Bible Strands
Isaiah 40:7
The grass withers and the flowers fall when the breath of the LORD blows on them; indeed, the people are grass.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — A prophetic voice addresses the people, declaring human frailty immediately before contrasting it with divine permanence.
The words — ר֥וּחַ (Ru.ach) = breath [H7307]; נָ֣בֵֽל (Na.vel) = it withers [H5034].
The thread — The grass-and-flower comparison appears in Isaiah 40:6 and Isaiah 40:8, framing the verse within a declaration of human transience.
Why it lands — The text states that Yahweh's breath causes grass and flowers to wither and fall, then explicitly identifies the people as grass. This demands recognition that human existence is temporary and entirely subject to divine action.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.
Cross-references
- Job 41:21 His breath sets coals ablaze, and flames pour from his mouth.