He will lift up a banner to the nations from far away, and he will whistle for them from the end of the earth. Behold, they will come speedily and swiftly.
Parallel Translations
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He will lift up a banner to the nations from far away, and he will whistle for them from the end of the earth. Behold, they will come speedily and swiftly.
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And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly:
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And He will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth; and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly;
Cross-references (17)
Passages linked to Isaiah 5:26 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Zechariah 10:8 I will signal for them, and gather them; for I have redeemed them; and they will increase as they have increased.
- Deuteronomy 28:49 Yahweh will bring a nation against you from far, from the end of the earth, as the eagle flies: a nation whose language you will not understand,
- Isaiah 7:18 It will happen in that day that Yahweh will whistle for the fly that is in the uttermost part of the rivers of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria.
- Isaiah 18:3 All you inhabitants of the world, and you dwellers on the earth, when a banner is lifted up on the mountains, look! When the trumpet is blown, listen!
- Isaiah 11:12 He will set up a banner for the nations, and will assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.
- Malachi 1:11 For from the rising of the sun even to its going down, my name is great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering: for my name is great among the nations,” says Yahweh of Armies.
- Psalms 72:8 He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, from the River to the ends of the earth.
- Isaiah 13:2 Set up a banner on the bare mountain! Lift up your voice to them! Wave your hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles.
- Isaiah 13:5 They come from a far country, from the uttermost part of heaven, even Yahweh, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land.
- Isaiah 30:16 but you said, “No, for we will flee on horses;” therefore you will flee; and, “We will ride on the swift;” therefore those who pursue you will be swift.
- Isaiah 39:3 Then Isaiah the prophet came to king Hezekiah, and asked him, “What did these men say? From where did they come to you?” Hezekiah said, “They have come from a country far from me, even from Babylon.”
- Jeremiah 4:13 Behold, he will come up as clouds, and his chariots will be as the whirlwind. His horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to us! For we are ruined.
- Jeremiah 5:15 Behold, I will bring a nation on you from far away, house of Israel,” says Yahweh. “It is a mighty nation. It is an ancient nation, a nation whose language you don’t know and don’t understand what they say.
- Jeremiah 51:27 “Set up a standard in the land! Blow the trumpet among the nations! Prepare the nations against her! Call together against her the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz! Appoint a marshal against her! Cause the horses to come up as the rough canker worm!
- Lamentations 4:19 Our pursuers were swifter than the eagles of the sky. They chased us on the mountains. They set an ambush for us in the wilderness.
- Joel 2:7 They run like mighty men. They climb the wall like warriors. They each march in his line, and they don’t swerve off course.
- Habakkuk 1:8 Their horses also are swifter than leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves. Their horsemen press proudly on. Yes, their horsemen come from afar. They fly as an eagle that hurries to devour.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (16 sources)
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain He will make the Babylonians to come against them…
He will make the Babylonians to come against them at his beck, and to fight under his standard.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Isa 5:26 And he will lift up an ensign…
Isa 5:26 And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly:
Ver. 26. And he will lift up an ensign.] That is, by his secret providence he shall bring on the enemy’s army. The Roman forces are called God’s armies, {Mat 22:7} and Titus confessed that he only lent God his hand to execute his wrath on that rebellious people the Jews.
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And will hiss unto them.] Bring them together with little ado, as pilots hiss for their ship boys, or shepherds whistle for their sheep to come about them.
From the end of the earth.] Rome was far remote from Jerusalem, and in the Roman army were likely many French, Spaniards, Italians, and perhaps Britons.
