Christian Standard Bible
Isaiah 55:7
7Let the wicked one abandon his way and the sinful one his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, so he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will freely forgive.
Isaiah 55:7 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
- English Standard Version (ESV)let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.
Context of Isaiah 55:7
5so you will summon a nation you do not know, and nations who do not know you will run to you. For the Lord your God, even the Holy One of Israel, has glorified you.” 6Seek the Lord while he may be found; call to him while he is near. Let the wicked one abandon his way and the sinful one his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, so he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will freely forgive. 8“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways.” This is the Lord’s declaration. 9“For as heaven is higher than earth, so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Read all of Isaiah 55Isaiah 55:7 word by word
יַעֲזֹ֤ב רָשָׁע֙ דַּרְכּ֔וֹ וְאִ֥ישׁ אָ֖וֶן מַחְשְׁבֹתָ֑יו וְיָשֹׁ֤ב אֶל־יְהוָה֙ וִֽירַחֲמֵ֔הוּ וְאֶל־אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ כִּֽי־יַרְבֶּ֥ה לִסְלֽוֹחַ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Let the wickedרָשָׁעrâshâ‛ · wickedH7563
- forsakeעָזַב‛âzab · to leave: forsakeH5800
- his wayדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: conductH1870
- and the unrighteousאָ֫וֶן'âven · evil: wickednessH205
- manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- his thoughtsמַחֲשָׁבָהmachăshâbâh machăshebeth · plotH4284
- and let him returnשׁוּבshûb · to return: repentH7725
- unto the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- and he will have mercyרָחַםrâcham · to have compassionH7355
- upon him; and to our Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- for he will abundantlyרָבָהrâbâh · to multiplyH7235
- pardonסָלַחsâlach · to forgiveH5545
Cross-references for Isaiah 55:7
- Isaiah 1:16“Wash yourselves. Cleanse yourselves. Remove your evil deeds from my sight. Stop doing evil.
- 2 Chronicles 7:14and my people, who bear my name, humble themselves, pray and seek my face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.
- Proverbs 28:13The one who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy.
- Jeremiah 3:3This is why the showers haven’t come — why there has been no spring rain. You have the brazen look of a prostitute and refuse to be ashamed.
- Jeremiah 8:4“You are to say to them: This is what the Lord says: Do people fall and not get up again? If they turn away, do they not return?
- Ezekiel 3:18If I say to the wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ but you do not warn him — you don’t speak out to warn him about his wicked way in order to save his life — that wicked person will die for his iniquity. Yet I will hold you responsible for his blood.
- Ezekiel 18:21“But if the wicked person turns from all the sins he has committed, keeps all my statutes, and does what is just and right, he will certainly live; he will not die.
- Ezekiel 33:11Tell them, ‘As I live — this is the declaration of the Lord God — I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked person should turn from his way and live. Repent, repent of your evil ways! Why will you die, house of Israel?’
- Hosea 14:1Israel, return to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled in your iniquity.
- Jonah 3:10God saw their actions — that they had turned from their evil ways — so God relented from the disaster he had threatened them with. And he did not do it.
- Matthew 9:13Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
- Luke 15:10I tell you, in the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents.”
- Acts 3:19Therefore repent and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped out,
- Acts 26:20Instead, I preached to those in Damascus first, and to those in Jerusalem and in all the region of Judea, and to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works worthy of repentance.
- 1 Corinthians 6:9Don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit God’s kingdom? Do not be deceived: No sexually immoral people, idolaters, adulterers, or males who have sex with males,
- James 4:8Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Commentaries on Isaiah 55:7
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 6-13Verses 6-13 Here is a gracious offer of pardon, and peace, and of all happiness. It shall not be in vain to seek God, now his word is calling to us, and his Spirit is striving with us. But there is a day coming when he will not be found. There may come such a time in this life; it is certain that at death and judgment the door will be shut. There must be not only a change of the way, but a change of the mind. We must alter our judgments about persons and…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7Let the wicked man forsake his way and … return to the LORD: True conversion means changing how we live to follow God's rules (see Isaiah 1:16–17; 30:15; 59:20). have compassion: God's compassion reaches those in need, wherever they are. He will freely pardon: Forgiveness of sin is key to the good news of redemption (see Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14; see also Psalms 32:1; 86:5; 99:8; 103:2–5).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 77. 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" (Psa 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…Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 55:7
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 55
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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