Is 'this too shall pass' in the Bible?
2 Corinthians 4:16-18
16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.
17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
New International Version (NIV)
The answer
No—the exact phrase “this too shall pass” is not in the Bible. It is a common saying, and while it can express a biblical truth, we should distinguish that truth from Scripture’s actual words.
The biblical truth behind the saying
Affliction is temporary, while God’s eternal glory lasts. Paul writes, “For our light affliction, which is for the moment, works for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory” (2 Corinthians 4:17). He explains the reason: “The things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18).
This does not mean every hardship is brief. The Bible says God regulates the measure and continuance of affliction (Psalms 80:5), so suffering may last for an unknown time. The promise is not that everything ends quickly, but that present suffering is not the whole story.
Tears and trials are not the final word. Peter says believers may be grieved “for a little while” amid various trials, so that tested faith may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:6-7). “A little while” expresses a real limit, even when its duration is unknown to us.
This world passes away, but obedience to God remains. “The world is passing away with its lusts, but he who does God’s will remains forever” (1 John 2:17). Paul similarly says, “The mode of this world passes away” (1 Corinthians 7:31).
Even grief can leave us without abandoning God. Job’s whole world was taken from him, yet he worshiped: “Yahweh gave, and Yahweh has taken away. Blessed be Yahweh’s name” (Job 1:21). That does not mean loss is good or that we should not grieve; it means passing sorrow need not become bitterness against God.
So, when someone says “this too shall pass,” the biblical answer is: the present crisis is not ultimate, but do not treat the saying as a quotation from Scripture. The more faithful words are Paul’s: present affliction is momentary and is producing an eternal weight of glory (2 Corinthians 4:17).
Answered from Scripture · reviewed November 10, 2026
The popular proverb 'this too shall pass' does not appear anywhere in Scripture, originating instead from medieval Persian folklore and Western poetry. Yet while the exact idiom is absent, the Bible repeatedly teaches an even greater truth: earthly seasons, sorrows, and this present fallen world are strictly temporary, bounded by the eternal purposes and lasting kingdom of God. Exploring the passages that speak to the brevity of suffering and the transience of created things helps us ground our hope not in a secular adage, but in God's living Word.
Origin and Absence
Scripture Never Utters the Popular Adage
“Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
Proverbs 30:5 (NIV)
It establishes that every word of God is proven true, urging believers not to mistake human folk wisdom for sacred text.
Proverbs 30:5 declares with uncompromising clarity that every word of God is pure, standing as a flawless shield to all who take refuge in Him. The familiar phrase "this too shall pass" is often misattributed to the biblical canon, yet it is nowhere to be found in the sacred text. Agur immediately follows his declaration with a solemn warning in Proverbs 30:6: do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you and you be found a liar. God’s people have always been called to guard the boundaries of revelation with reverent precision. In Deuteronomy 4:2, Moses commanded Israel neither to add to nor diminish the commandments of the Lord, a charge solemnly mirrored at the close of Scripture in Revelation 22:18 and Revelation 22:19, where divine judgment is pronounced upon anyone who supplements or subtracts from the prophetic book. While human folklore offers pithy comfort, it cannot substitute for the holy scriptures. Ecclesiastes 1:2 describes the transient cyclicality of human life under the sun as sheer vanity, and Ecclesiastes 3:1 reminds us that there is indeed an appointed time and an allotted season for every matter under heaven. The Bible affirms that earthly circumstances constantly shift, but our confidence must never rest upon folk aphorisms; it anchors only in the tested and infallible Word of God.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Proverbs 30:5 | Affirms that every word of God is pure and serves as a shield to all who take refuge in Him. |
| Proverbs 30:6 | Warns against adding to God's words lest He rebuke you and prove you a liar. |
| Ecclesiastes 1:2 | Declares that the repetitive cycles of life under the sun are vanity and fleeting. |
| Ecclesiastes 3:1 | States that there is an appointed season and a specific time for every event under heaven. |
| Deuteronomy 4:2 | Forbids adding to or subtracting from the commandments of the Lord. |
| Revelation 22:18 | Warns of divine judgment upon anyone who adds words to God's prophecy. |
| Revelation 22:19 | Warns against taking away from the words of the book of Scripture. |
Momentary Affliction
Present Sorrows Yield an Eternal Weight of Glory
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
2 Corinthians 4:17 (NIV)
It directly contrasts the brief, momentary nature of present suffering with the infinite, eternal weight of glory being prepared.
Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 4:17 that our light and momentary affliction produces an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison. While secular stoicism reminds us that hardship will eventually end, the New Testament offers a far richer hope: present trials are not merely passing, but are actively working to produce an everlasting reward. In 2 Corinthians 4:16, the apostle explains why believers do not lose heart; even though our outward physical body is wasting away under the strains of mortality, our inner self is being steadily renewed day by day. This shift in perspective requires fixing our gaze on unseen realities. As 2 Corinthians 4:18 reminds us, the things that are seen are temporary and fleeting, while the things that are unseen belong to eternity. The apostle Paul echoes this perspective in Romans 8:18, considering the sufferings of this present age entirely unworthy to be compared with the radiant glory destined to be revealed in us. Peter grounds the early church in this exact endurance, acknowledging in 1 Peter 1:6 that believers may need to grieve various trials for a little while, knowing their tested faith leads to praise at the revelation of Christ. And in 1 Peter 5:10, he anchors our trials within sovereign grace: after we have suffered a little while, the God of all grace will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish us forever.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| 2 Corinthians 4:16 | Explains that though the outer body wastes away, the inner spirit is renewed day by day. |
| 2 Corinthians 4:17 | Describes our light and momentary affliction as producing an exceeding eternal weight of glory. |
| 2 Corinthians 4:18 | Contrasts transient visible realities with the enduring, permanent nature of invisible eternal truths. |
| Romans 8:18 | Considers present sufferings unworthy to be compared with the future glory that will be revealed in us. |
| 1 Peter 1:6 | Acknowledges that believers may need to suffer various grieved trials for a little while. |
| 1 Peter 5:10 | Promises that after suffering a little while, the God of all grace will restore, confirm, and strengthen believers. |
Joy After Weeping
Grief Endures for the Night but Morning Brings Joy
For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.
Psalms 30:5 (NIV)
It vividly captures the temporary duration of weeping during darkness compared to the joy arriving at daybreak.
David proclaims in Psalms 30:5 that weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning. Sorrow in this fallen world is very real, yet for the people of God it is inherently bounded by the dawn of His mercy. Seasons of trial can feel overwhelming, as Psalms 80:5 captures when the psalmist laments that God has fed His people with the bread of tears and given them tears to drink in full measure. Yet even in the darkest bereavements, faith refuses to despair. When Job lost all his wealth and children in a single hour, Job 1:21 records him falling to the ground in worship, uttering the profound confession that the Lord gave and the Lord has taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord. The promise of the dawn finds its ultimate fulfillment in Christ. In John 16:20, the Lord Jesus prepared His disciples for His death and resurrection, promising that while the world rejoices and they weep, their sorrow will be turned directly into joy. Psalms 126:5 sings that those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouts, and Psalms 126:6 assures the weeping bearer of seed that he will return rejoicing, laden with his harvest sheaves. Christ reiterates this comfort in John 16:22, promising that no one can take away the joy of seeing Him again. This trajectory culminates in Revelation 21:4, where God wipes every tear from their eyes, and death, mourning, crying, and pain will be no more.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Psalms 30:5 | Proclaims that God's anger lasts only a moment, weeping tarries for the night, but joy comes with the morning. |
| Psalms 80:5 | Acknowledges God measuring out tears for His people to drink in seasons of affliction. |
| Job 1:21 | Records Job worshiping God in extreme grief, recognizing God gives and takes away while blessing His name. |
| John 16:20 | Promises that though the world rejoices and disciples weep, their sorrow will be turned into unshakeable joy. |
| Revelation 21:4 | Announces the ultimate end of all sorrow, death, mourning, crying, and pain as former things pass away. |
| Psalms 126:5 | Declares that those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy. |
| Psalms 126:6 | Promises that weeping bearers of seed will return rejoicing with their sheaves. |
| John 16:22 | Assures believers their present sorrow will turn into unshakeable, permanent joy. |
A Passing World
The Present Order Fades While God's Will Endures
The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.
1 John 2:17 (NIV)
It sharply balances the transience of the fallen world and its desires against the eternal permanence of doing God's will.