And behold they shall come with speed.] Sooner than those mockers imagined who said, "Let him make speed." {Isa 5:19} Hence the enemy is compared to a swift eagle. {Deu 28:49}
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain He will lift up an ensign, to call them…
He will lift up an ensign, to call them together for his service, as generals used to do for the raising of armies, to
the nations from far; either,
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1. To the Assyrians, of whom he speaks more particularly Isa 10, and that under this same character of a people that come from far, Isa 5:29 and who did not long after this prophecy invade Judea, and did much mischief in it. Although that part of the prediction, Isa 5:29,
They shall lay hold of the prey, and shall carry it away safe, and none shall deliver it, do not seem to agree to them, nor that invasion; for the Assyrians were forced to retreat with great shame and loss, and the Jews were delivered from them. Or,
2. To the Chaldeans; for even Babylon is called a far country, Isa 39:3. And he saith nations, because the Chaldean army was made up of several nations. Will hiss unto them; or, will whistle unto or for them; will gather them together by his word, as shepherds gather their sheep. He intimates how easily and speedily God can do this work. From the ends of the earth; which is not to be understood strictly, but popularly, and with a latitude, from very remote places; although part of the Chaldean army did come from places not very far distant from the end of that part of the world, so far as it was then known.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain And he will lift up an ensign to the…
And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far,.... Not to the Chaldeans or Babylonians, for they were not nations, but one nation, and were a people near; but to the Romans, who consisted of many nations, and were afar off, and extended their empire to the ends of the earth; these, by one providence or another, were stirred up to make an expedition into the land of Judea, and besiege Jerusalem: and this lifting up of an ensign is not, as sometimes, for the gathering and enlisting of soldiers, or to prepare them for the battle, or to give them the signal when to begin the fight; but as a direction to decamp and proceed on a journey, on some expedition:
and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth, or "to him" (i); the king, or general of them, wherever he is, even though at the end of the earth: and the phrase denotes the secret and powerful influence of divine Providence, in moving upon the hearts of the Romans, and their general, to enter upon such a design against the Jews; and which was as easily done as for one man to hiss or call to another; or as for a shepherd to whistle for his sheep; to which the allusion seems to be; the Lord having the hearts of all in his hands, and can turn them as he pleases, to do his will:
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and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly; or "he shall come"; the king with his army; and so the Targum paraphrases it;
"and behold, a king with his army shall come swiftly, as light clouds;''
this shows the swift and sudden destruction that should come upon the Jews; and is an answer to their scoffs, Isa 5:19.
(i) "ei", Vatablus; Montanus; "illi", Cocceius; "ad se", Junius & Tremellius.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain An ensign - To call them together for his…
An ensign - To call them together for his service. From far - To the Chaldeans; for even Babylon is called a far country, chap. xxxix, 3. And he saith nations, because the Chaldean army was made up of several nations. Will hiss - Or, will whistle unto, or for them: will gather them together by his word. as shepherds gather their sheep. He intimates how easily and speedily God can do this work. From the ends - Which is not to be understood strictly, but with a latitude, from very remote places.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 26. He will - hiss - "He will…
Verse 26. He will - hiss - "He will hist"] "The metaphor is taken from the practice of those that keep bees, who draw them out of their hives into the fields, and lead them back again, συρισμασι, by a hiss or a whistle." - Cyril, on this place; and to the same purpose Theodoret, ib. In Isa 7:18, the metaphor is more apparent, by being carried farther, where the hostile armies are expressed by the fly and the bee: -
"JEHOVAH shall hist the fly
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That is in the utmost parts of Egypt;
And the bee, that is in the land of Assyria."
On which place see De 1:44; Ps 118:12; and God calls the locusts his great army, Joe 2:25; Ex 23:28. See Huet, Quest. Alnet. ii. 12. שרק sharak or shrak, he shall whistle for them, call loud and shrill; he shall shriek, and they (their enemies) shall come at his call.
