1 Peter 1 · Verse 24

1 Peter 1:24

For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:

1 Peter 1:24, King James Version

1 Peter 1:24 in other translations

BSB	For, “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall,
WEB	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;
ASV	For, All flesh is as grass, And all the glory thereof as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower falleth:
YLT	because all flesh is as grass, and all glory of man as flower of grass; wither did the grass, and the flower of it fell away,
DARBY	Because all flesh is as grass, and all its glory as the flower of grass. The grass has withered and its flower has fallen;
BBE	For it is said, All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of the grass. The grass becomes dry and the flower dead:
Webster	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:

What does 1 Peter 1:24 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

24. Scripture proof that the word of God lives for ever, in contrast to man's natural frailty. If ye were born again of flesh, corruptible seed, ye must also perish again as the grass; but now that from which you have derived life remains eternally, and so also will render you eternal. flesh--man in his mere earthly nature. as--omitted in some of the oldest manuscripts. of man--The oldest manuscripts read, "of it" (that is, of the flesh). "The glory" is the wisdom, strength, riches, learning, honor, beauty, art, virtue, and righteousness of the NATURAL man (expressed by "flesh"), which all are transitory (Joh 3:6), not OF MAN (as English Version reads) absolutely, for the glory of man, in his true ideal realized in the believer, is eternal. withereth--Greek, aorist: literally, "withered," that is, is withered as a thing of the past. So also the Greek for "falleth" is "fell away," that is, is fallen away: it no sooner is than it is gone. thereof--omitted in the best manuscripts and versions. "The grass" is the flesh: "the flower" its glory.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes

Verse 24. For all flesh is as grass. That is, all human beings, all men. The connexion 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 former was corruptible and decaying; the latter abiding. The latter was produced by God, who lives for ever; 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, lie himself resembles grass that soon fades and withers; but God and his word endure for ever 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 Ps 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 Isa 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 for ever."

Jas 1:10,11. This sentiment is beautifully imitated by the great dramatist in the speech of Wolsey:--

"This is the state of man: to-day he puts forth
The tender leaves of hope, to-morrow blossoms,
And bears his blushing honours 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."

Comp. Isa 40:6-8.

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

As the flower of grass. The word rendered "grass," (χορτος,) 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 fadeth away. This is repeated, as is common in the Hebrew writings, for the sake of emphasis, or strong confirmation.

(1) "For" "For that" (c) "For all flesh" Isa 40:6-8

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

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.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Peter 1:17-25

Holy confidence in God as a Father, and awful fear of him as a Judge, agree together; and to regard God always as a Judge, makes him dear to us as a Father. If believers do evil, God will visit them with corrections. Then, let Christians not doubt God's faithfulness to his promises, nor give way to enslaving dread of his wrath, but let them reverence his holiness. The fearless professor is defenceless, and Satan…

Read the full comment on 1 Peter 1:17-25 →

1 Peter 1:24 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

διότιdiotibecauseG1360

πᾶσαpasaAllG3956

σὰρξsarxflesh [is]G4561

ὡςhōslikeG5613

χόρτος,chortosgrass,G5528

καὶkaiandG2532

πᾶσαpasaallG3956

δόξαdoxa[the] gloryG1391

αὐτῆςautēsof itG846

ὡςhōslikeG5613

ἄνθοςanthos[the] flowerG438

χόρτου·chortouof grass;G5528

ἐξηράνθηexēranthēWithersG3583

ὁhotheG3588

χόρτος,chortosgrass,G5528

καὶkaiandG2532

τὸtotheG3588

ἄνθοςanthosflowerG438

αὐτοῦautouof himG846

ἐξέπεσεν·exepesenfalls away;G1601

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 1 Peter 1:24

Isaiah 40:6-8
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: because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.
Psalms 103:15
As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.
James 4:14
Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
James 1:10-11
But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away. For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.
Psalms 37:2
For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.
2 Kings 19:26
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.
Psalms 129:6
Let them be as the grass upon the housetops, which withereth afore it groweth up:
1 John 2:17
And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
Psalms 92:7
When the wicked spring as the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish; it is that they shall be destroyed for ever:
Psalms 90:5
Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass which groweth up.
Psalms 102:4
My heart is smitten, and withered like grass; so that I forget to eat my bread.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

For. or, For that. all flesh.
2Ki 19:26; Ps 37:2; 90:5; 92:7; 102:4; 103:15; 129:6; Isa 40:6-8
Jas 1:10,11; 4:14; 1Jo 2:17

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

1 Peter 1:23
Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
1 Peter 1:24
For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:
1 Peter 1:25
But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

Read all of 1 Peter 1

1 Peter 1:24 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Porque Toda carne es como la hierba, y toda la gloria del hombre como la flor de la hierba: secóse la hierba, y la flor se cayó;
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	parce que « toute chair est comme l’herbe, et toute sa gloire comme la fleur de l’herbe: l’herbe a séché et sa fleur est tombée,
German Elberfelder 1871	denn "alles Fleisch ist wie Gras, und alle seine Herrlichkeit wie des Grases Blume. Das Gras ist verdorrt, und seine Blume ist abgefallen;
Latin Clementine Vulgate	quia omnis caro ut fœnum: et omnis gloria ejus tamquam flos fœni: exaruit fœnum, et flos ejus decidit.