Isaiah 60:4

The chapters of Isaiah that follow the warning of the Babylonian captivity in Isaiah 39 turn from judgment to comfort, and chapter 60 is one of their brightest visions. Darkness covers the earth, but the glory of the LORD has risen on Zion, and the nations and their kings come to her light (Isaiah 60:2–3). Verse 4 shows the first and dearest thing that light brings her, which is her own children.

God speaks to Zion as a mother: “Lift up thine eyes round about, and see.” The verb nâsâʼ means to lift, raise or bear, and it is used in a great many ways. Here it calls her to raise her gaze from her own desolation and look all around at what God is doing. What she sees is a crowd: “all they gather themselves together, they come to thee.” The verb qâbats means to gather, collect or assemble, and it is used of people coming together for a common purpose. “All they” takes in the whole scattered family. This is God’s work from start to finish, since he gives the command to look and brings about what she sees.

The Babylonian captivity carried the people of Judah away from Jerusalem, which stood at the centre of their life as a nation and as the people of God. Sons and daughters carried the family line, and with it the inheritance and the covenant. So the promise “thy sons shall come from far” spoke to their deepest longing. God had already promised to bring their children home from east and west (Isaiah 43:5–7), and Jeremiah gave the same hope of restoration after exile (Jeremiah 29:10–14) and of the remnant’s return (Jeremiah 31:8–9).

“Thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side” is one of the tenderest lines in the chapter. The verb ʼâman means to support, nourish or foster, the way a nurse or foster parent cares for a child, and its feminine plural participle, ‘omenotayich, names nursing women or foster mothers. “At thy side” speaks of closeness, safety and comfort. The sons come from far, which shows how wide the scattering had been, and the daughters are nursed at their mother’s side, which shows how warmly they are received, so that sons and daughters alike are brought home. Isaiah had already promised that the nations would bring Zion’s sons and daughters back to her (Isaiah 49:22–23), and the care pictured here belongs to the same Lord who shepherds his people in Psalm 23.

“Then thou shalt see, and flow together.” Zion now sees what she was told to look for. The verb nâhar can mean to sparkle, and from the sheen of running water it comes to mean to flow, and so to stream together. The picture is of streams running into one river as people and riches converge on her. Isaiah uses the same picture when he sees all nations flowing to the mountain of the LORD’s house (Isaiah 2:2–4).

“And thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged.” The fear here is trembling awe and wonder at a sight too great, and too plainly God’s work, to take in calmly. It is the worshipful fear of which a psalm says, “Let all the earth fear the LORD” (Psalm 33:8), and it comes together with joy. To be enlarged, râchab, is to be broadened or made wide. Zion’s heart is made wide enough to hold a blessing larger than anything she knew before, and it is released from the narrowness of distress into joy, wonder and understanding.

“Because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee.” The abundance of the sea is the wealth carried by sea trade, along with the peoples of the far lands across the water. To Isaiah’s hearers it would call to mind the rich trading cities of Phoenicia, such as Tyre and Sidon. “Converted” translates hâphak, to turn about or turn over. The riches of the sea are turned around and brought to Zion.

“The forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee.” The word chayil means strength, ability, wealth or army, and here it is the wealth and power of the nations. The Gentiles, gôwy, are the foreign nations, which in the Old Testament were often hostile and given to idols. For a people who had lived under the empires that conquered them, this was a startling promise. The very powers that had oppressed Israel would come to her willingly and bring their wealth. A psalm sees the kings of Tarshish and of the isles bringing gifts to the king (Psalm 72:10–11), and Zechariah sees many peoples and strong nations coming to seek the LORD in Jerusalem (Zechariah 8:20–23).

