Isaiah 55:6–7
Seek God: he is generous in forgiving
Study it word by word6Seek YHWH while he may be found; call on him while he is near.
7Let the wicked abandon his way, and the man of wickedness his thoughts; and let him return to YHWH, and he will have compassion on him; and to our Elohim, for he will abound in forgiving.”
In its context
4Look, as a witness to peoples I have given him, a leader and commander of peoples.
5Look, a nation that you do not know you will call, and a nation that did not know you will run to you, because of YHWH your Elohim, and of the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you.
…
8“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways,” declares YHWH.
9“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are higher my ways than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Its words in the original
- דִּרְשׁוּdirshu· seek, inquire
Seek earnestly; inquire; require an account. Turned toward God, consult him or seek him.
- יְהוָהyehva· YHWH
The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.
- הִמָּצְאhimats· find
Find, come upon; also obtain, reach; in the passive, be found, be present.
- קְרָאֻkerau· call, proclaim
Call: speak out to someone, summon, invite, give a name, proclaim; also read aloud. "Call on the name of YHWH" is to pray to him and worship him.
- הְיוֹתheot· be, become, happen
Be, exist; also "become" or "happen". It is the verb of "there was", "it was" and "it came to pass".
- קָרוֹבkarov· near
Near, close; also a close relative.
- יַעֲזֹבyaazov· leave, forsake
Leave, forsake, abandon; also let go, leave behind for someone.
- רָשָׁעrasha· wicked
Wicked: one who does evil and is guilty before God and before others.
- דַּרְכּdark· way
Way, road, journey. Figuratively, the way one lives or acts.
- אִישׁish· man, husband, each
Man, male; with a possessive, husband. Also "each one", "anyone". It is "ish", distinct from "adam" (human being); it is used for the man in contrast with the woman ("ishah").
- אָוֶןaven· wickedness, trouble
Wickedness, trouble: what is empty and comes to nothing; also the evil and the affliction it brings.
- מַחְשְׁבֹתָיmachshvotay· plan, thought; design
Thought, plan, what someone intends; also an artistic design.
- יָשֹׁבyashov· return, turn back
Turn back, return. Also turn away; in the causative form, bring back, give back, answer. Figuratively, turn back to God (change course). Often adverbial: "again".
- ירַחֲמֵyrachame· have compassion
Have compassion: feel tenderness for someone, as a mother for her child, and treat him with mercy.
- אֱלֹהֵיelohe· Elohim, God, gods
The Hebrew word usually translated "God". This translation keeps "Elohim" when it speaks of the one true God, the Creator, the God of Israel. The word ends like a plural, but it does not mean several: for him the verb is singular ("Elohim created"); the plural form expresses greatness. The same word as a common noun names the "gods" of other peoples, and there it is a true plural, translated "gods". It is also used of mighty ones or judges.
- יַרְבֶּהyarbe· multiply, increase
Become many, increase in number or amount; multiply. In the causative form, make many, do much.
- סְלוֹחַseloach· forgive
Forgive, pardon. In the Bible this verb has only God as its subject.