Isaiah 51:12
I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass;
Study Note
Study Note
'I, I am he who comforts you; who are you that you are afraid of man who dies, of the son of man who is made like grass?' — the first-person divine comfort in Deutero-Isaiah (chapters 40–55) reaches one of its most personal expressions, with the emphatic double 'I' (anochi anochi) stressing the uniqueness of the divine Comforter. The contrast between the eternal Comforter and mortal 'man' (enosh, human as fragile) echoes Isaiah 40:6–8, where human transience is set against the word of God that stands forever. The rhetorical question 'who are you that you fear?' implies that the exiles' fear of Babylon's power is theologically inappropriate given their knowledge of who their God is. This verse anticipates Jesus's 'fear not' declarations in the Gospels and Paul's 'if God is for us, who can be against us?' (Romans 8:31).
Other Translations
I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou art afraid of man that shall die, and of the son of man that shall be made as grass;
I--I <FI>am<Fi> He--your comforter, Who <FI>art<Fi> thou--and thou art afraid of man? he dieth! And of the son of man--grass he is made!
I, even I, am your comforter: are you so poor in heart as to be in fear of man who will come to an end, and of the son of man who will be like grass?
Cross References
Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass …
In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth.
When the wicked spring as the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish; it is that they …
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.
The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?
His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.
Many seek the ruler’s favour; but every man’s judgment cometh from the Lord.
Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?
The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof …