1 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.
2 For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.
3 And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.
4 Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side.
5 Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee.
6 The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the LORD.
7 All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory.
8 Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows?
9 Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the LORD thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee.
10 And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favour have I had mercy on thee.
11 Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought.
12 For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted.
13 The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary; and I will make the place of my feet glorious.
14 The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee; The city of the LORD, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
15 Whereas thou has been forsaken and hated, so that no man went through thee, I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations.
16 Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of kings: and thou shalt know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.
17 For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron: I will also make thy officers peace, and thine exactors righteousness.
18 Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise.
19 The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory.
20 Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the LORD shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.
21 Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified.
22 A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the LORD will hasten it in his time.
1 Arise, H6965 shine; H215 for thy light H216 is come, H935 and the glory H3519 of the LORD H3068 is risen H2224 upon thee.
2 For, behold, the darkness H2822 shall cover H3680 the earth, H776 and gross darkness H6205 the people: H3816 but the LORD H3068 shall arise H2224 upon thee, and his glory H3519 shall be seen H7200 upon thee.
3 And the Gentiles H1471 shall come H1980 to thy light, H216 and kings H4428 to the brightness H5051 of thy rising. H2225
4 Lift up H5375 thine eyes H5869 round about, H5439 and see: H7200 all they gather themselves together, H6908 they come H935 to thee: thy sons H1121 shall come H935 from far, H7350 and thy daughters H1323 shall be nursed H539 at thy side. H6654
5 Then thou shalt see, H7200 H3372 and flow together, H5102 and thine heart H3824 shall fear, H6342 and be enlarged; H7337 because the abundance H1995 of the sea H3220 shall be converted H2015 unto thee, the forces H2428 of the Gentiles H1471 shall come H935 unto thee.
6 The multitude H8229 of camels H1581 shall cover H3680 thee, the dromedaries H1070 of Midian H4080 and Ephah; H5891 all they from Sheba H7614 shall come: H935 they shall bring H5375 gold H2091 and incense; H3828 and they shall shew forth H1319 the praises H8416 of the LORD. H3068
7 All the flocks H6629 of Kedar H6938 shall be gathered together H6908 unto thee, the rams H352 of Nebaioth H5032 shall minister H8334 unto thee: they shall come up H5927 with acceptance H7522 on mine altar, H4196 and I will glorify H6286 the house H1004 of my glory. H8597
8 Who are these that fly H5774 as a cloud, H5645 and as the doves H3123 to their windows? H699
9 Surely the isles H339 shall wait H6960 for me, and the ships H591 of Tarshish H8659 first, H7223 to bring H935 thy sons H1121 from far, H7350 their silver H3701 and their gold H2091 with them, unto the name H8034 of the LORD H3068 thy God, H430 and to the Holy One H6918 of Israel, H3478 because he hath glorified H6286 thee.
10 And the sons H1121 of strangers H5236 shall build up H1129 thy walls, H2346 and their kings H4428 shall minister H8334 unto thee: for in my wrath H7110 I smote H5221 thee, but in my favour H7522 have I had mercy H7355 on thee.
11 Therefore thy gates H8179 shall be open H6605 continually; H8548 they shall not be shut H5462 day H3119 nor night; H3915 that men may bring H935 unto thee the forces H2428 of the Gentiles, H1471 and that their kings H4428 may be brought. H5090
12 For the nation H1471 and kingdom H4467 that will not serve H5647 thee shall perish; H6 yea, those nations H1471 shall be utterly H2717 wasted. H2717
13 The glory H3519 of Lebanon H3844 shall come H935 unto thee, the fir tree, H1265 the pine tree, H8410 and the box H8391 together, H3162 to beautify H6286 the place H4725 of my sanctuary; H4720 and I will make the place H4725 of my feet H7272 glorious. H3513
14 The sons H1121 also of them that afflicted H6031 thee shall come H1980 bending H7817 unto thee; and all they that despised H5006 thee shall bow themselves down H7812 at the soles H3709 of thy feet; H7272 and they shall call H7121 thee, The city H5892 of the LORD, H3068 The Zion H6726 of the Holy One H6918 of Israel. H3478
15 Whereas H8478 thou hast been forsaken H5800 and hated, H8130 so that no man went through H5674 thee, I will make H7760 thee an eternal H5769 excellency, H1347 a joy H4885 of many H1755 generations. H1755
16 Thou shalt also suck H3243 the milk H2461 of the Gentiles, H1471 and shalt suck H3243 the breast H7699 of kings: H4428 and thou shalt know H3045 that I the LORD H3068 am thy Saviour H3467 and thy Redeemer, H1350 the mighty One H46 of Jacob. H3290
17 For brass H5178 I will bring H935 gold, H2091 and for iron H1270 I will bring H935 silver, H3701 and for wood H6086 brass, H5178 and for stones H68 iron: H1270 I will also make H7760 thy officers H6486 peace, H7965 and thine exactors H5065 righteousness. H6666
18 Violence H2555 shall no more be heard H8085 in thy land, H776 wasting H7701 nor destruction H7667 within thy borders; H1366 but thou shalt call H7121 thy walls H2346 Salvation, H3444 and thy gates H8179 Praise. H8416
19 The sun H8121 shall be no more thy light H216 by day; H3119 neither for brightness H5051 shall the moon H3394 give light H216 unto thee: but the LORD H3068 shall be unto thee an everlasting H5769 light, H215 and thy God H430 thy glory. H8597
20 Thy sun H8121 shall no more go down; H935 neither shall thy moon H3391 withdraw H622 itself: for the LORD H3068 shall be thine everlasting H5769 light, H216 and the days H3117 of thy mourning H60 shall be ended. H7999
21 Thy people H5971 also shall be all righteous: H6662 they shall inherit H3423 the land H776 for ever, H5769 the branch H5342 of my planting, H4302 the work H4639 of my hands, H3027 that I may be glorified. H6286
22 A little one H6996 shall become a thousand, H505 and a small one H6810 a strong H6099 nation: H1471 I the LORD H3068 will hasten H2363 it in his time. H6256
1 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of Jehovah is risen upon thee.
2 For, behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the peoples; but Jehovah will arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.
