Isaiah — Chapter 55

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1“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you without money, come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost!

2Why spend money on that which is not bread, and your labor on that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of foods.

3Incline your ear and come to Me; listen, so that your soul may live. I will make with you an everlasting covenant—My loving devotion promised to David.

4Behold, I have made him a witness to the nations, a leader and commander of the peoples.

5Surely you will summon a nation you do not know, and nations who do not know you will run to you. For the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, has bestowed glory on you.”

6Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near.

7Let the wicked man forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that He may have compassion, 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“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.

10For just as rain and snow fall from heaven and do not return without watering the earth, making it bud and sprout, and providing seed to sow and food to eat,

11so My word that proceeds from My mouth will not return to Me empty, but it will accomplish what I please, and it will prosper where I send it.

12You will indeed go out with joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.

13Instead of the thornbush, the cypress will grow, and instead of the brier, the myrtle will spring up; this will make a name for the LORD, an everlasting sign, never to be destroyed.”

1Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

2Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.

3Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

4Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.

5Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the LORD thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee.

6Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:

7Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

8For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

9For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

10For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:

11So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

12For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

13Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

1Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

2Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labor for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.

3Incline your ear, and come unto me; hear, and your soul shall live: and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

4Behold, I have given him for a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander to the peoples.

5Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not; and a nation that knew not thee shall run unto thee, because of Jehovah thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee.

6Seek ye Jehovah while he may be found; call ye upon him while he is near:

7let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto Jehovah, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

8For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith Jehovah.

9For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

10For as the rain cometh down and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, and giveth seed to the sower and bread to the eater;

11so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

12For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing; and all the trees of the fields shall clap their hands.

13Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir-tree; and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle-tree: and it shall be to Jehovah for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

1“Hey, all who are thirsty, come to the water! You who have no money, come! Buy and eat! Come! Buy wine and milk without money and without cost.

2Why pay money for something that will not nourish you? Why spend your hard-earned money on something that will not satisfy? Listen carefully to me and eat what is nourishing! Enjoy fine food.

3Pay attention and come to me. Listen, so you can live. Then I will make an unconditional covenantal promise to you, just like the reliable covenantal promises I made to David.

4Look, I made him a witness to nations, a ruler and commander of nations.”

5Look, you will summon nations you did not previously know; nations that did not previously know you will run to you, because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he bestows honor on you.

6Seek the Lord while he makes himself available; call to him while he is nearby!

7The wicked need to abandon their lifestyle and sinful people their plans. They should return to the Lord, and he will show mercy to them, and to their God, for he will freely forgive them.

8“Indeed, my plans are not like your plans, and my deeds are not like your deeds,” says the Lord,

9“for just as the sky is higher than the earth, so my deeds are superior to your deeds and my plans superior to your plans.

10The rain and snow fall from the sky and do not return, but instead water the earth and make it produce and yield crops, and provide seed for the planter and food for those who must eat.

11In the same way, the promise that I make does not return to me, having accomplished nothing. No, it is realized as I desire and is fulfilled as I intend.”

12Indeed you will go out with joy; you will be led along in peace; the mountains and hills will give a joyful shout before you, and all the trees in the field will clap their hands.

13Evergreens will grow in place of thornbushes; firs will grow in place of nettles; they will be a monument to the Lord, a permanent reminder that will remain.

1“Hey! Come, everyone who thirsts, to the waters! Come, he who has no money, buy, and eat! Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

2Why do you spend money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which doesn’t satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in richness.

3Turn your ear, and come to me. Hear, and your soul will live: and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

4Behold, I have given him for a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander to the peoples.

5Behold, you shall call a nation that you don’t know; and a nation that didn’t know you shall run to you, because of Yahweh your God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he has glorified you.”

6Seek Yahweh while he may be found. Call on him while he is near.

7Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts. Let him return to Yahweh, and he will have mercy on him; and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

8“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways,” says Yahweh.

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

10For as the rain comes down and the snow from the sky, and doesn’t return there, but waters the earth, and makes it grow and bud, and gives seed to the sower and bread to the eater;

11so is my word that goes out of my mouth: it will not return to me void, but it will accomplish that which I please, and it will prosper in the thing I sent it to do.

12For you shall go out with joy, and be led out with peace. The mountains and the hills will break out before you into singing; and all the trees of the fields will clap their hands.

13Instead of the thorn the cypress tree will come up; and instead of the brier the myrtle tree will come up: and it will make a name for Yahweh, for an everlasting sign that will not be cut off.”

Summary
Authorship & Background
Commentary
Videos
Articles
Reflection

Summary

Isaiah issues an open invitation to everyone who is thirsty to come freely to the water, wine, and milk God offers, urging them to stop spending their resources on what doesn't satisfy and instead listen so their souls can truly live (vv. 1-3). He calls the people to seek the LORD while he can be found and to turn from their sinful ways, promising abundant forgiveness (vv. 6-7). God reminds them that his thoughts and ways are far higher than theirs, and that just as rain waters the earth and makes it fruitful, his word will not return to him empty but will accomplish exactly what he sends it to do (vv. 8-11). The chapter closes with a picture of creation itself celebrating Israel's release, with mountains and hills bursting into song and thorn bushes replaced by flourishing trees, becoming a lasting sign of God's covenant (vv. 12-13).

