Chapter Overview
Summary
Isaiah 65 promises NEW HEAVENS-AND-NEW-EARTH (vv. 17–25). Verses 1–2 are cited at Romans 10:20–21 in-Paul's-Gentile-inclusion + Israel's-rejection contrast. Verse 17's 'I create new heavens and a new earth' is the proto-text for-2 Peter 3:13 + Revelation 21:1.
Notable Variants
65:1 'I have been found by those who did not seek me' → Romans 10:20 (Gentile-inclusion); 65:2 'I have spread out my hands' → Romans 10:21 (Israel's-rejection); 65:17 NEW HEAVENS AND NEW EARTH → 2 Pet 3:13, Rev 21:1; 65:25 'wolf and lamb shall graze together' → Isa 11:6 echoed.
Structural Notes
MT Isaiah 65 = LXX Isaiah 65. 25 verses. NEW HEAVENS AND NEW EARTH chapter.
"I let Myself be sought by those who did not ask; I let Myself be found by those who did not seek Me. I said, 'Here I am! Here I am!' to a nation that did not call on My name."
Masoretic (WLC)
נִדְרַשְׁתִּי לְלוֹא שָׁאָלוּ נִמְצֵאתִי לְלֹא בִקְשֻׁנִי אָמַרְתִּי הִנֵּנִי הִנֵּנִי אֶל־גּוֹי לֹא־קֹרָא בִשְׁמִי
I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me; I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me. I said: Here I am, here I am, to a nation that was not called by my name
Septuagint (LXX)
ἐμφανὴς ἐγενόμην τοῖς ἐμὲ μὴ ζητοῦσιν εὑρέθην τοῖς ἐμὲ μὴ ἐπερωτῶσιν εἶπα ἰδού εἰμι τῷ ἔθνει οἳ οὐκ ἐκάλεσάν μου τὸ ὄνομα
I became visible to those who did not seek me; I was found by those who did not ask for me; I said: Here I am, to a nation who did not call upon my name
ROMANS 10:20 CITATION. Paul cites this verse at-Romans 10:20 verbatim-from-LXX as-Gentile-inclusion proof-text: 'Then Isaiah is so bold as to say: I HAVE BEEN FOUND BY THOSE WHO DID NOT SEEK ME; I HAVE SHOWN MYSELF TO THOSE WHO DID NOT ASK FOR ME (heurethēn tois eme mē zētousin, emphanēs egenomēn tois eme mē eperōtōsin).' Paul applies-this verse to-the-Gentile-mission's-fruit — those-who-were-not-seeking finding-God.
"I spread out My hands all day long to a rebellious people who walk in a way that is not good, following their own devices —"
Masoretic (WLC)
פֵּרַשְׂתִּי יָדַי כָּל־הַיּוֹם אֶל־עַם סוֹרֵר הַהֹלְכִים הַדֶּרֶךְ לֹא־טוֹב אַחַר מַחְשְׁבֹתֵיהֶם
I spread out my hands all the day to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good, following their own devices
Septuagint (LXX)
ἐξεπέτασα τὰς χεῖράς μου ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν πρὸς λαὸν ἀπειθοῦντα καὶ ἀντιλέγοντα οἳ οὐκ ἐπορεύθησαν ὁδῷ ἀληθινῇ ἀλλ᾽ ὀπίσω τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν αὐτῶν
I have stretched out my hands all the day to a disobedient and contrary people, who walked not in the true way, but after their own sins
ROMANS 10:21 CITATION. Paul continues at Romans 10:21 verbatim-from-LXX: 'But of Israel he says: ALL DAY LONG I HAVE HELD OUT MY HANDS TO A DISOBEDIENT AND CONTRARY PEOPLE (holēn tēn hēmeran exepetasa tas cheiras mou pros laon apeithounta kai antilegonta).' Paul applies-it to-Israel's-rejection of-the-gospel. The contrast 65:1 (Gentile-inclusion) + 65:2 (Israel-rejection) anchors-Paul's argument-structure in-Romans 9–11.
"a people who provoke Me to My face continually, who sacrifice in gardens and burn incense on bricks —"
'A people who provoke me to my face continually, sacrificing in gardens and making offerings on bricks' tracks MT.
"who sit among the graves and spend the night in secret places, who eat the flesh of swine, with broth of abominable things in their vessels —"
'Who sit in tombs, and spend the night in secret places; who eat pig's flesh, and broth of tainted meat is in their vessels' tracks MT.
"who say, 'Keep to yourself — do not come near me, for I am too holy for you!' These are smoke in My nostrils, a fire that burns all day long."
'Who say: Keep to yourself, do not come near me, for I am too holy for you. These are a smoke in my nostrils, a fire that burns all the day' tracks MT. HOLIER-THAN-THOU rebuked. Luke 18:9–14 (Pharisee-and-tax-collector) Christologically-extends.
"Behold, it is written before Me: I will not keep silent; I will repay — I will repay into their lap —"
'Behold, it is written before me: I will not keep silent, but I will repay; I will indeed repay into their lap' tracks MT.
"your iniquities and the iniquities of your fathers together," says the LORD. "Because they burned incense on the mountains and mocked Me on the hills, I will measure into their lap the full payment for their former deeds."
'Both your iniquities and your fathers' iniquities together, says the LORD; because they made offerings on the mountains and insulted me on the hills, I will measure into their lap payment for their former deeds' tracks MT.
This is what the LORD says: "As the new wine is found in the cluster, and someone says, 'Do not destroy it, for there is a blessing in it' — so I will do for the sake of My servants; I will not destroy them all."
'Thus says the LORD: As the new wine is found in the cluster, and they say: Do not destroy it, for there is a blessing in it, so I will do for my servants' sake, and not destroy them all' tracks MT.