3 And nations shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.
4 Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: they all gather themselves together, they come to thee; thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be carried in the arms.
5 Then thou shalt see and be radiant, and thy heart shall thrill and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be turned unto thee, the wealth of the nations shall come unto thee.
6 The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come; they shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praises of Jehovah.
7 All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee; they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar; and I will glorify the house of my glory.
8 Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows?
9 Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, for the name of Jehovah thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee.
10 And foreigners shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favor have I had mercy on thee.
11 Thy gates also shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the wealth of the nations, and their kings led captive.
12 For that nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted.
13 The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir-tree, the pine, and the box-tree together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary; and I will make the place of my feet glorious.
14 And the sons of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee The city of Jehovah, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
15 Whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated, so that no man passed through thee, I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations.
16 Thou shalt also suck the milk of the nations, and shalt suck the breast of kings; and thou shalt know that I, Jehovah, am thy Saviour, and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.
17 For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron. I will also make thy officers peace, and thine exactors righteousness.
18 Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, desolation nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise.
19 The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but Jehovah will be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory.
20 Thy sun shall no more go down, neither shall thy moon withdraw itself; for Jehovah will be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.
21 Thy people also shall be all righteous; they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified.
22 The little one shall become a thousand, and the small one a strong nation; I, Jehovah, will hasten it in its time.
1 Arise, be bright, for come hath thy light, And the honour of Jehovah hath risen on thee.
2 For, lo, the darkness doth cover the earth, And thick darkness the peoples, And on thee rise doth Jehovah, And His honour on thee is seen.
3 And come have nations to thy light, And kings to the brightness of thy rising.
4 Lift up round about thine eyes and see, All of them have been gathered, they have come to thee, Thy sons from afar do come, And thy daughters on the side are supported.
5 Then thou seest, and hast become bright, And thine heart hath been afraid and enlarged, For turn unto thee doth the multitude of the sea, The forces of nations do come to thee.
6 A company of camels covereth thee, Dromedaries of Midian and Ephah, All of them from Sheba do come, Gold and frankincense they bear, And of the praises of Jehovah they proclaim the tidings.
7 All the flock of Kedar are gathered to thee, The rams of Nebaioth do serve thee, They ascend for acceptance Mine altar, And the house of My beauty I beautify.
8 Who `are' these -- as a thick cloud they fly, And as doves unto their windows?
9 Surely for Me isles do wait, And ships of Tarshish first, To bring thy sons from afar, Their silver and their gold with them, To the name of Jehovah thy God, And to the Holy One of Israel, Because He hath beautified thee.
10 And sons of a stranger have built thy walls, And their kings do serve thee, For in My wrath I have smitten thee, And in My good pleasure I have pitied thee.
11 And opened have thy gates continually, By day and by night they are not shut, To bring unto thee the force of nations, Even their kings are led.
12 For the nation and the kingdom that do not serve thee perish, Yea, the nations are utterly wasted.
13 The honour of Lebanon unto thee doth come, Fir, pine, and box together, To beautify the place of My sanctuary, And the place of My feet I make honourable.
14 And come unto thee, bowing down, Have sons of those afflicting thee, And bowed themselves to the soles of thy feet Have all despising thee, And they have cried to thee: `City of Jehovah, Zion of the Holy One of Israel.'
15 Instead of thy being forsaken and hated, And none passing through, I have made thee for an excellency age-during, A joy of generation and generation.
16 And thou hast sucked the milk of nations, Yea, the breast of kings thou suckest, And thou hast known that I, Jehovah, Thy Saviour, and Thy Redeemer, `Am' the Mighty One of Jacob.
17 Instead of the brass I bring in gold, And instead of the iron I bring in silver, And instead of the wood brass, And instead of the stone iron, And I have made thy inspection peace, And thy exactors righteousness.
18 Violence is not heard any more in thy land, Spoiling and destruction in thy borders, And thou hast called `Salvation' thy walls, And thy gates, `Praise.'
19 To thee no more is the sun for a light by day, And for brightness the moon giveth not light to thee, And Jehovah hath become to thee A light age-during, and thy God thy beauty.
20 Thy sun goeth no more in, And thy moon is not removed, For Jehovah becometh to thee a light age-during. And the days of thy mourning have been completed.
21 And thy people `are' all of them righteous, To the age they possess the earth, A branch of My planting, A work of My hands, to be beautified.
22 The little one doth become a chief, And the small one a mighty nation, I, Jehovah, in its own time do hasten it!
1 Arise, shine! for thy light is come, and the glory of Jehovah is risen upon thee.
2 For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the peoples; but Jehovah will arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen on thee.
3 And the nations shall walk by thy light, and kings by the brightness of thy rising.
4 Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons come from afar, and thy daughters are carried upon the side.
5 Then thou shalt see, and shalt be brightened, and thy heart shall throb, and be enlarged; for the abundance of the sea shall be turned unto thee, the wealth of the nations shall come unto thee.
6 A multitude of camels shall cover thee, young camels of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall publish the praises of Jehovah.
7 All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall serve thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will beautify the house of my magnificence.
8 Who are these that come flying as a cloud, and as doves to their dove-cotes?
9 For the isles shall await me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from afar, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of Jehovah thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, for he hath glorified thee.
10 And the sons of the alien shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee. For in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favour have I had mercy on thee.
11 And thy gates shall stand open continually: (they shall not be shut day nor night,) that the wealth of the nations may be brought unto thee, and that their kings may be led [to thee].
12 For the nation and the kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; and those nations shall be utterly wasted.
13 The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the cypress, pine, and box-tree together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary; and I will make the place of my feet glorious.
14 And the children of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee The city of Jehovah, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
15 Instead of thy being forsaken and hated, so that no one went through [thee], I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy from generation to generation.
16 And thou shalt suck the milk of the nations, and shalt suck the breast of kings; and thou shalt know that I, Jehovah, [am] thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.
17 For bronze I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood bronze, and for stones iron; and I will make thine officers peace, and thy rulers righteousness.
18 Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise.
19 The sun shall be no more thy light by day, neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee; but Jehovah shall be thine everlasting light, and thy God thy glory.
20 Thy sun shall no more go down, neither shall thy moon withdraw itself; for Jehovah shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.
