Isaiah 40:7

the spirit of the Lord Better as R.V. the breath of the LORD, i.e. the wind (Psalms 103:16), specially the scorching east-wind (Hosea 13:15) or Sirocco, which blows chiefly in the spring, blighting the fresh vegetation (see Smith, Hist. Geog. of Palestine, pp. 67 ff.).

surely the people is grass "The people," used absolutely, must apparently mean "humanity"; although there are no strict parallels to this sense. To understand it of Israel is opposed to the prophet's general teaching and misrepresents his meaning here. It is not Israel, but the enemies of Israel, whose perishableness he is concerned to assert. The words at best are a flat repetition of Isaiah 40:6 and should probably be removed as a marginal gloss. The LXX., indeed, omits all from becausein Isaiah 40:7 to fadethin Isaiah 40:8: but this proves nothing, as it is evidently an oversight caused by the homœoteleuton. The resumption of the leading thought is a very effective introduction to the contrasted idea in the end of Isaiah 40:8.