Isaiah 40:7Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The grass withers, signifies death. Our own demise resembles the fading of plants and the wilting of blossoms. Death, it is stated, is not multifaceted: when a person passes away, their essence departs—namely, their esteemed qualities, their honor, and their thoughts. As it is written, "all his designs shall perish" (Psalms 145:4); today, you might seek to harm others, but come tomorrow, your legacy will be gone. This truth, which is evident to all, is often overlooked by the indifferent; thus the prophet urges, proclaim, Aquila; raise your voice; in Hebrew it is stated, cria, meaning to call out. God instructs him to proclaim as if to a deaf audience, so that when you witness someone suffering under oppression, you may declare to them the same message: All flesh is grass.

This passage makes it evident that the salvation of God is visible only to those who genuinely love Him and endeavor to think and act in ways that are pleasing to Him. I believe that those who aspire to live righteously and lead a life of purity and excellence, adorning themselves with the life in Christ as a majestic crown, should view the fleeting pleasures of this world as insignificant. They ought to dismiss the accolades of humanity and everything transient, perceiving all earthly matters as truly comparable to hay and grass. In their hearts and minds, they should embrace the voice of God, the Word that originates from Him and the Father. For this Word resides within us through faith, and having been enriched by His divine Spirit, it dwells in us.

The everlasting essence of the Word is distinct from our thoughts and speech, which are both transient and subject to change. Just as our thoughts fade away when we forget them, our spoken words vanish when we choose silence. In contrast, the Word of the Lord, which exists in eternity, remains constant.

Consider this: if you desire what you cherish to endure eternally, you must love accordingly. You may wonder, "How can I grasp the Word of God?" Remember, the Word became incarnate and lived among us (John 1:14)!

The Lord spoke, urging, "Proclaim." I inquired, "What should I proclaim?" Indeed, all humanity is like grass, and its splendor resembles the flowers of the field. The grass withers, and the blossoms fade, for the Spirit of God has breathed upon it. Truly, the people are like grass; the grass has withered, the flowers have fallen, yet the Word of our Lord remains eternal. What is noted with asterisks is sourced from the Hebrew scriptures and Theodotion's version, indicating that this may have been omitted by the Seventy or gradually lost through scribal error, as both prior and following verses conclude with the term flowers. Earlier, the prophet spoke of his experience, relaying how he heard the Lord's voice asking whom He would send to the people. He responded, “Here am I.

In this earthly existence, the well-being of humanity is fleeting; it resembles grass or flowers that soon fade away. Due to its ephemeral nature, even when it flourishes for a brief period, it eventually withers under the rays of the Sun of Righteousness and turns to hay, which is only suitable for the fire. This aligns perfectly with the declarations of the prophet Isaiah and James, who teach us that "the grass withers, the flower fades" and "the sun rises, the heat comes, and the heat dries up the grass, its flower falls off, and the beauty of its appearance perishes."