21 Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall possess the land for ever -- the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified.
22 The little one shall become a thousand, and the smallest a mighty nation: I, Jehovah, will hasten it in its time.
1 Arise, shine; for your light is come, and the glory of Yahweh is risen on you.
2 For, behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the peoples; but Yahweh will arise on you, and his glory shall be seen on you.
3 Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.
4 Lift up your eyes round about, and see: they all gather themselves together, they come to you; your sons shall come from far, and your daughters shall be carried in the arms.
5 Then you shall see and be radiant, and your heart shall thrill and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you.
6 The multitude of camels shall cover you, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come; they shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praises of Yahweh.
7 All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together to you, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister to you; they shall come up with acceptance on my altar; and I will glorify the house of my glory.
8 Who are these who fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows?
9 Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring your sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, for the name of Yahweh your God, and for the Holy One of Israel, because he has glorified you.
10 Foreigners shall build up your walls, and their kings shall minister to you: for in my wrath I struck you, but in my favor have I had mercy on you.
11 Your gates also shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring to you the wealth of the nations, and their kings led captive.
12 For that nation and kingdom that will not serve you shall perish; yes, those nations shall be utterly wasted.
13 The glory of Lebanon shall come to you, the fir tree, the pine, and the box tree together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary; and I will make the place of my feet glorious.
14 The sons of those who afflicted you shall come bending to you; and all those who despised you shall bow themselves down at the soles of your feet; and they shall call you The city of Yahweh, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
15 Whereas you have been forsaken and hated, so that no man passed through you, I will make you an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations.
16 You shall also suck the milk of the nations, and shall suck the breast of kings; and you shall know that I, Yahweh, am your Savior, and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.
17 For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron. I will also make your officers peace, and righteousness your ruler.
18 Violence shall no more be heard in your land, desolation nor destruction within your borders; but you shall call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise.
19 The sun shall be no more your light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light to you: but Yahweh will be to you an everlasting light, and your God your glory.
20 Your sun shall no more go down, neither shall your moon withdraw itself; for Yahweh will be your everlasting light, and the days of your mourning shall be ended.
21 Your people also shall be all righteous; they shall inherit the land forever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified.
22 The little one shall become a thousand, and the small one a strong nation; I, Yahweh, will hasten it in its time.
1 Up! let your face be bright, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord is shining on you.
2 For truly, the earth will be dark, and the peoples veiled in blackest night; but the Lord will be shining on you, and his glory will be seen among you.
3 And nations will come to your light, and kings to your bright dawn.
4 Let your eyes be lifted up, and see: they are all coming together to you: your sons will come from far, and your daughters taken with loving care.
5 Then you will see, and be bright with joy, and your heart will be shaking with increase of delight: for the produce of the sea will be turned to you, the wealth of the nations will come to you.
6 You will be full of camel-trains, even the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all from Sheba will come, with gold and spices, giving word of the great acts of the Lord.
7 All the flocks of Kedar will come together to you, the sheep of Nebaioth will be ready for your need; they will be pleasing offerings on my altar, and my house of prayer will be beautiful.
8 Who are these coming like a cloud, like a flight of doves to their windows?
9 Vessels of the sea-lands are waiting for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, so that your sons may come from far, and their silver and gold with them, to the place of the name of the Lord your God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he has made you beautiful.
10 And men from strange countries will be building up your walls, and their kings will be your servants: for in my wrath I sent punishment on you, but in my grace I have had mercy on you.
11 Your doors will be open at all times; they will not be shut day or night; so that men may come into you with the wealth of the nations, with their kings at their head.
12 For the nation or kingdom which will not be your servant will come to destruction; such nations will be completely waste.
13 The glory of Lebanon will come to you, the cypress, the plane, and the sherbin-tree together, to make my holy place beautiful; and the resting-place of my feet will be full of glory.
14 And the sons of those who were cruel to you will come before you with bent heads; and those who made sport of you will go down on their faces at your feet; and you will be named, The Town of the Lord, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
15 And though you were turned away from, and hated, and had no helper, I will make you a pride for ever, a joy from generation to generation.
16 And you will take the milk of the nations, flowing from the breast of kings; and you will see that I, the Lord, am your saviour, and he who takes up your cause, the Strong One of Jacob.
17 In place of brass, I will give gold, and for iron silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron: and I will make Peace your judge, and Righteousness your overseer.
18 Violent acts will no longer be seen in your land, wasting or destruction in your limits; but your walls will be named, Salvation, and your doors Praise.
19 The sun will not be your light by day, and the moon will no longer be bright for you by night: but the Lord will be to you an eternal light, and your God your glory.
20 Your sun will never again go down, or your moon keep back her light: for the Lord will be your eternal light, and the days of your sorrow will be ended.
21 Your people will all be upright, the land will be their heritage for ever; the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, to be for my glory.
22 The smallest of their families will become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I, the Lord, will make it come quickly in its time.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on Isaiah 60
Commentary on Isaiah 60 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
It is still night. The inward and outward condition of the church is night; and if it is night followed by a morning, it is so only for those who “against hope believe in hope.” The reality which strikes the senses is the night of sin, of punishment, of suffering, and of mourning - a long night of nearly seventy years. In this night, the prophet, according to the command of God, has bee prophesying of the coming light. In his inward penetration of the substance of his own preaching, he has come close to the time when faith is to be turned to sight. And now in the strength of God, who has made him the mouthpiece of His own creative fiat, he exclaims to the church, Isaiah 60:1 : “Arise, grow light; for thy light cometh, and the glory of Jehovah riseth upon thee.” The appeal so addressed to Zion-Jerusalem, which is regarded (as in Isaiah 49:18; Isaiah 50:1; Isaiah 52:1-2; Isaiah 54:1) as a woman, and indeed as the mother of Israel. Here, however, it is regarded as the church redeemed from banishment, and settled once more in the holy city and the holy land, the church of salvation, which is now about to become the church of glory. Zion lies prostrate on the ground, smitten down by the judgment of God, brought down to the ground by inward prostration, and partly overcome by the sleep of self-security. She now hears the cry, “Arise” ( qūmı̄ ). This is not a mere admonition, but a word of power which puts new life into her limbs, so that she is able to rise from the ground, on which she has lain, as it were, under the ban. The night, which has brought her to the ground mourning, and faint, and intoxicated with sleep, is now at an end. The mighty word qūmı̄ , “arise,” is supplemented by a second word: 'ōrı̄ . What creative force there is in these two trochees , qūmı̄ 'ōrı̄ , which hold on, as it were, till what they express is accomplished; and what force of consolation in the two iambi , ki - bhâ 'ōrēkh , which affix, as it were, to the acts of Zion the seal of the divine act, and add to the ἄρσις (or elevation) its θέσις (or foundation)! Zion is to become light; it is to, because it can. But it cannot of itself, for in itself it has no light, because it has so absolutely given itself up to sin; but there is a light which will communicate itself to her, viz., the light which radiates from the holy nature of God Himself. And this light is salvation, because the Holy One loves Zion: it is also glory, because it not only dispels the darkness, but sets itself, all glorious as it is, in the place of the darkness. Zârach is the word commonly applied to the rising of the sun (Malachi 4:2). The sun of suns is Jehovah (Psalms 84:12), the God who is coming (Isaiah 59:20).
