זַרְעֲךָ֜ | zarakha | offspring your | H2233 → | 229 times |
| וּמִפִּ֨י | umipi | and from [the] mouth of | H6310 → | 498 times |
| זֶ֤רַע | zera' | [the] offspring of | H2233 → | 229 times |
| זַרְעֲךָ֙ | zarakha | offspring your | H2233 → | 229 times |
| אָמַ֣ר | ʾamar | he says | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יְהוָ֔ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| מֵעַתָּ֖ה | meatah | from now | H6258 → | 433 times |
| וְעַד־ | vead- | and until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| עוֹלָֽם׃ ס | olam | perpetuity | H5769 → | 438 times |
וַאֲנִ֗יand I
vaaniH589 →874 times
זֹ֣אתthis
zotH2063 →603 times
בְּרִיתִ֤י[is] covenant my
beritiH1285 →284 times
אוֹתָם֙with them
ʾotamH854 →929 times
אָמַ֣רhe says
ʾamarH559 →5305 times
יְהוָ֔הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
רוּחִי֙spirit my
ruchiH7307 →378 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
עָלֶ֔יךָ[is] on you
ʾaleikhaH5921 →5755 times
וּדְבָרַ֖יand words my
udevaraiH1697 →1440 times
אֲשֶׁר־which
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
שַׂ֣מְתִּיI have put
samtiH7760 →584 times
בְּפִ֑יךָin mouth your
befikhaH6310 →498 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
יָמ֡וּשׁוּthey will depart
yamushuH4185 →20 times
מִפִּיךָ֩from mouth your
mipikhaH6310 →498 times
וּמִפִּ֨יand from [the] mouth of
umipiH6310 →498 times
זַרְעֲךָ֜offspring your
zarakhaH2233 →229 times
וּמִפִּ֨יand from [the] mouth of
umipiH6310 →498 times
זֶ֤רַע[the] offspring of
zera'H2233 →229 times
זַרְעֲךָ֙offspring your
zarakhaH2233 →229 times
אָמַ֣רhe says
ʾamarH559 →5305 times
יְהוָ֔הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
מֵעַתָּ֖הfrom now
meatahH6258 →433 times
וְעַד־and until
vead-H5704 →1261 times
עוֹלָֽם׃ סperpetuity
olamH5769 →438 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
3 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Hebrews 10:16“This is the covenant I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord. I will put My laws in their hearts and inscribe them on their minds.”
it leads to
- Jeremiah 31:33–34
“But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD. I will put My law in their minds and inscribe it on their hearts. And…
- Hebrews 8:8–12
But God found fault with the people and said: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of…
- Romans 11:27
And this is My covenant with them when I take away their sins.”
- Jeremiah 31:33–34
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Isaiah
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Isaiah; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theodoret of Cyrus, COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 18:59.21 and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.