Isaiah 65:24

KJV

And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.

KJV (with Strong's)

And it shall come to pass, that before they call {H7121}, I will answer {H6030}; and while they are yet speaking {H1696}, I will hear {H8085}.

Complete Jewish Bible

Before they call, I will answer; while they are still speaking, I will hear.

Berean Standard Bible

Even before they call, I will answer, and while they are still speaking, I will hear.

American Standard Version

And it shall come to pass that, before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Isaiah 65:24 presents a profound promise of divine responsiveness and intimate communion, depicting a future era of restoration where God's people experience immediate and anticipatory answers to their prayers. This verse, situated within a broader prophetic vision of new heavens and a new earth, underscores God's deep knowledge of His people's needs and His proactive care, establishing a relationship of unparalleled closeness and trust.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Isaiah 65:24 is nestled within a powerful prophetic vision of restoration and new creation, following chapters that detail Israel's rebellion and God's impending judgment. Chapter 65 begins by contrasting the unfaithful who provoke God with a remnant who seek Him. It quickly transitions from divine indictment to a glorious depiction of God's redemptive plan for His chosen people, culminating in the promise of "new heavens and a new earth" in [Isaiah 65:17](/isaiah/65-17 "Isaiah 65:17 - New Heavens and New Earth"). The preceding verses (65:18-23) describe a transformed reality where sorrow is banished, life spans are extended, labor is fruitful, and peace pervades. Verse 24, therefore, serves as a capstone promise, highlighting the intimate and immediate nature of God's interaction with His restored people in this future, perfected era, where the very act of seeking God is met with instantaneous divine attention.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The book of Isaiah was written during a tumultuous period in Israel's history, spanning the Assyrian and Babylonian threats and the eventual exile. The prophecies in chapters 40-66, often referred to as Second and Third Isaiah, address the exilic and post-exilic communities, offering comfort, hope, and a vision of future restoration. The concept of God's people calling upon Him was central to their covenant relationship, often in times of distress or for guidance. However, the experience of exile and perceived divine silence could lead to despair. This promise in [Isaiah 65:24](/isaiah/65-24 "Isaiah 65:24 - God's Immediate Answer") directly counters such despair by portraying a future where the barriers to divine communication are removed, and God's attentiveness is absolute. Culturally, prayer was a communal and individual practice, often involving vocal supplication. The promise of God hearing "while they are yet speaking" would have been a radical assurance of divine proximity, far exceeding typical human responsiveness.
* **Key Themes:** This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes in Isaiah. Foremost is the theme of **Divine Faithfulness and Covenant Renewal**. Despite Israel's unfaithfulness, God remains committed to His promises of restoration, demonstrating His unwavering loyalty. Another key theme is **Eschatological Hope and New Creation**, as the verse paints a picture of an ideal future state, part of the "new heavens and new earth" where the relationship between God and humanity is perfected ([Isaiah 65:17-25](/isaiah/65 "Isaiah 65 - New Heavens and New Earth")). The **Intimacy of God's Presence** is also profoundly emphasized; God is not distant but actively involved, anticipating and responding to the deepest desires of His people. Finally, the theme of **Answered Prayer and Divine Responsiveness** is central, offering a radical vision of a time when communication with God is immediate and unhindered, a stark contrast to the perceived silence or delayed answers often experienced in their present reality, and a fulfillment of the longing expressed in passages like [Psalm 145:18](/psalms/145-18 "Psalm 145:18 - The Lord is Near to All Who Call").

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **Call (Hebrew, _qârâʼ'_):** This primitive root (H7121) means to call out to, address by name, invoke, or summon. It encompasses the act of prayer, crying out for help, or formally seeking divine intervention. The use of "before they call" emphasizes God's pre-emptive knowledge and action, indicating that He knows the need even before the vocalized request is fully formed.
* **Answer (Hebrew, _ʻânâh'_):** This primitive root (H6030) signifies to respond, reply, or give an account. It implies not just an auditory perception but an active, meaningful reply. In this context, it highlights God's immediate and effective response to the needs and prayers of His people, reinforcing the idea that His help is not delayed.
* **Hear (Hebrew, _shâmaʻ'_):** This primitive root (H8085) means to hear intelligently, often with the implication of attention, understanding, and willingness to obey or act. It's more than just perceiving sound; it's listening with intent and readiness to respond. The phrase "while they are yet speaking, I will hear" underscores the swiftness, completeness, and profound attentiveness of God, indicating that He comprehends and acts upon their request even as it is being articulated.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"And it shall come to pass,"**: This introductory phrase sets the stage for a future event, indicating a divine promise that will certainly be fulfilled. It points to a specific time or reality that God is bringing about.
* **"that before they call, I will answer;"**: This clause highlights God's omniscience and proactive care. It signifies that God knows the needs, desires, and prayers of His people even before they are articulated. His response is not merely quick; it is anticipatory, demonstrating a profound intimacy and foresight in His relationship with them.
* **"and while they are yet speaking, I will hear."**: This second clause reinforces the immediacy and completeness of God's attentiveness. It emphasizes that God's "hearing" is not a passive reception of sound but an active, understanding, and responsive engagement that occurs even in the midst of the prayer being uttered. It underscores the unhindered and direct access His people will have to Him in this future state.