With speed] This refers to the nineteenth verse. As the scoffers had challenged God to make speed, and to hasten his work of vengeance, so now God assures them that with speed and swiftly it shall come.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain Isa 5:26. And he will lift up an ensign…
Isa 5:26. And he will lift up an ensign to the nations — To call them together for his service. Here that decree of the divine severity, which had been spoken of in general terms in Isa 5:24, is explained. God is shown to be the supreme general or leader of the people, which were to come from far to execute his vengeance; they were to assemble at his setting up his ensign as a signal; and at his hissing — A metaphor taken from the practice of persons keeping bees; who used to draw them out of their hives into the fields, and lead them back again, συρισμασι, by hissing, whistling, or some sounds of that kind; as Cyril, Theodoret, and Bochart have shown. The meaning is, that God would collect the people, like bees, by the slightest indication of his will, and bring them into Judea to execute his vengeance. — Bishop Lowth and Dodd. It is not expressed particularly from whence they should be brought, but only said in general, 1st, That they should come from far — Which may be applied, either to the Assyrians, spoken of under this same character, (Isa 10:3,) and who, not long after, invaded Judea, and did much mischief in it; or to the Chaldeans, even Babylon being called a far country, Isa 39:3. 2d, That they should come from the ends of the earth — An expression hardly applicable either to the Assyrians or Chaldeans, but which exactly agrees to the Romans, and which undoubtedly received its final and most perfect accomplishment in the destruction brought on the Jews by them. In saying, they shall come with speed swiftly, the prophet refers to Isa 5:19. As the scoffers had challenged God to make speed, and to hasten his work of vengeance, so now they are assured, that with speed, and swiftly, it shall come.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain And he will lift up an ensign ... -…
And he will lift up an ensign ... - The idea here is, that the nations of the earth are under his control, and that he can call whom he pleases to execute his purposes. This power over the nations he often claims; compare Isa 44:28; Isa 45:1-7; Isa 10:5-7; Isa 9:11; Isa 8:18. An “ensign” is the “standard,” or “flag” used in an army. The elevation of the standard was a signal for assembling for war. God represents himself here as simply raising the standard, expecting that the nations would come at once.
And will hiss unto them - This means that he would “collect” them together to accomplish his purposes. The expression is probably taken from the manner in which bees were hived. Theodoret and Cyril, on this place, say, that in Syria and Palestine, they who kept bees were able to draw them out of their hives, and conduct them into fields, and bring them back again, with the sound of a flute or the noise of hissing. It is certain also that the ancients had this idea respecting bees. Pliny (lib. xi. ch. 20) says: Gaudent plausu, atque tinnitu aeris, coque convocantur. ‘They rejoice in a sound, and in the tinkling of brass, and are thus called together.’ AElian (lib. v. ch. 13) says, that when they are disposed to fly away, their keepers make a musical and harmonious sound, and that they are thus brought back as by a siren, and restored to their hives. So Virgin says, when speaking of bees:
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Tinnitusque cie, et Matris quate cymbala circum.
Georg. iv. 64.
‘On brazen vessels beat a tinkling sound,
And shake the cymbals of the goddess round;
Then all will hastily retreat, and fill
The warm resounding hollow of their cell.’
Addison
So Ovid:
Jamque erat ad Rhodopen Pangaeaque flumina ventum,
Aeriferae comitum cum crepuere manus.
Ecce! novae coeunt volucres tinnitibus actae
Quosque movent sonitus aera sequuntur apes.
Fastor, lib. iii., 739.
See also Columella, lib. x. ch. 7; Lucan, lib. ix. ver. 288; and Claudian, “Panegyric. in sextum consul. Honorii,” ver. 259; compare Bochart, “Hieroz.” P. ii. lib. iv. ch. x. pp. 506, 507. The prophets refer to that fact in several places, Isa 8:18; Zec 10:8. The simple meaning is, that God, at his pleasure; would collect the nations around Judea like bees, that is, in great numbers.
The end of the earth - That is, the remotest parts of the world. The most eastern nations known to them were probably the Babylonians, Medes, Persians, and perhaps the inhabitants of India. The general idea is, that he would call in the distant nations to destroy them. In Isa 7:18, Egypt and Assyria are particularly specified. This was in accordance with the prediction in Deu 28:49.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain Off. Like a king, leading all his subjects to…
Off. Like a king, leading all his subjects to battle. (Calmet) --- Whistle. He alludes to the custom of leading forth bees by music, chap. vii. 18. (St. Cyprian) --- Earth. The Chaldeans, (chap. xli. 9., and Jeremias vi. 22.) and not the Romans, as some would suppose. --- Swiftly. Like an eagle, Daniel vii. 4., and Jeremias xlviii. 40.
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain lift . . . ensign--to call together the hostile…
lift . . . ensign--to call together the hostile nations to execute His judgments on Judea (Isa 10:5-7; Isa 45:1). But for mercy to it, in Isa 11:12; Isa 18:3.
hiss-- (Isa 7:18). Bees were drawn out of their hives by the sound of a flute, or hissing, or whistling (Zac 10:8). God will collect the nations round Judea like bees (Deu 1:44; Psa 118:12).
