Isaiah 55:1-9

The Free Offer of Mercy

1 "Ho! Every one who ¹thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have ²no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy ³wine and milk ⁴Without money and without cost.

2 "Why do you spend money for what is ⁵not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and ⁶eat what is good, And ⁷delight yourself in abundance.

3 "⁸Incline your ear and come to Me. Listen, that you may ⁹live; And I will make ¹⁰an everlasting covenant with you, According to the ¹¹faithful mercies shown to David.

4 "Behold, I have made ¹²him a witness to the peoples, A ¹³leader and commander for the peoples.

5 "Behold, you will call a ¹⁴nation you do not know, And a nation which knows you not will ¹⁵run to you, Because of the LORD your God, even the Holy One of Israel; For He has ¹⁶glorified you."

6 ¹⁷Seek the LORD while He may be found; ¹⁸Call upon Him while He is near.

7 ¹⁹Let the wicked forsake his way And the unrighteous man his ²⁰thoughts; And let him ²¹return to the LORD, And He will have ²²compassion on him, And to our God, For He will ²³abundantly pardon.

8 "For My thoughts are not ²⁴your thoughts, Nor are ²⁵your ways My ways," declares the LORD.

9 "For ²⁶as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.

Isaiah 55:1-9 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 55

As the two preceding chapters are prophecies of Christ and his church, this treats of his word and ordinances, and of the nature, use, and efficacy of them. It begins with an invitation of thirsty souls to them, Isa 55:1, an expostulation with them for taking wrong methods, and a dissuasive from them, Isa 55:2, which is followed with an exhortation to hear the word of Christ, attend on his ordinances; to which they are encouraged with promises of life and covenant blessings, Isa 55:2,3. Christ is prophesied of in his offices; and the conversion of the Gentiles to him is foretold, Isa 55:4,5, men are called upon to seek the Lord, where and while he might be found; and both wicked and unrighteous persons, forsaking their ways and thoughts, are encouraged to turn to the Lord, in hopes of pardon, and in consideration of his ways and thoughts not being like theirs, Isa 55:6-9, the nature and efficacy of the word of God are expressed and illustrated by the similes of rain and snow, Isa 55:10,11, and the conversion of the Lord's people, in consequence of the word being made effectual, is predicted, the issue of which is the glory of God, Isa 55:12,13.

Cross References

• 1. Psalms 42:1, 2; Psalms 63:1; Psalms 143:6; Isaiah 41:17; Isaiah 44:3; John 4:14; John 7:37; Revelation 21:6
• 2. Lamentations 5:4
• 3. Song of Songs 5:1; Joel 3:18
• 4. Hosea 14:4; Matthew 10:8
• 5. Ecclesiastes 6:2; Hosea 8:7
• 6. Psalms 22:26; Isaiah 1:19; Isaiah 62:8, 9
• 7. Isaiah 25:6; Jeremiah 31:14
• 8. Isaiah 51:4
• 9. Leviticus 18:5; Romans 10:5
• 10. Isaiah 61:8
• 11. Acts 13:34
• 12. Psalms 18:43; Jeremiah 30:9; Hosea 3:5
• 13. Ezekiel 34:24; Ezekiel 37:24, 25; Daniel 9:25; Micah 5:2
• 14. Isaiah 45:14, 22-24; Isaiah 49:6, 12, 23
• 15. Zechariah 8:22
• 16. Isaiah 60:9
• 17. Psalms 32:6; Isaiah 45:19, 22; Isaiah 49:8; Amos 5:6
• 18. Isaiah 58:9; Isaiah 65:24
• 19. Isaiah 1:16, 19; Isaiah 58:6
• 20. Isaiah 32:7; Isaiah 59:7
• 21. Isaiah 31:6; Isaiah 44:22
• 22. Isaiah 14:1; Isaiah 54:8, 10
• 23. Isaiah 1:18; Isaiah 40:2; Isaiah 43:25; Isaiah 44:22
• 24. Isaiah 65:2; Isaiah 66:18
• 25. Isaiah 53:6
• 26. Psalms 103:11

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "silver"
• [b]. Lit "weigh out silver"
• [c]. Lit "your soul"
• [d]. Lit "of David"