#### Literary Devices
Isaiah 65:24 employs several powerful literary devices to convey its message of divine intimacy and responsiveness. **Hyperbole** is evident in the promise that God will answer "before they call" and hear "while they are yet speaking." While rooted in truth about God's omniscience, the phrasing exaggerates the immediacy to emphasize the absolute certainty and speed of His response, surpassing human expectation. This also functions as a form of **Anticipation**, building a vivid picture of a future reality where divine-human communication is radically transformed. Furthermore, the verse uses **Parallelism** in its two clauses: "before they call, I will answer" and "while they are yet speaking, I will hear." This synonymous parallelism reinforces the central idea of God's pre-emptive and immediate responsiveness, lending a poetic rhythm and emphasizing the certainty of the promise through repetition of meaning. The entire passage is steeped in **Prophecy**, offering a future-oriented vision of God's ultimate restoration and the perfected relationship He will have with His people.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Isaiah 65:24 offers a profound theological insight into the nature of God's relationship with His people, especially in the context of the new creation. It reveals a God who is not only omniscient, knowing our needs before we voice them, but also supremely attentive and proactive in His love. This promise transcends a mere guarantee of answered prayer; it speaks to a perfected communion where the very act of seeking God is met with immediate, understanding, and effective divine engagement. It underscores the theme of God's ultimate desire for unhindered fellowship with humanity, a relationship characterized by complete trust and divine benevolence, where the perceived distance or delay in God's response is entirely removed. This vision of divine immediacy serves as a powerful encouragement, assuring believers of God's profound care and intimate involvement in their lives, even now.

* [Psalm 139:4](/psalms/139-4 "Psalm 139:4 - God Knows Our Words")
* [Matthew 6:8](/matthew/6-8 "Matthew 6:8 - Your Father Knows What You Need")
* [Jeremiah 33:3](/jeremiah/33-3 "Jeremiah 33:3 - Call to Me and I Will Answer")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Isaiah 65:24, while pointing to an eschatological reality, offers profound comfort and practical application for believers today. It reminds us that our God is not distant or indifferent but intimately acquainted with our deepest needs and desires. This promise should cultivate a spirit of confident prayer, knowing that we are approaching a Father who not only listens but anticipates our cries. It challenges us to trust in His perfect timing and wisdom, even when answers are not immediate in our present experience, for His ultimate plan is one of perfect communion. This verse encourages us to live in hopeful anticipation of the day when our fellowship with God will be unhindered, motivating us to draw closer to Him now, knowing His heart is always inclined towards us. It fosters a deeper sense of security and peace, understanding that our sovereign God is actively involved in our lives, always ready to respond with love and provision.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How does the promise of God answering "before they call" impact your understanding of His omniscience and care?**
* **In what ways might believing God hears "while you are yet speaking" transform your approach to prayer?**
* **How does this verse shape your hope for future communion with God in the new heavens and new earth?**
* **What practical steps can you take to cultivate a deeper trust in God's immediate and anticipatory responsiveness in your daily life?**

### FAQ
**Does Isaiah 65:24 mean God will always give me exactly what I ask for immediately?**

Answer: While Isaiah 65:24 powerfully illustrates God's profound attentiveness and pre-emptive knowledge, it is primarily an eschatological promise describing a perfected relationship in the new heavens and new earth. In our present fallen world, God's answers to prayer are always perfect, but not always immediate or precisely what we expect, as His wisdom and timing often differ from ours. This verse assures us of His *attentiveness* and *readiness to act* on our behalf, knowing our needs even before we articulate them, rather than guaranteeing instant gratification of every desire. It points to the ultimate fulfillment of a prayer life unhindered by sin and doubt, where communion with God is seamless and immediate, a reality we anticipate and strive for now, trusting in His good and sovereign will ([Romans 8:28](/romans/8-28 "Romans 8:28 - All Things Work for Good")).

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Isaiah 65:24 finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus, who perfectly embodies God's intimate knowledge and responsive love for humanity. In Christ, the barriers to communion with God, caused by sin, are removed, granting believers direct access to the Father. Jesus Himself taught His disciples not to babble in prayer, for "your Father knows what you need before you ask him" ([Matthew 6:8](/matthew/6-8 "Matthew 6:8 - God Knows Your Needs")), directly echoing the sentiment of Isaiah 65:24. Furthermore, the Holy Spirit, sent by Christ, intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words, ensuring that our true needs and the will of God align, even when we don't know how or what to pray for ([Romans 8:26-27](/romans/8-26 "Romans 8:26-27 - The Spirit Intercedes for Us")). Christ's perfect sacrifice and ongoing intercession at the right hand of God mean that we can "approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need" ([Hebrews 4:16](/hebrews/4-16 "Hebrews 4:16 - Approach the Throne of Grace")). Thus, the promise of God's immediate and anticipatory responsiveness, envisioned by Isaiah, is inaugurated in the New Covenant through Christ, who is our High Priest, perfectly understanding our weaknesses and ever ready to hear and answer our prayers according to the Father's will, leading us toward the full realization of that seamless communion in the new heavens and new earth.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Daniel 10:12

Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.

1 John 5:14

¶ And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

1 John 5:15

And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

Isaiah 58:9

Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I [am]. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;

Mark 11:24

Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive [them], and ye shall have [them].

Psalms 91:15

He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I [will be] with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.

Psalms 50:15

And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.