TRV
Study This Verse
Commentary on Isaiah 65 verses 1–7
The apostle Paul (an expositor we may depend upon) has given us the true sense of these verses, and told us what was the event they pointed at and were fulfilled in, namely, the calling in of the Gentiles and the rejection of the Jews, by the preaching of the gospel, Rom 10:20, Rom 10:21. And he observes that herein Esaias is very bold, not only in foretelling a thing so improbable ever to be brought about, but in foretelling it to the Jews, who would take it as a gross affront to their nation, and therein Moses's words would be made good (Deu 32:21), I will provoke you to jealousy by those that are no people.
I. It is here foretold that the Gentiles, who had been afar off, should be made nigh, Isa 65:1. Paul reads it thus: I was found of those that sought me not; I was made manifest to those that asked not for me. Observe what a wonderful and blessed change was made with them and how they were surprised into it. 1. Those who had long been without God in the world shall now be set a seeking him; those who had not said, Where is God my maker? shall now begin to enquire after him. Neither they nor their fathers had called upon his name, but either lived without prayer or prayed to stocks and stones, the work of men's hands. But now they shall be baptized and call on the name of the Lord, Act 2:21. With what pleasure does the great God here speak of his being sought unto, and how does he glory in it, especially by those who in time past had not asked for him! For there is joy in heaven over great sinners who repent. 2. God shall anticipate their prayers with his blessings: I am found of those that sought me not. This happy acquaintance and correspondence between God and the Gentile world began on his side; they came to know God because they were known of him (Gal 4:9), to seek God and find him because they were first sought and found of him. Though in after-communion God is found of those that seek him (Pro 8:17), yet in the first conversion he is found of those that seek him not; for therefore we love him because he first loved us. The design of the bounty of common providence to them was that they might seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him and find him, Act 17:27. But they sought him not; still he was to them an unknown God, and yet God was found of them. 3. God gave the advantages of a divine revelation to those who had never made a profession of religion: I said, Behold me, behold me (gave them a sight of me and invited them to take the comfort and benefit of it) to those who were not called by my name, as the Jews for many ages had been. When the apostles went about from place to place, preaching the gospel, this was the substance of what they preached: "Behold God, behold him, turn towards him, fix the eyes of your minds upon him, acquaint yourselves with him, admire him, adore him; look off from your idols that you have made, and look upon the living God who made you." Christ in them said, Behold me, behold me with an eye of faith; look unto me, and be you saved. And this was said to those that had long been lo-ammi, and lo-ruhamah (Hos 1:8, Hos 1:9), not a people, and that had not obtained mercy, Rom 9:25, Rom 9:26.
II. It is here foretold that the Jews, who had long been a people near to God, should be cast off and set at a distance Isa 65:2. The apostle applies this to the Jews in his time, as a seed of evil-doers. Rom 10:21, But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people. Here observe,
1.How the Jews were courted to the divine grace. God himself, by his prophets, by his Son, by his apostles, stretched forth his hands to them, as Wisdom did, Pro 1:24. God spread out his hands to them, as one reasoning and expostulating with them, not only beckoned to them with the finger, but spread out his hands, as being ready to embrace and entertain them, reaching forth the tokens of his favour to them, and importuning them to accept them. When Christ was crucified his hands were spread out and stretched forth, as if he were preparing to receive returning sinners into his bosom; and this all the day, all the gospel-day. He waited to be gracious, and was not weary of waiting; even those that came in at the eleventh hour of the day were not rejected.
2.How they contemned the invitation; it was given to a rebellious and gainsaying people; they were invited to the wedding-supper, and would not come, but rejected the counsel of God against themselves. Now here we have,
(1.)The bad character of this people. The world shall see that it was not for nothing that they were rejected of God; no, it was for their whoredoms that they were put away.
[1.]Their character in general was such as one would not expect of those who had been so much the favourites of Heaven. First, They were very wilful. Right or wrong they would do as they had a mind. "They generally walk on in a way that is not good, not the right way, not a safe way, for they walk after their own thought, their own devices and desires." If our guide be our own thoughts, our way is not likely to be good; for every imagination of the thought of our hearts is only evil. God had told them his thoughts, what his mind and will were, but they would walk after their own thoughts, would do what they thought best. Secondly, They were very provoking. This was God's complaint of them all along - they grieved him, they vexed his Holy Spirit, as if they would contrive how to make him their enemy: They provoke me to anger continually to my face. They cared not what affront they gave to God, though it were in his sight and presence, in a downright contempt of his authority and defiance of his justice; and this continually; it had been their way and manner ever since they were a people, witness the day of temptation in the wilderness.
