STOP! This Too Shall Pass Quote Isn’t What You Think

I used to think “this too shall pass” was just something people said to sound wise when they didn’t know what else to say.

Then I actually dug into where the This Too Shall Pass Quote comes from, its meaning, its Bible verse, its origin and it changed how I use it. This guide gives you all of that, plus quotes you can actually use when life feels too heavy to carry.

“This too shall pass” means that no situation good or bad lasts forever. It’s often traced to old Persian and Sufi folklore, though it echoes ideas found in the Bible, including 2 Corinthians 4:17-18. Today it’s used as a gentle reminder that pain, like joy, is temporary.

What Does “This Too Shall Pass” Mean?

At its core, this phrase is about impermanence, the idea that nothing stays the same forever, not even the hardest chapters of your life. It’s less about denying pain and more about surviving it.

People usually reach for this line in two very different moments: when they’re drowning in grief, stress or heartbreak and when they’re riding a high they don’t want to end. That’s actually the deeper meaning, it works both ways. The good days pass too, so don’t take them for granted either.

I love this one because it doesn’t promise things will get better instantly. It just promises they won’t stay exactly like this. That’s a small but honest kind of comfort, especially at 2 AM when nothing feels okay.

Here’s how people usually interpret it in daily life:

• A reminder to stop panicking during temporary problems
• Permission to stop rushing your healing
• A quiet way to tell yourself “hold on a little longer”
• A grounding thought during anxiety spirals
• A way to appreciate good moments before they fade
• A phrase to repeat during grief, breakups or job loss
• A mantra therapists sometimes recommend for anxious thoughts
• A reminder that emotions are visitors, not permanent residents

Is There a “This Too Shall Pass” Bible Verse?

A lot of people search for a Bible verse to match this phrase, assuming it’s a direct quote from Scripture. It’s not but the sentiment shows up clearly in one passage that’s worth knowing.

The Bible doesn’t contain the exact line “this too shall pass,” but 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 carries the same spirit. In the King James Version (KJV), it reads:

“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

In simple English: our current troubles are temporary, but there’s something lasting beyond them. That’s basically “this too shall pass,” just written two thousand years earlier.

Other verses people connect to this theme:

• Psalm 30:5 “Joy comes in the morning after a night of weeping.”
• Ecclesiastes 3:1 “There is a season for everything.”
• Isaiah 43:2 “You will pass through waters, not drown in them.”
• Lamentations 3:22-23 “Mercies are new every morning.”
• Romans 8:18 “Present suffering isn’t worth comparing to future glory.”
• James 4:14 “Life itself is described as a passing mist.”

Where Does “This Too Shall Pass” Actually Come From?

This is the part most articles skip and it’s genuinely interesting. The origin isn’t Biblical, it’s folklore and it travels through a few different cultures before reaching English.

The most common version traces back to old Persian and Sufi poetry. In one popular tale, a king asks his wise men for a phrase that would be true in both triumph and disaster, something to keep him humble in victory and hopeful in defeat. The answer given was some form of “this too shall pass.”

A similar story is told about King Solomon and a ring inscribed with the phrase, meant to calm him when he was too proud or too devastated.

The phrase entered English largely through poet Edward FitzGerald in the 1800s and later gained fame when Abraham Lincoln reportedly referenced it in a speech, describing it as a sentence that fit “all times and all situations.”

Quick timeline of how it traveled:

• Ancient Persian and Sufi folk tales
• Middle Eastern wisdom literature
• 12th-century Persian poet Attar of Nishapur’s writings
• Jewish folklore versions with King Solomon
• 19th-century English translation by Edward FitzGerald
• Popularized in the West through Lincoln’s usage
• Adopted widely in Western self-help and therapy language
• Now a global, everyday comfort phrase

This Too Shall Pass Quotes for When Life Feels Heavy

These are for the days when you need something short enough to remember but true enough to sit with.

• This too shall pass even this.
• Storms don’t last. You will still be standing.
• Nothing you’re feeling right now is permanent.
• Pain visits. It doesn’t move in.
• You’ve survived every hard day so far. This one too.
• Give it time, not a verdict.
• The night feels endless until it isn’t.
• This chapter is not your whole story.
• Holding on the version of you on the other side is stronger.
• Even the darkest season eventually turns.

This Too Shall Pass Quotes for Relationships and Heartbreak

Heartbreak has its own timeline and these quotes are written for that specific kind of pain, the kind that comes from losing someone or something you didn’t want to lose.

• This heartbreak too shall pass, even when it doesn’t feel like it.
• You will love again and it will feel easier than this.
• What hurt you today won’t own you forever.
• The ache fades before the memory does and that’s okay.
• This breakup is a chapter, not your ending.
• You’re not broken. You’re just in between.
• One day this will be a story, not a wound.
• Missing someone is temporary. Losing yourself doesn’t have to be.
• This too shall pass and so will the version of you who’s hurting right now.
• Love that leaves wasn’t yours to keep.

This Too Shall Pass in English Simple Everyday Ways to Say It

Sometimes you want the same comfort without sounding like a fridge magnet. Here are natural, everyday ways to express the same idea in plain English.

• This isn’t forever.
• It won’t always feel like this.
• You’re just in a rough patch.
• This is temporary, I promise.
• Better days are actually coming.
• This feeling will pass, even if slowly.
• You won’t feel this way next month.
• It gets easier from here.

Did Samay Raina Really Say “This Too Shall Pass”?

If you’ve landed here from Instagram, this is probably why. This phrase has been everywhere lately thanks to comedian Samay Raina and it’s worth understanding the actual context.

During his stand-up special “Still Alive,” Raina spoke about a difficult period in his life and referenced this line in connection with his friendship with creator Balraj Ghai. That moment turned into a wider meme cycle online, with people pairing the phrase with the “how do I remind my friend he’s still alive” trend and several brands jumping on the wave with their own versions of the line.

So no, he didn’t invent the phrase but he did bring it back into everyday conversation for a whole new audience, proving once again that this line never really goes out of style.

FAQs About This Too Shall Pass Quote

What does “this too shall pass” mean in simple words?
It means nothing lasts forever, not your pain and not your happiness either. It’s a reminder to hold on through hard times because change is coming.

Is “this too shall pass” a Bible verse?
Not word-for-word, but 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 expresses the same idea that current struggles are temporary compared to what’s eternal.

Who originally said “this too shall pass”?
It’s not credited to one person. It comes from old Persian and Sufi folklore and became popular in English partly through Abraham Lincoln quoting it.

Why is “this too shall pass” trending again?
It went viral recently after comedian Samay Raina referenced it in his special “Still Alive,” sparking memes and brand posts across social media.

Can I use “this too shall pass” for good times too?
Yes it works both ways. It’s a reminder to enjoy good moments fully, since they’re just as temporary as the hard ones.

Is there a KJV version of the related Bible verse?
Yes, 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 in the KJV describes present affliction as “but for a moment” compared to eternal glory.

Final Thoughts

Whatever brought you here heartbreak, a hard week or just curiosity about a viral moment remember this: nothing you’re carrying right now is permanent. Save the quote that hit hardest.