Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.

ISAIAH 55:2KJV
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Isaiah 55:2 (KJV)

What does Isaiah 55:2 mean?

Isaiah 55:2 asks why people spend their resources and efforts on things that do not truly satisfy, urging them instead to listen carefully to God and receive what is genuinely good and fulfilling. The verse uses the image of food to describe the difference between empty pursuits and the lasting satisfaction found in what God offers.

The prophet Isaiah is speaking to the people of Israel, addressing their tendency to chase after things that cannot meet their deepest needs. The verse is part of a larger invitation from God, calling people to turn away from empty efforts and to seek the spiritual nourishment and joy that only God can provide.

The Hebrew behind Isaiah 55:2

  • "Spend" (תִּשְׁקְלוּ, tishqelu) means to weigh out or pay, highlighting the idea of using up resources or energy.
  • "Bread" (לֶחֶם, lechem) refers to basic food, symbolizing what is truly necessary for life, not just literal bread.
  • "Satisfieth" (שָׂבֵעַ, savea) means to be filled or satisfied, pointing out that some things never truly fill the soul.
  • "Fatness" (דֶּשֶׁן, deshen) refers to rich food or abundance, suggesting the fullness and delight that comes from accepting what God gives.

Why Isaiah 55:2 matters

  • Isaiah 55:2 clears up the idea that material things or personal efforts alone can bring lasting satisfaction, pointing instead to spiritual fulfillment.
  • The verse emphasizes God’s invitation to everyone, not just a select few, to receive what is truly good and nourishing.
  • Isaiah 55:2 connects to the wider chapter, which is a call to seek God and trust in His generous provision rather than relying on empty pursuits.

Where else these words appear

“satisfieth” Hebrew H7654 · used in 6 verses

  • Isaiah 23:18 And her merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to the LORD: it shall not be treasured nor laid up; for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell before the LORD, to eat sufficiently, and for durable clothing.
  • Isaiah 56:11 Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.
  • Ezekiel 39:19 And ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you.

“delight” Hebrew H6026 · used in 10 verses

  • Deuteronomy 28:56 The tender and delicate woman among you, which would not adventure to set the sole of her foot upon the ground for delicateness and tenderness, her eye shall be evil toward the husband of her bosom, and toward her son, and toward her daughter,
  • Psalms 37:4 Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
  • Isaiah 58:14 Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

“fatness” Hebrew H1880 · used in 14 verses

  • Leviticus 1:16 And he shall pluck away his crop with his feathers, and cast it beside the altar on the east part, by the place of the ashes:
  • Judges 9:9 But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?
  • Psalms 36:8 They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.

“labour” Hebrew H3018 · used in 16 verses

  • Genesis 31:42 Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight.
  • Job 39:16 She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not hers: her labour is in vain without fear;
  • Jeremiah 3:24 For shame hath devoured the labour of our fathers from our youth; their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters.