Isaiah 55:7

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

Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. the unrighteous: Heb. the man of iniquity abundantly: Heb. multiply to pardon

KJV

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Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts. Let him return to Yahweh, and he will have mercy on him; and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. ¶

55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

What does Isaiah 55:7 mean?

Isaiah 55:7 is a verse in the book of Isaiah, in the Old Testament. In the original Hebrew, key words include רָשָׁע (râshâʻ), עָזַב (ʻâzab), דֶּרֶךְ (derek). It connects to 5 cross-referenced passages elsewhere in Scripture.

Hebrew interlinear

Let

the

wickedרָשָׁעrâshâʻ/raw-shaw'/H7563morally wrong; concretely, an (actively) bad person

forsakeעָזַבʻâzab/aw-zab'/H5800to loosen, i.e. relinquish, permit, etc.

his

way,דֶּרֶךְderek/deh'-rek/H1870a road (as trodden); figuratively, a course of life or mode of action, often adverb

and

the

unrighteousאָוֶןʼâven/aw-ven'/H205strictly nothingness; also trouble. vanity, wickedness; specifically an idol

manאִישׁʼîysh/eesh/H376a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)

his

thoughts:מַחֲשָׁבָהmachăshâbâh/makh-ash-aw-baw'/H4284a contrivance, i.e. (concretely) a texture, machine, or (abstractly) intention, plan (whether bad, a plot; or good, advice)

and

let

him

returnשׁוּבshûwb/shoob/H7725to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat; often adverbial, again

unto

the

LORD,יְהֹוָהYᵉhôvâh/yeh-ho-vaw'/H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of God

and

will

have

mercyרָחַםrâcham/raw-kham'/H7355to fondle; by implication, to love, especially to compassionate

upon

him;

and

our

God,אֱלֹהִיםʼĕlôhîym/el-o-heem'/H430gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative

for

will

abundantlyרָבָהrâbâh/raw-baw'/H7235to increase (in whatever respect)

pardon.סָלַחçâlach/saw-lakh'/H5545to forgive

the

unrighteous:

Heb.

the

man

iniquity

abundantly:

Heb.

multiply

pardon

Commentary on Isaiah 55:7

HENRY_FULL · Isaiah 55:7

t forbidden fruit to thee, as it was to Jonathan; thou mayest eat of it with thanksgiving to God, who, having created things grateful to our senses, has given us leave to make use of them. Eat as much as is sufficient, and no more. Enough is as good as a feast. 2. We are cautioned to take heed of excess. We must use all pleasures as we do honey, with a check upon our appetite, lest we take more than does us good and make ourselves sick with it. We are most in danger of surfeiting upon that which is most sweet, and therefore those that fare sumptuously every day have need to watch over themselves, lest their hearts be at any time overcharged. The pleasures of sense lose their sweetness by the excessive use of them and become nauseous, as honey, which turns sour in the stomach; it is therefore our interest, as well as our duty, to use them with sobriety. 17 Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour's house; lest he be weary of thee, and so hate thee. Here he mentions another pleasure which we must not take too much of, that of visiting our friends, the former for fear of

Cross-references

Related passages from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

Psalms 52:2

Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.

Psalms 57:4

My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.

Jeremiah 9:3

And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the LORD.

Jeremiah 9:8

Their tongue is as an arrow shot out; it speaketh deceit: one speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth, but in heart he layeth his wait. in heart: Heb. in the midst of him his wait: or, wait for him

James 3:6

And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. course: Gr. wheel

Topics

Mercy of God, the Pardon Repentance Seekers

Verses like this

Other verses that share key original-language words with Isaiah 55:7.

Genesis 19:31

And the firstborn said unto the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth:

Genesis 2:24

Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

Genesis 20:7

Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.

Genesis 24:21

And the man wondering at her held his peace, to wit whether the LORD had made his journey prosperous or not.

Genesis 24:27

And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth: I being in the way, the LORD led me to the house of my master's brethren.

Genesis 28:15

And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.

Genesis 33:16

So Esau returned that day on his way unto Seir.

Genesis 4:1

And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD. Cain: that is, Gotten, or, Acquired

Frequently asked questions

What does Isaiah 55:7 say?

Isaiah 55:7 (King James Version) reads: "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. the unrighteous: Heb. the man of iniquity abundantly: Heb. multiply to pardon"

Is Isaiah 55:7 in the Old or New Testament?

Isaiah 55:7 is in the Old Testament of the Bible, in the book of Isaiah.

Reflect

As you read Isaiah 55:7, what is one truth here you can carry into today?

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