---
title: "Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible -  Isaiah 55"
description: "CHAPTER 55   :-. THE CALL
OF THE GENTILE
WORLD TO FAITH
THE RESULT OF GOD"
image: "/images/missing.jpg"
url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/isaiah/55"
---

CHAPTER 55

. THE CALL
OF THE GENTILE
WORLD TO FAITH
THE RESULT OF GOD'S
GRACE TO THE JEWS
FIRST.

**1. every one**—After the *special*
privileges of Israel () there follow, as the consequence, the *universal*
invitation to the Gentiles ([Luke 24:47](../../../kjv/luke/24/47);
[Romans 11:12](../../../kjv/romans/11/12); [Romans 11:15](../../../kjv/romans/11/15)).
**Ho**—calls the most
earnest attention.
**thirsteth**—has a keen
sense of need ([Matthew 5:6](../../../kjv/matthew/5/6)).
**waters . . . wine and milk**—a
gradation. Not merely *water,* which is needed to maintain life
at all, but *wine and milk* to strengthen, cheer, and nourish;
the spiritual blessings of the Gospel are meant ([Isaiah 25:6](../../../kjv/isaiah/25/6);
[Song of Solomon 5:1](../../../kjv/song-of-solomon/5/1); [John 7:37](../../../kjv/john/7/37)).
"Waters," *plural,* to denote abundance ([Isaiah 43:20](../../../kjv/isaiah/43/20);
[Isaiah 44:3](../../../kjv/isaiah/44/3)).
**no money**—Yet, in [Isaiah 44:3](../../../kjv/isaiah/44/3), it is said, "ye spend money." A seeming paradox.
Ye are really spiritual bankrupts: but thinking yourselves to have
money, namely, a devotion of your own making, ye lavish it on that
"which is not bread," that is, on idols, whether literal or
spiritual.
**buy . . . without
money**—another paradox. We are *bought,* but not with a
*price* paid by ourselves ([1 Corinthians 6:20](../../../kjv/1-corinthians/6/20);
[1 Peter 1:18](../../../kjv/1-peter/1/18); [1 Peter 1:19](../../../kjv/1-peter/1/19)).
In a different sense we are to "buy" salvation, namely, by
parting with everything which comes between us and Christ who has
bought it for us and by making it our own ([Matthew 13:44](../../../kjv/matthew/13/44);
[Matthew 13:46](../../../kjv/matthew/13/46); [Luke 12:33](../../../kjv/luke/12/33);
[Revelation 3:18](../../../kjv/revelation/3/18)).

**2. not bread**— (). "Bread of deceit" (). Contrast this with the "bread of life" ([John 6:32](../../../kjv/john/6/32);
[John 6:35](../../../kjv/john/6/35); also [John 6:35](../../../kjv/john/6/35)).
**satisfieth not**—
([Ecclesiastes 1:8](../../../kjv/ecclesiastes/1/8); [Ecclesiastes 4:8](../../../kjv/ecclesiastes/4/8)).
**hearken . . . and eat**—When
two *imperatives* are joined, the second expresses the
*consequence* of obeying the command in the first ([Ecclesiastes 4:8](../../../kjv/ecclesiastes/4/8)). *By hearkening ye shall eat.* So in [Ecclesiastes 4:8](../../../kjv/ecclesiastes/4/8), "buy and eat." By buying, and so making it your
own, ye shall eat, that is, *experimentally enjoy* it ([Ecclesiastes 4:8](../../../kjv/ecclesiastes/4/8)). Compare the invitation ([Proverbs 9:5](../../../kjv/proverbs/9/5);
[Proverbs 9:6](../../../kjv/proverbs/9/6); [Matthew 22:4](../../../kjv/matthew/22/4)).
**fatness**— ([Psalms 36:8](../../../kjv/psalms/36/8);
[Psalms 63:5](../../../kjv/psalms/63/5)).

**3. me . . . live**—by coming to
*me* ye shall *live:* for "*I* am the *life*"
([John 14:6](../../../kjv/john/14/6)).
**everlasting covenant**—
([Jeremiah 32:40](../../../kjv/jeremiah/32/40); [2 Samuel 23:5](../../../kjv/2-samuel/23/5)).
**with you . . . David**—God's
covenant is with the antitypical David, Messiah ([2 Samuel 23:5](../../../kjv/2-samuel/23/5)), and so with us by our identification with Him.
**sure**—answering to
"everlasting," irrevocable, unfailing, to be relied on
([Psalms 89:2-4](../../../kjv/psalms/89/2-4); [Psalms 89:28](../../../kjv/psalms/89/28);
[Psalms 89:29](../../../kjv/psalms/89/29); [Psalms 89:34-36](../../../kjv/psalms/89/34-36);
[Jeremiah 33:20](../../../kjv/jeremiah/33/20); [Jeremiah 33:21](../../../kjv/jeremiah/33/21);
[2 Samuel 7:15](../../../kjv/2-samuel/7/15); [2 Samuel 7:16](../../../kjv/2-samuel/7/16);
[2 Corinthians 1:18-20](../../../kjv/2-corinthians/1/18-20)).
**mercies of David**—the
mercies of grace ([Isaiah 63:7](../../../kjv/isaiah/63/7);
[John 1:16](../../../kjv/john/1/16)) which I covenanted to
give to David, and especially to Messiah, his antitype. Quoted in [John 1:16](../../../kjv/john/1/16).

