TRV
Translation
King James Version
For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted.
Complete Jewish Bible
For the nation or kingdom that won't serve you will perish; yes, those nations will be utterly destroyed.
Berean Standard Bible
For the nation or kingdom that will not serve you will perish; it will be utterly destroyed.
American Standard Version
For that nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted.
World English Bible Messianic
For that nation and kingdom that will not serve you shall perish; yes, those nations shall be utterly wasted.
Geneva Bible (1599)
For the nation and the kingdome, that will not serue thee, shall perish: and those nations shalbe vtterly destroyed.
Young's Literal Translation
For the nation and the kingdom that do not serve thee perish, Yea, the nations are utterly wasted.
In the KJVVerse 18,834 of 31,102
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Commentary on Isaiah 60 verses 9–14
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.
The promises made to the church in the foregoing verses are here repeated, ratified, and enlarged upon, designed still for the comfort and encouragement of the Jews after their return out of captivity, but certainly looking further, to the enlargement and advancement of the gospel church and the abundance of spiritual blessings with which it shall be enriched.
I. God will be very gracious and propitious to them. We must begin with that promise, because thence all the rest take rise. The sanctuary that was desolate begins to be repaired when God causes his face to shine upon it, Dan 9:17. All the favour that the people of God find with men is owing to the light of God's countenance and his favour to them (Isa 60:10): "All shall now make court to thee, for in my wrath I smote thee, while thou wast in captivity" (and the sufferings of the church, especially by its corruptions, decays, and divisions, against which these promises will be its relief, are sad tokens of God's displeasure), "But now in my favour have I had mercy on thee, and therefore have all this mercy in store for thee."
II. Many shall be brought into the church, even from far countries (Isa 60:9): Surely the isles shall wait for me, shall welcome the gospel, and shall attend God with their praises for it and their ready subjection to it. The ships of Tarshish, transport-ships, shall lie ready to carry members from far distant regions to the church, or (which is equivalent) to carry the ministers of the church to remote parts, to preach the gospel and to bring in souls to join themselves to the Lord. Observe, 1. Who are brought - thy sons, that is, such as are designed to be so, those children of God that are scattered abroad, Joh 11:52. 2. What they shall bring with them. They live at such a distance that they cannot bring their flocks and their rams; but, like those who lived remote from Jerusalem (who, when they came up to worship at the feast, because they could not bring their tithes in kind, turned them into money), they shall bring their silver and gold with them. Note, When we give up ourselves to God we must with ourselves give up all we have to him. If we honour him with our spirits, we shall honour him with our substance. 3. To whom they shall devote and dedicate themselves and all they are worth - to the name of the Lord thy God, to God as the Lord of all and the church's God and King, even to the Holy One of Israel (whom Israel worships as a Holy One, in the beauty of holiness), because he has glorified thee. Note, The honour God puts upon his church and people should not only engage us to honour them, but invite us to join ourselves to them. We will go with you, for God is with you, Zac 8:23.
III. Those that come into the church shall be welcome; for so spacious is the holy city that though, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, yet still there is room. "Therefore thy gates shall be open continually (Isa 60:11), not only because thou hast no reason to fear thy enemies, but because thou hast reason to expect thy friends." It is usual with us to leave our doors open, or leave some one ready to open them, all night, if we look for a child or a guest to come in late. Note, Christ is always ready to entertain those that come to him, is never out of the way, nor can they ever come unseasonably; the gate of mercy is always open, night and day, or shall soon be opened to those that knock. Ministers, the door-keepers, must be always ready to admit those that offer themselves to the Lord. God not only keeps a good house in his church, but he keeps open house, that at any time, by the preaching of the word, in season and out of season, the forces of the Gentiles, and the kings or commanders of those forces, may be brought into the church. Lift up your heads, O you gates! and let such welcome guests as these come in.
