All people are fragile and fleeting like grass, but God’s enduring power and promise stand forever.
“A voice says, ‘Call out.’ Then he answered, ‘What shall I call out? All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field’” (v.6). In this verse, Isaiah hears a proclamation from God, and then poses the question of what message should be proclaimed. The answer powerfully declares the temporary nature of humanity by describing all flesh as grass, emphasizing the fragile and fleeting character of our mortal existence compared to God’s eternal constancy. Just as grass withers swiftly in scorching heat or a flower fades after a short bloom, so do human achievements and glory diminish before the everlasting majesty of the LORD and His word.
Isaiah, who prophesied in Judah around 740-681 BC, paints a vivid image that underscores our dependence on the Creator. The reference to grass and flowers would have been common in the arid climate of the ancient Near East, where plant life is here one moment and gone the next. By pointing to the reality of human limitations, Isaiah calls upon his audience to trust in God rather than in their own strength or worldly power. In time, everything that is merely human fades, but God’s word endures forever (a truth echoed in 1 Peter 1:24-25).
The verse also foreshadows how Jesus, in the New Testament, fulfills the hope that Isaiah’s words evoke. While everything earthly and human is subject to decay, Christ remains the unfading source of salvation and life (John 14:6). His eternal nature and sovereign authority surpass all that is temporal, giving us a secure foundation and reason to take heart, even when our own limitations become painfully clear.
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Isaiah 40:6 meaning
“A voice says, ‘Call out.’ Then he answered, ‘What shall I call out? All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field’” (v.6). In this verse, Isaiah hears a proclamation from God, and then poses the question of what message should be proclaimed. The answer powerfully declares the temporary nature of humanity by describing all flesh as grass, emphasizing the fragile and fleeting character of our mortal existence compared to God’s eternal constancy. Just as grass withers swiftly in scorching heat or a flower fades after a short bloom, so do human achievements and glory diminish before the everlasting majesty of the LORD and His word.
Isaiah, who prophesied in Judah around 740-681 BC, paints a vivid image that underscores our dependence on the Creator. The reference to grass and flowers would have been common in the arid climate of the ancient Near East, where plant life is here one moment and gone the next. By pointing to the reality of human limitations, Isaiah calls upon his audience to trust in God rather than in their own strength or worldly power. In time, everything that is merely human fades, but God’s word endures forever (a truth echoed in 1 Peter 1:24-25).
The verse also foreshadows how Jesus, in the New Testament, fulfills the hope that Isaiah’s words evoke. While everything earthly and human is subject to decay, Christ remains the unfading source of salvation and life (John 14:6). His eternal nature and sovereign authority surpass all that is temporal, giving us a secure foundation and reason to take heart, even when our own limitations become painfully clear.