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Pentecost Season · Proper 13 · Year A

Isaiah 55:1-5

Invitation to the Thirsty

August 2, 2026

The Water Carrier (La aguadora), Francisco de Goya
The Water Carrier (La aguadora), Francisco de Goya, c. 1810Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest
A woman carrying the jar up out of the picture toward you, painted against almost nothing.Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat!Francisco de GoyaGoya, in the war years, painting ordinary people at close range and at monumental scale.Museum of Fine Arts, BudapestThe Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest.Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest
Revised Common Lectionary
GospelMatt. 14:13-21Mt 14:13-21
EpistleRom. 9:1-5Rom 9:1-5
Old TestamentGen. 32:22-31Gn 32:22-31Alt. OTIsa. 55:1-5Is 55:1-5
PsalterPs. 17:1-7, 15Ps 17:1-7, 15Alt. PsalmPs. 145:8-9, 14-21Ps 145:8-9, 14-21

Overview & Insights

“Seek the Lord while he may be found, call on him while he is near.” (Isaiah 55:6)

An Invitation to Sing: Once again a return to a focus on Ms Jerusalem follows the servant passage, as happened after 49:1–6 and 50:4–11. There were hints there that Ms Jerusalem’s restoration was the correlate of Ms Babylon’s humiliation in chapter 47. Chapter 54 is the systematic exposition of that theme. The prophet takes up five images of Ms Jerusalem which once again resume the themes of the people’s prayers (we are like a childless and abandoned woman, the victim of angry abuse—literally, we are a battered and insecure city) before coming to a striking conclusion.

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Take it further: Isaiah 55:1-5

Commentary

Working Preacher: Commentary on Isaiah 55:1-5Working Preacher: Commentary on Is 55:1-5 Working Preacher

Lutheran lectionary commentary on the free invitation to the thirsty for the complementary track.

Enduring Word: Isaiah 55Enduring Word: Is 55 Enduring Word · David Guzik

David Guzik's verse-by-verse evangelical notes on the whole chapter.

StudyLight: Isaiah 55 CommentariesStudyLight: Is 55 Commentaries StudyLight

Many complete commentaries on Isaiah 55 gathered on one passage page.

BibleHub: Commentaries on Isaiah 55:1BibleHub: Commentaries on Is 55:1 BibleHub

Parallel classic commentaries keyed to the call to come and buy without money.

Background & Word Study

BibleProject: Isaiah 40-66 OverviewBibleProject: Is 40-66 Overview BibleProject

Animated overview of the second half of Isaiah and its message of comfort.

Sefaria: Isaiah 55 (Hebrew)Sefaria: Is 55 (Hebrew) Sefaria

Hebrew text with English and classical Jewish commentary on the chapter.

BibleHub: Isaiah 55 InterlinearBibleHub: Is 55 Interlinear BibleHub

Hebrew-English interlinear for word-level study of the chapter.

The Church Fathers

Catena: Isaiah 55Catena: Is 55 Catena

Patristic comments gathered verse by verse on Isaiah 55.

Questions preachers ask

What does Isaiah 55 invite?

The chapter calls the thirsty to come to the Lord for free grace, and here urges seeking him while he is near, for his thoughts and ways are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8–9). Mercy is held out to all who turn.

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