IV. All that are about the church shall be made in some way or other serviceable to it. Though dominion is far from being founded in men's grace, it is founded in God's; and he that made the inferior creatures useful to man will make the nations of men useful to the church. The earth helped the woman. All things are for your sakes. So here (Isa 60:10), "Even the sons of strangers, that have neither knowledge of thee nor kindness for thee, that have always been aliens to the commonwealth of Israel, even they shall build up thy wall, and their kings shall in that and other things ministers unto thee and not think it any disparagement to them to do so." This was fulfilled when the king of Persia, and the governors of the provinces by his order, were aiding and assisting Nehemiah in building the wall about Jerusalem. Rather than Jerusalem's walls shall lie still in ruins, the sons of the stranger shall be raised up to build them. Even those that do not belong to the church may be a protection to it. And the greatest of men should not think it below them to minister to the church, but rejoice that they are in a capacity, and have a heart, to do it any service. Nay, it is the duty of all to do what they can in their places to advance the interests of God's kingdom among men; it is at their peril if they do not; for (Isa 60:12), The nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; not that they must perish by the sword or by human anathemas, or as if this gave any countenance to the using of external force for the propagating of the gospel, or as if men might be compelled by penalties and punishments to come into the church; by no means. But those who will not by faith submit to Jesus Christ, the King of the church, and serve him, shall perish eternally, Psa 2:12. Those that will not be subject to Christ's golden sceptre, to the government of his word and Spirit, that will not be brought under, or kept in, by the discipline of his family, shall be broken in pieces by his iron rod. Bring them forth and slay them before me, Luk 19:27. Nations of such shall be utterly and eternally wasted, when Christ shall come to take vengeance on those that obey not his gospel, Th2 1:8.
V. There shall be abundance of beauty added to the ordinances of divine worship (Isa 60:13): The glory of Lebanon, the strong and stately cedars that grow there, shall come unto thee, as of old to Solomon, when he built the temple (Ch2 2:16), and with them shall be brought other timber, proper for the carved work thereof, which the enemy had broken down, Psa 74:5, Psa 74:6. The temple, the place of God's sanctuary, shall be not only rebuilt, but beautified. It is the place of his feet, where he rests and resides, Eze 43:7. The ark is called his footstool, because it was under the mercy-seat, Psa 132:7. This he will make glorious in the eyes of his people and of all their neighbours. The glory of the latter house, to which this refers, though in many instances inferior, was yet really greater than the glory of the former, because Christ came to that temple, Mal 3:1. It was likewise adorned with goodly stones and gifts (Luk 21:5), to which this promise may have some reference; yet so slightly did Christ speak of them there that we must suppose it to have its full accomplishment in the beauties of holiness, and the graces and comforts of the Spirit, with which gospel ordinances are adorned and enriched.
VI. The church shall appear truly great and honourable, Isa 60:14. The people of the Jews, after their return out of captivity, by degrees became more considerable, and made a better figure than one would have expected, after they had been so much reduced, and than any of the other nations recovered that had been in like manner humbled by the Chaldeans. It is probable that many of those who had oppressed them in Babylon, when they were themselves driven out by the Persians, made their court to the Jews for shelter and supply and were willing to scrape acquaintance with them. This prophecy is further fulfilled when those that have been enemies to the church are wrought upon by the grace of God to see their error, and come, and join themselves to it: "The sons of those that afflicted thee, if not they themselves, yet their children, shall crouch to thee, shall beg pardon for their folly and beg an interest in thy favour and admission into thy family," Sa1 2:36. A promise like this is made to the church of Philadelphia, Rev 3:9. And it is intended to be, 1. A mortification to the proud oppressors of the church, that have afflicted her, and despised her, and taken a pleasure in doing so; they shall be brought down; their spirits shall be broken, and their condition shall be so mean and miserable that they shall be glad to be obliged to those whom they have most studied to disoblige. Note, Sooner or later God will pour contempt upon those that put contempt upon his people. 2. An exaltation to the poor oppressed ones of the church; and this is the honour that shall be done to them, they shall have an opportunity of doing good to those who have done evil to them and saving those alive who have afflicted and despised them. It is a pleasure to a good man, and he accounts it an honour, to show mercy to those with whom he has found no mercy. Yet this is not all. "They shall not only become suppliants to thee for their own interest, but they shall give honour to thee: They shall call thee, The city of the Lord; they shall at length be convinced that thou art a favourite of heaven, and the particular care of the divine providence." That city is truly great and honourable, it is strong, it is rich, it is safe, it is beautiful, it is the most desirable place that can be to live in, which is the city of the Lord, which he owns, in which he dwells, in which religion is uppermost. Such a one is Zion; it is the place which God has chosen to put his name there; it is the Zion of the Holy One of Israel; therefore, we may be sure, it is a holy city, else the Holy One of Israel would never be called the patron of it.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 9–14. Public domain.
