Isaiah 55:4 (LSB)

Passage

Behold, I have given him as a witness to the peoples, A ruler and commander for the peoples.

Nearby Context

Isaiah 55:2 Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And delight your soul in richness.

Isaiah 55:3 Incline your ear and come to Me. Listen, that your soul may live; And I will cut an everlasting covenant with you, According to the faithful lovingkindnesses of David.

Isaiah 55:4 Behold, I have given him as a witness to the peoples, A ruler and commander for the peoples.

Isaiah 55:5 Behold, you will call a nation you do not know, And a nation which knows you not will run to you, Because of Yahweh your God, even the Holy One of Israel; For He has adorned you with beautiful glory.”

Isaiah 55:6 Seek Yahweh while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "behold", "given", "witness", "peoples", "ruler", and "commander". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "behold" and "given", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 3's "Incline your ear and come to Me..." into verse 5's "Behold you will call a nation you...", so "behold" and "given" 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 "behold" and "given" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.