55
1 *
“Hey! Come, everyone who thirsts, to the waters! †
Come, he who has no money, buy, and eat!
Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. ‡
2 Why do you spend money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Sh'ma ·Hear obey· sh'ma ·hear obey· unto me, and eat that which is good,
and let your soul delight itself in richness.
3 §Turn your ear, and come to me.
Sh'ma ·Hear obey·, and your soul will live:
and I will make an everlasting covenant ·binding contract between two or more parties· with you, even to give you the chesed ·loving-kindness· shown to David [Beloved]. *
4 †Behold, I have given him for a witness to the peoples,
a leader and enjoiner unto the peoples.
5 Behold, you shall call a nation that you don’t know;
and a nation that didn’t know you shall run to you,
because of Adonai your God,
and for haKadosh Isra'el [the Holy One of God prevails];
for he has glorified you.”
6 Seek Adonai while he may be found.
Call on him while he is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake his way,
and those who practice vain striving of iniquity his thoughts.
Let him make teshuvah ·complete return· to Adonai, and he will have racham ·merciful love· on him;
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
and your ways are not my ways,” says Adonai.
9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways,
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 For as the rain comes down and the snow from the sky,
and does not teshuvah ·completely return· there, but waters the earth,
and makes it grow and bud,
and gives seed to the sower and bread to the eater;
11 so is my word that goes out of my mouth:
it will not teshuvah ·completely return· to me void,
but it will accomplish that which I please,
and it will prosper in the thing I sent it to do.
12 For you shall go out with joy,
and be led out with peace.
The mountains and the hills will break out before you into singing;
and all the trees of the fields will clap their hands.
13 Instead of the thorn the cypress tree will come up;
and instead of the brier the myrtle tree will come up:
and it will make a name for Adonai,
for an everlasting sign that will not be cut off.”
* 55:1 (1-2) MP: By quotation, Messiah is declaring himself a parallel Feast Day fulfillment. “Every one come who is thirsty” (John 7:37-39) is applied Messiah’s ministry. (John 7:37-39; Rev 22:17) Culture Note: By quoting the first lines of this chapter, Messiah is referencing the entire chapter (as was a common custom of rabbis of his day because all Jews memorized the whole of Bible books), therefore the entire chapter is used to allude to his Messianic claim and be as a witness to this prophetic fulfillment. By quoting this passage, the Messiah applied the Tabernacles Water Pouring ceremony and the intention of the ceremony to himself and to the effusion and permeation of the Holy Spirit (Is 44:3). The Holy Spirit is promised to be given by Messiah and even accompanying His ministry. Bishop Lowth, in 1846, quoted an undefined passage in Jerusalem Talmud, concluding that the song in (Num 21:16-18) is to be sung in the times of the Messiah, possibly at this ceremony. The water is said to be “drawn from the wells of salvation” (Is 12:3), signifying the influences of the Holy Spirit to be given in the days of Messiah. † 55:1 . Quoted in John 7:37; Rev 22:17 ‡ 55:1 . Quoted in Rev 21:6, 22:17 § 55:3 (3-4) MP: Messiah establishes a new covenant, continuing in the same authority as God with King David, and is for a witness and a leader and commander like unto David. (See also Jer 31:31-34). (Luke 22:20; Heb 8:6; Rev 1:5, 2:14-16) * 55:3 . Quoted in Acts 13:34 † 55:4 (4-5) MP: Gentiles / Non-Jews will be drawn unto Messiah because of the glory God bestows on him. (See Isaiah 53:12). (Luke 7:2-3, 7:9 (context 7:1-10); John 12:27-32; Acts 13:46-48)