It is now all darkness over mankind; but Zion is the east, in which this sun of suns will rise. Isaiah 60:2 “For, behold, the darkness covereth the earth, and deep darkness the nations; and Jehovah riseth over thee, and His glory becomes visible over thee.” The night which settles upon the world of nations is not to be understood as meaning a night of ignorance and enmity against God. This prophecy no doubt stands in progressive connection with the previous one; but, according to Isaiah 59:19, the manifestation of judgment, through which Zion is redeemed, brings even the heathen from west to east, i.e., those who survive the judgment, to the fear of Jehovah. The idea is rather the following: After the judgments of God have passed, darkness in its greatest depth still covers the earth, and a night of clouds the nations. It is still night as on the first day, but a night which is to give place to light. Where, then, will the sun rise, by which this darkness is to be lighted up? The answer is, “Over Zion, the redeemed church of Israel.” But whilst darkness still covers the nations, it is getting light in the Holy Land, for a sun is rising over Zion, viz., Jehovah in His unveiled glory. The consequence of this is, that Zion itself becomes thoroughly light, and that not for itself only, but for all mankind. When Jehovah has transformed Zion into the likeness of His own glory, Zion transforms all nations into the likeness of her own. Isaiah 60:3 “And nations walk to thy light, and kings to the shining of thy rays.” Zion exerts such an attractive force, that nations move towards her light ( ל הל ך as in לביתו ni sa הל ך and other similar expressions), and kings to the splendour of her rays, to share in them for themselves, and enjoy them with her. All earthly might and majesty station themselves in the light of the divine glory, which is reflected by the church.
Zion is now exhorted, as in Isaiah 49:18, to lift up her eyes, and turn them in all directions; for she is the object sought by an approaching multitude. “Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: they all crowd together, they come to thee: thy sons come from afar, and thy daughters are carried hither upon arms.” The multitude that are crowding together and coming near are the diaspora of her sons and daughters that have been scattered far away (Isaiah 11:12), and whom the heathen that are now drawing near to her bring with them, conducting them and carrying them, so that they cling “to the side” (Isaiah 66:12) of those who are carrying them upon their arms and shoulders (Isaiah 49:22). תּאמנה is softened from תאמנּה , the pausal form for אתמנה (compare the softening in Ruth 1:13), from אמן , to keep, fasten, support; whence אמן , אמנת , a foster-father, a nurse who has a child in safe keeping.
When this takes place, Zion will be seized with the greatest delight, mingled with some trembling. “Then wilt thou see and shine, and thine heart will tremble and expand; for the abundance of the sea will be turned to thee, the wealth of the nations cometh to thee.” It is a disputed question whether the proper reading is תּראי , תּראי , or תּיראי - all three point to יר ) - or תּראי , from ראה . The last is favoured by the lxx, Targ., Syr., Jerome, Saad., and all the earlier Jewish commentators except AE, and is also the Masoretic reading; for the Masora finalis (f. 1, col. 6) observes that this רתאי is the only instance of such a form from ראה (differing therefore from תיראי in Zephaniah 3:15, where we also find the readings תיראי and תראי ); and there is a note in the margin of the Masora, חטף לית , to the effect that this תראי is the only one with c hateph , i.e., Sheva . Moreover, תּראי (thou shalt see) is the more natural reading, according to Isaiah 66:14 and Zechariah 10:7; more especially as ירא is not a suitable word to use (like pâchad and râgaz in Jeremiah 33:9) in the sense of trembling for joy (compare, on the contrary, ירע , Isaiah 15:4, and רהה in Isaiah 44:8). The true rendering therefore is, “Then wilt thou see and shine,” i.e., when thou seest this thou wilt thine, thy face will light up with joy; nâhar as in Psalms 34:6. Luther render it, “Then wilt thou see thy desire, and break out,” viz., into shouting; Jerome, on the contrary, has, “Thou wilt overflow, i.e., thou wilt be inundated with waters coming suddenly like rivers.”
The impression produced by this revolution is so overpowering, that Zion's heart trembles; yet at the same time it is so elevating, that the straitened heart expands ( ורחב , a figure quite unknown to the classical languages, although they have angor and angustia ; the lxx renders it καὶ ἐκστήση , after the reading ורהב in Chayug, and Isaac Nathan in his Concordance , entitled נתיב מיר ): for hămōn yâm , i.e., everything of value that is possessed by islands and coast lands ( hâmōm , groaning, a groaning multitude, more especially of possessions, Psalms 37:16, etc.), is brought to her; and c hēl gōyim , the property, i.e., (looking at the plural of the predicate which follows; cf., Haggai 2:7) the riches (gold, silver, etc., Zechariah 14:14) of the heathen, are brought into her, that she may dispose of them to the glory of her God.
