They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and my elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
for as
Isaiah 65:9,15 And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there…
Genesis 5:5,27 And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died…
Leviticus 26:16 I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.
long enjoy.
For as is the lifetime of a tree, so will be the days of My people,
Trees, particularly in the ancient Near East, symbolize longevity and endurance. The comparison to a tree suggests a life of stability, strength, and continuity for God's people. This imagery is consistent with other biblical references, such as Psalm 1:3, where the righteous are likened to a tree planted by streams of water. The promise of long life is a blessing that contrasts with the brevity and uncertainty of life under sin and judgment. It also hints at the eternal life promised through the New Covenant, fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who offers eternal life to His followers.
and My chosen ones will fully enjoy the work of their hands.
This assurance highlights a future where God's people will experience the fullness of their labor without fear of loss or exploitation. It reflects the original intent of creation, where humanity was to work and enjoy the fruits of the earth (Genesis 2:15). The term "chosen ones" underscores the special relationship between God and His people, reminiscent of the covenantal promises made to Abraham and his descendants. This phrase also connects to the eschatological hope found in Revelation 21:4, where God’s people will dwell in a new creation, free from pain and suffering, fully enjoying the blessings of their labor in the presence of God.
Isaiah looks forward to the day when God reverses the ancient curse of insecurity (cf. Deuteronomy 28:30, where disobedient Israel “will build a house but not live in it”). The prophet pictures redeemed Israel finally free from confiscation, invasion, or exile.
• Unlike the forced labor of Egypt (Exodus 1:11-14) or the deportations of Assyria and Babylon (2 Kings 17:6; 25:9-12), God’s restored people will reside in the very homes they construct.
• The promise echoes Amos 9:14: “They will rebuild ruined cities and live in them”.
• Christ’s millennial reign (Revelation 20:4-6) supplies the literal setting: earthly stability under Messiah’s righteous government (Isaiah 11:6-9; 32:18).
Agricultural toil will no longer enrich foreign occupiers (cf. Deuteronomy 28:33).
• Former experiences—Midianite raiders stealing harvests (Judges 6:3-6) or Babylonian overlords taxing the land (Jeremiah 52:29-30)—are forever banished.
• Instead, fulfillment mirrors Amos 9:15: “They will not again be uprooted.”
• The prophecy anticipates the Lord’s literal reign in which “the plowman will overtake the reaper” (Amos 9:13), picturing abundance reserved for covenant people.
A tree endures generation after generation; God promises comparable longevity.
• The language parallels Psalm 92:12-14, where the righteous “will flourish like a palm tree… still bearing fruit in old age.”
• It recalls the pre-Flood lifespans recorded in Genesis 5, hinting at Eden-like restoration (Isaiah 11:6-9).
• Revelation 20:1-6 describes a thousand-year kingdom in which extended life is normal (see Isaiah 65:20, immediately prior to our verse).
• Thus, believers may confidently expect literal, bodily vitality under Messiah’s rule.
God’s elect finally taste unspoiled satisfaction.
• Psalm 128:2 affirms, “You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours”.
• Ecclesiastes 3:13 calls such enjoyment “the gift of God,” here guaranteed without interruption.
• The phrase “fully enjoy” stresses permanence—no more sudden losses, disappointments, or enemy confiscations (Isaiah 62:8-9).
• In Christ’s kingdom, stewardship and delight unite: labor retains purpose while peace safeguards its rewards (Micah 4:4).
Isaiah 65:22 promises that in the coming literal kingdom under Messiah, God’s redeemed people will experience secure homes, protected harvests, unusual longevity, and unbroken joy in their labor. The verse overturns every prior curse of exile, exploitation, and premature death, assuring believers that the Lord will personally establish a stable, abundant, and enduring life for His chosen ones.
(22) As the days of a tree . . .--We may think of the cedars of Lebanon or the oaks of Bashan as furnishing the prophet with the ideal standard of longevity. Commonly, as by Homer and other poets, the lives of men have been compared to that of the leaves of deciduous trees; here they are compared to the life of the tree itself. The prophet is still speaking, not of national, but of individual life.Verse 22. - As the days of a tree are the days of my people. Trees endure for many hundreds, perhaps for thousands of years. The cedars of Lebanon, the oaks of Bashan, were known to have an antiquity of centuries. Isaiah may have had a knowledge of other trees to which attached the tradition of a yet longer existence. In our own day Brazil and California have furnished proofs of vegetable growths exceeding a millennium. Mine elect shall long enjoy; literally, shall wear out; i.e. have the full use and enjoyment of the work of their hands.