The Meaning of Isaiah 55:5 Explained

Isaiah 55:5

KJV: Behold, 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.

YLT: Lo, a nation thou knowest not, thou callest, And a nation who know thee not unto thee do run, For the sake of Jehovah thy God, And for the Holy One of Israel, Because He hath beautified thee.

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

ASV: Behold, 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.

Discover Isaiah 55:5

CONTEXT: What is the Context of Isaiah 55:5?

MEANING: What does Isaiah 55:5 Mean?

WORDS: What do the individual words in Isaiah 55:5 mean?

RELATIONS: What do the major concepts mean in Isaiah 55:5?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Behold, 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. 

What does Isaiah 55:5 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The problem in this verse is the identity of "you" (sing.). It does not refer to the "anyone" addressed in Isaiah 55:3 since this is too broad a field of reference for what the verse describes. It could be the people of God generally, since what the verse describes could apply-to some extent-to all the redeemed. It could be the Servant, in which case the verse means that the whole world would be flocking to David"s Great Son. It could also refer to Israel. In the Millennium, glorified Israel will appeal to Gentile nations (a collective singular goi) that would run to her because of her God. It is clear that more than one nation is in view, because the verbs translated "knows" and "run" are plural in the Hebrew text. The last interpretation harmonizes with what Isaiah wrote elsewhere that Israel would do (cf. Isaiah 2:3; Isaiah 35:2; Isaiah 42:4; Isaiah 46:13; Isaiah 49:3; Isaiah 60:9; Isaiah 60:21; Isaiah 61:3; Isaiah 62:3; Isaiah 66:18; Isaiah 66:21). Perhaps the Servant as the leader of Israel, which also would call the nations, is the solution.

Context Summary

Isaiah 55:1-13 - The Free Offer Of Pardoning Grace
The Prince of Life, Isaiah 55:4, r.v. Four times in the New Testament this title is applied to our Lord, and always in connection with His Resurrection. See Acts 3:14-15; Acts 5:31; Hebrews 2:9-10; Hebrews 12:2, where the words prince, author, and captain, are various translations of the same Greek word. The meaning of the original word is file leader. He leads out of death into life; out of defeat into victory; out of suffering into perfection; out of the sorrow and pain of discipline into the triumph of the sons of light.
The everlasting covenant, Isaiah 55:3. David's sin could not cancel the sure mercies of God. See 2 Samuel 7:14-16 and 2 Samuel 23:5. God will never go back on that covenant which includes us! See Hebrews 8:1-13. God's mercies in Christ are sure. Listen! Come! Hear! We are not only forever safe, but we are provided against all want.
God's abundant provision is described under several terms: waters, wine, milk, wholesome and satisfying bread, the good, fatness, Isaiah 55:1-2. We are blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ, Ephesians 1:3. And because God's thoughts and ways are not as ours, the result is the transformation of thorns into firs and briars into myrtles. [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 55

1  The prophet, with the promises of Christ, calls to faith
6  And to repentance
8  The happy success of those who believe

What do the individual words in Isaiah 55:5 mean?

Surely a nation not you do know you shall call and nations not [who] do know you to you shall run because of Yahweh your God and the Holy one of Israel for He has glorified you -
הֵ֣ן גּ֤וֹי לֹֽא־ תֵדַע֙ תִּקְרָ֔א וְג֥וֹי לֹֽא־ יְדָע֖וּךָ אֵלֶ֣יךָ יָר֑וּצוּ לְמַ֙עַן֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ וְלִקְד֥וֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל כִּ֥י פֵאֲרָֽךְ ס

הֵ֣ן  Surely 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הֵן  
Sense: behold, lo, though hypothetical part.
גּ֤וֹי  a  nation 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: גֹּוי 
Sense: nation, people.
תֵדַע֙  you  do  know 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
תִּקְרָ֔א  you  shall  call 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
וְג֥וֹי  and  nations 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: גֹּוי 
Sense: nation, people.
יְדָע֖וּךָ  [who]  do  know  you 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural, second person masculine singular
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
אֵלֶ֣יךָ  to  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
יָר֑וּצוּ  shall  run 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: רוּץ 
Sense: to run.
לְמַ֙עַן֙  because 
Parse: Preposition
Root: לְמַעַן 
Sense: purpose, intent prep.
יְהוָ֣ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ  your  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
וְלִקְד֥וֹשׁ  and  the  Holy  one 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Adjective, masculine singular construct
Root: קָדֹושׁ  
Sense: sacred, holy, Holy One, saint, set apart.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
פֵאֲרָֽךְ  He  has  glorified  you 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular, second person masculine singular
Root: פָּאַר 
Sense: to glorify, beautify, adorn.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation

What are the major concepts related to Isaiah 55:5?

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