1Ej, všickni žízniví, poďte k vodám, i vy, kteříž nemáte žádných peněz. Poďte, kupujte a jezte, poďte, pravím, kupujte bez peněz a bez záplaty víno a mléko. 2Proč vynakládáte peníze ne za chléb, a práci svou za to, což nenasycuje? Poslechněte mne raději, a jezte to, což jest dobrého, a nechť se kochá v tuku duše vaše. 3Nakloňte ucha svého, a poďte ke mně, poslechněte, a budeť živa duše vaše; učiním zajisté s vámi smlouvu věčnou, milosrdenství Davidova přepevná. 4Aj, za svědka národům dal jsem jej, za vůdce a učitele národům. 5Aj, národu, k němužs se neznal, povoláš, a národové, kteříž tě neznali, k tobě se sběhnou, pro Hospodina Boha tvého, a Svatého Izraelského, nebo tě oslaví. 6Hledejte Hospodina, pokudž může nalezen býti; vzývejte ho, pokudž blízko jest. 7Opusť bezbožný cestu svou, a člověk nepravý myšlení svá, a nechť se navrátí k Hospodinu, i slitujeť se nad ním, a k Bohu našemu, nebť jest hojný k odpuštění. 8Nejsouť zajisté myšlení má jako myšlení vaše, ani cesty vaše jako cesty mé, praví Hospodin. 9Ale jakož vyšší jsou nebesa než země, tak převyšují cesty mé cesty vaše, a myšlení má myšlení vaše. 10Nebo jakož prší déšť neb sníh s nebe, a zase se tam nenavracuje, ale napájí zemi, a činí ji plodistvou a úrodnou, tak že vydává símě rozsívajícímu, a chléb jedoucímu, 11Tak bude slovo mé, kteréž vyjde z úst mých. Nenavrátí se ke mně prázdné, ale učiní to, což mi se líbí, a prospěšně to vykoná, k čemuž je posílám. 12A protož s veselím vyjdete, a v pokoji sprovozeni budete. Hory i pahrbkové zvučně naproti vám prozpěvovati budou, a všecko dříví polní rukama plésati bude. 13Místo chrastiny vzejde jedlé, a místo hloží vyroste myrtus, a bude to Hospodinu k slávě, na znamení věčné, kteréž nebude vyhlazeno.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 THE CALL OF THE GENTILE WORLD TO FAITH THE RESULT OF GOD'S GRACE TO THE JEWS FIRST. (
Isa 55:1-
Isa 55:13)
every one--After the special privileges of Israel (Isa. 54:1-17) there follow, as the consequence, the universal invitation to the Gentiles (
Luke 24:47;
Rom 11:12,
Rom 11:15).
Ho--calls the most earnest attention.
thirsteth--has a keen sense of need (
Matt 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 (
Isa 25:6;
Song 5:1;
John 7:37). "Waters," plural, to denote abundance (
Isa 43:20;
Isa 44:3).
no money--Yet, in
Isa 55:2, 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 (
1Cor 6:20;
1Pet 1:18-19). 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 (
Matt 13:44,
Matt 13:46;
Luke 12:33;
Rev 3:18).
2 not bread-- (
Hab 2:13). "Bread of deceit" (
Pro 20:17). Contrast this with the "bread of life" (
John 6:32,
John 6:35; also
Luke 14:16-
Luke 14:20).
satisfieth not-- (
Eccl 1:8;
Eccl 4:8).
hearken . . . and eat--When two imperatives are joined, the second expresses the consequence of obeying the command in the first (
Gen 42:18). By hearkening ye shall eat. So in
Isa 55:1, "buy and eat." By buying, and so making it your own, ye shall eat, that is, experimentally enjoy it (
John 6:53). Compare the invitation (
Pro 9:5-
Pro 9:6;
Matt 22:4).
fatness-- (
Ps 36:8;
Ps 63:5).