The nations engaged in commerce, and those possessing cattle, vie with one another in enriching the church. “A swarm of camels will cover thee, the foals of Midian and Ephah: they come all together from Saba; they bring gold and incense, and they joyfully make known the praises of Jehovah. All the flocks, of Kedar gather together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth will serve thee: they will come up with acceptance upon mine altar, and I will adorn the house of my adorning.” The trading nations bring their wares to the church. The tribe of Midian , which sprang from Abraham and Keturah (Genesis 25:2), and of which Ephah (Targ. Hōlâd , the Hutheilites?) formed one of the several branches (Genesis 25:4), had its seat on the eastern coast of the Elanitic Gulf, which is still indicated by the town of Madyan , situated, according to the geographers of Arabia, five days' journey to the south of Aila. These come in such long and numerous caravans, that all the country round Jerusalem swarms with camels. שׁפעת as in Job 22:11; and בּכרי (parallel to גּמלּים ) from בּכר = Arabic bakr or bikr , a young male camel, or generally a camel's foal (up to the age of not more than nine years; see Lane's Lexicon , i. 240). All of these, both Midianites and Ephaeans, come out of Sheba, which Strabo (xvi. 4, 10) describes as “the highly blessed land of the Sabaeans, in which myrrh, frankincense, and cinnamon grow.” There, viz., in Yemen,
(Note: Seba ( סבא , Isaiah 43:3; Isaiah 45:14) is Meroe generally, or (according to Strabo and Steph. Byz.) more especially a port in northern Ethiopia; Sheba ( שׁבא ), the principal tribe of southern Arabia, more especially its capital Marib ( Mariaba ), which, according to an Arabian legend, contained the palace of Bilkis, the שׁבא מלכּת (see Exc. iv. in Krüger's Feldzug von Aelius Gallus , 1862). It is true that the following passage of Strabo (xvi. 14, 21) is apparently at variance with the opinion that the seat of the Sabaeans was in southern Arabia. “First of all,” he says, “above Syria, Arabia Felix is inhabited by the Nabataeans and Sabaeans, who frequently marched through the former before it belonged to the Romans.” But as, according to every other account given by Strabo, the Sabaeans had their home in Arabia Felix, and the Nabataeans at the northern extremity of the Red Sea, in Arabia Petraea , all that this passage can imply is, that at that part of Arabia which stretches towards the Syrian boundary, the expeditions of the Sabaeans came upon the Nabataeans.))
where spices, jewels, and gold abound, they have purchased gold and frankincense, and these valuable gifts they now bring to Jerusalem, not as unwilling tribute, but with the joyful proclamation of the glorious deeds and attributes of Jehovah, the God of Israel.
And not only do the trading nations come, but the nomad tribes also: viz., Kedar , the Kedarenes, with their bows (Isaiah 21:17), who lived in the desert, between Babylonia and Syria, in חצרים (Isaiah 42:11), i.e., fixed settlements; and Nebaitoh , also in Ishmaelitish tribe (according to the incontrovertible account of Genesis 25:13), a nomad tribe, which was still of no note even in the time of the kings of Israel, but which rose into a highly cultivated nation in the centuries just before Christ, and had a kingdom extending from the Elanitic Gulf to the land on the east of the Jordan, and across Belka as far as Hauran; for the monuments reach from Egypt to Babylonia, though Arabia Petraea is the place where they chiefly abound.
(Note: Quatremère rejects the identity of the Nabataeans and the Ishmaelitish Nebaioth ; but it has been justly defended by Winer, Kless, Knobel, and Krehl ( Religion der vorisl. Araber , p. 51).)
The Kedarenes drive their collected flocks to Jerusalem, and the rams ( אילי , arietes , not principes ) of the Nabataeans, being brought by them, are at the service of the church ( ישׁרתוּנ ך a verbal form with a toneless contracted suffix, as in Isaiah 47:10), and ascend על־רצון , according to good pleasure = acceptably (with the על used to form adverbs, Ewald, §217, i; cf., l e râtsōn in Isaiah 66:7), the altar of Jehovah ( âlâh with the local object in the accusative, as in Genesis 49:4; Numbers 13:17). The meaning is, that Jehovah will graciously accept the sacrifices which the church offers from the gifts of the Nabataeans (and Kedarenes) upon His altar. It would be quite wrong to follow Antistes Hess and Baumgarten, and draw the conclusion from such prophecies as these, that animal sacrifices will be revived again. The sacrifice of animals has been abolished once for all by the self-sacrifice of the “Servant of Jehovah;” and by the spiritual revolution which Christianity, i.e., the Messianic religion, as produced, so far as the consciousness of modern times is concerned, even in Israel itself, it is once for all condemned (see Holdheim's Schrift über das Ceremonial-gesetz im Messiasreich , 1845). The prophet, indeed, cannot describe even what belongs to the New Testament in any other than Old Testament colours, because he is still within the Old Testament limits. But from the standpoint of the New Testament fulfilment, that which was merely educational and preparatory, and of which there will be no revival, is naturally transformed into the truly essential purpose at which the former aimed; so that all that was real in the prophecy remains unaffected and pure, after the dedication of what was merely the unessential medium employed to depict it. The very same Paul who preaches Christ as the end of the law, predicts the conversion of Israel as the topstone of the gracious counsels of God as they unfold themselves in the history of salvation, and describes the restoration of Israel as “the riches of the Gentiles;” and the very same John who wrote the Gospel was also the apocalyptist, by whom the distinction between Israel and the Gentiles was seen in vision as still maintained even in the New Jerusalem. It must therefore be possible (though we cannot form any clear idea of the manner in which it will be carried out), that the Israel of the future may have a very prominent position in the perfect church, and be, as it were, the central leader of its worship, though without the restoration of the party-wall of particularism and ceremonial shadows, which the blood of the crucified One has entirely washed away. The house of God in Jerusalem, as the prophet has already stated in Isaiah 56:7, will be a house of prayer ( bēth t e phillâh ) for all nations. Here Jehovah calls the house built in His honour, and filled with His gracious presence, “the house of my glory.” He will make its inward glory like the outward, by adorning it with the gifts presented by the converted Gentile world.
