Isaiah 55:11 (DRB)

Passage

So shall my word be, which shall go forth from my mouth: it shall not return to me void, but it shall do whatsoever I please, and shall prosper in the things for which I sent it.

Nearby Context

Isaiah 55:9 For as the heavens are exalted above the earth, so are my ways exalted above your ways, and my thoughts above your thoughts.

Isaiah 55:10 And as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and return no more thither, but soak the earth, and water it, and make it to spring, and give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:

Isaiah 55:11 So shall my word be, which shall go forth from my mouth: it shall not return to me void, but it shall do whatsoever I please, and shall prosper in the things for which I sent it.

Isaiah 55:12 For you shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall sing praise before you, and all the trees of the country shall clap their hands.

Isaiah 55:13 Instead of the shrub, shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the nettle, shall come up the myrtle tree: and the Lord shall be named for an everlasting sign, that shall not be taken away.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "shall", "word", "forth", "mouth", "return", and "void". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "shall" and "word", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 10's "And as the rain and the snow..." into verse 12's "For you shall go out with joy...", so "shall" and "word" belong inside that flow. 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 "shall" and "word" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.