Isaiah 55:8
Isaiah 55:8 in Multiple Translations
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD.
¶ For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith Jehovah.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, or your ways my ways, says the Lord.
For your thoughts are not my thoughts; and your ways are not my ways, declares the Lord.
For my thoughtes are not your thoughts, neither are your wayes my wayes, sayth the Lord.
For not My thoughts [are] your thoughts, Nor your ways My ways, — an affirmation of Jehovah,
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways,” says the LORD.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts: nor your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
I, Yahweh, declare that what I think is not the same as what you think, and what I do is very different from what you do.
Berean Amplified Bible — Isaiah 55:8
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Isaiah 55:8 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
כִּ֣י
לֹ֤א
מַחְשְׁבוֹתַ/י֙
מַחְשְׁב֣וֹתֵי/כֶ֔ם
וְ/לֹ֥א
דַרְכֵי/כֶ֖ם
דְּרָכָ֑/י
נְאֻ֖ם
יְהוָֽה
כִּ֣י
kîy
H3588
for
Conj
לֹ֤א
lôʼ
H3808
not
Part
מַחְשְׁבוֹתַ/י֙
machăshâbâh
H4284
plot
N-fp | Suff
מַחְשְׁב֣וֹתֵי/כֶ֔ם
machăshâbâh
H4284
plot
N-fp | Suff
וְ/לֹ֥א
lôʼ
H3808
not
Conj | Part
דַרְכֵי/כֶ֖ם
derek
H1870
way
N-cp | Suff
דְּרָכָ֑/י
derek
H1870
way
N-cp | Suff
נְאֻ֖ם
nᵉʼum
H5002
utterance
N-ms
יְהוָֽה
Yᵉhôvâh
H3068
The Lord
N-proper
Hebrew Word Study
Select any word above to explore its original meaning, root, and usage across Scripture.
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Hebrew Word Reference — Isaiah 55:8
כִּ֣י
kîy
H3588
"for"
Conj
A conjunction used to show cause or connection, as in Genesis 2:23 where Adam says the woman is bone of his bone because she was taken out of him. It is often translated as 'for', 'because', or 'since'.
Definition: 1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since 1a) that 1a1) yea, indeed 1b) when (of time) 1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force) 1c) because, since (causal connection) 1d) but (after negative) 1e) that if, for if, indeed if, for though, but if 1f) but rather, but 1g) except that 1h) only, nevertheless 1i) surely 1j) that is 1k) but if 1l) for though 1m) forasmuch as, for therefore
Usage: Occurs in 3910 OT verses. KJV: and, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + till, truly, + until, when, whether, while, whom, yea, yet. See also: Genesis 1:4; Genesis 26:16; Genesis 42:15.
לֹ֤א
lôʼ
H3808
"not"
Part
The Hebrew word for not or no is used to indicate absence or negation, as when God says no to the Israelites' requests, or when they disobey His commands.
Definition: 1) not, no 1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition) 1b) not (with modifier-negation) 1c) nothing (subst) 1d) without (with particle) 1e) before (of time) Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)
Usage: Occurs in 3967 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as truly as, [phrase] of a truth, [phrase] verily, for want, [phrase] whether, without. See also: Genesis 2:5; Genesis 31:15; Exodus 4:9.
מַחְשְׁבוֹתַ/י֙
machăshâbâh
H4284
"plot"
N-fp | Suff
In the Bible, this word refers to a plan, device, or invention, which can be either good or bad. It appears in places like 2 Chronicles 2:11 and Esther 8:3, where it is used to describe clever ideas or schemes. The word is associated with creativity and problem-solving.
Definition: 1) thought, device 1a) thought 1b) device, plan, purpose 1c) invention
Usage: Occurs in 52 OT verses. KJV: cunning (work), curious work, device(-sed), imagination, invented, means, purpose, thought. See also: Genesis 6:5; Proverbs 19:21; Psalms 33:10.