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JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Isaiah
(Verse 10 and following) And the sons of strangers will build your walls, and their kings will serve you. In my indignation I struck you, but in my mercy I have shown you compassion; and your gates will always be open, never closed day or night, so that the strength of the nations may come to you and their kings may be brought. Indeed, any nation or kingdom that does not serve you will perish, and the nations will be devastated. For because of my anger I struck you, and because of my mercy I have loved you. And your gates shall always be open; they shall not be shut day or night, so that the strength of the nations may come to you, and their kings who are to be brought. For the nations and kings who do not serve you shall perish; the nations shall be devastated in their desolation. Among the many things with which the Church is enriched, and the city of the Savior is built, foreigners and sons of foreigners also build its walls, so that the enemy cannot enter and find a place for treachery. But aliens and foreigners properly signify the people of nations who have truly built the Church of Christ, to such an extent that their kings and princes serve and assist her. This is either understood in a literal sense or in a spiritual sense. If understood literally, we see that the Roman Caesars submit their necks to the yoke of Christ and build churches at public expense, and rely on the laws against the persecutions of the nations and the snares of the heretics. If, spiritually, those who possess self-control, eloquence, holiness, are leaders, and through the power of their souls subjugate the servitude of the flesh, they themselves govern and assist, they come to the aid of him whom he often abandons due to negligence or strikes with the rod of persecutors, so that again, out of his own mercy, he may love him. Or certainly this must be said, that he may reconcile to himself the once afflicted and handed over to captivity among the people of the Jews, in the calling of the Gentiles, so that its gates may always be open, and neither day nor night be closed, and may continually be open to those who desire salvation, that is, that the entrance may not be denied to those who wish to believe in joy and in tribulation. And let strength be brought to her, whether it be the wealth of nations; and let her kings serve her or be led to her as captives. Then you will understand, when you see the most eloquent being brought to the faith of Christ; and the folly of the wisdom of the wise becoming foolish, and the prudence of the prudent being rejected (1 Corinthians 1): so that the wisdom of God may be wiser than men. But the nations and their kings who refuse to serve the Church in good and useful service, in order to be transferred into the Apostolic dignity, will perish in the destruction that is prepared for the wicked, and whatever is in them will be reduced to solitude, for they have refused to receive God as their guest.
Theodoret of CyrusAD 458
COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 19:60.11-16
Which power of the nations ran toward the former Jerusalem to worship? Which kings were led to worship the God of the universe? But the gates of the church of God are always open to receive the arrivals, and they receive also the godly kings drawn there by the teaching of the holy apostles.…The Babylonians hardly idolized Jerusalem, whereas the majority of the members of the Gentiles adore the church of God and that is particularly true of their offspring. When the parents have reached the end of their life, their children, having learned the truth from them, present worship to the Savior by carrying out their acts of worship in the houses of prayer.… For the earthly Jerusalem received another name, when the Roman kings called it Aelia. How then can the accuracy of the prophecy be shown unless one understand “Zion” more in a spiritual sense?… The church of God demonstrates the truth of this prediction. It continually receives royal gifts and welcomes that which is brought forth from the nations as it sings the praises of the One who is the cause of all these.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Isaiah 60:12 delivers a profound prophetic warning, asserting that any nation or kingdom that refuses to acknowledge and serve the divinely exalted Zion—representing God's redemptive purposes and His people—will inevitably face complete and utter destruction. This verse powerfully underscores the absolute sovereignty of God and the severe, irreversible consequences for those who oppose His ultimate plan for His chosen kingdom and its universal manifestation.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Isaiah 60:12 employs several potent literary devices to convey its message with striking force and clarity. Parallelism is prominently featured in the two clauses, where "shall perish" and "shall be utterly wasted" convey a similar meaning, intensifying the sense of destruction. This is a clear example of synonymous parallelism, where the second line reiterates or amplifies the thought of the first, creating a cumulative effect of impending doom. The phrase "utterly wasted" also utilizes hyperbole to emphasize the absolute and devastating nature of the judgment, going beyond mere defeat to complete and irreversible desolation. Furthermore, the verse functions as a powerful prophetic warning, a solemn declaration of future divine action contingent on human choices. It serves as a stark antithesis to the preceding verses of Isaiah 60, contrasting the blessings and glory bestowed upon those who serve Zion with the destruction awaiting those who refuse, thereby highlighting the stark and critical choice presented to the nations.