Surely the islands will 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.
Parallel Translations
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Surely the islands will 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.
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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.
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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 the LORD thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel, because He hath glorified thee.
Cross-references (36)
Passages linked to Isaiah 60:9 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Isaiah 55:5 Behold, you shall call a nation that you don’t know; and a nation that didn’t know you shall run to you, because of Yahweh your God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he has glorified you.”
- Isaiah 2:16 for all the ships of Tarshish, and for all pleasant imagery.
- Isaiah 11:11 It will happen in that day that the Lord will set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant that is left of his people from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.
- Isaiah 51:5 My righteousness is near. My salvation has gone out, and my arms will judge the peoples. The islands will wait for me, and they will trust my arm.
- Isaiah 42:4 He will not fail nor be discouraged, until he has set justice in the earth, and the islands wait for his law.”
- Isaiah 42:10 Sing to Yahweh a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that is therein, the islands and their inhabitants.
- Isaiah 49:1 Listen, islands, to me. Listen, you peoples, from afar: Yahweh has called me from the womb; from the inside of my mother, he has mentioned my name.
- Isaiah 66:19-20 “I will set a sign among them, and I will send those who escape of them to the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to far-away islands, who have not heard my fame, nor have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the nations. They shall bring all your brothers out of all the nations for an offering to Yahweh, on horses, in chariots, in litters, on mules, and on camels, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says Yahweh, as the children of Israel bring their offering in a clean vessel into Yahweh’s house.
- Galatians 4:26 But the Jerusalem that is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
- Genesis 9:27 May God enlarge Japheth. Let him dwell in the tents of Shem. Let Canaan be his servant.”
- Genesis 10:2-5 The sons of Japheth were: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. The sons of Gomer were: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. The sons of Javan were: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. Of these were the islands of the nations divided in their lands, everyone after his language, after their families, in their nations.
- Exodus 33:19 He said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and will proclaim Yahweh’s name before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.”
- Exodus 34:5-7 Yahweh descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed Yahweh’s name. Yahweh passed by before him, and proclaimed, “Yahweh! Yahweh, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness and truth, keeping loving kindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity and disobedience and sin; and who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the children’s children, on the third and on the fourth generation.”
- Joshua 9:9 They said to him, “Your servants have come from a very far country because of the name of Yahweh your God; for we have heard of his fame, all that he did in Egypt,
- 1 Kings 8:41 “Moreover concerning the foreigner, who is not of your people Israel, when he comes out of a far country for your name’s sake
- 1 Kings 10:1 When the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning Yahweh’s name, she came to test him with hard questions.
- 1 Kings 10:22 For the king had a fleet of Tarshish at sea with Hiram’s fleet. Once every three years the fleet of Tarshish came, bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.
- 1 Kings 22:48 Jehoshaphat made ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold, but they didn’t go; for the ships wrecked at Ezion Geber.
- Psalms 68:30-31 Rebuke the wild animal of the reeds, the multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the peoples. Being humbled, may it bring bars of silver. Scatter the nations that delight in war. Princes shall come out of Egypt. Ethiopia shall hurry to stretch out her hands to God.
- Psalms 72:10 The kings of Tarshish and of the islands will bring tribute. The kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.
- Proverbs 18:20 A man’s stomach is filled with the fruit of his mouth. With the harvest of his lips he is satisfied.
- Isaiah 14:1-2 For Yahweh will have compassion on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land. The foreigner will join himself with them, and they will unite with the house of Jacob. The peoples will take them, and bring them to their place. The house of Israel will possess them in Yahweh’s land for servants and for handmaids. They will take as captives those whose captives they were; and they shall rule over their oppressors.
- Isaiah 43:4 Since you have been precious and honored in my sight, and I have loved you, therefore I will give people in your place, and nations instead of your life.
