Isaiah 55:2

Isaiah 55:2

Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? And your labour for that which satisfieth not? Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.  

a. ASV: Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labor for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.

b. YLT: Why do ye weigh money for that which is not bread? And your labour for that which is not for satiety? Hearken diligently unto me, and eat good, And your soul doth delight itself in fatness.

c. Classic Amplified: Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your earnings for what does not satisfy? Hearken diligently to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness [the profuseness of spiritual joy].

d. Septuagint: Wherefore do ye value at the price of money, and [give] your labour for that which will not satisfy? hearken to me, and ye shall eat that which is good, and your soul shall feast itself on good things.

e. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/ Writings: Why do you weigh out money without getting bread and [exert] your efforts for that which does not satisfy? Listen well to Me and you will eat well, and your soul will delight in rich food.

1. “Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread?...”

a. Wherefore [Strong: 4100 mah maw or mah {mah}; or ma {maw}; or ma {mah}; also meh {meh}; a primitive particle; properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various adverbial or conjunctive senses:--how (long, oft, (- soever)), (no-)thing, what (end, good, purpose, thing), whereby(-fore, -in, -to, -with), (for) why.]

b. [do ye] spend [Strong: 8254  shâqal, shaw-kal'; a primitive root; to suspend or poise (especially in trade):—pay, receive(-r), spend, × throughly, weigh.]

c. money [Strong: 3701 keçeph, keh'-sef; from H3700; silver (from its pale color); by implication, money:—money, price, silver(-ling).

d. [for that which is] not [Strong: 3808 lo' lo or lowi {lo}; or loh (Deut. 3:11) {lo}; a primitive particle; not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles (as follows):--X before, + or else, ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (X as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, + of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.]

e. bread [Strong: 3899 lechem, lekh'-em; from H3898; See also H1036 food (for man or beast), especially bread, or grain (for making it):—(shew-) bread, × eat, food, fruit, loaf, meat, victuals.]

1). In 2 Corinthians 3:7-11 The apostle Paul said that the glory of the Old Covenant was nothing in comparison to the glory of the New Covenant. It wasn’t that the Old Covenant was not glorious, for indeed that glory was dazzling; but Paul wrote that compared to the glory of what Christ Jesus ushered in, the glory of the Old Covenant was nothing. The same reasoning is used here. The bread that we spend money for is bread, but not the true bread.

a). John 6:32-35 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. 

6:33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.

6:34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.

6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

2). Since man is a 3 part being, the spirit part of man is not fed by natural food, but by spiritual food.

a). Deuteronomy 8:3  And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.

3). As spirit beings we need to realize that our spiritual food is more important that the natural.

a). Job 23:12 Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.

2. “…And your labour for that which satisfieth not?...”

a. [And your] labour [Strong: 3018 yᵉgîyaʻ, yeg-ee'-ah; from H3021; toil; hence, a work, produce, property (as the result of labor):—labour, work.]

b. [for that which] satisfieth [Strong: 7654 sob`ah sob-aw' feminine of 7648; satiety:--(to have) enough, X till...be full, (un-)satiable, satisfy, X sufficiently.]

c. not [Strong: 3808 lo' lo or lowi {lo}; or loh (Deut. 3:11) {lo}; a primitive particle; not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles (as follows):--X before, + or else, ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (X as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, + of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.]

1). Spending things other than money. We can spend things other than money, for instance we can spend time. Here Isaiah asks “Why do you spend labor or effort for something that does not satisfy? The world spends money, time and effort for worldly things that never really satisfy because man is a spirit being created by God, only the things that God has created to satisfy man will only truly satisfy man. Faith is a substance.

a). Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen

2). Our substance can be spent by wrong living.

a). Proverbs 29:3 Whoso loveth wisdom rejoiceth his father: but he that keepeth company with harlots spendeth his substance.

b). Proverbs 5:3-10 For the lips of a strange woman drop as a honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil:

But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two edged sword.

Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell.

Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that thou canst not know them.

Hear me now therefore, O ye children, and depart not from the words of my mouth.

Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house:

Lest thou give thine honour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel:

Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth; and thy larours be in the house of a stranger.

