Isaiah 55:13 (ASV)

Passage

Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir-tree; and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle-tree: and it shall be to Jehovah for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

Nearby Context

Isaiah 55:11 so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

Isaiah 55:12 For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing; and all the trees of the fields shall clap their hands.

Isaiah 55:13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir-tree; and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle-tree: and it shall be to Jehovah for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "instead", "thorn", "shall", "come", "fir-tree", and "brier". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "instead" and "thorn", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The prior verse says "For ye shall go out with joy...", giving immediate footing for "instead" and "thorn". In Isaiah context, the local focus is the Holy One of Israel, judgment and restoration, the servant of the LORD, and Zion's hope.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "instead" and "thorn" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.