- Isaiah 43:6 I will tell the north, ‘Give them up!’ and tell the south, ‘Don’t hold them back! Bring my sons from far away, and my daughters from the ends of the earth—
- Isaiah 52:1-6 Awake, awake! Put on your strength, Zion. Put on your beautiful garments, Jerusalem, the holy city: for from now on the uncircumcised and the unclean will no more come into you. Shake yourself from the dust! Arise, sit up, Jerusalem! Release yourself from the bonds of your neck, captive daughter of Zion! For Yahweh says, “You were sold for nothing; and you will be redeemed without money.” For the Lord Yahweh says: “My people went down at the first into Egypt to live there: and the Assyrian has oppressed them without cause. “Now therefore, what do I do here,” says Yahweh, “seeing that my people are taken away for nothing? Those who rule over them mock,” says Yahweh, “and my name is blasphemed continually all day long. Therefore my people shall know my name. Therefore they shall know in that day that I am he who speaks. Behold, it is I.”
- Isaiah 57:17 I was angry because of the iniquity of his covetousness and struck him. I hid myself and was angry; and he went on backsliding in the way of his heart.
- Isaiah 60:4 “Lift up your eyes all around, and see: they all gather themselves together. They come to you. Your sons will come from far away, and your daughters will be carried in arms.
- Jeremiah 3:17 At that time they will call Jerusalem ‘Yahweh’s Throne;’ and all the nations will be gathered to it, to Yahweh’s name, to Jerusalem. They will no longer walk after the stubbornness of their evil heart.
- Jeremiah 30:19 Thanksgiving will proceed out of them with the voice of those who make merry. I will multiply them, and they will not be few; I will also glorify them, and they will not be small.
- Zephaniah 2:11 Yahweh will be awesome to them, for he will famish all the gods of the land. Men will worship him, everyone from his place, even all the shores of the nations.
- Zechariah 14:14 Judah also will fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the surrounding nations will be gathered together: gold, and silver, and clothing, in great abundance.
- Luke 2:32 a light for revelation to the nations, and the glory of your people Israel.”
- John 17:26 I made known to them your name, and will make it known; that the love with which you loved me may be in them, and I in them.”
- Acts 9:15 But the Lord said to him, “Go your way, for he is my chosen vessel to bear my name before the nations and kings, and the children of Israel.
- 2 Corinthians 8:4-5 begging us with much entreaty to receive this grace and the fellowship in the service to the saints. This was not as we had expected, but first they gave their own selves to the Lord, and to us through the will of God.
- Galatians 3:26 For you are all children of God, through faith in Christ Jesus.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (17 sources)
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain The Gentiles that are now enemies, shall become friends…
The Gentiles that are now enemies, shall become friends and setters forth of the Church.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Isa 60:9 Surely the isles shall wait for me,…
Isa 60:9 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.
Ver. 9. Surely the isles shall wait for me.] They shall come off freely, et non quasi angariati ad auditum verbi et sacramentorum usum. And this is taken to be God’s answer, {a} declaring the cause of that wonderful concourse. {Isa 60:8}
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And the ships of Tarshish first,] i.e., With the first, or, In the beginnings, as the Vulgate hath it. The islands were converted as soon as any, as this of Britain is said to have been by Joseph of Arimathea. Omnium provinciarum prima Britannia publicitus Christi nomen reeepit, saith Sabellicus, {b} Of all proviuces, Britain first embraced the faith of Christ. From the which also, as we first of all the ten kingdoms {Rev 17:7; Rev 17:12} revolted to the Pope, so we were the first that shook off that yoke; our Henry VIII being the first that broke the neck of the Pope’s usurped authority.
Because he hath glorified thee.] By his gracious presence, and the sanctification of his Spirit by the Word.
{a} Huic admirationi Messias ipse respondet.
{b} Ennead. 7, lib. v.
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 The isles: see Isa 41:1; 49:18. The ships, viz.…
The isles: see Isa 41:1; 49:18. The ships, viz. to convey them to me.
Of Tarshish, i.e. those that traffic by sea, as before; see Isa 2:16; these lying most convenient for that employment. In naming this he implies by a synecdoche all that had commerce with other nations. First; preferring this before any other business they take in hand. This hath undergone the various senses of divers interpreters; such as are not futilous and vain, I conceive, may run into one of these two: either,
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1. By reading it with a supplement of the note of similitude, which is frequent, as at first, or formerly, viz. as in the days of Solomon, who was a type of Christ, the matter here spoken of seeming to suit with it, 1Ki 10:12; see 2Ch 9:21, &c. Or rather,
2. By taking the word first, as the Hebrews mostly do, not so much with reference to time or order as to dignity; namely, they shall have the precedency and honour of bringing themselves and conducting others: this may be true also as to time, and so verified in the wise men coming the first to Christ when he was born, and as the firstfruits of the rest of the Gentiles.