“The multitude of camels shall cover thee.” So many camels arrive that they cover the land around the city, one caravan after another. Camels carried the long-distance trade of the ancient world across the desert, and here they carry it to Zion. The dromedaries, beker, are young camels. Midian and Ephah were nomadic tribes of Arabia, descended from Abraham through Keturah (Genesis 25:4) and known for the caravan trade. Sheba, likely in the region of modern Yemen, was a powerful and wealthy kingdom famous for gold, frankincense and myrrh, which it sent out across the desert by camel. Its queen once came to Solomon with great wealth (1 Kings 10), and now “all they from Sheba shall come.”

They bring “gold and incense”, the incense being frankincense, a precious fragrant resin used in worship. Gold and frankincense were the costliest goods of the day, given as tribute to great kings and as offerings in worship. Here the best of the world’s trade is given to the LORD.

“And they shall shew forth the praises of the LORD.” This is what the whole procession is for. The verb bâsar means to be fresh or full, and from that to announce glad news or to publish it. The word for praises, tᵉhillâh, comes from halal, to laud, and means praise or a song of praise. So the travellers from Midian and Sheba come as heralds of good news about the LORD, declaring his greatness in public, and their gifts become part of their worship. A psalm calls on the peoples to give the LORD glory and strength (Psalm 96:7–8). Isaiah has already called God’s servant a light to the Gentiles (Isaiah 49:6), and Zechariah sees the nations going up to Jerusalem to worship the King (Zechariah 14:16).

Verse 7 turns from trade goods to sacrifices. Kedar, Qêdâr, was a son of Ishmael (Genesis 25:13), and his name means “dusky”, which Strong’s ties to the skin or to the dark tents of the Bedouin tribes descended from him. Nebaioth, Nᵉbâyôwth, whose name means “fruitfulnesses”, was another son of Ishmael. Their descendants roamed the Arabian desert with great flocks of sheep and goats and held its trade routes. They lived far outside the covenant community, and here they stand for all the distant peoples of the desert and beyond.

“All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee.” Kedar’s flocks are gathered to Zion, and Nebaioth’s rams serve her by being offered to her God. Sacrifice stood at the centre of worship, so rams from the tribes most famous for their herds were an offering of great worth.

“They shall come up with acceptance on mine altar.” The altar, mizbêach, is the structure on which sacrifices were burned. The same word names the heathen altars Israel was told to destroy, and here God calls his own altar “mine”. The offerings of peoples who once stood outside come up “with acceptance”, that is, with favour. God welcomes them and is pleased with them, and his people are widened to take in the nations. God has always looked for the sincere heart behind the sacrifice (Psalm 51:17), and the acceptance promised here means these nations come to him in true worship. A psalm sees princes coming out of Egypt (Psalm 68:31), Isaiah gives his gracious invitation to all in Isaiah 55, and Paul gathers the Old Testament promises that the Gentiles would glorify God for his mercy (Romans 15:9–12) and speaks of the fullness of the Gentiles coming in (Romans 11:25–26).

“And I will glorify the house of my glory.” The verb pâʼar means to gleam, and in this form to beautify, adorn or make splendid. God himself adorns his house, and the worship of the nations is part of its beauty. The same verb comes back at the end of verse 9, where God has glorified Zion herself.

They are the people streaming to Zion, coming in such numbers and at such speed that the prophet breaks off to ask in wonder who they are. The verb ʻûwph is to fly, and the cloud, ʻâb, is a thick cloud or a scudding cloud, a dense mass moving across the sky. So many come that they look like a cloud darkening the horizon. In Scripture a cloud can also go with God’s presence, as when the pillar of cloud led Israel by day (Exodus 13:21).

“And as the doves to their windows” adds the sense of homecoming. The yôwnâh is the dove or pigeon. The windows, ʼărubbâh, are latticed openings, and the word is used for a dovecote because of its pigeon-holes. Doves fly straight home to their cote, and these travellers fly to Zion the same way, as to the home where they belong and where they are safe. Among them are Zion’s own scattered children and Gentiles from far nations, and all of them find their way to the same home. This is the great multitude John saw, gathered from all nations before the throne (Revelation 7:9–10). The Spirit draws believers home to Christ in the same way, and in him they find their rest and their place, since he is the way to the Father (John 14:6).

