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Isaiah 40:8Comfort prologue
The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God stands forever.
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Interpretation

The prophet calls a word stands that is embodied in work and rest. Isaiah 40:8: trace "grass" and "withers". Give word stands through how disagreements are handled—teach the body new reflexes.

Context

This passage belongs to Isaiah, a prophetic oracle witness, highlighting word stands. Within ch. 40, a small unit frames the emphasis. It edges toward prophetic hope & judgment. Watch the terms “grass” and “withers”.

Authorship & Historical Background

Long‑standing tradition credits Isaiah to Isaiah son of Amoz. Many scholars judge Isaiah as follows: Many propose layered composition across exilic and post‑exilic periods.. Scholars commonly date Isaiah 8th–5th century BC. Genre and setting: prophetic oracle, in the Comfort prologue. This verse leans into prophetic hope & judgment. Prophetic poetry weds hope to repentance. Chs 40–55 commonly exilic (Deutero). Chs 56–66 commonly post‑exilic (Trito). A long compositional arc is often proposed (Proto/Deutero/Trito).

More details
Traditional:Isaiah son of Amoz
Modern scholarship:Multiple authors (Proto‑, Deutero‑, Trito‑Isaiah).
Date:8th–5th century BC
  • Chs 40–55 commonly exilic (Deutero).
  • Chs 56–66 commonly post‑exilic (Trito).
Manuscripts & Textual Witnesses
The Hebrew text is preserved in the Masoretic tradition, stabilized between the 6th-10th centuries CE. The the Dead Sea Scrolls (found 1947-1956) provide manuscripts 1000+ years older than medieval texts, generally confirming the Masoretic Text's reliability with only minor variations. The Septuagint (Greek translation, 3rd-2nd century BCE) offers an independent textual witness. Variations between manuscripts are typically minor: spelling differences, word order, or clarifications that do not affect the core meaning. Modern translations compare all available manuscripts to reconstruct the probably reflects the initial text text.
Sources & witness notes
MT