Authorship & Background

Author: Isaiah son of Amoz (see Chapter 1 notes for full details).
Classification: Prophetic Salvation Oracle — The Great Invitation
Key Themes: Free salvation for the thirsty, the everlasting Davidic covenant, God's word always accomplishes its purpose, God's thoughts higher than ours, the joy of exodus/creation
Historical Context: Chapter 55 concludes the Servant section (chs.49-55) with a universal invitation. After the Servant's death and resurrection (ch.53) and the resulting blessing (ch.54), now the invitation goes out to everyone. The tone is marketplace urgency: "Ho!" (the vendor's cry). Everything is free — no money required. This is the gospel in OT form: come, receive, live. The Davidic covenant (v.3) connects the Servant's work to David's eternal dynasty promise (2 Samuel 7). Paul quotes v.3 in Acts 13:34 as fulfilled in Christ's resurrection.
Come, Buy Without Money (vv.1-2): Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money, come ye, buy, and eat, yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. The invitation is a market cry and the terms contradict the setting, which is the point. Then the question that gives it its edge, and it is about waste rather than about sin, wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread, and your labour for that which satisfieth not. And the promise, hearken diligently unto me, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.
The Sure Mercies of David (vv.3-5): Incline your ear, and come unto me, hear, and your soul shall live, and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, the sure mercies of David. What is remarkable is who the covenant is offered to: the promise made to one king is being extended to a whole discouraged community. Paul quotes the phrase in Acts 13:34. Then the role is transferred with it, behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee, so what David was to the tribes, this people will be to the nations.
Seek Ye the LORD While He May Be Found (vv.6-7): Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near. The clause while he may be found implies a window, which is the one note of urgency in an otherwise open-handed chapter. Then what turning consists of, stated as two departures and two arrivals, let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the LORD. And the ground of it is capacity rather than leniency, for he will abundantly pardon.
My Thoughts Are Not Your Thoughts (vv.8-9): For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. The verses are usually quoted to explain a disappointment, and in context they are doing the opposite: they follow immediately on he will abundantly pardon, so what is being said to be beyond human reckoning is the scale of the forgiveness. And the measure given is vertical, for as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways.
As the Rain Cometh Down (vv.10-11): For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud. The comparison is with weather that does not go back up unused. So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth, it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please. The claim is about reliability of effect rather than of prediction, and it is the answer to forty chapters of preaching that appeared to achieve nothing.
Ye Shall Go Out with Joy (vv.12-13): For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace, the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Then the change described botanically, instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree. The thorns and briers are the standing image of ruin from 5:6 and 7:23, and what replaces them here is not merely useful but ornamental. And the last clause is about permanence, and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

Commentary

  • Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com
  • Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
  • Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.

Videos

Isaiah 54-55 | The Invitation | Bible Study
Spoken Gospel

Eating Good Things - Isaiah 55:1-2
David Guzik

As the Rain Comes Down - Isaiah 55:10-11
David Guzik

Articles

  • BibleProject: bibleproject.com On the whole book: the promised king who runs through Isaiah from beginning to end.
  • GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of the book of Isaiah -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.

Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.

Reflection

  • Come, Thirsty, Without Price (vv.1-2) — Everyone who thirsts is invited to come and receive water, wine, and milk without money, while God asks why they spend their wages on what doesn't satisfy. What are you currently investing your time and energy in that leaves you just as empty afterward?
  • An Everlasting Covenant (v.3) — God offers an everlasting covenant tied to His steadfast love for David, promising that those who listen and come to Him will truly live. Do you come to God's word expecting it to bring life, or treat it as background noise?
  • Seek Him While He May Be Found (v.6) — The invitation carries urgency: seek the Lord while He may be found and call on Him while He is near, turning from wicked thoughts and ways. Is there something you're delaying dealing with, assuming the opportunity to turn back will always be there?
  • Thoughts and Ways Higher Than Ours (v.8) — God says His thoughts and ways are as far above human thoughts and ways as the heavens are above the earth. When His plan doesn't make sense to you, do you trust the gap is His wisdom, or assume something's wrong?
  • A Word That Accomplishes Its Purpose (v.11) — Just as rain and snow water the earth before returning to the sky, God's word will not return to Him empty but will accomplish exactly what He sends it to do. Do you believe the word you've read, prayed, or spoken is still working even when you can't see the results yet?
  • Creation Rejoices, an Everlasting Sign (v.13) — Thorns will be replaced by cypress and briers by myrtle, standing as a lasting sign of what God has done. Does the transformation God has worked in your own life serve as a visible sign to the people watching you?