The Greek word chórtos, represented by G5528, refers to herbage or vegetation, commonly translated as grass, blade, or hay. It appears 15 times across 13 unique verses in the Bible. While it often describes the natural landscape, it is most frequently used as a powerful symbol for the temporary and fragile nature of human life and worldly things.
In its literal sense, G5528 sets the scene for Jesus' miracles, such as when He commanded the multitude to sit on the grass to be fed (Matthew 14:19; Mark 6:39; John 6:10). The word also appears in agricultural parables, describing the initial stage of growth as the blade (Matthew 13:26; Mark 4:28). Theologically, it is used to illustrate the impermanence of human existence. The Apostle Peter states that "all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass" 1 Peter 1:24. This theme is echoed in James, where the rich man is said to "pass away" like the "flower of the grass" James 1:10, which withers under the sun James 1:11. In Revelation, "all green grass" is subject to divine judgment Revelation 8:7, yet it is also protected by divine command Revelation 9:4.
Several related words provide deeper context for the meaning of G5528:
- G438 ánthos (a blossom): This word for flower is almost always paired with chórtos to emphasize the fleeting nature of beauty and life, which fades as quickly as the grass withers (1 Peter 1:24; James 1:10).
- G3583 xēraínō (to desiccate; by implication, to shrivel, to mature): This verb, meaning to wither, is the action performed upon the grass to complete the metaphor of mortality and the effects of hardship or judgment (James 1:11; 1 Peter 1:24).
- G2562 kalámē (stubble): In his analogy of building upon a spiritual foundation, Paul lists hay G5528 and stubble together as perishable materials that cannot withstand the fire of judgment, unlike gold G5557 or silver G696 1 Corinthians 3:12.
- G1093 gē (soil; by extension a region, or the solid part or the whole of the terrene globe): As the earth or ground, it is the source from which grass grows, often appearing as "the grass of the earth" Revelation 9:4 or "grass of the field" Matthew 6:30.
The theological weight of G5528 is primarily symbolic, serving to teach key spiritual truths.
- The Transience of Humanity: The most prominent use of chórtos is as a metaphor for the temporary nature of human life and glory. Scripture reminds believers that, like grass, human existence is frail and short-lived (1 Peter 1:24, James 1:10).
- God's Sovereign Care: Jesus uses God's care for the "grass of the field" as an argument for His providential care over humanity. If God clothes something so temporary, He will surely provide for His children (Matthew 6:30; Luke 12:28).
- The Worth of Spiritual Works: Paul contrasts eternal works with perishable ones by likening the latter to wood G3586, hay G5528, and stubble G2562, which will be consumed by fire, demonstrating their lack of eternal value 1 Corinthians 3:12.
- An Instrument of Divine Judgment: In the end times, the destruction of "all green grass" is depicted as part of a catastrophic judgment poured out upon the earth G1093 Revelation 8:7.
In summary, G5528 is a simple word for grass or vegetation that carries profound theological significance. It functions both literally, as the ground covering where Jesus performed miracles, and metaphorically, as the Bible's primary symbol for the fleeting nature of mortal life and worldly pursuits. From God's care for the grass of the field to its destruction in judgment, chórtos consistently points believers away from the temporary and toward the eternal.
TRV