English Standard Version
Isaiah 55:7
7let 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.
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.
- 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.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.
Context of Isaiah 55:7
5Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know, and a nation that did not know you shall run to you, because of the Lord your God, and of the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you. 6"Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; 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. 8For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. 9For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways 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 1:16Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil,
- 2 Chronicles 7:14if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
- Proverbs 28:13Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.
- Jeremiah 3:3Therefore the showers have been withheld, and the spring rain has not come; yet you have the forehead of a whore; you refuse to be ashamed.
- Jeremiah 8:4"You shall say to them, Thus says the Lord: When men fall, do they not rise again? If one turns away, does he not return?
- Ezekiel 3:18If I say to the wicked, 'You shall surely die,' and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand.
- Ezekiel 18:21"But if a wicked person turns away from all his sins that he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does what is just and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die.
- Ezekiel 33:11Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?
- Hosea 14:1Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity.
- Jonah 3:10When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.
- Matthew 9:13Go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.' For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."
- Luke 15:10Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
- Acts 3:19Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out,
- Acts 26:20but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance.
- 1 Corinthians 6:9Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,
- James 4:8Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you 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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries