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Isaiah 55:3

“Incline your ear and come to me; listen, and your soul will live; and I will make with you an eternal covenant, the loyal loves of David, that are sure.”

Isaiah 55:3 · direct translation from the Hebrew
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Quotation · Acts 13:34

Go to Acts 13:34

Paul quotes Isaiah 55:3 in shortened form: “the holy things of David, the sure ones” (in the Hebrew, “the faithful loyal love to David”).

Formula: οὕτως εἴρηκεν ὅτι “he has spoken in this way” (Acts 13:34)

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: ὅτι δὲ ἀνέστησεν αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν μηκέτι μέλλοντα ὑποστρέφειν εἰς διαφθοράν οὕτως εἴρηκεν ὅτι Δώσω ὑμῖν τὰ ὅσια Δαυὶδ τὰ πιστά

Hebrew (Masoretic text): הַטּוּ אָזְנְכֶם וּלְכוּ אֵלַי שִׁמְעוּ וּתְחִי נַפְשְׁכֶם וְאֶכְרְתָה לָכֶם בְּרִית עוֹלָם חַסְדֵי דָוִד הַנֶּאֱמָנִים

Septuagint (Isaiah 55:3 in the Septuagint numbering): προσέχετε τοῖς ὠτίοις ὑμῶν καὶ ἐπακολουθήσατε ταῖς ὁδοῖς μου· ἐπακούσατέ μου, καὶ ζήσεται ἐν ἀγαθοῖς ἡ ψυχὴ ὑμῶν, καὶ διαθήσομαι ὑμῖν διαθήκην αἰώνιον, τὰ ὅσια Δαυεὶδ τὰ πιστά.

In the Septuagint verse that most resembles it, at most 2 consecutive words match the Greek of the NT. The transcription has reading errors, so a match may not show.

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Isaiah 55:3, word by word

Inclineהַטּוּhatu

incline

To turn the ear or the heart toward someone or something.

Where else “hatu” appears
your earאָזְנְazn

hearing

The ear that listens: "incline your ear".

Where else “azn” appears
and comeלְכוּlechu

go

To head for a place, to leave where one is in order to reach another.

Where else “lechu” appears
listenשִׁמְעוּshimu

listen

To pay close attention, or heed a plea.

Where else “shimu” appears
and your soulנַפְשְׁnafsh

soul

A person's innermost self: what they feel and desire.

Where else “nafsh” appears
will liveתְחִיtechi

live

To have breath and remain in this world, not die.

Where else “techi” appears
and I will makeאֶכְרְתָהechrta

make a covenant

Literally "cut": to seal a solemn agreement, splitting animals.

Where else “echrta” appears
an eternalעוֹלָםolam

forever

Time without end, beyond what a lifetime can see.

Where else “olam” appears
covenantבְּרִיתberit

covenant

The commitment God makes with his people, with promises and commands.

Where else “berit” appears
the loyal lovesחַסְדֵיchasde

loyal love

God's steadfast kindness, true to his covenant, never forsaking.

Where else “chasde” appears
of Davidדָוִדdavid

David

David, youngest son of Jesse, of Bethlehem; the second king of Israel. The name means "beloved."

Where else “david” appears
that are sureנֶּאֱמָנִיםneemanim

be firm

To be dependable, steady, never failing.

Where else “neemanim” appears

Translation note

“The loyal loves of David” can be understood as the loyal love that YHWH promised to David and that does not fail (2 Samuel 7:15-16). Acts 13:34 quotes it thus: “the holy things of David, the sure ones.”

Parallel passages

Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.

Quotation · Acts 13:34

Paul quotes Isaiah 55:3 in shortened form: “the holy things of David, the sure ones” (in the Hebrew, “the faithful loyal love to David”).

See them side by side

Isaiah 55:3

3Incline your ear and come to me; listen, and your soul will live; and I will make with you an eternal covenant, the loyal loves of David, that are sure.

Acts 13:34

34And that he raised him from the dead, no longer destined to return to decay, he has spoken in this way: ‘I will give you the holy things of David, the sure ones.’

The context

2Why do you weigh out silver for what is not bread, and the fruit of your labor for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight itself in fatness.

3 · This verse (above)

4Look, as a witness to peoples I have given him, a leader and commander of peoples.

Read all of Isaiah 55

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