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end of the earth--the widely distant subject races of which the Assyrian army was made up (Isa 22:6). The ulterior fulfilment took place in the siege under Roman Titus. Compare "end of the earth" (Deu 28:49, &c.). So the pronoun is singular in the Hebrew, for "them," "their," "whose" (him, his, &c.), Isa 5:26-29; referring to some particular nation and person [HORSLEY].
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain The foreign invaders summoned to execute judgment, Isa_5:26-30.
The foreign invaders summoned to execute judgment, Isa_5:26-30.
26-30. An ensign — A signal to nations from afar — Assyrians, Babylonians, Parthians, Scythians, perhaps, and finally Romans.
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And will hiss — This illustrates the preceding words, and is an allusion to the practice of Orientals in managing bees. They hiss or whistle (Zec_10:8) in calling swarms from and to their hives. So shall the called armies from afar be obedient and powerful in action and speed. From across the whole earth they shall come swiftly. Their pace shall be without weariness, without demand for sleep, without stumbling, without impeding loosened girdle or sandals. On they come, with arrows sharp, bows bent, hoofs of horses rock proof, and chariots of war flying. On they come, with shouts, as if for certain victory, and they snatch away their prey at a single bound — no one resisting. All warring nations, from very early times, made large use of the horse, which to Israel was forbidden, in order to keep the nation religious and peaceful. But horses and mules came all at once into fashion in the reigns of David and Solomon. Horses, inured to rocky bridle paths, seldom fail of foot up and down mountain steeps. As anciently Israel and other world powers, so now Bedouins, Circassians, and Tartars, never shoe their horses, whose faint sense of feeling in their feet secures their surefootedness. The prey which these on-rushing armies are seeking is JUDAH; but it adds to the gloom of the prophecy that Judah is not mentioned. It seems hard for the prophet to let the word pass his lips.
30. In that day they shall roar — In this description the transitions are spirited and beautiful. First, the change is from the enemy’s rapid movement to his roaring in expectation of speedy victory; and now, from his roaring as a lion to a roaring as the sea. “Israel is threatened by the raging sea, and, looking landward, sees it growing dark there, until, after being fluctuating, the darkness becomes total.” — Alexander.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 26. And he will lift up an ensign] i.e.…
26. And he will lift up an ensign] i.e. a signal, set up on a hill (Isa_13:2, Isa_18:3, Isa_30:17; cf. Isa_11:10; Isa_11:12) as a point of rendezvous. (Mark the significant change to the future tense.) the nations from far] better, a nation from afar (cf. Amo_6:14). The singular is demanded by what follows, and is obtained by removing the last letter of one word to the beginning of the next, exactly as in Jer_5:15. will hiss] as in ch. Isa_7:18; Zec_10:8. The image is that of a bee-keeper alluring the swarm.
with speed swiftly] because it is Jehovah who calls. “They” should be “he,” to the end of the chapter, the nation being individualised.
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26–29. A powerful description of the advance of the invaders, who however remain unnamed.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (26) And he will lift up an ensign.—The banner…
(26) And he will lift up an ensign.—The banner on the summit of a hill indicated the meeting-place of a great army. In this case the armies are thought of as doing the work of Jehovah Sabaoth, and therefore as being summoned by Him. The same image meets us in Isa_11:10; Isa_11:12; Isa_13:2; Isa_18:3; Isa_49:22; Isa_62:10.
Will hiss unto them.—The verb meets us in a like context in Isa_7:18. It seems to describe the sharp shrill whistle which was to the ear what the banner was to the eye, the signal of a rendezvous. Possibly, as in Isa_7:18, the idea of the bees swarming at the whistling of the bee-master is already in the prophet’s thoughts.
