Psalm 102:25–27

As a Vesture

Quoted by the apostles in Hebrews 1:10–12, in the older Greek wording

Side by Side

The Older Text

Septuagint, translated before Messiah

In the beginning thou, O Lord, didst lay the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands. They shall perish, but thou remainest: and they all shall wax old as a garment; and as a vesture shalt thou fold them, and they shall be changed.

The Later Text

Masoretic, finished about 1,000 years after the cross

Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. 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. (No “O Lord” in this verse.)

Quoted in Hebrews 1:10–12

The apostle’s Old Testament

And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.

Your KJV reads: the Hebrew “change them” in the Psalm, and the Greek “fold them up” in Hebrews.

See what changed and why ↓

What Your Bible Says

And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.
Hebrews 1:12 KJV

Hebrews pictures the heavens as an old coat. The One who made them rolls them up and puts them away.

What the Psalm Says

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.
Psalm 102:26 KJV

In the Psalm the coat is not folded. It is changed for another.

What Changed

The Greek copy behind your Hebrews reads “fold them,” where the Hebrew reads “change them.” The Greek also adds “O Lord” to the line about laying the foundation of the earth. Hebrews follows the Greek in both.

The picture is the same. Worn-out heavens are taken off like an old garment, and the Maker stays as He is.

Who Is Above Whom?

Some read Hebrews 1:10 as proof that the Son is Yahuah. Read the chapter whole. Elohim is the One speaking. He spoke “by his Son” and “appointed” Him heir (1:2). He says, “this day have I begotten thee” (1:5). And He anoints Him: “God, even thy God, hath anointed thee” (1:9). A Son who is begotten, appointed, and anointed by His God is not that God.

Purpose of the Change

No motive evident: wording variation only. It matters because Hebrews quoted the Greek wording, which is why your KJV says “change them” in Psalms and “fold them up” in Hebrews.

The Bottom Line

Folded or changed, the old heavens wear out. The One who made them does not.

John saw the change come: “I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away” (Revelation 21:1).

Dig Deeper The evidence, for anyone who wants it

Rolled Like a Scroll

The Greek word for “fold them up” means to roll up. Revelation uses the same word: “the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together” (Revelation 6:14).

An Honest Note

The Greek copies of this Psalm do not all agree. The copy behind Brenton’s English reads “fold them,” but other Greek copies read “change them,” just like the Hebrew. A few copies of Hebrews also read “change.” The “O Lord” in the foundation line, however, is in the Greek and not in the Hebrew.