The apostle John writes in 1 John 2:17 that the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. Scripture does not teach that hardships pass while the world remains sovereign; rather, the entire fallen cosmic order is temporal, moving inexorably toward divine consummation. Paul reminds the church in 1 Corinthians 7:31 that those who make use of this world should live without engrossment, because the present form of this world is passing away. In Psalms 102:25, the psalmist recalls how God laid the foundations of the earth and crafted the heavens with His own hands, only to declare in Psalms 102:26 that they will perish and wear out like an old garment while God remains unchanged through all generations. The Lord Jesus Himself affirms this unshakeable hierarchy in Matthew 24:35, stating with divine authority that heaven and earth will pass away, but His words will never pass away. The prophet declares in Isaiah 40:8 that the grass withers and the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever. Mortal human life shares this profound frailty: James 4:14 describes our earthly days as a fleeting mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes, prompting David in Psalms 39:4 to ask the Lord to make him know his end and the measure of his days. In Psalms 39:5, David acknowledges that every human being at best is a mere breath. Peter unites these witnesses in 1 Peter 1:24, reminding us that all flesh is like grass, yet contrasting it triumphantly in 1 Peter 1:25 with the enduring gospel word that has been preached to us.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| 1 John 2:17 | Declares that the world and its desires are passing away, but the one doing God's will abides forever. |
| 1 Corinthians 7:31 | Reminds believers who use the world not to be engrossed, for the present form of this world is passing away. |
| Psalms 102:25 | Observes that the earth and heavens were laid down of old as the work of God's hands. |
| Psalms 102:26 | Affirms that while the heavens perish and wear out like a garment, God Himself endures unchanged. |
| Matthew 24:35 | Attests that heaven and earth will pass away, but the words of Christ will never pass away. |
| Isaiah 40:8 | Testifies that the grass withers and the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever. |
| James 4:14 | Describes mortal life as a transient mist that appears and then vanishes. |
| Psalms 39:4 | Pleads to know the fleeting brevity and measure of earthly days. |
| Psalms 39:5 | Affirms all mankind stands as a mere breath before God. |
| 1 Peter 1:24 | States all flesh is like grass and its glory falls away. |
| 1 Peter 1:25 | Contrasts fading mortal life with the word of the Lord which endures forever. |
Sustaining Grace
God Renews the Fainting Heart Day by Day
but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:31 (NIV)
It offers the definitive biblical promise of sustained endurance and renewed strength for those who wait on the Lord.
The prophet points the weary to an inexhaustible source of endurance in Isaiah 40:31: 'they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.' In a world where griefs deplete our natural resilience, endurance is not conjured from human grit. As Isaiah 40:29 declares, God actively gives power to the faint and multiplies might to those who have no vigor left. This sustaining power anchors the soul even when bodily stamina evaporates. The psalmist expresses this identical reliance in Psalms 73:26, acknowledging that though human flesh and heart inevitably fail, God remains the steadfast rock of the heart and an eternal portion.
This preservation is not merely physical; it is an ongoing spiritual transformation. Paul urges the church in Romans 12:2 not to be shaped by this fleeting age, but to be transformed by the renewing of the mind, discerning the good and acceptable will of God. According to Colossians 3:10, the believer has put on the new self, continually being renewed in knowledge after the image of its Creator. Because of such sovereign kindness, the apostle can state plainly in 2 Corinthians 4:1 that having received this ministry through divine mercy, we do not lose heart.
