Isaiah 55:10

“For as the rain and the snow come down from the heavens and do not return there, but water the earth and make it give birth and sprout, and give seed to the sower and bread to the eater,”
Isaiah 55:10 · direct translation from the Hebrew

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God compares his word to rain: it does not return emptyFaithfulness Like the rain, his word does not return empty: it does what God wantsThe Word of God

With the Hebrew beneath

Forכִּיasכַּאֲשֶׁרthe rainהַגֶּשֶׁםand the snowוְהַשֶּׁלֶגcome downיֵרֵדfrom the heavensמִן הַשָּׁמַיִםandוְdo notלֹאreturnיָשׁוּבthere,שָׁמָּהbutכִּי אִםwaterהִרְוָהthe earthאֶת הָאָרֶץand make it give birthוְהוֹלִידָהּand sprout,וְהִצְמִיחָהּand giveוְנָתַןseedזֶרַעto the sowerלַזֹּרֵעַand breadוְלֶחֶםto the eater,לָאֹכֵל

Allusion · 2 Corinthians 9:10

Go to 2 Corinthians 9:10

Both texts say that God gives seed to the sower and bread for food.

They share words that are rare in the original, without a quotation.

זֶרַעzeraH2233σπόρονsporonG4703“seed; offspring; semen”
זֹּרֵעַzoreaH2232σπείροντιspeirontiG4687“sow”
לֶחֶםlejemH3899ἄρτονartonG740“bread, food”
אֹכֵלojelH398βρῶσινbrōsinG1035“eat”
הוֹלִידָholidaH3205χορηγήσειchorēgēseiG5524“give birth, beget”

Isaiah 55:10, word by word

the rainגֶּשֶׁםgeshem

heavy rain

Heavy rain, downpour.

Where else “geshem” appears

and the snowשֶּׁלֶגsheleg

snow

Snow.

Where else “sheleg” appears

come downיֵרֵדyered

go down

To go from a higher place to a lower one, like from the mountain to the valley.

Where else “yered” appears

from the heavensשָּׁמַיִםshamayim

sky

The high space seen above the earth, where the birds, clouds, sun and stars are.

Where else “shamayim” appears

returnיָשׁוּבyashuv

return

To go back to a place.

Where else “yashuv” appears

waterהִרְוָהhirva

water abundantly

To water abundantly.

Where else “hirva” appears

the earthאָרֶץarets

earth

The whole world, everything under the sky.

Where else “arets” appears

and make it give birthהוֹלִידָholida

bear

To bring a child into the world, giving birth after pregnancy.

Where else “holida” appears

and sproutהִצְמִיחָhitsmiach

sprout

Sprout, spring up; begin to grow.

Where else “hitsmiach” appears

and giveנָתַןnatan

give

To hand something over to someone: a gift, a payment, a charge or a land.

Where else “natan” appears

seedזֶרַעzera

seed

What is sown to sprout: grains and seeds of plants.

Where else “zera” appears

to the sowerזֹּרֵעַzorea

sow

To put seed in the ground.

Where else “zorea” appears

and breadלֶחֶםlechem

bread

Food made of kneaded, baked flour: the basis of each day's meal.

Where else “lechem” appears

to the eaterאֹכֵלochel

eat

To bring food to the mouth and swallow it, above all at a shared table.

Where else “ochel” appears

The context

9“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are higher my ways than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

10 · This verse (above)

11so will be my word that goes out from my mouth; it will not return to me empty, but it will do what pleases me, and it will prosper in that for which I sent it.

Read all of Isaiah 55

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