all flesh 1 is like grass
and all its glory like the flower of the grass; 2
the grass withers and the flower falls off,
1:25 but the word of the Lord 3 endures forever. 4
And this is the word that was proclaimed to you.
1 sn Here all flesh is a metaphor for humanity – human beings as both frail and temporary.
2 tn Or “a wildflower.”
3 sn The word of the Lord is a technical expression in OT literature, often referring to a divine prophetic utterance (e.g., Gen 15:1, Isa 1:10, Jonah 1:1). In the NT it occurs 15 times: 3 times as ῥῆμα τοῦ κυρίου (rJhma tou kuriou; here and in Luke 22:61, Acts 11:16) and 12 times as λόγος τοῦ κυρίου (logo" tou kuriou; Acts 8:25; 13:44, 48, 49; 15:35, 36; 16:32; 19:10, 20; 1 Thess 1:8, 4:15; 2 Thess 3:1). As in the OT, this phrase focuses on the prophetic nature and divine origin of what has been said.
4 sn A quotation from Isa 40:6, 8.