מַחְשְׁב֣וֹתֵי/כֶ֔ם
machăshâbâh
H4284
"plot"
N-fp | Suff
In the Bible, this word refers to a plan, device, or invention, which can be either good or bad. It appears in places like 2 Chronicles 2:11 and Esther 8:3, where it is used to describe clever ideas or schemes. The word is associated with creativity and problem-solving.
Definition: 1) thought, device 1a) thought 1b) device, plan, purpose 1c) invention
Usage: Occurs in 52 OT verses. KJV: cunning (work), curious work, device(-sed), imagination, invented, means, purpose, thought. See also: Genesis 6:5; Proverbs 19:21; Psalms 33:10.
וְ/לֹ֥א
lôʼ
H3808
"not"
Conj | Part
The Hebrew word for not or no is used to indicate absence or negation, as when God says no to the Israelites' requests, or when they disobey His commands.
Definition: 1) not, no 1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition) 1b) not (with modifier-negation) 1c) nothing (subst) 1d) without (with particle) 1e) before (of time) Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)
Usage: Occurs in 3967 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as truly as, [phrase] of a truth, [phrase] verily, for want, [phrase] whether, without. See also: Genesis 2:5; Genesis 31:15; Exodus 4:9.
דַרְכֵי/כֶ֖ם
derek
H1870
"way"
N-cp | Suff
Derek refers to a road or path, and can also mean a way of life or manner of action. It is often used to describe a journey or direction, and can be used figuratively to describe a person's character or moral path.
Definition: : road/route 1) way, road, distance, journey, manner 1a) road, way, path 1b) journey 1c) direction 1d) manner, habit, way 1e) of course of life (fig.) 1f) of moral character (fig.)
Usage: Occurs in 626 OT verses. KJV: along, away, because of, [phrase] by, conversation, custom, (east-) ward, journey, manner, passenger, through, toward, (high-) (path-) way(-side), whither(-soever). See also: Genesis 3:24; Deuteronomy 28:29; 1 Kings 15:34.
דְּרָכָ֑/י
derek
H1870
"way"
N-cp | Suff
Derek refers to a road or path, and can also mean a way of life or manner of action. It is often used to describe a journey or direction, and can be used figuratively to describe a person's character or moral path.
Definition: : road/route 1) way, road, distance, journey, manner 1a) road, way, path 1b) journey 1c) direction 1d) manner, habit, way 1e) of course of life (fig.) 1f) of moral character (fig.)
Usage: Occurs in 626 OT verses. KJV: along, away, because of, [phrase] by, conversation, custom, (east-) ward, journey, manner, passenger, through, toward, (high-) (path-) way(-side), whither(-soever). See also: Genesis 3:24; Deuteronomy 28:29; 1 Kings 15:34.
נְאֻ֖ם
nᵉʼum
H5002
"utterance"
N-ms
This word refers to an utterance or declaration from God, often through a prophet. It is used in the Bible to describe a revelation or message from God, like in Exodus or Numbers.
Definition: 1) (Qal) utterance, declaration (of prophet) 1a) utterance, declaration, revelation (of prophet in ecstatic state) 1b) utterance, declaration (elsewhere always preceding divine name)
Usage: Occurs in 358 OT verses. KJV: (hath) said, saith. See also: Genesis 22:16; Jeremiah 22:16; Psalms 36:2.
יְהוָֽה
Yᵉhôvâh
H3068
"The Lord"
N-proper
Yehovah is another name for God, often translated as 'the Lord'. It is a national name for God in the Jewish faith. This name is used throughout the Old Testament.
Definition: Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)
Usage: Occurs in 5522 OT verses. KJV: Jehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה). See also: Genesis 2:4; Genesis 24:42; Exodus 8:8.
Study Notes — Isaiah 55:8
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Isaiah 55:8 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Isaiah 55:8
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Isaiah 55:8
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Isaiah 55:8
- Trapp's Commentary on Isaiah 55:8
- Ellicott's Commentary on Isaiah 55:8
- Cambridge Bible on Isaiah 55:8
- Barnes' Notes on Isaiah 55:8
- Whedon's Commentary on Isaiah 55:8
- Sermons on Isaiah 55:8
Context — Invitation to the Needy
6Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near.