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Isaiah 60:12 stands as a powerful testament to God's absolute sovereignty over all creation, particularly over human governments and nations. It asserts that there is no earthly power that can ultimately defy the will of the Almighty without facing severe and comprehensive consequences. The "service" demanded is not merely political allegiance but a profound recognition of God's ultimate authority and a willing alignment with His redemptive purposes, which are centered in His chosen people and His kingdom. This verse underscores the biblical principle that nations, like individuals, are accountable to God, and their prosperity or downfall is ultimately tied to their relationship with Him. It foreshadows a time when all earthly kingdoms will either willingly submit to God's reign or be forcibly brought to ruin, paving the way for His eternal, unshakable kingdom.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Isaiah 60:12, though rooted in a specific prophetic vision for Zion, carries profound and enduring principles applicable to all generations, nations, and individuals. It serves as a stark reminder that God's authority is not merely theoretical but is actively exercised over the affairs of humanity. For nations, it is a clarion call to recognize divine sovereignty, to govern with righteousness, and to align policies with principles that honor God and promote justice. For individuals, it reinforces the truth that our ultimate allegiance must be to God and His kingdom. We are called to "serve" Him, which means living in obedience to His commands, participating in His redemptive work in the world, and prioritizing His will above all else. This verse instills both a holy fear of God's judgment and a profound hope in His ultimate triumph. Even amidst global turmoil and apparent opposition to God, we are assured that His purposes will prevail, and His kingdom will ultimately encompass all. This should motivate believers to pray fervently for their nations, to live as faithful ambassadors of Christ's kingdom, and to trust in God's unwavering control over history, knowing that His ultimate victory is assured.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Who is "thee" that nations are commanded to serve in this verse?
Answer: In the immediate context of Isaiah 60, "thee" refers to Zion, which is Jerusalem, the holy city of God. However, Zion here is not merely a geographical location but represents God's chosen people, the dwelling place of His glory, and the center of His redemptive plan for the world. Therefore, nations serving "thee" means they are serving God Himself and aligning with His divine purposes as revealed through His covenant people. This concept extends to the spiritual Zion, the Church, in the New Testament, as the locus of God's presence on earth, a spiritual city to which believers belong (Hebrews 12:22).
Does this prophecy apply literally to modern nations today?
Answer: While the prophecy has a specific eschatological context concerning the future glory of Israel, its underlying principles are timeless and universally applicable. The core message is about divine sovereignty and the consequences of rebellion against God's will. While we may not see literal armies perishing for failing to pay tribute to a physical Jerusalem today, the spiritual truth remains: nations and systems that oppose God's moral order and reject His authority ultimately face decline, judgment, and spiritual desolation. The ultimate fulfillment is often seen in the triumph of Christ's kingdom over all earthly powers, as described in the prophetic vision of Revelation 19:11-21, where Christ defeats all who oppose Him.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Isaiah 60:12 finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the person and reign of Jesus Christ. While the immediate prophecy speaks of nations serving Zion, the New Testament reveals that the true Zion, the spiritual Jerusalem, is ultimately embodied in Christ and His Church. Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords, and it is to Him that "every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:10-11). The nations and kingdoms that refuse to "serve" this Christ, who is the very embodiment of God's purpose and glory, are indeed destined to perish. His return will mark the final judgment where all earthly powers that have defied Him will be utterly wasted, and "the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever" (Revelation 11:15). Thus, Isaiah 60:12 foreshadows the universal reign of Christ, where all opposition will be crushed, and only those who submit to His loving Lordship will find eternal life and participate in the glorious new heavens and new earth, where God dwells with His people (Revelation 21:1-4).