"I will bring forth offspring from Jacob, and from Judah an heir of My mountains. My chosen ones shall possess it, and My servants shall dwell there."
'I will bring forth offspring from Jacob, and from Judah possessors of my mountains; my chosen shall possess it, and my servants shall dwell there' tracks MT.
"Sharon shall become a pasture for flocks, and the Valley of Achor a resting place for herds, for My people who have sought Me."
'Sharon shall become a pasture for flocks, and the Valley of Achor a place for herds to lie down, for my people who have sought me' tracks MT.
"But you who forsake the LORD, who forget My holy mountain, who set a table for Fortune and fill cups of mixed wine for Destiny —"
'But you who forsake the LORD, who forget my holy mountain, who set a table for Fortune and fill cups of mixed wine for Destiny' tracks MT. FORTUNE-AND-DESTINY (Gad and Meni). Pagan-fate-deities.
"I will destine you for the sword, and all of you shall bow down to the slaughter, because I called and you did not answer, I spoke and you did not listen. You did what is evil in My eyes and chose what I did not delight in."
'I will destine you to the sword, and all of you shall bow down to the slaughter, because, when I called, you did not answer; when I spoke, you did not listen, but you did what was evil in my eyes and chose what I did not delight in' tracks MT.
Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: "Behold, My servants shall eat, but you shall be hungry; My servants shall drink, but you shall be thirsty; My servants shall rejoice, but you shall be put to shame."
'Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, my servants shall eat, but you shall be hungry; behold, my servants shall drink, but you shall be thirsty; behold, my servants shall rejoice, but you shall be put to shame' tracks MT. SERVANTS-EAT/YOU-HUNGER reversal.
"Behold, My servants shall sing out of a glad heart, but you shall cry out from an anguished heart and wail from a broken spirit."
'Behold, my servants shall sing for gladness of heart, but you shall cry out for pain of heart and shall wail for breaking of spirit' tracks MT.
"You shall leave your name as a curse-word for My chosen ones; the Lord GOD will put you to death. But His servants He will call by another name,"
'You shall leave your name to my chosen for a curse, and the Lord GOD will put you to death, but his servants he will call by another name' tracks MT. ANOTHER-NAME — // Isa 62:2.
"so that whoever invokes a blessing in the land shall bless by the God of Amen, and whoever takes an oath in the land shall swear by the God of Amen. For the former troubles will be forgotten and will be hidden from My eyes."
'So that he who blesses himself in the land shall bless himself by the God of truth, and he who takes an oath in the land shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten and are hidden from my eyes' tracks MT. AMEN-GOD (el-amen, 'God of truth') — Revelation 3:14 ('the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness') Christologically-extends, Christ-as-Amen.
"For behold, I am creating new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind."
Masoretic (WLC)
כִּי־הִנְנִי בוֹרֵא שָׁמַיִם חֲדָשִׁים וָאָרֶץ חֲדָשָׁה וְלֹא תִזָּכַרְנָה הָרִאשֹׁנוֹת וְלֹא תַעֲלֶינָה עַל־לֵב
For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind
Septuagint (LXX)
ἔσται γὰρ ὁ οὐρανὸς καινὸς καὶ ἡ γῆ καινή καὶ οὐ μὴ μνησθῶσιν τῶν προτέρων οὐδ᾽ οὐ μὴ ἐπέλθῃ αὐτῶν ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν
For there shall be a new heaven and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered, neither shall they come into their mind
NEW-HEAVENS-AND-NEW-EARTH. The eschatological-RE-CREATION text. 2 PETER 3:13: 'But according to his promise we are waiting for NEW HEAVENS AND A NEW EARTH (kainous de ouranous kai gēn kainēn) in which righteousness dwells.' REVELATION 21:1: 'Then I saw A NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away.' Both-NT-passages directly-extend Isa 65:17. The eschatological-renewal-cosmology is rooted-here.
"But be glad and rejoice forever in what I am creating! For behold, I am creating Jerusalem as a delight and her people as a joy."
'But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and her people to be a gladness' tracks MT. NEW-JERUSALEM-AS-JOY. Revelation 21:2 ('the holy city, new Jerusalem') extends.
"I will rejoice over Jerusalem and be glad over My people. No more shall the sound of weeping be heard in her, nor the sound of crying."
'I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in my people; no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping and the cry of distress' tracks MT. NO-MORE-WEEPING. Revelation 21:4 ('he will wipe away every tear … no more weeping') directly-extends.
"No more shall there be an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not fill out his years. For the youth who dies at a hundred will be considered young, and the sinner who fails to reach a hundred will be considered cursed."
'No more shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not fill out his days, for the young man shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed' tracks MT.
"They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit."
'They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit' tracks MT.
"They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat. For as the days of a tree shall be the days of My people, and My chosen ones shall long enjoy the work of their hands."
'They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands' tracks MT.
"They shall not labor in vain or bear children for calamity, for they are the offspring of those blessed by the LORD, and their descendants with them."
'They shall not labor in vain or bear children for calamity, for they shall be the offspring of the blessed of the LORD, and their descendants with them' tracks MT.
"Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear."
'Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear' tracks MT. BEFORE-THEY-CALL-I-WILL-ANSWER. Divine-prevenient-grace-in-prayer.
"The wolf and the lamb shall graze together; the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent's food. They shall not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain," says the LORD.
'The wolf and the lamb shall graze together; the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent's food. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain, says the LORD' tracks MT. WOLF-AND-LAMB. // Isa 11:6–9. The peaceable-kingdom-restored at-the-eschatological-renewal.