From the mainland, over which caravans and flocks are coming, the prophet now turns his eyes to the sea. “Who are these who fly hither as a cloud, and like the doves to their windows? Yea, the islands wait for me; and the ships of Tarshish come first, to bring thy children from far, their silver and gold with them, to the name of thy God, and to the holy One of Israel, because He hath ornamented thee.” Upon the sea there appear first of all enigmatical shapes, driving along as swiftly as if they were light clouds flying before the wind (Isaiah 19:1; Isaiah 45:22), or like doves flying to their dovecots ( celeres cavis se turribus abdunt , as Ovid says), i.e., to the round towers with their numerous pigeon-holes, which are provided for their shelter. The question is addressed to Zion, and the answer may easily be anticipated - namely, that this swarm of swiftly flying figures are hurrying to a house which they long to reach, as much as pigeons do to reach their pigeon-house. The kı̄ which follows is explanatory: this hurrying presents itself to thine eyes, because the isles wait for me. The reason for all this haste is to be found in the faith of those who are hurrying on. The Old Testament generally speaks of faith as hope ( ל קוּה as in Isaiah 51:5; Isaiah 42:4); not that faith is the same as hope, but it is the support of hope, just as hope is the comfort of faith. In the Old Testament, when the true salvation existed only in promise, this epithet, for which there were many synonyms in the language, was the most appropriate one. The faith of the distant lands of the west is now beginning to work. The object of all this activity is expressed in the word להביא . The things thus flying along like clouds and doves are ships; with the Tartessus ships, which come from the farthest extremity of the European insular quarter of the globe, at their head ( בּראשׁנה with m unach instead of m etheg , in the same sense as in Numbers 10:14; lxx ἐν πρώτοις ; Jerome, in principio , in the foremost rank), i.e., acting as the leaders of the fleet which is sailing to Zion and bringing Zion's children from afar, and along with them the gold and silver of the owners of the vessels themselves, to the name ( לשׁם , to the name, dative , not equivalent to למען ; lxx διὰ , as in Isaiah 55:5) of thy God, whom they adore, and to the Holy One of Israel, because He hath ornamented thee, and thereby inspired them with reverence and love to thee ( פאר ך for פאר ך , as in Isaiah 54:6, where it even stands out of pause).
The first turn (Isaiah 60:1-3) described the glorification of Zion through the rising of the glory of Jehovah; the second (Isaiah 60:4-9) her glorification through the recovery of her scattered children, and the gifts of the Gentiles who bring them home; and now the third depicts her glorification through the service of the nations, especially of her former persecutors, and generally through the service of all that is great and glorious in the world of nature and the world of men. Not only do the converted heathen offer their possessions to the church on Zion, but they offer up themselves and their kings to pay her homage and render service to her. “And sons of strangers build thy walls, and their kings serve thee: for in my wrath I have smitten thee, and in my favour I have had mercy upon thee. And thy gates remain open continually day and night, they shall not be shut, to bring in to thee the possessions of the nations and their kings in triumph. For the nation and the kingdom which will not serve thee will perish, and the nations be certainly laid waste.” The walls of Zion ( חמתי ך doubly defective) rise up from their ruins through the willing co-operation of converted foreigners (Isaiah 56:6-7), and foreign kings place themselves at the service of Zion (Isaiah 49:23); the help rendered by the edicts of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes Longimanus being only a prelude to events stretching on to the end of time, though indeed, in the view of the prophet himself, the period immediately succeeding the captivity really would be the end of time. Of the two perfects in Isaiah 60:10 , הכּיתי ך points to the more remote past; רחמתּי ך to the nearer past, stretching forward into the present (cf., Isaiah 54:8). On pittēăch , patescere , hiscere , see Isaiah 48:8, where it is applied to the ear, as in Song of Solomon 7:13 to a bud. The first clause of Isaiah 60:11 closes with ולילה ; tiphchah divides more strongly than tebir , which is subordinate to it. At the same time, “day and night” may be connected with “shall not be shut,” as in Revelation 21:25-26. The gates of Zion may always be left open, for there is no more fear of a hostile attack; and they must be left open ad importandum , that men may bring in the possession of the heathen through them (a thing which goes on uninterruptedly), נהוּגים וּמלכיהם . The last words are rendered by Knobel, “and their kings are leaders (of the procession);” but nâhūg would be a strange substantive, having nothing to support it but the obscure יקוּש from יקושׁ , for אחוּז in Song of Solomon 3:8 does not mean a support, but amplexus (Ewald, §149, d ). The rendering “and their kings escorted,” i.e., attended by an escort, commends itself more than this; but in the passage quoted in support of this use of nâhag , viz., Nahum 2:8, it is used as a synonym of hâgâh , signifying gemere . It is better to follow the lxx and Jerome, and render it, “and their kings brought,” viz., according to Isaiah 20:4; 1 Samuel 30:2, as prisoners (Targ. z e qı̄qı̄n , i.e., b e ziqqı̄m , in fetters) - brought, however, not by their several nations who are tired of their government and deliver them up (as Hitzig supposes), but by the church, by which they have been irresistibly bound in fetters, i.e., inwardly conquered (compare Isaiah 45:14 with Psalms 149:8), and thus suffer themselves to be brought in a triumphal procession to the holy city as the captives of the church and her God. Isaiah 60:12 is connected with this n e hūgı̄m ; for the state of every nation and kingdom is henceforth to be determined by its subjection to the church of the God of sacred history ( עבד , δουλεύειν , in distinction from shērēth , διακονεῖν , θεραπεύειν ), and by its entrance into this church - the very same thought which Zechariah carries out in Isaiah 14:16. Instead of כי־הגוי , כי is more properly pointed according to certain MSS with munach (without m akkeph ); the article before haggōyim is remonstrative, and the inf. intens. c hârōbh makes the thing threatened unquestionable.
From the thought that everything great in the world of man is to be made to serve the Holy One and His church, the prophet passes to what is great in the world of nature. “The glory of Lebanon will come to thee, cypresses, plane-trees and Sherbin-trees all together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary, and to make the place of my feet glorious.” The splendid cedars, which are the glory of Lebanon, and in fact the finest trees of all kinds, will be brought to Zion, not as trunks felled to be used as building materials, but dug up with their roots, to ornament the holy place of the temple (Jeremiah 17:12), and also to this end, that Jehovah may glorify the “holy place of His feet,” i.e., the place where He, who towers above the heaven of all heavens, has as it were to place His feet. The temple is frequently called His footstool ( hadōm raglâiv ), with especial reference to the ark of the covenant (Psalms 99:5; Psalms 132:7; Lamentations 2:1; 1 Chronicles 28:2) as being the central point of the earthly presence of God (cf., Isaiah 66:1). The trees, that is to say, which tower in regal glory above all the rest of the vegetable world, are to adorn the environs of the temple, so that avenues of cedars and plane-trees lead into it; a proof that there is no more fear of any further falling away to idolatry. On the names of the trees, see Isaiah 41:19. Three kinds are mentioned here; we found seven there. The words יחדו ותשׁור תדהר ברושׁ are repeated verbatim from Isaiah 41:19.