3 me . . . live--by coming to me ye shall live: for "I am the life" (
John 14:6).
everlasting covenant-- (
Jer 32:40;
2Sam 23:5).
with you . . . David--God's covenant is with the antitypical David, Messiah (
Ezek 34:23), and so with us by our identification with Him.
sure--answering to "everlasting," irrevocable, unfailing, to be relied on (
Ps 89:2-
Ps 89:4,
Ps 89:28-
Ps 89:29,
Ps 89:34-
Ps 89:36;
Jer 33:20-
Jer 33:21;
2Sam 7:15-16;
2Cor 1:18-20).
mercies of David--the mercies of grace (
Isa 63:7;
John 1:16) which I covenanted to give to David, and especially to Messiah, his antitype. Quoted in
Acts 13:34.
4 him--the mystical David (
Ezek 37:24-
Ezek 37:25;
Jer 30:9;
Hos 3:5). Given by God (
Isa 49:6).
witness--He bore witness even unto death for God, to His law, claims, and plan of redeeming love (
John 18:37;
Rev 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 1:4;
John 6:44). Not merely come, but run eagerly.
thou knowest not--now as thy people (so in
Matt 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-- (
Isa 52:15;
Eph 2:11-
Eph 2:12).
because of . . . thy God . . . glorified thee-- (
Isa 60:5,
Isa 60:9;
Zech 8:23); where similar language is directed to Israel, because of the identification of Israel with Messiah, who is the ideal Israel (
Matt 2:15; compare with
Hos 11:1; see
Acts 3:13).
6 The condition and limit in the obtaining of the spiritual benefits (
Isa 55:1-
Isa 55:3): (1) Seek the Lord. (2) Seek Him while He is to be found (
Isa 65:1;
Ps 32:6;
Matt 25:1-
Matt 25:13;
John 7:34;
John 8:21;
2Cor 6:2;
Heb 2:3;
Heb 3:13,
Heb 3:15).
call--casting yourselves wholly on His mercy (
Rom 10:13). Stronger than "seek"; so "near" is more positive than "while He may be found" (
Rom 10:8-
Rom 10:9).
near--propitious (
Ps 34:18;
Ps 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" (
Ps 94:11). 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,
Zech 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 (
Ps 34:8;
Rev 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 (
Ps 130:7).
8 For--referring to
Isa 55:7. You need not doubt His willingness "abundantly to pardon" (compare
Isa 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" (
Ps 25:11;
Rom 5:19).
9 (
Ps 57:10;
Ps 89:2;
Ps 103:11). "For" is repeated from
Isa 55:8. 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 (
Isa 5:6;
Deut 32:2;
2Sam 23:4;
Ps 72:6).
snow--which covers plants from frost in winter; and, when melted in spring, waters the earth.
returneth not--void; as in
Isa 55:11; it returns not in the same shape, or without "accomplishing" the desired end.
bud--germinate.
11 (
Matt 24:35). 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
Isa 55:12-
Isa 55:13, is, however, to be at the Jews' final restoration and conversion of the world (
Isa 11:9-
Isa 11:12;
Isa 60:1-
Isa 60:5,
Isa 60:21).
12 go out--from the various countries in which ye (the Jews) are scattered, to your own land (
Ezek 11:17).
led--by Messiah, your "Leader" (
Isa 55:4;
Isa 52:12;
Mic 2:12-
Mic 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 (
Isa 44:23;
Ps 98:8;
Rom 8:19-
Rom 8:22).
13 thorn--emblem of the wicked (
2Sam 23:6;
Mic 7:4).
fir tree--the godly (
Isa 60:13;
Ps 92:12). Compare as to the change wrought,
Rom 6:19.
brier--emblem of uncultivation (
Isa 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 (
Ps 92:13-
Ps 92:14).
for a name . . . everlasting sign--a perpetual memorial to the glory of Jehovah (
Jer 13:11;
Jer 33:9).
