Isaiah 55 · Verse 8

Isaiah 55:8

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
Isaiah 55:8, King James Version

Isaiah 55:8 in other translations

BSB“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD.
WEB“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways,” says the LORD.
ASVFor my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith Jehovah.
YLTFor not My thoughts are your thoughts, Nor your ways My ways, --an affirmation of Jehovah,
DARBYFor my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith Jehovah.
BBEFor my thoughts are not your thoughts, or your ways my ways, says the Lord.
WebsterFor my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

What does Isaiah 55:8 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
8. For--referring to Is 55:7. You need not doubt His willingness "abundantly to pardon" (compare Is 55:12); for, though "the wicked" man's "ways," and "the unrighteous man's thoughts," are so aggravated as to seem unpardonable, God's "thoughts" and "ways" in pardoning are not regulated by the proportion of the former, as man's would be towards his fellow man who offended him; compare the "for" (Psa 25:11; Ro 5:19).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Isaiah 55:6-13

Here is a gracious offer of pardon, and peace, and of all happiness. It shall not be in vain to seek God, now his word is calling to us, and his Spirit is striving with us. But there is a day coming when he will not be found. There may come such a time in this life; it is certain that at death and judgment the door will be shut. There must be not only a change of the way, but a change of the mind. We must alter our…

Read the full comment on Isaiah 55:6-13 →

Isaiah 55:8 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

כִּ֣יkiforH3588
לֹ֤אlo'notH3808
מַחְשְׁבוֹתַי֙mach.she.vo.Taithoughts myH4284
מַחְשְׁב֣וֹתֵיכֶ֔םmach.she.Vo.tei.Khem[are] thoughts yourH4284
וְלֹ֥אve.Lo'and notH3808
דַרְכֵיכֶ֖םdar.khei.Khem[are] ways yourH1870
דְּרָכָ֑יde.ra.Khaiways myH1870
נְאֻ֖םne.'Um[the] utterance ofH5002
יְהוָֽה\׃Yah.wehYahwehH3068

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Isaiah 55:8

  • Psalms 92:5

    O Lord, how great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep.

  • Psalms 40:5

    Many, O Lord my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.

  • Hosea 14:9

    Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein.

  • Psalms 25:10

    All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.

  • Ezekiel 18:29

    Yet saith the house of Israel, The way of the Lord is not equal. O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? are not your ways unequal?

  • Daniel 4:37

    Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.

  • Isaiah 53:6

    All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

  • Proverbs 21:8

    The way of man is froward and strange: but as for the pure, his work is right.

  • Proverbs 25:3

    The heaven for height, and the earth for depth, and the heart of kings is unsearchable.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2Sa 7:19; Ps 25:10; 40:5; 92:5; Pr 21:8; 25:3; Jer 3:1; Eze 18:29
Da 4:37; Ho 14:9

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Isaiah 55:7

    Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

  • Isaiah 55:8

    For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.

  • Isaiah 55:9

    For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Read all of Isaiah 55

Isaiah 55:8 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Porque mis pensamientos no son vuestros pensamientos, ni vuestros caminos mis caminos, dijo Jehová.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Car mes pensées ne sont pas vos pensées, et vos voies ne sont pas mes voies, dit l’ Éternel:
German
Elberfelder 1871		Denn meine Gedanken sind nicht eure Gedanken, und eure Wege sind nicht meine Wege, spricht Jehova.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Non enim cogitationes meæ cogitationes vestræ, neque viæ vestræ viæ meæ, dicit Dominus.