Christian Standard Bible
Isaiah 55:8
8“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways.” This is the Lord’s declaration.
Isaiah 55:8 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
- New International Version (NIV)“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.
- English Standard Version (ESV)For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
Context of Isaiah 55:8
6Seek the Lord while he may be found; call to him while he is near. 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. “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. 10For just as rain and snow fall from heaven and do not return there without saturating the earth and making it germinate and sprout, and providing seed to sow and food to eat,
Read all of Isaiah 55Isaiah 55:8 word by word
כִּ֣י לֹ֤א מַחְשְׁבוֹתַי֙ מַחְשְׁב֣וֹתֵיכֶ֔ם וְלֹ֥א דַרְכֵיכֶ֖ם דְּרָכָ֑י נְאֻ֖ם יְהוָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Isaiah 55:8
- 2 Samuel 7:19What you have done so far was a little thing to you, Lord God, for you have also spoken about your servant’s house in the distant future. And this is a revelation for mankind, Lord God.
- Psalms 25:10All the Lord’s ways show faithful love and truth to those who keep his covenant and decrees.
- Psalms 40:5Lord my God, you have done many things — your wondrous works and your plans for us; none can compare with you. If I were to report and speak of them, they are more than can be told.
- Psalms 92:5How magnificent are your works, Lord, how profound your thoughts!
- Proverbs 21:8A guilty one’s conduct is crooked, but the behavior of the innocent is upright.
- Proverbs 25:3As the heavens are high and the earth is deep, so the hearts of kings cannot be investigated.
- Jeremiah 3:1If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him to marry another, can he ever return to her? Wouldn’t such a land become totally defiled? But you! You have prostituted yourself with many partners — can you return to me? This is the Lord’s declaration.
- Ezekiel 18:29But the house of Israel says, ‘The Lord’s way isn’t fair.’ Is it my ways that are unfair, house of Israel? Instead, isn’t it your ways that are unfair?
- Daniel 4:37Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt, and glorify the King of the heavens, because all his works are true and his ways are just. He is able to humble those who walk in pride.
- Hosea 14:9Let whoever is wise understand these things, and whoever is insightful recognize them. For the ways of the Lord are right, and the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them.
Commentaries on Isaiah 55:8
- 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. 8-9My thoughts are not your thoughts: God's plans are wonderful (Psalm 92:5; compare Psalm 94:11). God's creations, including humans, cannot fully understand the Creator's thoughts. However, his messengers reveal insights and knowledge about some of his actions.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. For--referring to Is 55:7. You need not doubt His willingness "abundantly to pardon" (compare Is 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" (Psa 25:11; Ro 5:19).Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 55:8
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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