Isaiah 40:7
The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the LORD blows on it; surely the people are grass.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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What's easy to miss here is the active force behind the fading. It’s not just that grass withers; it's that the "breath of the LORD" blows on it, like a scorching wind that instantly blights everything. This reveals that human glory isn't just fragile, it's vulnerable to God’s direct, even destructive, power.
Just before this, God declared his eternal Word would stand, contrasting it with the fleeting nature of humanity. Now, the prophet illustrates this fragility by comparing all flesh—whether Israel or their oppressors—to grass and flowers, quickly withered by a breath from God, highlighting their temporary existence. This imagery sets the stage for the confident declaration that God's Word, unlike human life, will endure forever.
This passage directly parallels the imagery of life being as fleeting as grass and flowers, emphasizing the ephemeral nature of human existence in comparison to God's enduring love.
James 1:10This verse echoes the same theme, stating that the rich person will fade away 'like a wild flower,' reinforcing the transient glory of worldly prosperity and human life.
Isaiah 40:6This verse immediately precedes the one in question and sets up the comparison by stating 'All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field,' creating a direct literary link and emphasizing the pervasive frailty of humanity.
1 Peter 1:24This New Testament passage quotes Isaiah 40:6-7, reminding believers that 'all flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of the field; the grass withers, and the flower falls,' underscoring the Bible's consistent message about human mortality.
cambridgeIsaiah 40:7: "The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass."
7 . the spirit of the Lord ] Better as R.V. the breath of the LORD , i.e. the wind ( Psalm 103:16 ), specially the scorching east-wind ( Hosea 13:15 ) or Sirocco, which blows chiefly in the spring, blighting the fresh vegetation (see Smith, Hist. Geog. of Palestine , pp. 67 ff.). surely the people is grass ] “The people,” used absolutely, must apparently mean “human…
jfbIsaiah 40:7: "The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass."
- spirit of the Lord—rather, "wind of Jehovah" (Ps 103:16). The withering east wind of those countries sent by Jehovah (Jon 4:8).the people—rather, "this people" [Lowth], which may refer to the Babylonians [Rosenmuller]; but better, mankind in general, as in Isa 42:5, so Isa 40:6, "all flesh"; this whole race, that is, man.
What's easy to miss here is the active force behind the fading. It’s not just that grass withers; it's that the "breath of the LORD" blows on it, like a scorching wind that instantly blights everything. This reveals that human glory isn't just fragile, it's vulnerable to God’s direct, even destructive, power.
Just before this, God declared his eternal Word would stand, contrasting it with the fleeting nature of humanity. Now, the prophet illustrates this fragility by comparing all flesh—whether Israel or their oppressors—to grass and flowers, quickly withered by a breath from God, highlighting their temporary existence. This imagery sets the stage for the confident declaration that God's Word, unlike human life, will endure forever.
Just before this, God declared his eternal Word would stand, contrasting it with the fleeting nature of humanity. Now, the prophet illustrates this fragility by comparing all flesh—whether Israel or their oppressors—to grass and flowers, quickly withered by a breath from God, highlighting their temporary existence. This imagery sets the stage for the confident declaration that God's Word, unlike human life, will endure forever.
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"The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the LORD blows on it; surely the people are grass." — What's easy to miss here is the active force behind the fading. It’s not just that grass withers; it's that the "breath of the LORD" blows on it, like a scorching wind that instantly blights everyt…