To bring thy sons, begotten by the word,
from far, from the remotest parts: this may be understood with reference either to place or state; at how great a distance soever either in place or state, they shall come to Christ, who hath sons abroad in God’s decree, not yet called, other sheep that he will bring into his fold, Joh 10:16. Their: their may refer either to the merchants bringing traffic with them, as Isa 60:6; or the Jews, as Israel came out of Egypt with all their treasure with them, and what others gave them, Ezr 1:4, as also the vessels that were sent back with them, Ezr 1:7.
Unto the name, i.e. to the Lord himself, by a periphrasis; or to his temple, where his name was placed, the type of the church; compare 2Sa 7:13, with 1Ch 17:12; or in the name of the Lord; or for his sake, who is the Holy One; the like metonymies having been formerly and frequently pointed at.
He hath glorified thee; he will spread thy fame, and make thee honourable in the eyes of the world, and that especially in setting up the ministry of the gospel in the midst of thee. The name of God, and so also of Israel, were contemptible among the Gentiles before the coming of Christ and spreading of the gospel, but (as a consolation to his people) it is promised they shall both be honourable; and here God by an enallage of the person speaks of himself in the third person.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Matthew Henry 1710 · Public Domain The promises made to the church in the foregoing…
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."
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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's Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708–1710) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain Surely the isles shall wait for me;.... The Targum…
Surely the isles shall wait for me;.... The Targum is,
"for my Word.''
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The Messiah, and his coming. The isles of Great Britain may more especially be intended, who, as they waited for his Gospel, and readily received it, and embraced it, as soon as it was brought to them, which was very early; so there are many here now waiting for the spiritual coming of Christ, and the glory of his churches in the latter day, and perhaps more than in any other part of the world besides:
and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them; this is to be understood of the Jews converted in distant parts of the world, who shall be brought in transport ships to the churches of Christ, particularly in Judea; and the ships of Tarshish shall be used in that service principally, they shall be the chief that shall be employed. Most of the Jewish commentators, as Jarchi, Aben Ezra, Kimchi, and Ben Melech, think there is a want of the particle of similitude "as", and that it should be rendered, "and the ships of Tarshish, as at first"; and then the sense is, they shall be made use of now to bring, the converted Jews with their substance from foreign parts, as they had been in Solomon's time, for bringing gold and silver, and other things to him, from distant places, Ch2 9:21 but by Tarshish here is not meant Tartessus in Spain, as Vitringa; nor Tarsus in Cilicia; but the sea itself; which is so called; and so the Targum renders it, "the ships of the sea"; and Jarchi observes that this is the name of the sea; and what ships can be better understood than ours of Great Britain, so famous for shipping, and which claims the sovereignty of the seas? these may be principally employed in bringing great numbers of converts from different places to the church of God; and as Israel, when they came out of Egypt, came forth with silver and gold; and when they came out of Babylon, they were furnished with gold and silver, and everything convenient for their journey, and for the rebuilding of their city and temple, Psa 105:37 so when they are gathered from their present dispersion, and are called and converted, they shall come with their tribes to the church of Christ, and honour the Lord with their substance, and promote the interest of religion by it, as it follows:
unto the name of the Lord thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel; that is, their persons shall be brought unto him, and their riches also; they shall give up themselves, and all they have, to the Lord, and devote themselves and their substance to his glory, and the good of his interest; even to him whose name was detestable to them, but now precious; and whom they will own with the church to be the Lord their God, their Redeemer and Sanctifier:
because he hath glorified thee; the church; caused such a glory to arise upon her, and upon that a defence; so that it will continue, and be so visible and manifest as to draw persons from all parts, though the most distant, to come unto her, and join themselves with her.
