Isaiah 55:13 (WEB)

Passage

Instead of the thorn the cypress tree will come up; and instead of the brier the myrtle tree will come up: and it will make a name for Yahweh, for an everlasting sign that will not be cut off.”

Nearby Context

Isaiah 55:11 so is my word that goes out of my mouth: it will not return to me void, but it will accomplish that which I please, and it will prosper in the thing I sent it to do.

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

Isaiah 55:13 Instead of the thorn the cypress tree will come up; and instead of the brier the myrtle tree will come up: and it will make a name for Yahweh, for an everlasting sign that will not be cut off.”

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "instead", "thorn", "cypress", "tree", "come", "brier", and "myrtle". 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 you 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.