1 Peter 1:24

Contextual Overview

²⁴ The Scriptures say, "Our lives are like the grass of spring, and any glory we enjoy is like the beauty of a wildflower. The grass dries up and dies, and the flower falls to the ground. ²⁴ for "All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, ²⁴ For all flesshe is as grasse and all the glory of man is as the floure of grasse. The grasse widdereth and the flower falleth awaye ²⁴ For, "All flesh is like grass, And all of man's glory like the flower in the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls; ²⁴ For, "ALL FLESH IS LIKE GRASS, AND ALL ITS GLORY IS LIKE THE FLOWER OF GRASS. THE GRASS WITHERS, AND THE FLOWER FALLS OFF,²⁴ The Scripture says, "All people are like the grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. The grass dies and the flowers fall, ²⁴ For, All flesh is as grass, And all the glory thereof as the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls: ²⁴ For all flesh [is] as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and its flower falleth away: ²⁴ for "All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, ²⁴ For, "All flesh is like grass, And all of man's glory like the flower in the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls;

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

For: or, For that

all flesh: 2 Kings 19:26, Psalms 37:2, Psalms 90:5, Psalms 92:7, Psalms 102:4, Psalms 103:15, Psalms 129:6, Isaiah 40:6-8, James 1:10, James 1:11, James 4:14, 1 John 2:17

Reciprocal: Genesis 31:1 - glory 2 Samuel 21:15 - and David waxed faint Job 4:19 - crushed Job 7:6 - swifter Job 8:12 - General Job 14:2 - like Psalms 49:12 - in honour Psalms 87:5 - of Zion Psalms 102:11 - I am withered Proverbs 31:30 - Favour Ecclesiastes 3:18 - concerning Isaiah 37:27 - as the grass of Isaiah 51:12 - man which Isaiah 64:6 - we all Matthew 4:8 - and showeth Matthew 6:30 - clothe Luke 4:6 - and the Luke 12:28 - which John 6:27 - the meat Acts 25:23 - with 1 Corinthians 7:29 - that both 1 Corinthians 7:31 - for 2 Corinthians 11:18 - many Revelation 8:7 - the third

Cross-References

Genesis 1:9
And God said, "Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear." And it was so.

Genesis 1:9
And God said, Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together to one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.

Genesis 1:9
Then God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered together so the dry land will appear." And it happened.

Genesis 1:9
God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place and let dry ground appear." It was so.

Genesis 1:9
And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered into one place, and let the dry [land] appear: and it was so.

Genesis 1:9
God said, "Let the waters under the sky be gathered together to one place, and let the dry land appear," and it was so.

Genesis 1:9
Then God said, "Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place [of standing, pooling together], and let the dry land appear"; and it was so.

Genesis 1:9
Forsothe God seide, The watris, that ben vndur heuene, be gaderid in to o place, and a drie place appere; and it was doon so.

Genesis 1:9
And God saith, `Let the waters under the heavens be collected unto one place, and let the dry land be seen:' and it is so.

Genesis 1:9
And God said, "Let the waters under the sky be gathered into one place, so that the dry land may appear." And it was so.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Ver. 24 For all flesh is as grass,.... All men, as born of corruptible seed, are frail, mortal, and perishing; they spring up like grass, and look beautiful for a while, but are very weak and tender, and in a little time they are cut down by death, and wither away; and while they live, are, in a good measure, nothing but grass in another form; the substance of their life is greatly by it; what is the flesh they eat, but grass turned into it? and this mortality is not only the case of wicked men, as the Jews l interpret the word, but of good men; even of the prophets, and preachers of the Gospel; and yet the word of God spoken by them continues for ever: the passage referred to is in Isaiah 40:6

and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass; all outward things which are in esteem with men, and render them glorious to one another, as riches, honour, wisdom, strength, external righteousness, holiness, and goodness; all which are fading and transitory, like the flower of the field; but the Gospel continues, and reveals durable riches, and honour with Christ; and true wisdom and strength with him, and spiritual knowledge, in comparison of which, all things are dross and dung; and an everlasting righteousness; and true holiness in him: some have thought respect may be had to the legal dispensation, and to all the glory and stateliness and goodliness of the worship and ordinances of it, which were to endure but for a time, and are now removed; and the Gospel dispensation has taken place of them, which will continue to the end of the world:

the grass withereth, and the flower thereof fadeth away; and so fading are all the above things.

l Targum, Jarchi, & Kimchi, in Isa. xl. 6.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For all flesh is as grass - That is, all human beings, all men. The connection here is this: The apostle, in the previous verse, had been contrasting that which is begotten by man with that which is begotten by God, in reference to its permanency. The forher was corruptible and decaying; the latter abiding. The latter was produced by God, who lives forever; the former by the agency of man, who is himself corruptible and dying. It was not unnatural, then, to dwell upon the feeble, frail, decaying nature of man, in contrast with God; and the apostle, therefore, says that “all flesh, every human being, is like grass. There is no stability in anything that man does or produces. He himself resembles grass that soon fades and withers; but God and his word endure forever the same.” The comparison of a human being with grass, or with flowers, is very beautiful, and is quite common in the Scriptures. The comparison turns on the fact, that the grass or the flower, however green or beautiful it may be, soon loses its freshness; is withered; is cut down, and dies. Thus, in Psalms 103:15-16;

“As for man, his days are as grass;

As a flower of the field, so he flourisheth;

For the wind passeth over it and it is gone,

And the place thereof shall know it no more.”

So in Isaiah 40:6-8; a passage which is evidently referred to by Peter in this place:

“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 grass withereth,

The flower fadeth,

When the wind of Jehovah bloweth upon it:

Surely the people is grass,

The grass withereth,

The flower fadeth,

But the word of our God shall stand forever.”

See also James 1:10-11. This sentiment is beautifully imitated by the great dramatist in the speech of Wolsey:

“This is the state of man; today he puts forth.

The tender leaves of hope, tomorrow blossoms,

And bears his blushing honors thick upon him.

The third day comes a frost, a killing frost,

And - when he thinks, good easy man, full surely.

His greatness is a ripening - nips his root,

And then he falls.”

Compare the notes at Isaiah 40:6-8.

And all the glory of man - All that man prides himself on - his wealth, rank, talents, beauty, learning, splendor of equipage or apparel.

As the flower of grass - The word rendered “grass,” (χόρτος chortos,) properly denotes herbage; that which furnishes food for animals - pasture, hay. Probably the prophet Isaiah, from whom this passage is taken, referred rather to the appearance of a meadow or a field, with mingled grass and flowers, constituting a beautiful landscape, than to mere grass. In such a field, the grass soon withers with heat, and with the approach of winter; and the flowers soon fade and fall.

The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away - This is repeated, as is common in the Hebrew writings, for the sake of emphasis, or strong confirmation.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 24. For all flesh is as grass — Earthly seeds, earthly productions, and earthly generations, shall fail and perish like as the grass and flowers of the field; for the grass withereth, and the flower falleth off, though, in the ensuing spring and summer, they may put forth new verdure and bloom.