Grasses, though not frequently mentioned in the Bible, play a significant role in the imagery and symbolism found throughout the Scriptures. They are often used to convey themes of transience, provision, and the natural order established by God.

Biblical References and Symbolism

1. Transience and Mortality: Grasses are frequently used as a metaphor for the fleeting nature of human life. In Isaiah 40:6-8 , the prophet declares, "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 our God stands forever." This passage emphasizes the temporary nature of human existence in contrast to the eternal word of God. Similarly, in Psalm 103:15-16 , it is written, "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."

2. Provision and Sustenance: Grasses are also associated with God's provision for His creation. In Psalm 104:14 , it is stated, "He makes the grass grow for the livestock and provides crops for man to cultivate, bringing forth food from the earth." This verse highlights God's care and provision for both animals and humans, ensuring that the earth produces what is necessary for sustenance.

3. Natural Order and Beauty: The beauty and order of creation are reflected in the mention of grasses. In Matthew 6:28-30 , Jesus uses the example of the grass of the field to teach about God's provision and care: "And why do you worry about clothes? Consider how the lilies of the field grow: They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was adorned like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?" Here, grasses are part of the broader creation that reflects God's intricate design and care.

4. Judgment and Renewal: In prophetic literature, grasses can symbolize both judgment and renewal. In Isaiah 51:12 , God reassures His people, saying, "I, even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you fear mortal man, the sons of men who are but grass?" This serves as a reminder of God's sovereignty over human affairs and the ultimate renewal He promises.

Cultural and Historical Context

In the ancient Near East, grasses were a common sight in the landscape, providing essential grazing for livestock. The agrarian society of biblical times relied heavily on the growth of grasses and grains for survival. The imagery of grasses would have been immediately understood by the original audience as a symbol of both the fragility and the sustenance of life.

Theological Implications

The use of grasses in the Bible underscores the themes of human frailty, divine provision, and the beauty of God's creation. It serves as a reminder of the temporary nature of earthly life and the enduring nature of God's promises. Through the imagery of grasses, believers are called to trust in God's provision and to recognize the transient nature of worldly concerns in light of eternal truths.

The Savanna of Aripo
... the midst of a never-failing drizzle, grow luxuriant Ardisias, Aroids, Ferns, Costas,
Heliconias, Centropogons, Hydrocotyles, Cyperoids, and Grasses of various ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/at last/chapter xii the savanna of.htm

Diamond and his Mother Sat Down Upon the Edge of the Rough Grass ...
... and the trailingest tails. and they shine like snow. in the grasses that grow. by
the singing river. ... flowing for ever. that washes the grasses. still as it passes ...
/.../macdonald/at the back of the north wind/chapter 13 diamond and his.htm

Thou Spreadest Before Me a Table in the Presence of Mine Enemies.
... The shepherd is aware of all these evils and enemies of his tender flock; and he
goes ahead and prepares the way, avoiding the poisonous grasses, and driving ...
/.../callan/the shepherd of my soul/ix thou spreadest before me.htm

Off to vienna
... highways cut Europe from end to end; though there were tracts in Stanislaus' country
where the roadway was only the broad steppe, where the grasses waved and ...
/.../chapter iv off to vienna.htm

San Josef
... and scrub. But the coarse broad-leaved grasses seem to keep the mules in
good condition enough, at least in the rainy season. Most ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/at last/chapter ix san josef.htm

The Great Mysteries in the Building of the Militant and Triumphant ...
... and the fourth with grass half-withered, the upper parts of the plants green, and
the parts about the roots withered; and some of the grasses, when the sun ...
/.../the pastor books first second third/similitude ninth the great mysteries.htm

What Happened
... Words seem like little feeble shadows of some grim rock, like little feeble shadows
of the grasses growing on it, rather than of it, in its solidity; or, to ...
/.../wilson-carmichael/things as they are/chapter xiv what happened.htm

Rachel's Refuge
... the stables; her pets had drooped and perished; her birds were missing one morning,
and Rachel said they had flown to Goshen, where there were grain and grasses ...
//christianbookshelf.org/miller/the yoke/chapter xxxii rachels refuge.htm

He Careth for You
... The flowers, the fruits, the grains, the grasses, the animals, the sunshine, the
winds, the rains, and all were made to minister to man's need, comfort, and ...
//christianbookshelf.org/naylor/heart talks/talk fifty-two he careth for.htm

Jesus in the Desert.
... The desert to which He went was not a waste of flat sand, like the African desert,
but masses of rock with sand and dry grasses between, great cliffs of chalk ...
/.../lathbury/childs story of the bible/chapter vii jesus in the.htm

Grasses (2 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Grasses (2 Occurrences). Job 40:22 He is covered by the
branches of the trees; the grasses of the stream are round him. (BBE). ...
/g/grasses.htm - 6k

Millet (1 Occurrence)
... It is universally cultivated in the East as one of the smaller corn-grasses. ... Noah
Webster's Dictionary. (n.) A type of grasses cultivated for hay or grain. ...
/m/millet.htm - 8k

Grasshopper (12 Occurrences)

/g/grasshopper.htm - 12k

Grass (92 Occurrences)
... gras: (1) chatsir, from a root meaning "greenness"; compare Arabic Khudra, which
includes grasses and green vegetables (1 Kings 18:5 2 Kings 19:26 Job 40:15 ...
/g/grass.htm - 43k

Jungle (4 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (n.) A dense growth of brushwood, grasses, reeds, vines,
etc.; an almost impenetrable thicket of trees, canes, and reedy vegetation ...
/j/jungle.htm - 8k

Grain (413 Occurrences)
... 3. (n.) The fruit of certain grasses which furnish the chief food of man, as corn,
wheat, rye, oats, etc., or the plants themselves; -- used collectively. ...
/g/grain.htm - 39k

Fen (1 Occurrence)
... (n.) Low land overflowed, or covered wholly or partially with water, but producing
sedge, coarse grasses, or other aquatic plants; boggy land; moor; marsh. ...
/f/fen.htm - 6k

Rust (7 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) A minute mold or fungus forming reddish or rusty spots on the leaves and
stems of cereal and other grasses (Trichobasis Rubigo-vera), now usually ...
/r/rust.htm - 11k

Reaping (10 Occurrences)
... The reaper sometimes wears pieces of cane on the fingers of the hand which gathers
the grain in order to protect them from injury by the sharp grasses or the ...
/r/reaping.htm - 13k

Reed (41 Occurrences)
... 4. (n.) A name given to many tall and coarse grasses or grasslike plants, and their
slender, often jointed, stems, such as the various kinds of bamboo, and ...
/r/reed.htm - 29k

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