**4. him**—the mystical David
([Ezekiel 37:24](../../../kjv/ezekiel/37/24); [Ezekiel 37:25](../../../kjv/ezekiel/37/25);
[Jeremiah 30:9](../../../kjv/jeremiah/30/9); [Hosea 3:5](../../../kjv/hosea/3/5)).
Given by God ([Isaiah 49:6](../../../kjv/isaiah/49/6)).
**witness**—He bore witness
even unto death for God, to His law, claims, and plan of redeeming
love ([John 18:37](../../../kjv/john/18/37); [Revelation 1:5](../../../kjv/revelation/1/5)).
Revelation is a "testimony"; because it is propounded to be
received on the authority of the Giver, and not merely because it can
be proved by arguments.
**commander**—"preceptor"
[HORSLEY]; "lawgiver"
[BARNES].
**to the people**—rather,
"peoples."

**5. thou**—Jehovah addresses
Messiah.
**call . . . run**—God must
*call,* before man can, or will, *run* ([Song of Solomon 1:4](../../../kjv/song-of-solomon/1/4);
[John 6:44](../../../kjv/john/6/44)). Not merely *come,*
but *run* eagerly.
**thou knowest not**—now as
thy people (so in [Matthew 7:23](../../../kjv/matthew/7/23)).
**nation . . .
nations**—gradation; from Israel, one *nation,* the Gospel
spread to many *nations,* and will do so more fully on Israel's
conversion.
**knew not thee**— ([Isaiah 52:15](../../../kjv/isaiah/52/15);
[Ephesians 2:11](../../../kjv/ephesians/2/11); [Ephesians 2:12](../../../kjv/ephesians/2/12)).
**because of . . . thy God . .
. glorified thee**— ([Isaiah 60:5](../../../kjv/isaiah/60/5);
[Isaiah 60:9](../../../kjv/isaiah/60/9); [Zechariah 8:23](../../../kjv/zechariah/8/23));
where similar language is directed to *Israel,* because of the
identification of Israel with Messiah, who is the ideal Israel ([Zechariah 8:23](../../../kjv/zechariah/8/23); compare with [Hosea 11:1](../../../kjv/hosea/11/1);
see [Acts 3:13](../../../kjv/acts/3/13)).

**6.** The condition and limit in
the obtaining of the spiritual benefits (): (1) Seek the Lord. (2) Seek Him while He is to be found
([Isaiah 65:1](../../../kjv/isaiah/65/1); [Psalms 32:6](../../../kjv/psalms/32/6);
[Matthew 25:1-13](../../../kjv/matthew/25/1-13); [John 7:34](../../../kjv/john/7/34);
[John 8:21](../../../kjv/john/8/21); [2 Corinthians 6:2](../../../kjv/2-corinthians/6/2);
[Hebrews 2:3](../../../kjv/hebrews/2/3); [Hebrews 3:13](../../../kjv/hebrews/3/13);
[Hebrews 3:15](../../../kjv/hebrews/3/15)).
**call**—casting yourselves
wholly on His mercy ([Romans 10:13](../../../kjv/romans/10/13)).
Stronger than "seek"; so "near" is more positive
than "while He may be found" ([Romans 10:8](../../../kjv/romans/10/8);
[Romans 10:9](../../../kjv/romans/10/9)).
**near**—propitious
([Psalms 34:18](../../../kjv/psalms/34/18); [Psalms 145:18](../../../kjv/psalms/145/18)).

**7. unrighteous**—*Hebrew,*
"man of iniquity"; true of all men. The "wicked"
sins more openly in "his way"; the "unrighteous"
refers to the more subtle workings of sin in the "thoughts."
All are guilty in the latter respect, thought many fancy themselves
safe, because not openly "wicked in ways" (). The parallelism is that of gradation. The progress of the
penitent is to be from negative reformation, "forsaking his
way," and a farther step, "his thoughts," to positive
repentance, "returning to the Lord" (the only true
repentance, [Zechariah 12:10](../../../kjv/zechariah/12/10)), and
making God *his* God, along with the other children of God (the
crowning point; *appropriation* of God *to ourselves:* "to
*our* God"). "Return" implies that man originally
walked with God, but has apostatized. Isaiah saith, "*our*
God," the God of the believing Israelites; those themselves
redeemed desire others to come to *their* God ([Psalms 34:8](../../../kjv/psalms/34/8);
[Revelation 22:17](../../../kjv/revelation/22/17)).
**abundantly pardon**—Literally,
"multiply to pardon," still more than "have mercy";
God's graciousness is felt more and more the longer one knows Him ([Revelation 22:17](../../../kjv/revelation/22/17)).