[2.]The prophet speaks more particularly of their iniquities and the iniquities of their fathers, as the ground of God's casting them off, Isa 65:7. Now he gives instances of both.
First, The most provoking iniquity of their fathers was idolatry; this, the prophet tells them, was provoking God to his face; and it is an iniquity which, as appears by the second commandment, God often visits upon the children. This was the sin that brought them into captivity, and, though the captivity pretty well cured them of it, yet, when the final ruin of that nation came, that was again brought into the account against them; for in the day when God visits he will visit that, Exo 32:34. Perhaps there were many, long after the captivity, who, though they did not worship other gods, were yet guilty of the disorders here mentioned; for they married strange wives. 1. They forsook God's temple, and sacrificed in gardens or groves, that they might have the satisfaction of doing it in their own way, for they liked not God's institutions. 2. They forsook God's altar, and burnt incense upon bricks, altars of their own contriving (they burnt incense according to their own inventions, which were of no more value, in comparison with God's institution, than an altar of bricks in comparison with the golden altar which God appointed them to burn incense on), or upon tiles (so some read it), such as they covered their flat-roofed houses with, and on them sometimes they burnt incense to their idols, as appears, Kg2 23:12, where we read of altars on the top of the upper chamber of Ahaz, and Jer 19:13, of their burning incense to the host of heaven upon the roofs of their houses. 3. "They used necromancy, or consulting with the dead, and, in order to that, they remained among the graves, and lodged in the monuments," to seek for the living to the dead (Jer 8:19), as the witch of Endor. Or they used to consult the evil spirits that haunted the sepulchres. 4. They violated the laws of God about their meat, and broke through the distinction between clean and unclean before it was taken away by the gospel. They ate swine's flesh. Some indeed chose rather to die than to eat swine's flesh, as Eleazar and the seven brethren in the story of the Maccabees; but it is probable that many ate of it, especially when it came to be a condition of life. In our Saviour's time we read of a vast herd of swine among them, which gives us cause to suspect that there were many then who made so little conscience of the law as to eat swine's flesh, for which they were justly punished in the destruction of the swine. And the broth, or pieces, of other forbidden meats, called here abominable things, was in their vessels, and was made use of for food. The forbidden meat is called an abomination, and those that meddle with it are said to make themselves abominable, Lev 11:42, Lev 11:43. Those that durst not eat the meat yet made bold with the broth, because they would come as near as might be to that which was forbidden, to show how they coveted the forbidden fruit. Perhaps this is here put figuratively for all forbidden pleasures and profits which are obtained by sin, that abominable thing which the Lord hates; they loved to be dallying with it, to be tasting of its broth. But those who thus take a pride in venturing upon the borders of sin, and the brink of it, are in danger of falling into the depths of it. But,
Secondly, The most provoking iniquity of the Jews in our Saviour's time was their pride and hypocrisy, that sin of the scribes and Pharisees against which Christ denounced so many woes, Isa 65:5. They say, "Stand by thyself, keep off" (get thee to thine, so the original is); "keep to thy own companions, but come not near to me, lest thou pollute me; touch me not; I will not allow thee any familiarity with me, for I am holier than thou, and therefore thou art not good enough to converse with me; I am not as other men are, nor even as this publican." This they were ready to say to every one they met with, so that, in saying, I am holier than thou, they thought themselves holier than any, not only very good, as good as they should be, as good as they needed to be, but better than any of their neighbours. These are a smoke in my nose (says God), such a smoke as comes not from a quick fire, which soon becomes glowing and pleasant, but from a fire of wet wood, which burns all the day, and is nothing but smoke. Note, Nothing in men is more odious and offensive to God than a proud conceit of themselves and contempt of others; for commonly those are most unholy of all that think themselves holier than any.
