Bible Commentaries
Isaiah 55

Verse 1

55:1 Ho, every one that {a} thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath {b} no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy {c} wine and milk without money and without price.

(a) Christ by proposing his graces and gifts to his Church, exempts the hypocrites who are full with their imagined works, and the Epicureans who are full with their worldly lusts, and so do not thirst after these waters.

(b) Signifying that God’s benefits cannot be bought for money.

(c) By waters, wine, milk and bread, he means all things necessary to the spiritual life, as these are necessary to this corporal life.

Verse 2

55:2 Why do ye spend money for [that which is] not bread? {d} and your labour for [that which] satisfieth not? hearken diligently to me, and eat ye [that which is] good, and let your soul delight itself in {e} fatness.

(d) He reproves their ingratitude, who refuse those things that God offers willingly, and in the mean time spare neither cost nor labour to obtain those which are not profitable.

(e) You will be fed abundantly.

Verse 3

55:3 Incline your ear, and come to me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, [even] the {f} sure mercies of David.

(f) The same covenant which through my mercy I ratified and confirmed to David, that it would be eternal, 2 Samuel 7:13, Acts 13:34 .

Verse 4

55:4 Behold, I have given {g} him [for] a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.

(g) Meaning Christ, of whom David was a figure.

Verse 5

55:5 Behold, thou shalt call a nation [that] thou knowest not, {h} and nations [that] knew not thee shall run to thee because of the LORD thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee.

(h) That is, the Gentiles, who before you did not receive to be your people.

Verse 6

55:6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be {i} found, call ye upon him while he is near:

(i) When he offers himself by the preaching of his word.

Verse 7

55:7 Let the wicked {k} forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return to the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

(k) By this he shows that repentance must be joined with faith, and how we cannot call on God correctly, unless the fruits of our faith appear.

Verse 8

55:8 For my {l} thoughts [are] not your thoughts, neither [are] your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

(l) Although you are not soon reconciled one to another and judge me by yourselves, yet I am easy to be reconciled, yea, I offer my mercies to you.

Verse 11

55:11 So shall my {m} word be that proceedeth from my mouth: it shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper [in the thing] for which I sent it.

(m) If these small things have their effect, as daily experience shows much more will my promise which I have made and confirmed, bring to pass the things which I have spoken for your deliverance.

Verse 12

55:12 For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the {n} mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap [their] hands.

(n) Read Isaiah 44:23; Isaiah 49:13

Verse 13

55:13 Instead 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 {o} for a name, for an everlasting {p} sign [that] shall not be cut off.

(o) To set forth his glory.

(p) Of God’s deliverance, and that he will never forsake his Church.