7Let the wicked man forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that He may have compassion, and to our God, for He will freely pardon.
8“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD.
9“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts. 10For just as rain and snow fall from heaven and do not return without watering the earth, making it bud and sprout, and providing seed to sow and food to eat,Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalms 92:5 | How great are Your works, O LORD, how deep are Your thoughts! |
| 2 | Psalms 40:5 | Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders You have done, and the plans You have for us— none can compare to You— if I proclaim and declare them, they are more than I can count. |
| 3 | Hosea 14:9 | Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them. For the ways of the LORD are right, and the righteous walk in them but the rebellious stumble in them. |
| 4 | Ezekiel 18:29 | Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Are My ways unjust, O house of Israel? Is it not your ways that are unjust? |
| 5 | Psalms 25:10 | All the LORD’s ways are loving and faithful to those who keep His covenant and His decrees. |
| 6 | Daniel 4:37 | Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, for all His works are true and all His ways are just. And He is able to humble those who walk in pride. |
| 7 | Isaiah 53:6 | We all like sheep have gone astray, each one has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid upon Him the iniquity of us all. |
| 8 | Proverbs 21:8 | The way of a guilty man is crooked, but the conduct of the innocent is upright. |
| 9 | Proverbs 25:3 | As the heavens are high and the earth is deep, so the hearts of kings cannot be searched. |
| 10 | 2 Samuel 7:19 | And as if this was a small thing in Your eyes, O Lord GOD, You have also spoken about the future of the house of Your servant. Is this Your custom with man, O Lord GOD? |
Isaiah 55:8 Summary
This verse means that God's thoughts and ways are much higher and wiser than ours, and we can't always understand why He does things the way He does. But we can trust that He is good and loving, as seen in Psalm 136:1, and that His ways are perfect, even when they don't make sense to us. By seeking God and His Word, we can learn to trust in His ways and align our thoughts and actions with His. As we do, we can experience His love and goodness in our lives, as promised in Jeremiah 29:11.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean that God's thoughts are not our thoughts?
This means that God's ways of thinking and understanding are far beyond our own, as He is all-knowing and all-wise, as seen in Psalm 139:6 and Romans 11:33-34.
How can we know God's thoughts if they are not like ours?
We can know God's thoughts through His Word, the Bible, as He reveals His character and will to us in scriptures like Isaiah 55:8 and Jeremiah 29:11.
Does this verse mean that God is unpredictable or arbitrary?
No, God is not unpredictable or arbitrary, but rather His ways are higher and more perfect than ours, as stated in Isaiah 55:9, and He always acts in love and wisdom, as seen in 1 John 4:8 and Psalm 103:8.
How can we align our thoughts and ways with God's?
We can align our thoughts and ways with God's by seeking Him and His Word, as encouraged in Isaiah 55:6-7, and by trusting in His goodness and sovereignty, as expressed in Proverbs 3:5-6.
Reflection Questions
- What are some areas in my life where I have been trying to understand or control things in my own way, rather than trusting in God's higher ways?
- How can I surrender my own thoughts and ways to God, and trust in His perfect plan for me?
- What does it mean for me to 'return to the Lord' as stated in Isaiah 55:7, and how can I do that in my daily life?
- In what ways can I seek to know and understand God's thoughts and ways, as revealed in the Bible and through prayer?
- How can I trust in God's goodness and sovereignty, even when I don't understand His ways, as encouraged in Isaiah 55:8-9?
