Isaiah 55:6
Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
Study Note
Study Note
The imperative 'seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near' introduces an element of urgency and temporal limitation that is rare in prophetic invitations. Rabbinic interpretation linked the 'near' season to the Days of Awe (Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur), shaping Jewish penitential practice. Christian exegetes from Augustine onward have read the verse as a warning against deferred conversion, emphasizing that grace has seasons. Paired with verse 7's call to forsake wicked ways, the verse creates an urgency structure that anticipates New Testament exhortations such as '2 Corinthians 6:2: now is the day of salvation.'
Other Translations
Seek ye Jehovah while he may be found; call ye upon him while he is near:
Seek ye Jehovah, while He is found, Call ye Him, while He is near,
Make search for the Lord while he is there, make prayer to him while he is near:
Cross References
For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is …
Nevertheless there are good things found in thee, in that thou hast taken away the groves out of the land, …
If thou wouldest seek unto God betimes, and make thy supplication to the Almighty;
And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I …
Thus saith the Lord, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I …
I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will …
I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of …
Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of …
And I will be found of you, saith the Lord: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will …
Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.