(2.)The controversy God had with them for this. The proof against them is plain: Behold, it is written before me, Isa 65:6. It is written, to be remembered against them in time to come; for they may not perhaps be immediately reckoned with. The sins of sinners, and particularly the vainglorious boasts and scorns of hypocrites, are laid up in store with God, Deu 32:34. And what is written shall be read and proceeded upon: "I will not keep silence always, though I may keep silence long." They shall not think him altogether such a one as themselves, as sometimes they have done; but he will recompense, even recompense into their bosom. Those basely abuse religion, that honourable and sacred thing, who make their profession of it the matter of their pride, and the jealous God will reckon with them for it; the profession they boast of shall but serve to aggravate their condemnation. [1.] The iniquity of their fathers shall come against them; not but that their own sin deserved whatever judgments God brought upon them, and much heavier; and this they owned, Ezr 9:13. But God would not have wrought so great a desolation upon them if he had not therein had an eye to the sins of their fathers. Therefore in the last destruction of Jerusalem God is said to bring upon them the blood of the Old Testament martyrs, even that of Abel, Mat 23:35. God will reckon with them, not only for their fathers' idols, but for their high places, their burning incense upon the mountains and the hills, though perhaps it was to the true God only. This was blaspheming or reproaching God; it was a reflection upon the choice he had made of the place where he would record his name, and the promise he had made that there he would meet them and bless them. [2.] Their own with that shall bring ruin upon them: Your iniquities and the iniquities of your fathers together, the one aggravating the other, constitute the former work, which, though it may seem to be overlooked and forgotten, shall be measured into their bosom. God will render into the bosom, not only of his open enemies (Psa 79:12), but of his false and treacherous friends, the reproach wherewith they have reproached him.
How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world. But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you. But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me. [Isaiah 65:1] But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.
For this is that nation which God of old promised to Abraham, when He declared that He would make him a father of many nations; not meaning, however, the Arabians, or Egyptians, or Idumaeans, since Ishmael became the father of a mighty nation, and so did Esau; and there is now a great multitude of Ammonites. ... And along with Abraham we shall inherit the holy land, when we shall receive the inheritance for an endless eternity, being children of Abraham through the like faith. ... Accordingly, He promises to him a nation of similar faith, God-fearing, righteous, and delighting the Father; but it is not you, "in whom is no faith." Therefore we are not a people to be despised, nor a barbarous race, nor such as the Carian and Phrygian nations; but God has even chosen us and He has become manifest to those who asked not after Him. "Behold, I am God," He says, "to the nation which called not on My name."
[“I was ready to be sought by those who did not seek me.”] These words should be understood as about the Savior, who, sent by the Father’s love and coming with his own compassionate love, was revealed to all people. He became savior of those who had not made him welcome nor had invited him.
Who then, one might say to the Jews, is he that was made manifest? For if it is the prophet, let them say just when he was hid, afterward to appear again. And what manner of prophet is this, who was not only openly made manifest from obscurity but also stretched out his hands on the cross? None surely of the righteous, save the Word of God only, who, incorporeal by nature, appeared for our sakes in the body and suffered for all.
(Chapter 65, Verse 1) They asked me who did not ask before me: they found me, who did not seek me. I said, behold me, behold me to a nation that did not call upon my name. 70: I appeared to those who did not seek me: I was found by those who did not ask me. I said, behold me in a nation that did not invoke my name. In the mixed prayer of the people, in which he had said: Why have you made us stray, O Lord, from your way: you have hardened our hearts, so that we do not fear you (Isaiah 63:17)? He replied, as the Jews would have it, God the Father; as we maintain, the Lord and Savior: to such an extent am I not harsh and cruel, that I prefer the repentance of a sinner to their death: nor do I reject penitent children, who, however, have preserved the dignity of their own name, so that I even desire to save strangers (Ezek. XXXIII). For those who did