3). Spending labor for that which does not satisfy is the way most people spend their lives on earth. Whoever we are living for we are laboring, we are either laboring for good or evil. Scripture speaks of both.

a). Psalm 5:5 The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.

b). 1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

4). It is our works we will be judged for and by our works we will be rewarded.

a). Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

5:20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

5:21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

3. “…Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good…”

a. Hearken [Strong: 8085 shâmaʻ, shaw-mah'; a primitive root; to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.):—× attentively, call (gather) together, × carefully, × certainly, consent, consider, be content, declare, × diligently, discern, give ear, (cause to, let, make to) hear(-ken, tell), × indeed, listen, make (a) noise, (be) obedient, obey, perceive, (make a) proclaim(-ation), publish, regard, report, shew (forth), (make a) sound, × surely, tell, understand, whosoever (heareth), witness.]

b. diligently [Strong: 8085 shâmaʻ, shaw-mah'; a primitive root; to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.):—× attentively, call (gather) together, × carefully, × certainly, consent, consider, be content, declare, × diligently, discern, give ear, (cause to, let, make to) hear(-ken, tell), × indeed, listen, make (a) noise, (be) obedient, obey, perceive, (make a) proclaim(-ation), publish, regard, report, shew (forth), (make a) sound, × surely, tell, understand, whosoever (heareth), witness.]

c. unto [me] [Strong: 413  'el ale (but only used in the shortened constructive form sel {el}); a primitive particle; properly, denoting motion towards, but occasionally used of a quiescent position, i.e. near, with or among; often in general, to:--about, according to ,after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, X hath, in(- to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).]

d. [and] eat [ye] [Strong: 398 'akal aw-kal' a primitive root; to eat (literally or figuratively):--X at all, burn up, consume, devour(-er, up), dine, eat(-er, up), feed (with), food, X freely, X in...wise(-deed, plenty), (lay) meat, X quite.]

e. [that which is] good 2896 towb tobe from 2895; good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun, both in the masculine and the feminine, the singular and the plural (good, a good or good thing, a good man or woman; the good, goods or good things, good men or women), also as an adverb (well):--beautiful, best, better, bountiful, cheerful, at ease, X fair (word), (be in) favour, fine, glad, good (deed, -lier, -liest, -ly, -ness, -s), graciously, joyful, kindly, kindness, liketh (best), loving, merry, X most, pleasant, + pleaseth, pleasure, precious, prosperity, ready, sweet, wealth, welfare, (be) well ((-favoured)).]

1). Hearkening is “hearing” and following through with obedience and because it is following through in obedience it is also “eating” the word. Notice in the following passages the smooth mixture of obedience to Scripture and the action of drinking the milk of the word.

a). 1 Peter 2:1-3 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,

2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

2:3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

b). John 4:31-34 In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat. 

4:32 But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. 

4:33 Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat? 

4:34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. 

2). This is how we grow spiritually, by “hearkening”, by hearing and then obeying partaking, eating the word.

a). Hebrews 5:12-14 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. 

5:13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.

5:14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

4. “…and let your soul delight itself in fatness.”

a. [and let your] soul [Strong: 5315  nephesh, neh'-fesh; from H5314; properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental):—any, appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, × dead(-ly), desire, × (dis-) contented, × fish, ghost, greedy, he, heart(-y), (hath, × jeopardy of) life (× in jeopardy), lust, man, me, mind, mortally, one, own, person, pleasure, (her-, him-, my-, thy-) self, them (your) -selves, slay, soul, tablet, they, thing, (× she) will, × would have it.]

b. delight [itself] [Strong: 6026 ʻânag, aw-nag'; a primitive root; to be soft or pliable, i.e. (figuratively) effeminate or luxurious:—delicate(-ness), (have) delight (self), sport self.]

c. [in] fatness [Strong: 1880 deshen, deh'-shen; from H1878; the fat; abstractly fatness, i.e. (figuratively) abundance; specifically the (fatty) ashes of sacrifices:—ashes, fatness.]

1). Meditation and obedience leads to a fat soul.

a). Psalm 63:5, 6 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:

63:6When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.

2). Seeking our own lusts is tempting God and leads to leanness of soul.

a). Psalm 106: 14, 15 But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert.

106:15 And he gave them their request; but sent leanness to their soul.