ישעיהו, פרק נ״ה, פסוק ג׳

The divine call to humanity requires an active spiritual awakening, promising eternal life and an unbreakable connection rooted in ancient vows. The process begins with practical steps. A person must first pay close attention and listen to God's words [מלבי״ם, מצודת דוד]. This requires leaving one's current spiritual location and actively moving closer to God to learn His teachings [מצודת דוד, אבן עזרא]. True listening, however, goes beyond merely hearing sounds; it demands a deep, internal understanding and acceptance of the message [מלבי״ם].

The result of this spiritual closeness is true life for the soul. The primary approach among commentators is that this refers to spiritual or eternal life, though they differ on its exact nature. It can be understood as reviving a soul that is starved and thirsty for the living words of God [מלבי״ם], or as a deep vitality that sustains both the body and the soul together [צאינה וראינה]. Others look beyond this physical existence, explaining that this life refers to the soul's enduring survival after death, or to the future resurrection during the Messianic era for those who return to God [אבן עזרא, מצודת דוד].

Following this spiritual return, God promises to establish an everlasting covenant. This is a constant, unending bond of love, ensuring that He will never abandon His people [מצודת דוד, צאינה וראינה]. Rather than an entirely new agreement, it represents the continuous and complete fulfillment of the existing relationship [שד״ל].

This enduring bond is characterized by the faithful mercies shown to David, representing a promise that is entirely stable and constant [מצודת ציון, רד״ק]. There are three main ways to understand this connection to King David. The primary approach among commentators is to view it as a comparison: just as God swore to David that his royal dynasty would never end and that His kindness toward him would last forever, the covenant with the people will be equally strong, stable, and impossible to break [מצודת דוד, רד״ק, אבן עזרא, אהבת יהונתן, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Another perspective sees this as a clear reference to the Messianic era, where the Messiah, descending from David's line, will lead the people and serve as a teacher to the nations [רד״ק, אבן עזרא]. Finally, some explain that this ongoing promise is a direct reward to King David himself, with God assuring that He will repay David for his past deeds of kindness [רש״י, צאינה וראינה].