Is that in the Bible?
“This too shall pass”
Not in the BibleIt is often shared as a Bible verse to comfort people in hard seasons.
Where it really comes from
It is not in the Bible. It is an old proverb of Persian origin, later popularized in the West, and retold famously by Abraham Lincoln. The sentiment is real, but the source is not Scripture.
What the Bible actually says
The Bible says something deeper than that hard times pass. Paul writes that our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. It is not just that the pain will end; it is that God is doing something lasting through it, and that what is unseen and eternal outweighs what is temporary.
“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;”2 Corinthians 4:17
The deeper truth
This too shall pass can be cold comfort, because so can happiness pass. The Christian hope is not merely that suffering is temporary, but that it is not wasted, and that beyond it lies a joy that does not pass. Because Jesus rose, the last enemy is not the last word. The griefs of this life are real and heavy, and they are also, Paul dares to say, light and momentary next to the eternal weight of glory that Christ is preparing. Not just this will pass, but He remains.
Questions people ask
Is this too shall pass in the Bible?
No. It is an old proverb, traditionally of Persian origin and popularized by figures like Abraham Lincoln, not a verse of Scripture. The Bible offers a deeper hope than simply that hardship passes.
What does the Bible say about hard times passing?
2 Corinthians 4:17-18 says our light and momentary troubles are working an eternal glory, and that we look to what is unseen and eternal. The Christian hope is not just that suffering ends but that, in Christ, it is not wasted and joy will not pass.