Isaiah 40:6 Meaning: The Strange Comfort of 'All Flesh Is Grass'
The voice of one saying, “Cry out!” One said, “What shall I cry?” “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory is like the flower of the field.
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:
The voice of one saying, Cry. And one said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field.
A voice is saying, `Call,' And he said, `What do I call?' All flesh is grass, and all its goodliness is As a flower of the field:
A voice saith, Cry. And he saith, What shall I cry? — All flesh is grass, and all the comeliness thereof as the flower of the field.
Meaning in one sentence
Isaiah 40:6 teaches that human strength fades like grass, but that honesty about our frailty prepares us to trust God's enduring word.
Context
Chapter 40 is a turning point in Isaiah. After long warnings of judgment, the tone shifts abruptly to comfort. The prophet hears a divine voice telling him to speak tenderly to Jerusalem: her suffering is over, her sins are pardoned. Then comes a voice calling for a road to be built in the desert, a highway for God to lead his people home.
Into this scene of hope, a second voice speaks. It commands the prophet to cry out. When he asks what to say, the answer is surprisingly blunt: all humanity is grass; even its finest qualities are no more lasting than a wildflower. The contrast with the verses before and after is deliberate. The same chapter that announces God coming in power also insists that we face our own fragility. This honesty is not meant to discourage but to clear the ground. Only when we stop leaning on what withers can we rest on what lasts.
Key Words
Two Hebrew words together carry the force of this verse. The first is basar, translated “flesh.” In the Old Testament it often points to human beings in their weakness and limits. It is what we are apart from God’s Spirit: finite, breakable, dependent. The word itself does not sneer at being human, it simply tells the truth about what we are.
The second word is more surprising. Chesed usually means lovingkindness or loyal love, but here it describes the “glory” or “goodliness” of human life. The same word that names God’s steadfast love is used for the best we have to offer, our beauty, our achievements, our finest qualities. And the verse says even that best is like a flower that fades. It is a humbling thought, but not a cruel one. God is not mocking us. He is inviting us to stop building our lives on something that will not hold.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions have read this verse as the hinge between honest self-knowledge and lasting hope. The Reformers often heard in it the contrast between law and gospel: the law shows us our frailty, the gospel points us to God’s unfailing promise. Anglicans and Baptists have highlighted its connection to John the Baptist, who prepared the way by calling people to face their need. The apostle Peter later applies the same words to the gospel itself, the “word that stands forever” is the good news of Christ. In Catholic tradition, the verse is often read during Advent, reminding believers that every human glory passes, so we can fix our hope on the coming of the Lord. All these readings agree on one thing: the message of our weakness is not the last word. It clears the path for the Word that cannot fade.
A common misunderstanding
Some readers take “all flesh is grass” as a bleak statement of despair, a reminder that everything we are and do will eventually disappear. In fact, this proclamation is the foundation for hope. Because human strength and human glory are temporary, we are free to trust in the only thing that lasts. The chapter opens with comfort, not gloom. The frailty we admit is the very reason we can rely on God’s word without reservation.
Living This Out
This week, pay attention to the things you lean on: your reputation, your health, your ability to get things done. None of these are bad, but Isaiah invites you to see them clearly. They are like grass. They will not carry you forever. That honesty is not meant to depress you. It is meant to free you. Maybe you are in a season where your grass is withering, a disappointment, an aging body, a failed plan. Let that honest ache point you toward what does not fade. God’s promises feel solid when we stop pretending we are solid on our own.
Main takeaway: Our human strength and glory are temporary, but God's word stands forever, and that is the sure ground for our hope.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
The Bible says people are like grass. Grass grows but then it dries up. We are not the strongest thing, but God's words never go away. They last forever.
For ages 9, 12
Think of a dandelion. It looks bright for a little while, but then the wind blows it away. That is what the Bible says about everything we do and make. Our lives and our best days don't last forever. But God's promises are not like a dandelion. They stay true forever, and you can always count on them.
Questions People Ask
Why does the voice say to 'cry out'? What does that mean?
The command to cry out means to proclaim loudly and publicly. The prophet asks what message he should deliver, and the answer is the contrast between human frailty and God's enduring word. This call to cry out is a commissioning for the prophet and for all who speak God's message.
What is 'the glory of all flesh' in this verse?
The Hebrew word is 'chesed,' which usually means lovingkindness but here refers to the beauty, strength, and attractiveness of human life. It is everything people pride themselves on: achievements, good looks, power, or virtue. The verse says that even the best parts of us are as fragile as a wildflower.
How does this verse connect to John the Baptist?
John the Baptist identified himself as the voice crying in the wilderness from Isaiah 40:3. Verses 6, 8 continue that message: all flesh is grass but God's word stands forever. John's call to repentance prepared people to see their need for the lasting word of God, fulfilled in Jesus.
Is this verse good news or bad news?
It can feel like bad news at first, a reminder that we die and our work fades. But in the context of Isaiah 40, this honest assessment points to the good news: God's word does not fade. When we stop trusting in what is temporary, we are free to trust in what lasts forever. That is the comfort the chapter begins with.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study