Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version A voice says, “Cry out.” And I said, “What shall I cry?” “All people are like grass, and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field. New Living Translation A voice said, “Shout!” I asked, “What should I shout?” “Shout that people are like the grass. Their beauty fades as quickly as the flowers in a field. English Standard Version A voice says, “Cry!” And I said, “What shall I cry?” All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. Berean Standard Bible A voice says, “Cry out!” And I asked, “What should I cry out?” “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flowers of the field. King James Bible 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: New King James Version The voice said, “Cry out!” And he said, “What shall I cry?” “All flesh is grass, And all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. New American Standard Bible A voice says, “Call out.” Then he answered, “What shall I call out?” All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. NASB 1995 A voice says, “Call out.” Then he answered, “What shall I call out?” All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. NASB 1977 A voice says, “Call out.” Then he answered, “What shall I call out?” All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. Legacy Standard Bible 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. Amplified Bible A voice says, “Call out [prophesy].” Then he answered, “What shall I call out?” [The voice answered:] All humanity is [as frail as] grass, and all that makes it attractive [its charm, its loveliness] is [momentary] like the flower of the field. Christian Standard Bible A voice was saying, “Cry out! ” Another said, “What should I cry out? ” “All humanity is grass, and all its goodness is like the flower of the field. Holman Christian Standard Bible A voice was saying, “Cry out!” Another said, “What should I cry out?"” All humanity is grass, and all its goodness is like the flower of the field. American Standard Version 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. Contemporary English Version Someone told me to shout, and I asked, "What should I shout?" We humans are merely grass, and we last no longer than wild flowers. English Revised Version 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: GOD'S WORD® Translation A voice called, "Call out!" I asked, "What should I call out?" "Call out: All people are like grass, and all their beauty is like a flower in the field. Good News Translation A voice cries out, "Proclaim a message!" "What message shall I proclaim?" I ask. "Proclaim that all human beings are like grass; they last no longer than wild flowers. International Standard Version A voice says, "Cry out!" So I asked, "What am I to cry out?" "All humanity is grass, and all its loyalty is like the flowers of the field. Majority Standard Bible A voice says, ?Cry out!? And I asked, ?What should I cry out?? ?All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flowers of the field. NET Bible A voice says, "Cry out!" Another asks, "What should I cry out?" The first voice responds: "All people are like grass, and all their promises are like the flowers in the field. New Heart English Bible The voice of one saying, "Cry." And I said, "What shall I cry?" "All flesh is like grass, and all its glory is like the flower of the field. Webster's Bible Translation The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all its goodliness is as the flower of the field: World English Bible 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. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionA voice is saying, “Call,” "" And he said, “What do I call?” All flesh [is] grass, and all its goodness "" [Is] as a flower of the field: Young's Literal Translation 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: Smith's Literal Translation The voice said, Call And he said, What shall I call? All flesh grass, and all its goodness as the flower of the field: Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleThe voice of one, saying: Cry. And I said: What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the glory thereof as the flower of the held. Catholic Public Domain Version The voice of one saying, “Cry out!” And I said, “What should I cry out?” “All flesh is grass, and all its glory is like the flower of the field. New American Bible A voice says, “Proclaim!” I answer, “What shall I proclaim?” “All flesh is grass, and all their loyalty like the flower of the field. New Revised Standard Version A voice says, “Cry out!” And I said, “What shall I cry?” All people are grass, their constancy is like the flower of the field. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleThe voice says, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field; Peshitta Holy Bible Translated The voice that said, ‘Cry out!’ also said: “What shall I cry out?” “Everybody is grass and all his beauty as a flower of the field OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917Hark! one saith: 'Proclaim!' And he saith: 'What shall I proclaim?' 'All flesh is grass, And all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field; Brenton Septuagint Translation The voice of one saying, Cry; and I said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass: Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context The Word of the Lord Stands Forever6A voice says, “Cry out!” And I asked, “What should I cry out?” “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flowers of the field. 7The grass withers and the flowers fall when the breath of the LORD blows on them; indeed, the people are grass.… Cross References 1 Peter 1:24-25 For, “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, / but the word of the Lord stands forever.” And this is the word that was proclaimed to you. James 1:10-11 But the one who is rich should exult in his low position, because he will pass away like a flower of the field. / For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its flower falls and its beauty is lost. So too, the rich man will fade away in the midst of his pursuits. Psalm 103:15-16 As for man, his days are like grass—he blooms like a flower of the field; / when the wind passes over, it vanishes, and its place remembers it no more. Job 14:1-2 “Man, who is born of woman, is short of days and full of trouble. / Like a flower, he comes forth, then withers away; like a fleeting shadow, he does not endure. Psalm 90:5-6 You sweep them away in their sleep; they are like the new grass of the morning— / in the morning it springs up new, but by evening it fades and withers. 1 Corinthians 7:31 and those who use the things of this world, as if not dependent on them. For this world in its present form is passing away. Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, yet our inner self is being renewed day by day. / For our light and momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory that is far beyond comparison. / So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. Psalm 102:11 My days are like lengthening shadows, and I wither away like grass. Psalm 37:2 For they wither quickly like grass and wilt like tender plants. Psalm 49:12 But a man, despite his wealth, cannot endure; he is like the beasts that perish. Psalm 92:7 that though the wicked sprout like grass, and all evildoers flourish, they will be forever destroyed. 