Isaiah 55:5 Meaning: Who Is the 'You'? Messiah or Israel?

The Hebrew word for 'call' here is qara, the same word used when God summoned creation into being and when he called prophets to their work. It suggests more than a casual invitation, it is a summons with authority and purpose. This calling reaches people who had no prior relationship with God.

The word 'run' is ruts, which carries eagerness and speed. These people do not walk reluctantly; they sprint toward the one calling them, drawn by something compelling.

And 'glorified' comes from pa'ar, meaning to beautify or adorn. It is the same root used when the high priest was clothed in glorious garments. God has made this one beautiful in a way that attracts the nations. The glory is not self-made; it is given, and it becomes a magnet.

Many Protestant commentators, like Barnes and Jamieson-Fausset-Brown, read the address as directly to the Messiah. The Messiah calls the Gentiles, and they run because God has glorified him. They point to Psalm 18:43 as a parallel. The Cambridge Bible notes that most modern authorities understand the 'him' in verse 4 as the historical David, and the 'you' in verse 5 as Israel, picking up David's role as a witness to the nations and extending it to the whole people. Others see an intermediate view: the promise to David is fulfilled in the Messiah, and then shared with Israel. Each tradition reads this through its understanding of how Old Testament promises find their fulfillment, whether in Christ directly or in the community that carries his name.

Some readers think this verse is only about ethnic Israel's future political influence over other nations. In fact, the entire chapter uses spiritual language, thirst, eating without money, the covenant of David, and the running of the nations is a response to God's glory, not military conquest. The early church consistently read this as pointing to the ingathering of Gentiles through the gospel.

This week, look for the people you do not yet know, not strangers to avoid, but people God may be calling you to invite. It could be a coworker, a neighbor, or someone in a different social circle. You are not responsible for their running; that is God's work of glorifying Christ. But you are the one who calls, who extends the invitation. And when they come, it will be because of who God is, not because of your eloquence. Trust that God is already preparing hearts to run, and he is using your voice to summon them.