Isaiah 55:1-10

Invitation to True Rewards

1 "Ho! Everyone thirsty, come to the waters! And whoever has no money, come, buy and eat, and come, buy without money, wine and milk without price!

2 Why do you weigh out money for [what is] not food, and your labor for {what cannot satisfy}? Listen carefully to me, and eat [what is] good, and let your soul take pleasure in {rich} food.

3 Extend your ear, and come to me! Listen so that your soul may live, and I will {make} an everlasting covenant with you, the enduring proofs of {the mercies shown to} David.

4 Look! I made him a witness to [the] peoples, a leader and a commander [for the] peoples.

5 Look! You shall call a nation [that] you do not know, and a nation [that] does not know you shall run to you, because of Yahweh your God, and the holy one of Israel, for he has glorified you."

6 Seek Yahweh {while he lets himself be found}; call him {while he is} near.

7 Let [the] wicked forsake his way, and [the] man of sin his thoughts. And let him return to Yahweh, that he may take pity on him, and to our God, for he will {forgive manifold}.

8 "For my thoughts [are] not your thoughts, and your ways [are] not my ways," {declares} Yahweh.

9 "For [as] [the] heavens are {higher} than [the] earth, so my ways are {higher} than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

10 For just as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and they do not return there except they have watered the earth thoroughly and cause it to bring forth and sprout, and give seed to the sower and bread to the eater,

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Isaiah 55:1-10 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

Footnotes 13

[a]. Literally "[what is] not for satiation"
[b]. Literally "fatty"
[c]. Or "and"
[d]. Literally "cut"
[e]. or "for"
[f]. Literally "mercy of"
[g]. Or "gave"
[h]. Literally "in his letting himself be found"
[i]. Literally "in his being"
[j]. Or "and"
[k]. Literally "make numerous to"
[l]. Literally "high"
[m]. Literally "high"