Isaiah 40:7 kjv
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.
Isaiah 40:7 nkjv
The grass withers, the flower fades, Because the breath of the LORD blows upon it; Surely the people are grass.
Isaiah 40:7 niv
The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the LORD blows on them. Surely the people are grass.
Isaiah 40:7 esv
The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the LORD blows on it; surely the people are grass.
Isaiah 40:7 nlt
The grass withers and the flowers fade
beneath the breath of the LORD.
And so it is with people.
Isaiah 40 7 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 40:7 | The grass withers, the flower fades, because the breath of the LORD blows on it; surely the people are grass. | Isa 40:7 (entire verse) |
| Ps 90:5-6 | You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream... In the morning they are like grass which sprouts anew, but in the evening it withers and dries up. | Ps 90:5-6 (transience) |
| Ps 103:15-16 | As for man, his days are like grass; like a wildflower he blooms, but it withers... for the wind passes over it and it is gone. | Ps 103:15-16 (simile of life) |
| Job 14:2 | He comes forth like a flower and withers; he flees like a shadow and does not endure. | Job 14:2 (flower imagery) |
| Job 7:7 | Remember that my life is but wind; my eye will not again see good. | Job 7:7 (life as wind) |
| Isa 37:31 | The remnant that has escaped of the house of Judah will again take root downward and bear fruit upward. | Isa 37:31 (contrast with flourishing) |
| Jer 13:23 | Can an Ethiopian change his skin or a leopard its spots? Then also you can do good who are accustomed to do evil. | Jer 13:23 (impossibility of change) |
| 1 Pet 1:24 | For "All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of the field; the grass withers, and the flower falls." | 1 Pet 1:24 (direct quote/echo) |
| 1 Pet 1:25 | But the word of the Lord remains forever. | 1 Pet 1:25 (contrast with Word) |
| Ps 39:4-5 | "O LORD, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life. Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely all mankind stands as nothing!" | Ps 39:4-5 (fleetingness) |
| Eccl 3:2 | A time to be born, and a time to die... | Eccl 3:2 (life cycles) |
| Eccl 1:11 | There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of future things among those who come after. | Eccl 1:11 (impermanence) |
| Ps 33:18-19 | Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, that he may deliver their life from death, and to keep them alive in famine. | Ps 33:18-19 (LORD's care vs. transience) |
| Isa 40:8 | The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. | Isa 40:8 (contrast with God's Word) |
| John 1:14 | And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. | John 1:14 (The enduring Word) |
| Rom 8:20-21 | For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it in hope; that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. | Rom 8:20-21 (creation's hope) |
| Heb 1:10-12 | and, "You laid the foundation of the earth in the old times, O Lord, and the heavens are the works of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment, you will roll them up like a cloak, and they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will have no end." | Heb 1:10-12 (endurance vs. change) |
| Matt 6:30 | But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? | Matt 6:30 (paralleling God's care for grass) |
| James 1:10-11 | And let the rich man glory in his humiliation, because like a flower of the field he will pass away. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the field; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits. | James 1:10-11 (rich fading like flower) |
| Prov 27:1 | Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth. | Prov 27:1 (uncertainty of life) |
Isaiah 40 verses
Isaiah 40 7 Meaning
The breath of man is like grass, it withers.
Isaiah 40 7 Context
This verse appears in Isaiah chapter 40, a chapter rich with messages of comfort and restoration for the exiled people of Judah. Following a period of judgment, God promises to bring them back to Jerusalem. The prophet uses imagery to convey the temporary nature of earthly power and human life, contrasting it with the eternal power and word of God. This particular verse serves as a foundational statement about human frailty. It sets the stage for the declarations of God's unyielding strength and faithfulness that follow in the chapter. The audience, having experienced the consequences of their sin and exile, needed to understand that all worldly authority and human effort are ephemeral when compared to God's sovereign and everlasting nature.
Isaiah 40 7 Word Analysis
כִּי (ki): "for," "because," "that." It introduces a reason or an explanation for a preceding statement or implication.
