GRASS IN THE BIBLE

There are four Old Testament words and one Greek word (chortos) which are translated as “grass.” Hillyer states that “chortos nearly 50 times renders the Heb. 'eseb, seed-bearing annuals springing up after rain: grass, weeds, vegetables, cereals.” And Vine notes, “In Palestine or Syria there are...243 species of grass. We might even call them “wildflowers.”

Different Ways of Utilizing the Image

It is amazing how many different points can be made in the Bible with this symbol. Here are a few:

God's Blessings

Grass sustains livestock as follows: oxen (Deuteronomy 11:15), horses (I Kings 18:5), mules (I Kings 18:5), and wild donkeys (Job 6:5). “Grass is thus one of the blessings of the created order. In a rural economy based extensively on grazing, grass in an image of fertility...Given the frailty of grass, its thriving presence is also a sign of God's providential care.” (Dictionary of Biblical Imagery)

Futato notes that hasir is a wild growth which was valuable as animal fodder (Psalm 104:14). “So, e.g. Isaiah likens the outpouring of the Spirit and resultant abundant blessing on God's people to the outpouring of rain and the resultant sprouting of hasir (Isa 44:3-4).

Another Hebrew for grass is dese', which “is used in various positive images, e.g., in 2 Sam 23:4, where a king ruling in righteousness is 'like the rain that brings dese' from the earth,' and in Deut 32:2 where Moses' teaching is 'like showers on dese'.” (Futato)

God's Judgment

Because the above is true, removal of grass signals judgment on the land (see passages such as Deuteronomy 29:23; Isaiah 15:6; Jeremiah 14:15; Amos 7:2; Revelation 8:7). “God's judgment is often pictured as the taking away of grass: References of this sort range from Deuteronomy 29:23 to Amos 2 to Revelation 8:7.” (DBI)

Transitory Nature

Baldwin: “Because grass grows in Palestine only during the period of the winter and spring rains and withers immediately the heat comes, it is a ready illustration of the brevity of human life, used especially in the poetical books (Job 13:27; Pss. 37:2; 102:4; 103:15), and in Isaiah (37:27; 40:6,7).”

Demarest: “Lacking the life of the kingdom, man is like the flower (anthos) of the grass (chortos) which fades and comes to naught (Jas. 1:10,11).”

Writing on this last passage, Tasker says that “real wealth lies in the things that abide because they are eternal, and...it is the unseen things that have this characteristic (see 2 Cor. iv.18). In comparison with these unshakable possessions material riches are recognized by him to be what in fact they are, transitory and uncertain. The one sure thing is that not only they but their possessions shall pass away as surely as the flower of the springing grass suddenly drops after its brief existence.”

In Isaiah 40:7-8, withering grass is contrasted with the everlasting word of God. Peter cites this OT passage in I Peter 1:23-25 to show that the Christian's new birth is also eternal since it arises from God's word as its seed.

“The most obvious quality of grass in a dry climate is that it withers (Ps 102:4,44; 129:6...). For the psalmist the oppression of the wicked is made easier to bear by the thought that they are like grass; that is, they will soon fade and wither (Ps 37:2). More often than not, however, Scripture employs the theme as a warning for the righteous.” The latter should realize that all flesh is like grass (see Isaiah 40:6-8; I Peter 1:24-25).” (DBI)

Great Number of Plants

“One other way in which the image of grass appears in the Bible is in the context of the number of blades which are too numerous to count. This is applied figuratively to large numbers of descendants in Job 5:25 and Isaiah 44:4.” (DBI)

Literal Use

Finally, the word “grass” may be strictly literal, as in the place where the crowd sat down to hear Jesus at the Sermon on the Plain or in Revelation 8:7; 9:4. However, not everyone is convinced that these Revelation references are to be understood literally, as shown below.

After this brief overview, I would like to concentrate in a little more detail on the first and last references to grasses in the Bible, both of which are the subject of some scholarly controversy.

Genesis 1:11-13,29-31

One simple way to picture the order of creation is shown below:

                                      Figure 1: The Framework Hypothesis (Genesis 1:1-2:3)

    Initial Conditions: Chaos (1:1-2)

        Light Created; light and darkness separated (1:3-5)

            Dome of the sky created; waters above and below separated (1:6-8)

                Land and seas created when they are separated from one another (1:9-10)

                    Plants are brought forth from the land (1:11-13)

        Lights in the sky separate night and day (1:14-19)

            Birds inhabit the sky, and the water brings forth living creatures (1:20-23)

                Land brings forth living creatures, including man (1:24-28)

                    Plants are designated as food for creatures and man (1:29-31)

    Final Conditions: Rest (2:1-3)

Thus we see that all living beings are dependent either directly or indirectly on “grass” for food.

The Hebrew word translated as “plants” above is dese'. But there is a controversy as to its exact meaning in this context. In this particular case, Futato states that it “is used in a different sense...,not referring to new fresh grass, but to all vegetation...” Hamilton agrees with this contention: “dese, 'verdure,' is an all-inclusive word that is then defined by two representatives, 'esab, plant(s), and 'es, tree(s).”

Wenham does recognize this as a possible understanding, but notes that it is equally likely that grasses, trees and plants are three separate categories.

Revelation 8:7; 9:4

These two verses are association with the angels of judgment. The first angel blows his trumpet and withers all the green grass, but the fifth angel releases locust who are told not to damage the grass. But since the grass has already been destroyed, why would it have been necessary for the fifth angel to tell the locust not to destroy it? Charles feels we have a clear contradiction here, but appearances are sometimes deceiving. Here are several possible ways to resolve the problem:

    1. One should not expect literal logic in Revelation

Ford: “One cannot, however, require such exact logicality in an apocalyptic work.”

    2. One should not expect chronological order in Revelation

Mounce notes that the “second major series of calamities [i.e. Rev. 8-9] neither recapitulate the seal judgments nor do they follow in a strictly chronological sense.” Beale partially echoes that sentiment by saying that “the trumpets do not follow the seventh seal chronologically but only literarily...The trumpets resemble some of the trials pictured in the seals, but now the primary purpose of the trials is to punish.”

    3. Only one-third the grass is destroyed in 8:7

Beale continues his discussion by saying, “Revelation modifies the Exodus plague [see Exod. 7:20-25] in that now only a third of the land and the trees are harmed, yet the affliction of all the grass remains unchanged, though the limitation to one third may be carried over from the previous clause, as is more clearly the case in 8:11b.” Mounce offers the same explanation: “The trees and green grass which are burned are within the third of the land surface devastated by fire. The verse is not at variance with 9:4, which prohibits hurting the grass.” And Bruce agrees with both these commentators in that “the locusts of 9:4 are forbidden to hurt the grass of the earth, which would not exist if this were a universal judgment.”

    4. It is strictly a matter of emphasis

But Beale's personal explanation for why this is not a contradiction is that the emphasis in 9:4 “is that the trumpet woe is directed against rebellious humanity and not nature.” In other words, the angel is telling the locust not to attack plant matter as they usually do, but mankind instead.”

    5. It is all symbolic

The least likely explanation is voiced by Phillips when he states that “the verse [8:7] can just as easily be symbolic. In this case the grass would represent the masses of mankind and the trees would represent prominent leaders and rulers (Ps 103:15; Jud 9:7-15; Dan 4:4-27).” But this makes little sense since if all mankind is burned up in 8:7, who is left for the locust to torture in 9:4?