Isaiah 55:1-9

Invitation to the Thirsty

1 “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.

2 Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare.

3 Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David.

4 See, I have made him a witness to the peoples, a ruler and commander of the peoples.

5 Surely you will summon nations you know not, and nations you do not know will come running to you, because of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendor.”

6 Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.

7 Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD.

9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

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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.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 31

1. S Proverbs 9:5; S Isaiah 35:7; Matthew 5:6; Luke 6:21; John 4:14; John 7:37
2. Jeremiah 2:13; Ezekiel 47:1,12; Zechariah 14:8
3. Lamentations 5:4; Matthew 13:44; Revelation 3:18
4. S Song of Songs 5:1; 1 Peter 2:2
5. Hosea 14:4; Matthew 10:8; Revelation 21:6; Revelation 22:17
6. Psalms 22:26; Ecclesiastes 6:2; Isaiah 49:4; Jeremiah 12:13; Hosea 4:10; Hosea 8:7; Micah 6:14; Haggai 1:6
7. S Isaiah 1:19
8. S Isaiah 30:23
9. S Psalms 78:1
10. S Leviticus 18:5; S John 6:27; Romans 10:5
11. S Genesis 9:16; S Isaiah 54:10; S Hebrews 13:20; Isaiah 61:8
12. S Isaiah 54:8
13. Acts 13:34*
14. Revelation 1:5
15. S 1 Samuel 13:14; S 2 Chronicles 7:18; S Isaiah 32:1; Jeremiah 30:9; Ezekiel 34:23-24
16. S Isaiah 49:6
17. S Isaiah 2:3
18. S Isaiah 12:6; S Isaiah 54:5
19. S Isaiah 44:23; Isaiah 60:9
20. S Deuteronomy 4:29; S 2 Chronicles 15:2; S Isaiah 9:13
21. Psalms 32:6; Isaiah 49:8; Acts 17:27; 2 Corinthians 6:1-2
22. S Psalms 50:15; Isaiah 65:24; Jeremiah 29:12; Jeremiah 33:3
23. S 2 Chronicles 7:14; S 2 Chronicles 30:9; Ezekiel 18:27-28
24. Isaiah 32:7; Isaiah 59:7
25. S Isaiah 44:22; S Jeremiah 26:3; S Ezekiel 18:32
26. S Isaiah 54:10
27. S 2 Chronicles 6:21; Isaiah 1:18; Isaiah 40:2
28. Philippians 2:5; Philippians 4:8
29. Isaiah 53:6; Micah 4:12
30. S Job 11:8; Psalms 103:11
31. S Numbers 23:19; S Isaiah 40:13-14