חָצִיר (chatzir): "grass," "green fodder," "pasture." This word refers to the common, fragile vegetation that grows and dies quickly with changes in weather. It is a vivid image of ephemerality.
וּ (u): "and." A simple conjunction.
צִיץ (tzitz): "flower," "blossom." It denotes the decorative and beautiful but short-lived aspect of plant life, emphasizing delicate beauty that quickly perishes.
וּ (u): "and."
נָבֵל (navel): "to fade," "to wither," "to wilt." This verb describes the process of losing freshness and vitality, particularly applicable to plants. It implies decay and the loss of bloom.
כִּי (ki): "for," "because," "that." Here it signifies the cause of the withering.
רוּחַ (ruach): "wind," "breath," "spirit." In this context, it strongly signifies the "breath" or "wind" of God, a powerful force of nature that brings about change and dissolution. The parallelism with "grass" and "flower" suggests an active divine agent.
יְהוָה (YHWH): The covenant name of God, emphasizing His personal involvement and power.
נָשָׁב (nashav): "blew," "wind blew." The past tense of the verb "to blow," indicating a completed action. It emphasizes the agency of God's "breath" or "wind."
כִּי (ki): "for," "surely," "indeed." Used for strong affirmation, underlining the truth of the statement that follows.
עַם (am): "people," "nation." This refers collectively to humanity.
חָצִיר (chatzir): "grass." The repetition reinforces the simile: people are as ephemeral as grass.
הֵם (hem): "they." Pronoun referring back to "people."
הָיְתָ (hayetah): "they are," "they have become." This is a form of the verb "to be," indicating a state or condition.
אֶמֶס (emesh): "yesterday," "in the past." It suggests that what is currently flourishing was recently absent or nonexistent, highlighting the ephemeral nature of existence, that its presence is transient and fleeting like a memory from yesterday.
Group analysis: The verse begins by establishing a parallel between the plant kingdom's transient beauty and human existence. "Grass" (חָציר, chatzir) and "flower" (צִיץ, tzitz) represent life that is beautiful and green but inherently temporary, subject to immediate decay. The cause is directly attributed to God's "breath" or "wind" (רוּחַ, ruach) which "blew" (נָשָׁב, nashav). This isn't a gentle breeze but a powerful divine exhalation that can quickly end life and beauty. The verse then powerfully equates "people" (עַם, am) with "grass" (חָציר, chatzir), solidifying the comparison of humanity's existence to the fragile vegetation of the field. The final phrase, "they are as yesterday" (כִּי אֶמֶס הֵם הָיְתָ, ki emesh hem hayetah), emphasizes this transience, likening their existence to something that has already passed, fading rapidly into memory.
Isaiah 40 7 Bonus Section
The immediate continuation of this thought in Isaiah 40:8 provides a critical contrast: "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever." This juxtaposition is central to the chapter's message of comfort. While humanity and all its earthly expressions are temporary, God's promises and His Word are immutable and everlasting. This theme of the enduring nature of God's Word against the backdrop of human transience is a recurring motif throughout Scripture, culminating in the New Testament understanding of Jesus Christ, the incarnate Word of God. The imagery here is deeply rooted in the agricultural realities of the ancient Near East, where seasons and droughts could rapidly devastate crops, making the fragility of life an observable phenomenon. Scholars highlight that this passage serves as a prelude to God's ultimate salvation plan, reminding people that temporary afflictions are overcome by His eternal power and faithfulness.
Isaiah 40 7 Commentary
This verse uses nature to teach a profound truth about human life: its inherent fragility and fleetingness. The imagery of grass withering and flowers fading under the "breath of the LORD" is a powerful metaphor for the swift and unavoidable passage of human existence. The "breath of the LORD" represents God's active power, which, like an invisible force of nature, can end life abruptly. This doesn't necessarily imply divine anger but the natural course of life within God's sovereign control. By comparing people to grass, the verse underscores that all human glory, achievements, and power are temporary. Even the most vibrant life eventually fades. This understanding should lead humanity to humility and reliance on God, whose word and power are eternal, unlike mortal life.