not seek me, nor were able to say: Whom Moses wrote about in the Law and the prophets, we have found Jesus (John I, 45); I appeared to them, of whom the Prophet testifies elsewhere: Those to whom it has not been announced about him will hear; and those who have not heard, will understand (Isa. LII, 15). But you who meditate on the law of God day and night, you boast in vain of repentance, the works of which you do not perform. Hence the evangelists and apostles, desiring to confirm the coming of the Lord with testimonies from the Old Testament, said: 'That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet' (Matt. 1:22). The centurion did not seek the Lord, and he heard from the Lord: 'I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel' (Luke 7:9; Matt. 8:10). The Syrophoenician woman did not understand the words of the Prophets, but she is praised by the voice of the Lord: O woman, great is your faith. Regulus (John 4), who is called βασιλικὸς in Greek, which we can more correctly interpret as palatinum from the royal court, found not only healing for his son, but for the whole of his household. And what is said in Hebrew: Those who did not ask of me have sought me, is referred to the same meaning: that those who did not previously have knowledge of God, later seek the Lord, and come to know him through revelation: as happened to Paul when he persecuted the Church of the believers, he was revealed (Acts 9). And to the Apostle Peter, he said: Blessed are you, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven (Matt. XVI, 17). This was what Moses sought when he spoke to God: If I have found grace in your sight, show yourself to me manifestly, so that I may see you (Exod. XXXIII, 13). Desiring the greater riches of the treasures of Egypt, he endured the reproach of Christ, looking forward to the recompense of the future, and he contemplated the invisible God as if he could see Him with his mind. Of whom it is read in the Psalms: 'The hope of all the ends of the earth, and of those who are far away on the sea' (Psalm 64:6). And in Genesis: 'He shall be the expectation of the nations' (Genesis 49:10). And what follows: 'I said: Behold me: to a nation that did not invoke my name' (Exodus 3:14), fits that sense: 'He who is, sent me to you.' Who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, etc. (Philippians 2); but calling all the nations of the world, he made one nation of his own name, the Christians.
But what is said in Hebrew, namely, that “they will seek me who previously did not inquire about me,” means that those who once had no knowledge of God later sought the Lord and came to know him by means of revelation. Indeed, the Lord revealed himself to Paul at a time when he was persecuting the church of believers. He also said to Peter the apostle: “Blessed are you, Simon bar Jonah, for flesh and blood did not reveal this to you but my Father who is in heaven.” And Moses was seeking the same thing when he said to God, “If I have found favor with you, show yourself to me openly, that I may behold you.” Anticipating the opprobrium of Christ amid the greater riches of the treasures of Egypt, Moses longed for the just rewards of things to come and contemplated the invisible God with his soul, as though he could see him.
Continue studying Isaiah 65:1 across the web’s major study libraries — every link below opens this exact verse, chapter, or book on the destination site.
Read & Compare
BibleGatewayThis verse in more than 200 translations and 70 languages.
Bible.comThe YouVersion reader — hundreds of translations, reading plans, and highlights.
ESV.orgCrossway's official English Standard Version reader.
NET BibleThe NET translation with 60,000+ translators' notes on every rendering decision.
STEP BibleTyndale House's free study tool — original text, vocabulary, and scholarly resources.
BibliaLogos Bible Software's free web reader.
USCCBThe New American Bible (Revised Edition) with the U.S. bishops' study notes.
Commentaries
BibleHub CommentariesDozens of classic commentaries on this verse, gathered on one page.
StudyLightMore than 100 commentary sets — the largest collection on the web.
BibleRefPlain-English commentary on what this verse means, verse by verse.
Enduring WordDavid Guzik's free commentary on this chapter, widely used by Bible teachers.
Bible Study ToolsVerse commentary alongside Greek and Hebrew study aids.
Original Language & Research
- BibleHub InterlinearThe verse word by word — original language, transliteration, and English.
- BibleHub LexiconEvery word's original-language definition and Strong's entry.
Blue Letter BibleDeep-study tools — Strong's numbers, concordance, and word studies.
SefariaThe Hebrew text with Rashi and centuries of Jewish commentary.
Sermons, Hymns & Audio
TrulyRandomVerse is not affiliated with these sites and doesn’t control their content. They’re linked because they’re genuinely useful.
