Chapter Overview
Summary
Isaiah 55 closes Second-Isaiah (chs. 40–55) with the GREAT-INVITATION: 'come, everyone who thirsts!' (v. 1). Verse 3's 'I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David' is cited at Acts 13:34. Verses 8–9 contain the famous 'my thoughts are not your thoughts.' Verse 11's 'my word shall not return to me empty' is the classic-divine-word-effectiveness statement.
Notable Variants
55:1 GREAT-INVITATION 'come everyone who thirsts' → John 7:37, Rev 22:17; 55:3 'sure mercies of David' → Acts 13:34; 55:8–9 'my thoughts are not your thoughts'; 55:11 'my word shall not return empty.'
Structural Notes
MT Isaiah 55 = LXX Isaiah 55. 13 verses. CLOSES Second-Isaiah.
Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters! And he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
'Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price' tracks MT. COME-WHO-THIRSTS. John 7:37 ('if anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink') Christologically-fulfills. Revelation 22:17 ('let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price') verbatim-echoes the LXX-Isaiah 55:1 vocabulary. The GREAT-INVITATION.
Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your labor for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.
'Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food' tracks MT. SPEND-FOR-WHAT-IS-NOT-BREAD. John 6:27 ('do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life') Christologically-extends.
Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live. And I will make with you an everlasting covenant, the sure covenant loves of David.
Masoretic (WLC)
הַטּוּ אָזְנְכֶם וּלְכוּ אֵלַי שִׁמְעוּ וּתְחִי נַפְשְׁכֶם וְאֶכְרְתָה לָכֶם בְּרִית עוֹלָם חַסְדֵי דָוִד הַנֶּאֱמָנִים
Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David
Septuagint (LXX)
προσέχετε τοῖς ὠτίοις ὑμῶν καὶ ἐπακολουθήσατε ταῖς ὁδοῖς μου ἐπακούσατέ μου καὶ ζήσεται ἐν ἀγαθοῖς ἡ ψυχὴ ὑμῶν καὶ διαθήσομαι ὑμῖν διαθήκην αἰώνιον τὰ ὅσια Δαυιδ τὰ πιστά
Pay attention with your ears and follow my ways; hear me, and your soul shall live in good things; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, the holy and faithful things of David
ACTS 13:34 CITATION. Paul cites this verse at Acts 13:34 in his-Antioch-of-Pisidia-resurrection-sermon: 'And as for the fact that he raised him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, he has spoken thus: I WILL GIVE YOU THE HOLY AND SURE BLESSINGS OF DAVID (dōsō hymin ta hosia Dauid ta pista).' Paul's wording matches the LXX-of-Isaiah 55:3 verbatim. Paul-applies-the-Davidic-covenant-promises Christologically to-the-resurrected-Christ — Christ-as-fulfillment of-Davidic-promises that-cannot-die-again.
Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples.
'Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples' tracks MT. WITNESS-TO-PEOPLES — Christological. Revelation 1:5 ('the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead') Christologically-extends.
Behold, you shall call a nation you do not know, and a nation that does not know you shall run to you, because of the LORD your God, and the Holy One of Israel, for He has glorified you.
'Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know, and a nation that did not know you shall run to you, because of the LORD your God, and of the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you' tracks MT. NATION-NOT-KNOWN-RUNS-TO-YOU — Gentile-inclusion.
Seek the LORD while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near.
'Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near' tracks MT. SEEK-LORD-WHILE-HE-MAY-BE-FOUND. Famous evangelistic-text. 2 Cor 6:2 ('now is the day of salvation') extends.
Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that He may have mercy on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.
'Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon' tracks MT. ABUNDANT-PARDON. The repentance-and-pardon promise. 1 John 1:9 extends.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.
'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD' tracks MT. THOUGHTS-NOT-YOUR-THOUGHTS. The most-cited divine-transcendence axiom in-the-OT.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts' tracks MT. HEAVENS-HIGHER-THAN-EARTH. Romans 11:33 ('how unsearchable his judgments and how inscrutable his ways') extends.
For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
'For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater' tracks MT.
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
'So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it' tracks MT. WORD-SHALL-NOT-RETURN-EMPTY. Hebrews 4:12 ('the word of God is living and active') Christologically-extends. The Logos-effectiveness theology.
For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace. The mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
'For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands' tracks MT. TREES-CLAP-HANDS. All-creation-celebration.
Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall be to the LORD for a memorial, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.
'Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall make a name for the LORD, an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off' tracks MT. THORN-TO-CYPRESS reversal. Genesis 3:18's-curse-thorns reversed.