The prophecy now returns to the world of man. “The children also of thy tormentors come bending unto thee, and all thy despisers stretch themselves at the soles of thy feet, and call thee 'City of Jehovah, Zion of the Holy One of Israel.'” The persecutors of the church both in work and word are now no more (Isaiah 26:14), and their children fell themselves disarmed. They are seized with shame and repentance, when they see the church which was formerly tormented and despised so highly exalted. They come sh e chōăch (an inf. noun of the form טחון , Lamentations 5:13; used here as an accusative of more precise definition, just as nouns of this kind are frequently connected directly with the verb הל ך , Ewald, §279, c ), literally a bow or stoop, equivalent to bowing or stooping (the opposite to rōmâh in Micah 2:3), and stretch themselves “at the soles of thy feet,” i.e., clinging to thee as imploringly and obsequiously as if they would lay themselves down under thy very feet, and were not worthy to lie anywhere but there (as in Isaiah 49:23); and whereas formerly they called thee by nicknames, they now give thee the honourable name of “City of Jehovah, Zion of the Holy One of Israel,” not “Sanctuary of Israel,” as Meier supposes, since q e dōsh Israel is always a name of Jehovah in the book of Isaiah. It is a genitive construction like Bethlehem of Judah, Gibeah of Saul, and others.
The fourth turn (Isaiah 60:15-18) describes the glorification of Zion through the growth and stability of its community both without and within. A glorious change takes place in the church, not only in itself, but also in the judgment of the nations. “Whereas thou wast forsaken, and hated, and no one walked through thee, I make thee now into eternal splendour, a rapture from generation to generation. And thou suckest the milk of nations, and the breast of kings thou wilt suck, and learn that I Jehovah am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.” Of the two ideas of a church (the mother of Israel) and a city (Metropolis) involved in the term Zion, the former prevails in Isaiah 60:15, the latter in Isaiah 60:16. For although עזוּבה and שׂנוּאה are equally applicable to a city and a church (Isaiah 54:6, Isaiah 54:11), the expression “no one walked through thee” applies only to the desolate city as she lay in ruins (see Isaiah 34:10). The fusion of the two ideas in Isaiah 60:15 is similar to Isaiah 49:21. Jerusalem will now become thoroughly a splendour, and in fact an eternal splendour, a rapture of successive generations so long as the history of this world continues. The nations and their kings give up their own vital energy to the church, just as a mother or nurse gives the milk of her breasts to a child; and the church has thereby rich food for a prosperous growth, and a constant supply of fresh material for grateful joy. We cannot for a moment think of enriching by means of conquest, as Hitzig does; the sucking is that of a child, not of a vampyre . We should expect m e lâkhōth (Isaiah 49:23) instead of m elâkhı̄m (kings); but by שׁד (as in Isaiah 56:11 for שׁדי ) the natural character of what is promised is intentionally spiritualized. The figure proves itself to be only a figure, and requires an ideal interpretation. The church sees in all this the gracious superintendence of her God; she learns from experience that Jehovah is her Saviour, that He is her Redeemer, He the Mighty One of Jacob, who has conquered for her, and now causes her to triumph ( אני כּי with m unach yethib , as in Isaiah 49:26 , which passage is repeated almost verbatim here, and Isaiah 61:8).
The outward and inward beauty of the new Jerusalem is now depicted by the materials of her structure, and the powers which prevail within her. “For copper I bring gold, and for iron I bring silver, and for wood copper, and for stones iron, and make peace thy magistracy, and righteousness thy bailiffs. Injustice is no more seen in thy land, wasting and destruction in thy borders; and thou callest salvation thy walls, and renown thy gates.” Wood and stone are not used at all in the building of the new Jerusalem. Just as in the time of Solomon silver was counted as nothing (1 Kings 10:21) and had only the value of stones (1 Kings 10:27), so here Jehovah gives her gold instead of copper, silver instead of iron; whilst copper and iron are so despised with this superabundance of the precious metals, that they take the place of such building materials as wood and stones. Thus the city will be a massive one, and not even all of stone, but entirely built of metal, and indestructible not only by the elements, but by all kinds of foes. The allegorical continuation of the prophecy shows very clearly that the prophet does not mean his words to be taken literally. The lxx, Saad., and others, are wrong in adopting the rendering, “I make thy magistracy peace,” etc.; since shâlōm and ts e dâqâh are not accusatives of either the predicate or the object, but such personifications as we are accustomed to in Isaiah (vid., Isaiah 32:16-17; Isaiah 59:14; cf., Isaiah 45:8). Jehovah makes peace its p e quddâh , i.e., its “overseership” (like g e bhūrâh , heroship, in Isaiah 3:25, and ‛ ezrâh , helpership, in Isaiah 31:2), or magistracy; and righteousness its bailiffs. The plural נגשׂי ך is no disproof of the personification; the meaning is, that ts e dâqâh (righteousness) is to Jerusalem what the whole body of civil officers together are: that is to say, righteousness is a substitute for the police force in every form. Under such magistracy and such police, nothing is ever heard within the land, of which Jerusalem is the capital, of either c hâmâs , i.e., a rude and unjust attack of the stronger upon the weaker, or of shōd , i.e., conquest and devastation, and shebher , i.e., dashing to pieces, or breaking in two. It has walls (Isaiah 60:10); but in truth “salvation,” the salvation of its God, is regarded as its impregnable fortifications. It has gates (Isaiah 60:11) but t e hillâh , the renown that commands respect, with which Jehovah has invested it, is really better than any gate, whether for ornament or protection.
