Isaiah 40:6
The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field:
Original Language Analysis
אֶקְרָ֑א
Cry
H7121
אֶקְרָ֑א
Cry
Strong's:
H7121
Word #:
3 of 13
to call out to (i.e., properly, address by name, but used in a wide variety of applications)
מָ֣ה
H4100
מָ֣ה
Strong's:
H4100
Word #:
5 of 13
properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and
אֶקְרָ֑א
Cry
H7121
אֶקְרָ֑א
Cry
Strong's:
H7121
Word #:
6 of 13
to call out to (i.e., properly, address by name, but used in a wide variety of applications)
כָּל
H3605
כָּל
Strong's:
H3605
Word #:
7 of 13
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
הַבָּשָׂ֣ר
All flesh
H1320
הַבָּשָׂ֣ר
All flesh
Strong's:
H1320
Word #:
8 of 13
flesh (from its freshness); by extension, body, person; also (by euphemistically) the pudenda of a man
וְכָל
H3605
וְכָל
Strong's:
H3605
Word #:
10 of 13
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
חַסְדּ֖וֹ
and all the goodliness
H2617
חַסְדּ֖וֹ
and all the goodliness
Strong's:
H2617
Word #:
11 of 13
kindness; by implication (towards god) piety; rarely (by opposition) reproof, or (subject.) beauty
Cross References
Psalms 102:11My days are like a shadow that declineth; and I am withered like grass.Job 14:2He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.Isaiah 58:1Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.Psalms 92:7When the wicked spring as the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish; it is that they shall be destroyed for ever:Isaiah 37:27Therefore their inhabitants were of small power, they were dismayed and confounded: they were as the grass of the field, and as the green herb, as the grass on the housetops, and as corn blasted before it be grown up.Isaiah 40:3The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.Jeremiah 31:6For there shall be a day, that the watchmen upon the mount Ephraim shall cry, Arise ye, and let us go up to Zion unto the LORD our God.Jeremiah 2:2Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD; I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown.
Historical Context
Peter quotes this passage (1 Peter 1:24-25) to emphasize the eternal nature of God's word versus human mortality, encouraging believers facing persecution to trust in imperishable truth.
Questions for Reflection
- How does recognizing your mortality shape your priorities and pursuits?
- In what ways are you tempted to trust in fading human strength rather than eternal God?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
This verse contrasts human frailty ('basar,' flesh) with divine eternity. The Hebrew 'chesed' (translated as 'goodliness') refers to covenant loyalty and beauty, yet even humanity's finest qualities wither like grass. This sobering truth humbles human pride and drives us to seek lasting value in God alone.