1 John 2:17 The world is passing away, along with its desires; but whoever does the will of God remains forever. Ecclesiastes 1:4 Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever. Ecclesiastes 12:7 before the dust returns to the ground from which it came and the spirit returns to God who gave it. Treasury of Scripture 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: cry Isaiah 40:3 The 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. Isaiah 12:6 Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee. Isaiah 58:1 Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins. all flesh Isaiah 37:27 Therefore 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. Job 14:2 He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not. Psalm 90:5,6 Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass which groweth up… Jump to Previous Beauty Cry Field Flesh Flower Glory Goodliness Grass Hark Proclaim Thereof VoiceJump to Next Beauty Cry Field Flesh Flower Glory Goodliness Grass Hark Proclaim Thereof VoiceIsaiah 40 1. The promulgation of the Gospel3. The preaching of John Baptist foretold 9. The preaching of the apostles foretold 12. The prophet, by the omnipotence of God 18. And his incomparableness 26. Comforts the people. A voice says, “Cry out!” This phrase introduces a divine command, indicating a message from God that must be proclaimed. The "voice" is often interpreted as a prophetic voice, possibly Isaiah's, or a heavenly messenger. This command reflects the urgency and importance of the message, emphasizing the role of prophets as God's mouthpieces. The imperative to "cry out" suggests a public declaration, aligning with the prophetic tradition of delivering God's word to the people. And I asked, “What should I cry out?” “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flowers of the field. Persons / Places / Events 1. IsaiahThe prophet who received and conveyed God's messages to the people of Israel. He is the author of the Book of Isaiah, which contains prophecies and teachings relevant to both his time and the future. 2. Voice Represents God's command or a divine messenger instructing Isaiah to deliver a specific message to the people. 3. Flesh Symbolizes humanity in its frailty and mortality, emphasizing the transient nature of human life. 4. Grass and Flowers Metaphors used to illustrate the temporary and fleeting nature of human life and achievements compared to the eternal nature of God. 5. The Field Represents the world or the earthly realm where human life unfolds, subject to the cycles of growth and decay. Teaching Points The Transience of Human LifeRecognize that human life is temporary and fragile, much like grass and flowers. This awareness should lead us to prioritize eternal values over temporary pursuits. The Enduring Word of God While human life is fleeting, God's word remains forever. We should anchor our lives in the eternal truths of Scripture, which provide stability and guidance. Humility and Dependence on God Understanding our mortality should foster humility and a deeper dependence on God, who is eternal and unchanging. The Glory of God vs. Human Glory Human achievements and glory are temporary, but God's glory is everlasting. We should seek to glorify God in our lives rather than pursuing our own fleeting glory. Preparation for Eternity Given the temporary nature of life, we should live with an eternal perspective, preparing our hearts and lives for the life to come.(6) The voice said, Cry.--Literally, A voice saith, Cry. The questioner ("and one said") is probably the prophet himself, asking what he is to proclaim. The truth which he is to enforce thus solemnly is the ever-recurring contrast between the transitoriness of man and the eternity of God and of His word, taking that term in its highest and widest sense. Two points of interest may be noted: (1) that this is another parallelism with Job (Job 14:2); (2) the naturalness of the thought in one who, like Isaiah, was looking back, as Moses looked (Psalm 90:5-6) in extreme old age upon the generations whom he had survived, and forward to the fall of mighty monarchies one after another. The marginal references show how dominant the thought is in the mind of Isaiah. Isaiah himself had uttered it in Isaiah 2:22.Verse 6. - The voice said, Cry; rather, a voice of else that sayeth, Cry. It is a second voice, distinct from that of ver. 3, that now reaches the prophet's ear - a voice responded to by another. The speakers seem to be angels, who contrast the perishable nature of man with the enduringness and unchangingness of God. The point of their discourse is that "the Word of the Lord endureth for ever" (ver. 8), and therefore the preceding promises (vers. 2, 5) are sure. And he said; rather, and one said. A second voice answered the first, and asked what the proclamation was to be. In reply its terms were given. All flesh is grass (comp. Isaiah 37:27; and see also Job 5:25; Psalm 90:5; Psalm 92:7; Psalm 103:15). The goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field. So Ephraim was compared in ch. 28:1 to "a fading flower." The similitude is found also in Job 14:2 and in Psalm 103:15. Homer approaches the idea in his well-known simile, Οἵη περ φύλλων γενεὴ τοιήδε καὶ ἀνδρῶν ('Iliad,' 6:146). Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew A voiceק֚וֹל (qō·wl) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 6963: A voice, sound says, אֹמֵ֣ר (’ō·mêr) Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular Strong's 559: To utter, say “Cry out!” קְרָ֔א (qə·rā) Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular Strong's 7121: To call, proclaim, read And I asked, וְאָמַ֖ר (wə·’ā·mar) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 559: To utter, say “What מָ֣ה (māh) Interrogative Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what should I cry out?” אֶקְרָ֑א (’eq·rā) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular Strong's 7121: To call, proclaim, read “All כָּל־ (kāl-) Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every flesh הַבָּשָׂ֣ר (hab·bā·śār) Article | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 1320: Flesh, body, person, the pudenda of a, man is like grass, חָצִ֔יר (ḥā·ṣîr) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 2682: Green grass, herbage and all וְכָל־ (wə·ḵāl) Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every its glory חַסְדּ֖וֹ (ḥas·dōw) Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular Strong's 2617: Kindness, piety, reproof, beauty like the flowers כְּצִ֥יץ (kə·ṣîṣ) Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 6731: Glistening, a burnished plate, a flower, a wing of the field. הַשָּׂדֶֽה׃ (haś·śā·ḏeh) Article | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 7704: Field, land Links Isaiah 40:6 NIVIsaiah 40:6 NLT Isaiah 40:6 ESV Isaiah 40:6 NASB Isaiah 40:6 KJV Isaiah 40:6 BibleApps.com Isaiah 40:6 Biblia Paralela Isaiah 40:6 Chinese Bible Isaiah 40:6 French Bible Isaiah 40:6 Catholic Bible OT Prophets: Isaiah 40:6 The voice of one saying Cry! 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