The fifth turn celebrates the glorifying of Jerusalem, through the shining of Jehovah as its everlasting light and through the form of its ever-growing membership, which is so well-pleasing to God. The prophecy returns to the thought with which it set out, and by which the whole is regulated, viz., that Jerusalem will be light. This leading thought is now unfolded in the most majestic manner, and opened up in all its eschatological depth. “The sun will be no more thy light by day, neither for brightness will the moon shine upon thee: Jehovah will be to thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. Thy sun will no more go down, and thy moon will not be withdrawn; for Jehovah will be to thee an everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning will be fulfilled.” Although, in the prophet's view, the Jerusalem of the period of glory in this world and the Jerusalem of the eternal glory beyond flow into one another; the meaning of this prophecy is not that the sun and moon will no longer exist. Even of the Jerusalem which is not to be built by Israel with the help of converted heathen, but which comes down from heaven to earth, the seer in Revelation 21:23 merely says, that the city needs neither the shining of the sun nor of the moon (as the Targum renders the passage before us, “thou wilt not need the shining of the sun by day”), for the glory of God lightens it, and the Lamb is the light thereof, i.e., God Himself is instead of a sun to her, and the Lamb instead of a moon. Consequently we do not agree with Stier, who infers from this passage that “there is a final new creation approaching, when there will be no more turning round into the shadow (James 1:17), when the whole planetary system, including the earth, will be changed, and when the earth itself will become a sun, yea, will become even more than that, in the direct and primary light which streams down upon it from God Himself.” We rather agree with Hofmann, that “there will still be both sun and moon, but the Holy Place will be illuminated without interruption by the manifestation of the presence of God, which outshines all besides.” The prophet has here found the most complete expression, for that which has already been hinted at in such prophecies in Isaiah 4:5; Isaiah 30:26; Isaiah 24:23. As the city receives its light neither from the sun nor from the moon, this implies, what Revelation 21:25 distinctly affirms, that there will be no more night there. The prophet intentionally avoids a לילה לאור parallel to יומם לאור . We must not render the second clause in Isaiah 60:19, “and it will not become light to thee with the shining of the moon,” for האיר never means to get light; nor “and as for the shining of the moon, it does not give the light,” as Hitzig and Knobel propose, for וּלנגהּ is used alone, and not היּרח וּלנגהּ as the antithesis to יומם לאור , in the sense of “to light up the night” (compare נגהּ as applied to the shining of the moon in Isaiah 13:10, and נגהּ to the glittering of the stars in Joel 2:10), and even the use of הלילה is avoided. The true rendering is either, “and for lighting, the moon will not shine upon thee” (Stier, Hahn, etc.); or, what is more in accordance with the accentuation, which would have given ולנגה tifchah and not tsakeph gadol , if it had been intended to indicate the object, “and as for the lighting” ( ל as in Isaiah 32:1 ). The glory of Jehovah, which soars above Jerusalem, and has come down into her, is henceforth her sun and her moon - a sun that never sets, a moon יאסף לא which is not taken in towards morning, like a lamp that has been hung out at night (compare נאסף , Isaiah 16:10, withdrawn, disappeared). The triumph of light over darkness, which is the object of the world's history, is concentrated in the new Jerusalem. How this is to be understood, is explained in the closing clause of Isaiah 60:20. The sum of the days of mourning allotted to the church is complete. The darkness of the corruption of sin and state of punishment is overcome, and the church is nothing but holy blessed joy without change or disturbance; for it walks no longer in sidereal light, but in the eternally unchangeable light of Jehovah, which with its peaceful gentleness and perfect purity illumines within as well as without. The seer of the Apocalypse also mentions the Lamb. The Lamb is also known to our prophet; for the “Servant of Jehovah” is the Lamb. But the light of transfiguration, in which he sees this exalted Lamb, is not great enough to admit of its being combined with the light of the Divine Nature itself.
The next v. shows how deep was his consciousness of the close connection between darkness, wrath, and sin. “And thy people, they are all righteous; they possess the land for ever, a sprout of my plantations, a work of my hands for glorification.” The church of the new Jerusalem consists of none but righteous ones, who have been cleansed from guilt, and keep themselves henceforth pure from sinning, and therefore possess the land of promise for ever, without having to fear repeated destruction and banishment: a “sprout” ( nētser as in Isaiah 11:1; Isaiah 14:19; Arab. nadr , the green branch) “of my plantations” ( מטּעי chethib , erroneously מטּעו or מטּעו ), i.e., of my creative acts of grace (cf., Isaiah 5:7), a “work of my hands” (cf., Isaiah 19:25), “to glorify me,” i.e., in which I possess that in which I glory ( להתפּאר as in Isaiah 61:3).
The life of this church, which is newly created, new-born, through judgment and grace, gradually expands from the most unassuming centre in ever widening circles until it has attained the broadest dimensions. “The smallest one will become thousands, and the meanest one a powerful nation.” “The small and mean one,” or, as the idea is a relative one, “the smallest and meanest one” (Ges. §119, 2), is either a childless one, or one blessed with very few children. At the same time, the reference is not exclusively to growth through the blessing of children, but also to growth through the extension of fellowship. We have a similar expression in Micah 4:7 (cf., Isaiah 5:1), where 'eleph is employed, just as it is here, in the sense of לאלף , “to thousands (or c hiliads ).”
The whole of the prophetic address is now sealed with this declaration: “I Jehovah, will hasten it in His time.” The neuter נּה (as in Isaiah 43:13; Isaiah 46:11) refers to everything that has been predicted from Isaiah 60:1 downwards. Jehovah will fulfil it rapidly, when the point of time ( καιρός ) which He has fixed for it shall have arrived. As this point of time is known to Him only, the predicted glory will burst all at once with startling suddenness upon the eyes of those who have waited believingly for Him.
This chapter forms a connected and self-contained whole, as we may see very clearly from the address to Zion-Jerusalem, which is sustained throughout. If we compare together such passages as Isaiah 51:17-23 (“Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem”), Isaiah 52:1-2 (“Awake, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion”), and chapter 54 (“Sing, O barren”), which are all closely related so far as their contents are concerned, we shall find that these addresses to Zion form an ascending series, chapter 60 being the summit to which they rise, and that the whole is a complete counterpart to the address to the daughter of Babylon in Isaiah 47:1-15.