Isaiah 65:22

Old Testament Major Prophet ASV (1901)

What does Isaiah 65:22 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree shall be the days of my people, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree shall be the days of my people, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
Isaiah 65:22 — American Standard Version

Context — Isaiah 65

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
22They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree shall be the days of my people, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands.

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“They shall not build, and another inhabit, &c.] As the Canaanites did, whose houses the Israelites inhabited; but they shall inhabit the houses they have built, and shall not be dispossessed by an enemy: they shall not plant, and another eat; the fruit of the vines, olives, fig trees, or others, planted by them: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people; not as of a leaf which falls every year, but as of a tree, and as of such that last long, as oaks, cedars, and the like; though perhaps a tree bearing fruit fit to eat is meant; and the sense be, that the Lord’s people should live as long as the trees planted by them, and so should eat the fruit thereof, and not leave them to…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“They shall not experience the curse pronounced (Lev 26:16; Deu 28:30). tree--among the most long-lived of objects in nature. They shall live as long as the trees they "plant" (compare Isa 61:3, end of verse; Psa 92:12). enjoy--Hebrew, "consume," "wear out"; they shall live to enjoy the last of it (Isa 62:9).”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“They shall not build, and another inhabit - Every man shall enjoy the avails of his labor. For as the days I of a tree are the days of my people - That is, in that future time, such shall be the length of the lives of the people (see Isaiah 65:21). The Septuagint renders this, ‘The days of the tree of life.’ The Syriac, ‘As the days of trees.’ The Chaldee as the Septuagint. The idea is, that the lives of his people would be greatly prolonged (see the notes at Isaiah 65:20). A tree is among the most long-lived of material objects. The oak, the terebinth, the cypress, the cedar, the banyan, attain to a great age. Many trees also live to a much longer period than a thousand years. The Baobab…”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“for as: Isa 65:9, Isa 65:15; Gen 5:5, Gen 5:27; Lev 26:16; Psa 92:12-14; Rev 20:3-5 long enjoy: Heb. make them continue long, or, shall wear out Isaiah 65:23”
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Related study paths

Sources and verification