Isaiah 40:8 (LSB)

Passage

The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.

Nearby Context

Isaiah 40:6 A voice says, “Call out.” Then he answered, “What shall I call out?” All flesh is grass, and all its lovingkindness is like the flower of the field.

Isaiah 40:7 The grass withers, the flower fades, When the breath of Yahweh blows upon it; Surely the people are grass.

Isaiah 40:8 The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.

Isaiah 40:9 Get yourself up on a high mountain, O Zion, bearer of good news, Raise up your voice powerfully, O Jerusalem, bearer of good news; Raise it up, do not fear. Say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!”

Isaiah 40:10 Behold, Lord Yahweh will come with strength, With His arm ruling for Him. Behold, His reward is with Him And His recompense before Him.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "grass", "withers", "flower", "fades", "word", "stands", and "forever". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "grass" and "withers", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 7's "The grass withers the flower fades When..." into verse 9's "Get yourself up on a high mountain...", so "grass" and "withers" belong inside that flow. In Isaiah context, the local focus is the Holy One of Israel, judgment and restoration, the servant of the LORD, and Zion's hope.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "grass" and "withers" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.