Every day brings its own supply of sustaining grace to meet the trial at hand. Amid the ruins of Jerusalem, Jeremiah affirms in Lamentations 3:22 that the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases and His compassions never come to an end. They arrive fresh with the dawn, for as Lamentations 3:23 proclaims, 'they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.' When lingering thorns remain unremoved, the Lord answers our cries as He did Paul's in 2 Corinthians 12:9, promising that His grace is sufficient, for divine power is perfected in weakness.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Isaiah 40:29 | Assures that the Lord gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. |
| Isaiah 40:31 | Promises that those waiting upon the Lord will renew their strength and mount up with wings like eagles. |
| Psalms 73:26 | Confesses that though flesh and heart fail, God is the eternal rock of the heart and portion forever. |
| Romans 12:2 | Urges believers not to conform to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of their minds. |
| Colossians 3:10 | Instructs believers on having put on the new self, being renewed in knowledge in the Creator's image. |
| 2 Corinthians 4:1 | Declares that having received this ministry by God's mercy, believers do not lose heart. |
| Lamentations 3:22 | Celebrates the steadfast love of the Lord that never ceases. |
| Lamentations 3:23 | Testifies that God's mercies are new every single morning. |
| 2 Corinthians 12:9 | Records Christ's promise that His grace is sufficient in human weakness. |
Where in the Bible
| Book | Passages |
|---|---|
| Deuteronomy | 1 · Deuteronomy 4:2 |
| Job | 1 · Job 1:21 |
| Psalms | 9 · Psalms 30:5, Psalms 80:5, Psalms 126:5, Psalms 126:6, Psalms 102:25, Psalms 102:26, Psalms 39:4, Psalms 39:5, Psalms 73:26 |
| Proverbs | 2 · Proverbs 30:5, Proverbs 30:6 |
| Ecclesiastes | 2 · Ecclesiastes 1:2, Ecclesiastes 3:1 |
| Isaiah | 3 · Isaiah 40:8, Isaiah 40:29, Isaiah 40:31 |
| Lamentations | 2 · Lamentations 3:22, Lamentations 3:23 |
| Matthew | 1 · Matthew 24:35 |
| John | 2 · John 16:20, John 16:22 |
| Romans | 2 · Romans 8:18, Romans 12:2 |
| 1 Corinthians | 1 · 1 Corinthians 7:31 |
| 2 Corinthians | 5 · 2 Corinthians 4:16, 2 Corinthians 4:17, 2 Corinthians 4:18, 2 Corinthians 4:1, 2 Corinthians 12:9 |
| Colossians | 1 · Colossians 3:10 |
| James | 1 · James 4:14 |
| 1 Peter | 4 · 1 Peter 1:6, 1 Peter 5:10, 1 Peter 1:24, 1 Peter 1:25 |
| 1 John | 1 · 1 John 2:17 |
| Revelation | 3 · Revelation 22:18, Revelation 22:19, Revelation 21:4 |
The story in order
- Creation of the heavens and earth (c. 4000 BC) · Psalms 102:25 · Establishes the created order as God's handiwork.
- Job's trials and worship (c. 2000 BC) · Job 1:21 · Shows worship amidst extreme grief and loss.
- Israel's wilderness journey (c. 1450 BC) · Psalms 80:5 · God measured out tears for His people in affliction.
- David's lament and joy (c. 1000 BC) · Psalms 30:5 · God's anger is momentary, weeping for the night, joy in the morning.
- Wisdom literature on vanity (c. 950 BC) · Ecclesiastes 1:2 · Declares life's cycles under the sun are vanity.
- Prophetic word on endurance (c. 700 BC) · Isaiah 40:8 · The grass withers, the flower fades, but God's word stands forever.
- Jesus' teaching on enduring words (c. AD 30) · Matthew 24:35 · Heaven and earth will pass away, but Christ's words will not.
- Apostolic teaching on present suffering (c. AD 55) · 2 Corinthians 4:17 · Light, momentary afflictions produce eternal glory.
- Apostolic teaching on a passing world (c. AD 90) · 1 John 2:17 · The world and its desires pass away, but God's will endures.
- Vision of the new creation (c. AD 95) · Revelation 21:4 · Ultimate end of sorrow, death, mourning, crying, and pain.
Key words
- Vanity (hevel, הֶבֶל)
- Fleeting, empty, or futile, especially concerning earthly pursuits. · Ecclesiastes 1:2
- Affliction (thlipsis, θλῖψις)
- Suffering, hardship, or distress, often seen as temporary in light of eternity. · 2 Corinthians 4:17
- Eternal (aionios, αἰώνιος)
- Lasting forever, without end, in contrast to temporal or transient things. · 2 Corinthians 4:17
- Passing away (paragō, παράγω)
- Fading, disappearing, or coming to an end, describing the transient nature of the world. · 1 John 2:17
- Endures (menō, μένω)
- Remains, lasts, or continues permanently, describing God and His Word. · 1 Peter 1:25
- Mercies (ḥesed, חֶסֶד)
- God's steadfast love and compassion, renewed daily for His people. · Lamentations 3:22-23
When seasons of grief, pain, or testing press in, we need not lean on popular proverbs or stoic resignation to endure. We look instead to the God whose word outlasts the heavens and the earth, remembering that our momentary trials are actively producing an eternal weight of glory. Resting on His steadfast love and sovereign decree, believers hold present heartaches loosely and anchor their souls in the world that will never pass away.
41 passages, each cited once.
Scripture cited
- 1 Corinthians 7:31
- 1 John 2:17
- 1 Peter 1:6-7
- Job 1:21-22