**8. For**—referring to . You need not doubt His willingness "abundantly to
pardon" (compare [Isaiah 55:12](../../../kjv/isaiah/55/12));
*for,* though "the wicked" man's "*ways,*"
and "the unrighteous man's *thoughts,*" are so
aggravated as to seem unpardonable, God's "thoughts" and
"ways" in pardoning are not regulated by the proportion of
the former, as man's would be towards his fellow man who offended
him; compare the "for" ([Psalms 25:11](../../../kjv/psalms/25/11);
[Romans 5:19](../../../kjv/romans/5/19)).

**9.** ([Psalms 57:10](../../../kjv/psalms/57/10);
[Psalms 89:2](../../../kjv/psalms/89/2); [Psalms 103:11](../../../kjv/psalms/103/11)).
"For" is repeated from [Psalms 103:11](../../../kjv/psalms/103/11). But MAURER,
after the negation, translates, "but."

**10.** The hearts of men, once
barren of spirituality, shall be made, by the outpouring of the
Spirit under Messiah, to bear fruits of righteousness ([Isaiah 5:6](../../../kjv/isaiah/5/6);
[Deuteronomy 32:2](../../../kjv/deuteronomy/32/2); [2 Samuel 23:4](../../../kjv/2-samuel/23/4);
[Psalms 72:6](../../../kjv/psalms/72/6)).
**snow**—which covers
plants from frost in winter; and, when melted in spring, waters the
earth.
**returneth not**—void; as
in [Isaiah 55:11](../../../kjv/isaiah/55/11); it returns not
in the same shape, or without "accomplishing" the desired
end.
**bud**—germinate.

**11.** (). Rain may to us seem lost when it falls on a desert, but
it fulfils some purpose of God. So the gospel word falling on the
hard heart; it sometimes works a change at last; and even if so, it
leaves men without excuse. The full accomplishment of this verse, and
[Isaiah 55:12](../../../kjv/isaiah/55/12); [Isaiah 55:13](../../../kjv/isaiah/55/13),
is, however, to be at the Jews' final restoration and conversion of
the world ([Isaiah 11:9-12](../../../kjv/isaiah/11/9-12);
[Isaiah 60:1-5](../../../kjv/isaiah/60/1-5); [Isaiah 60:21](../../../kjv/isaiah/60/21)).

**12. go out**—from the various
countries in which ye (the Jews) are scattered, to your own land ().
**led**—by Messiah, your
"Leader" ([Isaiah 55:4](../../../kjv/isaiah/55/4);
[Isaiah 52:12](../../../kjv/isaiah/52/12); [Micah 2:12](../../../kjv/micah/2/12);
[Micah 2:13](../../../kjv/micah/2/13)).
**mountains . . . trees,**
c.—images justly used to express the seeming sympathy of nature
with the joy of God's people. For, when sin is removed, the natural
world shall be delivered from "vanity," and be renewed, so
as to be in unison with the regenerated moral world ([Isaiah 44:23](../../../kjv/isaiah/44/23)
[Psalms 98:8](../../../kjv/psalms/98/8); [Romans 8:19-22](../../../kjv/romans/8/19-22)).

**13. thorn**—emblem of the wicked
([2 Samuel 23:6](../../../kjv/2-samuel/23/6); [Micah 7:4](../../../kjv/micah/7/4)).
**fir tree**—the godly
([Isaiah 60:13](../../../kjv/isaiah/60/13); [Psalms 92:12](../../../kjv/psalms/92/12)).
Compare as to the change wrought, [Psalms 92:12](../../../kjv/psalms/92/12).
**brier**—emblem of
uncultivation ([Isaiah 5:6](../../../kjv/isaiah/5/6)).
**myrtle**—*Hebrew,
Hedes,* from which comes *Hedassah,* the original name of
Esther. Type of the Christian Church; for it is a lowly, though
beautiful, fragrant, and evergreen shrub ([Psalms 92:13](../../../kjv/psalms/92/13);
[Psalms 92:14](../../../kjv/psalms/92/14)).
**for a name . . . everlasting
sign**—a perpetual memorial to the glory of Jehovah ([Jeremiah 13:11](../../../kjv/jeremiah/13/11);
[Jeremiah 33:9](../../../kjv/jeremiah/33/9)).

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