SUMMARY
Isaiah 65:1 is a profound divine declaration, revealing God's proactive and unmerited self-revelation to those who neither sought nor inquired of Him. This pivotal prophetic statement dramatically contrasts the spiritual apathy and unfaithfulness of His covenant people, Israel, with His sovereign initiative to make Himself known to "a nation that was not called by my name," thereby foreshadowing the radical inclusion of the Gentiles into His redemptive plan, an act purely driven by boundless divine grace.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Isaiah 65:1 is rich with several impactful literary devices that amplify its theological message. Contrast is paramount, juxtaposing God's active self-revelation with the spiritual apathy or unawareness of those He reveals Himself to ("asked not," "sought not," "was not called by my name"). This stark contrast highlights the utterly unmerited nature of His grace. Repetition is powerfully employed in "Behold me, behold me," which serves as an emphatic divine summons. This Anaphora (repetition at the beginning of successive clauses or phrases) not only draws immediate attention to God's presence but also conveys His profound longing, eagerness, and passionate desire to be known. The entire verse functions as a form of Divine Oracle, a direct and authoritative declaration from God Himself, lending it immense weight and prophetic significance. Furthermore, the consistent use of Passive Voice ("I am sought," "I am found") subtly yet powerfully shifts the focus from human action or merit to divine initiative, emphasizing that it is God who enables Himself to be discovered, rather than humanity successfully seeking Him out through its own efforts.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Isaiah 65:1 stands as a theological cornerstone, profoundly articulating God's universal grace and His sovereign plan to bring salvation to all peoples. It fundamentally dismantles any notion of an exclusive covenant, revealing a God whose love and redemptive purpose extend far beyond ethnic or national boundaries. This verse underscores that salvation is fundamentally a work of divine initiative, not human striving or merit. God actively pursues those who are unaware of Him, making Himself known to a world that did not even know to ask or seek. This radical reorientation of God's outreach sets the stage for the New Testament's emphasis on the gospel being for "every tribe and language and people and nation" as seen in Revelation 5:9. It reveals a God who is not confined by human expectations or religious systems, but whose heart is to draw all humanity to Himself through unmerited favor and sovereign self-disclosure.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Isaiah 65:1 offers profound comfort and a powerful call to action for believers today. It serves as a humbling reminder that God's love and offer of salvation are not limited by ethnicity, background, or prior religious affiliation. He reaches out to all people, even those who have never sought Him, demonstrating unequivocally that our relationship with God is initiated by His grace, not by our efforts or merits. This truth should humble us, recognizing that we, too, were once "a nation that was not called by [His] name," yet He, in His infinite love, declared, "Behold me, behold me," to us. This understanding should ignite a passionate desire within us to share the Gospel, knowing that God desires to be found by those who don't even know to look for Him. Just as God declared His presence and availability, we are called to declare His truth and boundless love to a world that may not even know to look for Him, trusting that His sovereign grace will open hearts and minds to receive His revelation.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is the significance of God saying "Behold me, behold me" in this verse?
Answer: The double emphatic declaration, "Behold me, behold me," reveals God's intense desire, eagerness, and passionate longing to make Himself known. It is an urgent, direct, and profound invitation for people to perceive, acknowledge, and engage with His presence and character. This repetition underscores the divine initiative and the boundless grace of God, who is not hiding but actively revealing Himself, even to those who have not sought Him. It signifies His profound yearning for a relationship with all humanity, demonstrating His proactive love.
Does this verse imply that Israel is rejected by God?
Answer: No, this verse does not imply a complete or permanent rejection of Israel. While Isaiah 65:1 highlights God's outreach to "a nation that was not called by my name" (the Gentiles), the subsequent verses in Isaiah 65 and later chapters of Isaiah continue to speak of a faithful remnant within Israel and God's ultimate plan for their restoration and blessing. The primary point is not Israel's complete abandonment, but rather the expansion of God's redemptive plan beyond Israel's exclusive boundaries, demonstrating His universal love and grace. The New Testament, particularly in Romans 9-11 by Paul, further clarifies that God has not cast off His people Israel, but has a future for them alongside the ingathered Gentiles.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Isaiah 65:1 finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. The "nation that was not called by my name" to whom God so passionately declares, "Behold me, behold me," is precisely the Gentile world brought into covenant relationship through Christ. Prior to Christ's advent, the Gentiles were indeed "separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of promise, without hope and without God in the world" (Ephesians 2:12). Yet, in Jesus, God actively sought out and revealed Himself to those who were not seeking Him. Jesus Himself declared, "I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd" (John 10:16). The Great Commission, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19), is the direct, Spirit-empowered outworking of this divine initiative. Through Christ's atoning sacrifice on the cross, the spiritual barrier between Jew and Gentile was decisively broken down, creating "one new humanity" (Ephesians 2:14-15). In Him, God's name, character, and salvation were fully revealed and made accessible to all who would believe, regardless of their prior knowledge or seeking, thus gloriously realizing the prophetic yearning of God in Isaiah 65:1 for a people who did not know Him.