Gill's Exposition on Isaiah 55:8
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,.... In some things there may be a likeness between the thoughts of God and the thoughts of men, as to the nature of them: thoughts are natural and essential to
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Isaiah 55:8
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For my thoughts (are) not your thoughts, neither (are) your ways my ways, saith the Lord - referring to Isaiah 55:7.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Isaiah 55:8
My disposition and carriage is vastly differing from yours. If any man provoke or injure you, especially if he do it greatly, and frequently, and maliciously, you are very slow and backward to forgive him; and if you do or seem to forgive, and promise to forget, and pass it by, yet you retain a secret grudge in your hearts, and upon the least occasion and slight offence you forget your promise, and you are soon weary with forgiving, and prone to revenge yourselves upon him: but it is not so with me; for I am slow to anger, and ready to forgive all true penitents, how many, and great, and numberless soever their sins be; and my promises of mercy and pardon shall be infallibly made good to them. And therefore you need not fear to come to me, or to find mercy and acceptance with me.
Trapp's Commentary on Isaiah 55:8
Isaiah 55:8 For my thoughts [are] not your thoughts, neither [are] your ways my ways, saith the LORD.Ver. 8. For my thoughts are not your thoughts,] q.d., You may think it impossible, likely, that such great and grievous sinners as you have been should ever be received to mercy. But what talk you of your thoughts? Mine are infinitely above them, neither may you measure my mercies by your own models. Bring broken and bleeding hearts to my mercy seat, and I shall soon think all the meritorious sufferings of my Son, all the promises in my book, all the comforts of my Spirit, all the pleasures of my kingdom, but enough for you.
Ellicott's Commentary on Isaiah 55:8
(8) My thoughts are not your thoughts . . .—The assertion refers to both the promise and the warning. Men think that the gifts of God can be purchased with money (Acts 8:20). They think that the market in which they are sold is always open, and that they can have them when and how they please (Matthew 25:9-13).
Cambridge Bible on Isaiah 55:8
8, 9. Jehovah’s thoughts transcend those of man as much as the heaven is higher than the earth. The point of the contrast is not the moral quality of the Divine thoughts as opposed to those of the “wicked”; the thoughts and ways of Jehovah are His purposes of redemption, which are too vast and sublime to be measured by the narrow conceptions of despairing minds (Isaiah 40:27 f.). Comp. Jeremiah 29:11 (“I know the thoughts that I entertain towards you, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope”), Micah 4:12. The verses, therefore, furnish a motive not merely for repentance but also for eager and expectant hope.
Barnes' Notes on Isaiah 55:8
For my thoughts are not your thoughts - Interpreters have differed in regard to the connection of this verse with the preceding.
Whedon's Commentary on Isaiah 55:8
6-9. Seek ye the Lord — Now. This time of spiritual restoration, when God is more manifestly near than usual, is the best time, because a crisis time.
Sermons on Isaiah 55:8
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
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(1 Corinthians) ch.3:1-3:17 by Zac Poonen | In this sermon, the preacher focuses on the importance of building our lives and work on the foundation of Jesus Christ. He emphasizes that in the final day of judgment, God will t |
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Death of a Promise - Part 1 by David Wilkerson | In this sermon, the preacher discusses the principle of the death of a promise. He explains that when God intends to fulfill a promise or bring about a special blessing, He first p |
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(John - Part 2): In the Beginning Was the Word by A.W. Tozer | In this sermon, the preacher begins by acknowledging the difficulty of preaching on the phrase "in the beginning." He compares it to the impossible task of lifting oneself up on a |
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What if..? by Art Katz | In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of truth in the church. He believes that the truth to which God calls the church is not just external or doctrinal, but a deep |
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Steadying the Ark of God by Vance Havner | In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of true worship and the need for personal responsibility in carrying out God's work. He criticizes the idea of putting on a r |
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(Education for Exultation) if the Lord Wills by John Piper | In this sermon, Pastor John Piper focuses on James 4:13-16 and the importance of humbling ourselves under the sovereignty of God. He addresses the issue of making plans without con |
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(A Heavenly Church) 4. the Faith of Jesus by Zac Poonen | Zac Poonen emphasizes the rarity of true faith and love in today's world, referencing Luke 18:8, where Jesus questions if He will find faith on earth upon His return. He critiques |