Isaiah 55: Ho, Every One That Thirsteth
Food without money, the sure mercies of David, higher ways, and the word that does not return empty
"Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread?… Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David" (55:1–3).
"Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way… and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him… For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord" (vv. 6–8).
"For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth… So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please… For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands" (vv. 10–12).
| Verses | What it says | What to notice |
|---|---|---|
| 55:1 | Everyone who thirsts, come to the water; without money, buy grain, wine and milk, free | Like a street vendor's call; compare Wisdom's banquet (Proverbs 9:1–6). |
| 55:2–3a | Why spend on what is not bread? Listen and eat what is good; come, hear, live | The food is listening to God. |
| 55:3b–5 | An everlasting covenant: the faithful mercies (chasdei) promised to David; a witness and leader to peoples; nations run to you | The Davidic covenant extended to the people. Acts 13:34. |
| 55:6–7 | Seek the LORD while he may be found; the wicked forsake their way; he will abundantly pardon | A call to return (teshuvah). |
| 55:8–9 | My thoughts are not your thoughts; as heavens above earth | God's ways in forgiving exceed human ways. |
| 55:10–11 | As rain and snow do not return without watering, so my word does not return empty but accomplishes my purpose | Frames 40–55 with 40:8. |
| 55:12–13 | You will go out in joy, led in peace; mountains sing, trees clap; cypress for thorn, myrtle for brier, an everlasting sign | The new exodus completed. |
Selling water and bread
City streets in the ancient Near East had water carriers and food sellers calling their wares; the poor bought by the cup. Isaiah 55:1 sounds like such a call, with the twist that the price is nothing. In the Great Isaiah Scroll, the words "and eat; yea, come, buy" are lacking in v. 1, probably because the scribe's eye skipped from one "come, buy" to the next (described from a transcription); 4QIsa-c is partly preserved.
The sure mercies of David (55:3)
God's "everlasting covenant" with David (2 Samuel 7; 23:5; Psalm 89) is here offered to "you" (plural): the people inherit the promises to the king. In Acts 13:34 Paul quotes the Greek of 55:3 ("I will give you the holy and sure things of David") as a proof of Jesus' resurrection, joined with Psalm 16:10. In Isaiah the verse widens the Davidic promise; in Acts it is focused on one son of David.
"If any man thirst"
In John 7:37–38 Jesus cries, "If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink," at the Feast of Tabernacles; scholars connect the saying with Isaiah 55:1 and 12:3 and Ezekiel 47, though John cites no specific verse. Revelation 22:17 ("whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely") echoes 55:1. These are allusions, not quotations.
What the evidence shows
- Acts 13:34 quotes Isaiah 55:3 (Greek).
- Isaiah 55:3 extends the covenant with David to the people.
- John 7:37 alludes to Isaiah 55:1.
- The Great Isaiah Scroll lacks "and eat; yea, come, buy" in 55:1. Described from a transcription.
Continue the journey
Journey of a PassageIsaiah 55:1–3: "Ho, every one that thirsteth": the free invitation and the sure mercies of David"Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters… buy wine and milk without money and without price… I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David." In the Great Isaiah Scroll a few words of v.More from this lesson
Why this matters to the rest of Scripture
- Proverbs 9:1–6; Sirach 24:19–21Wisdom's invitation.
- "The sure mercies of David."
- John 7:37–38; Revelation 22:17Come and drink.
- The word stands forever.