They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away,
English Standard Version (ESV)
While we often focus on God's eternal nature versus creation's decay, the deeper insight here is God's active role: He doesn't just watch creation wear out, He actively changes it like a garment. This isn't just about destruction, but a purposeful transformation initiated by God Himself.
They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away,
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Psalmist is in deep distress, crying out to God about his suffering and apparent abandonment. He contrasts his own fragile existence with God's unchanging nature and eternal power, even as he considers the vastness of the created universe. This reflection on the transience of all things, including the heavens and earth, leads to the declaration that only God truly endures.
We often see the mountains, the stars, the enduring natural world as symbols of permanence. But what if this seemingly solid reality is compared to something temporary?
A Temporary Cloak
This verse presents a stark contrast: creation's eventual demise versus God's eternal existence. The psalmist uses powerful imagery of a 'garment' and 'vesture' to describe the heavens and the earth.
Worn Out and Changed
Think about your favorite jacket or a beloved blanket. Over time, it gets worn, faded, perhaps develops holes. It can no longer serve its original purpose and is eventually discarded or replaced. This is the picture painted here for the entire cosmos. The 'they' in the verse refers to the heavens and the earth, and the implication is that they will deteriorate, wear out, and eventually be 'changed.' This isn't just about physical decay, but a complete transformation of the existing order.
Divine Action in Change
Notice the active role God plays: 'You will change them like a robe.' It's not a passive fading, but an intentional act by God. This imagery powerfully communicates that the created order, as we know it, is not eternal. It had a beginning, and it will have an end, not necessarily through annihilation, but through a fundamental change orchestrated by the Creator himself.
In a universe defined by change and decay, where do we find true stability? This verse points to an unchanging anchor.
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The Eternal Constant
The most profound truth in this verse is the absolute contrast between the perishable nature of all created things and the eternal, unchanging nature of God.
Beyond Time and Decay
While creation wears out, God 'will remain.' This isn't just about longevity; it speaks to His essential being. God is not subject to the laws of entropy or decay that govern everything He has made. He existed before creation, He sustains it now, and He will exist, unchanged and eternal, long after it has passed away.
The Source of All Being
Because God is eternal, His existence is necessary and self-sufficient. Everything else depends on Him for its existence and its preservation, even from 'speedy disorder, decay, and ruin,' as one commentator noted. His endurance is the foundation upon which all reality rests. When the 'garment' of creation is folded away, God, the Everlasting One, will still be.
Understand the original words
’āḇaḏ · Hebrew Verb
The state of being destroyed, ending, or ceasing to exist; often used in Scripture to contrast the temporary nature of creation with the eternal nature of God.
‘āmaḏ · Hebrew Verb
A state of permanent existence, having no beginning and no end; a unique attribute of God who exists outside of time.
ḥālap̄ · Hebrew Verb
The act of being physically transformed or replaced, emphasizing God’s sovereign control over the created order and His ability to renew it.
This passage directly echoes the imagery of the heavens and earth wearing out like a garment, reinforcing the idea of their impermanence compared to God's eternal nature.
Hebrews 1:10-12The New Testament author directly quotes and applies Psalm 102:26 to Jesus Christ, highlighting His unchanging, eternal existence in contrast to the created order which will all grow old and pass away.
2 Peter 3:10-13This passage describes the destruction of the current heavens and earth and their passing away, aligning with the verse's depiction of creation's transience and pointing towards a future renewal.
Matthew 24:35Jesus Himself confirms the impermanence of the current created order, stating that 'heaven and earth will pass away,' which strongly resonates with the psalmist's declaration of their eventual obsolescence.
pulpitPsalms 102:26: "They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed:"
Verse 26. - They shall perish. The coming destruction of the world that now is, is very frequently declared in Holy Scripture (see Isaiah 51:6; Isaiah 65:17; Matthew 24:35; Mark 13:31; Luke 21:33; 2 Peter 3:7, 10, 12). But thou shalt endure. With the perishable nature of the whole material creation, the psalmist contrasts the a…
clarkePsalms 102:26: "They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed:"
They shall perish - Nothing can be eternal a parte ante, or a parte post, but thyself. Even that which thou hast created, because not necessarily eternal, must be perishable; necessary duration belongs to God only; and it is by his will and energy alone that universal nature is preserved in existence, and preserved from running…
While we often focus on God's eternal nature versus creation's decay, the deeper insight here is God's active role: He doesn't just watch creation wear out, He actively changes it like a garment. This isn't just about destruction, but a purposeful transformation initiated by God Himself.
The Psalmist is in deep distress, crying out to God about his suffering and apparent abandonment. He contrasts his own fragile existence with God's unchanging nature and eternal power, even as he considers the vastness of the created universe. This reflection on the transience of all things, including the heavens and earth, leads to the declaration that only God truly endures.
The Psalmist is in deep distress, crying out to God about his suffering and apparent abandonment. He contrasts his own fragile existence with God's unchanging nature and eternal power, even as he considers the vastness of the created universe. This reflection on the transience of all things, including the heavens and earth, leads to the declaration that only God truly endures.
"They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away," — While we often focus on God's eternal nature versus creation's decay, the deeper insight here is God's active role: He doesn't just watch creation wear out, He actively changes it like a garment.…
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Last reviewed October 2026