“Surely the isles shall wait for me.” The LORD is speaking. The isles, ʼîy, are coasts, coastlands and islands and the people who live there, and in Isaiah they are the lands far across the sea, known for trade and for being remote. They wait for the LORD with eager readiness, as Isaiah says elsewhere that the isles shall wait for his law (Isaiah 42:4).

“And the ships of Tarshish first.” The ships of Tarshish were large merchant ships built for long voyages, and Solomon had such a fleet bringing him wealth (1 Kings 10:22). Tarshish was likely a port in the far west of the Mediterranean, possibly Tartessos in Spain, at the edge of the known world. Here these ships lead the way, first in line for the LORD’s service.

“To bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them.” The word for sons, bên, is tied to a root meaning to build, since a son builds up the family name, and it is used widely for children and descendants. The sons of verse 4 now come home by sea, and they come rich. The nations carry Zion’s children back to her and bring silver and gold besides, the usual gifts of tribute and homage to a king. The people are restored and the city is enriched together. John sees the end of this when the kings of the earth bring their glory and honour into the holy city (Revelation 21:24–26).

“Unto the name of the LORD thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel.” Everything is brought to God. The name, shêm, stands for who he has shown himself to be, his authority and his presence. The LORD is Yᵉhôvâh, his own name, and “thy God” is ʼĕlôhîym, so the God of all the earth is named as Zion’s own. The Holy One of Israel joins qâdôwsh, holy, to Yisrâʼêl, and names the God who is set apart in holiness and has bound himself to his people in faithful covenant. Zion is honoured, and the honour goes to him.

“Because he hath glorified thee.” These words give the reason for the whole gathering. The verb is pâʼar again, the word used for God’s house in verse 7. God has made Zion beautiful by his own act, without any merit of hers, and the nations come because of the glory he has put on her. Her light is his light, risen upon her, as the chapter began.

The light that rises on Zion is Jesus Christ, who said, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12). He said that when he was lifted up from the earth he would draw all men to himself (John 12:32), and those who come to him are drawn by the Father (John 6:44). The gathering of sons and daughters from far went out to the whole world when he sent his disciples to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19–20). Through the cross he broke down the wall between Jew and Gentile and made the two into one new people (Ephesians 2:14–16), so that in him all are one, whatever their nation, rank or sex (Galatians 3:28).

The rams of Nebaioth on God’s altar point to the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). His one sacrifice makes the worship of his people acceptable, so that all who come through him may draw near to God with full confidence (Hebrews 10:19–22). He is the Good Shepherd who gathers and provides for his sheep (John 10:11), and he gives rest to all who labour and are heavy laden (Matthew 11:28), which is the care promised to Zion’s daughters, nursed at her side. The church is radiant for the same reason Zion is: God has glorified her, and the righteousness of Christ is counted as hers.

In the end the redeemed out of “every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation” sing to the Lamb (Revelation 5:9), every creature gives praise to him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb (Revelation 5:13), and the LORD himself is the everlasting light of his people (Isaiah 60:19–20).

These verses show God gathering what was scattered. He calls Zion to lift up her eyes because he is already at work, and what she sees is larger than she could have hoped. The sons who were far away come home, and the daughters are nursed at her side. People who once stood outside, from the tents of Kedar to the far coasts beyond the sea, come with their best gifts and are accepted at his altar. Their wealth goes to his name and their voices to his praise.

All of it rests on the last words of verse 9: “because he hath glorified thee.” Every good thing Zion receives begins with what God has done for her, and the same is true of everyone gathered into his family through Christ. We are brought home by his grace, made beautiful by his glory, and given a place among a people drawn from every nation. If you have felt yourself far off, verse 4 speaks of sons who come from far, and they are welcomed home. A heart that sees this, like Zion’s, has every reason to tremble with awe and to be made wide with joy.