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From the end of the earth.—The words point to the Assyrians, the Euphrates being the boundary of Isaiah’s political geography.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain And he will lift up an ensign. Mr. Cheyne…
And he will lift up an ensign. Mr. Cheyne translates, "a signal," and would so render the Hebrew word in Isa_11:10, 12 13:2 18:3 49:22 62:10. But "ensigns" or "standards" were in use both among the Egyptians (Rosellini, "Monumenti Civili," pl. 121.) and among the Assyrians ("Ancient Monarchies," vol. 1. p. 461) before the time of Isaiah, and are, therefore, likely to have been in use among the Hebrews. The standards, however, of this early period were not flags, as Jarchi supposes, but solid constructions of wood or metal, exhibiting some emblem or other. God lifts up his standard to draw the nations together, indicating thereby that they are to fight his battles. And will hiss. "Hissing" is said to have been practiced by bee-keepers to draw their bees out of the hives in the morning, and bring them home again from the fields at nightfall (Cyril, ad loc.). God will collect an army against Israel, as such persons collect their bees. (comp. Isa_7:18) From the end of the earth; i.e. "to bring them from the end of the earth." The nations are, or at least many of them are, extremely distant, as Elamites from the Persian Gulf, (Isa_22:6) and perhaps Medes from beyond Zagros. They shall come; literally, he cometh; showing that, though the nations are many, they are united under one head, which here is probably the Assyrian power. With speed swiftly. (comp. Joe_3:4) The reference is not so much to the speed with which the Assyrians marched, as to the immediate response which they would make to God"s call,
Vers. 26-30. Foreign invasion.
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This powerful picture points to the threatened Assyrian invasion.
I THE IMAGE OF A WARLIKE ADVANCE. It is wrought out with singular boldness. Jehovah of hosts is conceived as lifting up a signal visible to the far-off nations, and sounding at the same time a whistle-cry, so that they swiftly gather together and come in troops from the horizon. Then rapid and unbroken is their march. Not a foot tires, not a warrior drowses or sleeps, or stays to rest. Not one looses his girdle, or the thong of his sandal, as the eager host presses on. The arrows are all sharpened, the bows all spanned. The sound of the horses" hoofs strike and flash like flint-stones, and the chariot-wheels roll on like the rush of a whirlwind. The air is full of a horrible roar, as of lions hastening to their unescaping prey. Such a picture is the faithful representation of the mood of the soul in its guilt and alarm. For nature reflects all our moods. Her sounds and sights are ever full of foreboding and terror to the self-condemned conscience. But the conscience at peace will throw forth its light upon all external gloom, and convert, what seem to others the sounds of hell broke loose, into the celestial times of eternal love.
II THE IMAGE OF THE EARTHQUAKE. The rage in the heavens will be like a tempest at sea. And when the stricken ones turn to the firm land, there is a darkness which only reflects the anguish of their souls thick darkness, and the light is hidden. No gloom we can conceive in nature, no sounds of overwhelming violence, nor sights that strike horror to every breast, can rival the terrors which the guilty soul may know. The soul is the real theatre of all these Divine dramas. So far as we can read the faces of men or look into their breasts, some stand for fear and some for hope; some the scenes of great quaking and terrors, some still conscious where the soft, still voice of the God of mercy is ever heard. As the vex humana stop may be used to sound the accents of prayer amidst a storm, so in trouble the psalms of the believer make a music of comfort. "God is our Refuge and Strength.... Therefore will we not fear, though the earth be removed, and the mountains be cast into the midst of the sea.... The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our Refuge." "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. J.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 He will lift up a signal flag for far…
He will lift up a signal flag for far away nations and will whistle for those at the end of the earth
Isaiah says the same thing in two different ways. God causing the armies of nations that are far away from Judah to come and attack is spoken of as if he would raise a flag and whistle to call them to Judah AT: "He will call for the armies of nations that are far away from Judah and tell them to come" (See: Parallelism and Metaphor)
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whistle
a loud, high pitched noise a person makes with their mouth to call a person or animal that is far away
they will come
"the enemy army will come"
speedily and promptly
These words mean basically the same thing and emphasize how quickly they will come. AT: "very quickly" (See: Doublet)
translationWords
nation
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 5:26 The signal was a banner raised on a…
5:26 The signal was a banner raised on a long pole and often placed on a high hill (see also 13:2; 18:3; 30:17). The expression signal to distant nations is common in Isaiah and might be a call for participation in battle (as here) or in salvation (11:10, 12; 49:22; 62:10). • Distant nations refers to the Assyrians and Babylonians, who served as instruments of God’s judgment on Israel (722 BC) and on Judah (586 BC). They were the wild “animals” (5:5) called in to trample the vineyard (5:1-7). They would fiercely attack Israel and Judah, not letting up until God’s judgment was complete (5:27-30).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.