John Calvin Commentary Isaiah 55:5

"Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not; and a nation that knew not thee shall run unto thee, because of Jehovah thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee." — Isaiah 55:5 (ASV)

Behold, you shall call a nation which you do not know. Isaiah explains more fully what he previously alluded to with a single word; for he declares that Christ shall be the “leader,” not of a single people, but of all the peoples. “To call” here denotes possession, for there is a mutual relation between the words “call” and “answer.” Christ therefore “calls” in the exercise of authority, as one who is invested with supreme power; and he “calls” the Gentiles, so that he may bring them into a state of obedience and cause them to submit to his word.

He says that they will be ready to obey, though previously they were unknown; not that the Son of God, by whom they were created, did not know them, but because he paid no regard to them until they began to be counted as belonging to the Church. God had in a special manner called the Jews; the Gentiles appeared to be excluded, as if they did not belong to him at all. But now, addressing Christ, he promises that Christ will constrain the Gentiles to obey him, though previously they were opposed to his authority. He expresses this even more plainly in what immediately follows.

A nation that did not know you shall run to you. By using the plural form of the verb ירוצו (yarutzu), which translates as shall run, he intends to explain more fully that the Church will be gathered from various peoples, so that those who were previously scattered will be gathered into one body; for the word “run” relates to harmony of faith.

Now, when he says that the Gentiles “did not know Christ,” he employs the expression in a different sense from that in which he said, a little earlier, that they were unknown to Christ. For all pagans and unbelievers are declared, in a literal sense, to be in a state of ignorance, as a consequence of their lacking the light of heavenly doctrine, without which they cannot have the knowledge of God.

Although by nature the knowledge of God is engraved on the hearts of all people, yet it is so confused and dark, and entangled with many errors, that if the light of the word is not added to it, by their knowing they do not know God, but wander miserably in darkness.

Here we have a remarkable testimony from God regarding the calling of the Gentiles, for whom, as well as for the Jews, Christ was appointed. From this we also learn that God takes care of us if we bow to his authority, and not only such care as he takes of all the creatures, but such care as a father takes of his children.

Yet the word “run” describes more fully the efficacy of this calling, for its object is that we will obey God, that we will readily and cheerfully place ourselves before him as teachable and ready to comply with any expression of his will; just as Paul shows that obedience is the end of our calling (Romans 1:5; Romans 16:26). But as the Gentiles were at a great distance from God, it was necessary for them to labor earnestly to surmount every obstacle, so that they might draw near to him.

For the sake of Jehovah your God. He shows what is the source of this readiness and cheerfulness. It is because the Gentiles will know that they have to do with God; for if we contemplate Christ merely as a man, we will not be powerfully affected by his doctrine, but when we behold God in him, an astonishing warmth of affection is kindled in our hearts.

Now, Christ is here described as a minister appointed by God to perform his work, for he assumes the character of a servant along with our flesh, and in this respect there is no impropriety in his being subjected to the Father, as if he belonged to the rank of other men.

Yet we ought to keep in remembrance what we have frequently seen regarding the union of the Head and the members; for what is now said concerning Christ relates to the whole body, and therefore the glorifying is common to the whole Church. Yet Christ always holds the highest rank; for, being raised on high, he is exalted above the whole world, so that to him there may be a gathering of all nations.

In short, he shows that people obey Christ and submit to his doctrine because God has exalted him and has determined to make his preeminence known to all people; for otherwise the preaching of the gospel would be of little use if God did not give power and efficacy to his doctrine by the Spirit.