Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Isaiah 55:11
So shall my word be - All the truth which God reveals is as much adapted to produce an effect on the hard and sterile hearts of men as the rain is on the earth.It shall not return unto me void - It shall not return to me without accomplishing that which I intend.And it shall prosper - (See the note at Isaiah 52:13). This proves:1. That God has a design in giving his Word to people. He has as distinct an intention in his Word as he has in sending down rain upon the earth.2. That whatever is his... read more
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Isaiah 55:10
For as the rain cometh down - The meaning of this verse and the following is plain. This refers evidently, as the whole passage does, to the times which should succeed the coming of the Messiah. The hearts of people by nature are what the earth would be without the rains of heaven - barren and sterile. But God says that his truth shall certainly accomplish an effect similar to that produced by descending showers. The rain never descends in vain. It makes the earth fertile, beautiful, and... read more