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 Ships - To convey them to me. Tarshish -…
Ships - To convey them to me. Tarshish - Those that traffick by sea. In naming this he implies all that had commerce with other nations. From far - From the remotest parts. Glorified - He will make thee honourable in the eyes of the world, especially in setting up the ministry of the gospel in the midst of thee.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 9. The ships of Tarshish first - "The…
Verse 9. The ships of Tarshish first - "The ships of Tarshish among the first"] For בראשנה barishonah twenty-five MSS. and the Syriac read כבראשנה kebarishonah, "as at the first." The ships of Tarshish AS at the first; that is, as they brought gold and silver in the days of Solomon.
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 60:9. Surely the isles shall wait for me…
Isa 60:9. Surely the isles shall wait for me — The countries remote from Judea, and especially the islands and continents of Europe, generally intended by the term isles. And the ships — To convey them to me; of Tarshish first — Those that traffic by sea. In naming this, he implied all places that had commerce with other nations. Concerning Tarshish, see note on Isa 2:16. To bring thy sons from far — From the most distant countries; their silver and their gold with them — With all their treasure; unto the name of the Lord — To be presented to the Lord, and employed for the advancement of his glory, and the benefit of his church and people. Because he hath glorified thee — He will make thee honourable in the eyes of the world, and that especially by setting up the ministry of the gospel in the midst of thee.
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 Surely the isles - On the meaning of the…
Surely the isles - On the meaning of the word ‘isles’ in Isaiah, see the notes at Isa 41:1.
Shall wait for me - (See the notes at Isa 41:4).
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And the ships of Tarshish - (See the notes at Isa 2:16). The main idea here is clear. These ships were the principal vessels known to the Hebrews as employed in foreign commerce, and the prophet employs the name to denote ships in general that sailed to distant ports. They will be employed in importing the most valuable productions of distant climes to Zion, and in collecting those who should be converted to God; that is, the commerce of the world would be made tributary to religion, and the ships that sail to distant lands would be employed in advancing the cause of salvation.
First - Among the first, in the first rank; they shall be among the most active and useful agents in diffusing the knowledge of the truth. Twenty-five manuscripts and the Syriac read it, ‘As at the first.’ Jarchi and Kimchi suppose it means, as at the first; that is, as in the time of Solomon. But the idea is, that the ships which trade to the most distant regions will be among the principal instrumentalities employed in the conversion of the pagan world to Christianity. To some extent this has already been done. The servants of God have been borne already to almost every pagan land; and the time may come when it shall be deemed an essential object of those engaged in foreign commerce to diffuse a knowledge of civilization, and of the arts of life; of science, and of pure religion.
To bring thy sons from far - Those who shall be converted from distant lands - as if they were to come personally and worship at Jerusalem (see the notes at Isa 49:22).
Unto the name of the Lord thy God - Lowth renders this, ‘Because of the name.’ So the Septuagint, Διὰ τὸ ὄνομα dia to onoma, etc. The idea is, that all this wealth would be devoted to Yahweh, and employed in his service.
Because he hath glorified thee - He has honored thee by imparting to thee the true religion, and making me the means of diffusing it around the world.
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 Afar. All nations shall receive the gospel. Many made…
Afar. All nations shall receive the gospel. Many made presents to the temple, after the return of the Jews. (Calmet) --- The islands, Great Britain, &c., embrace the faith. (Tertullian; Origen; Ven. Bede; St. Chrysostom, &c.) (Worthington)
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 (see on Isa 42:4).
(see on Isa 42:4).
Tarshish first--The ships of Tartessus (see on Isa 2:16; Isa 23:1, that is, vessels that trade to the most distant regions) will be among the foremost to bring back the scattered Israelites (Isa 66:20).
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their silver--The nations among whom the Jews have been scattered shall help them with their money in returning (Isa 60:5-7, Isa 60:11, Isa 60:16), as was the case at the return from Babylon (Ezr 1:4; compare Psa 68:30-31).
unto the name . . . to the Holy One--rather, because of the name--because of the Holy One (compare Isa 55:5) [LOWTH].
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 9. The isles shall wait for me — The…
9. The isles shall wait for me — The people of the “isles” and of the seacoast — naturally mariners — are also eager to become Zion’s tributaries, and to bring to her the wealth of commerce. (Isa_42:4.) Apostolic zeal and labour wrought them at once with greatest success. The figurative descriptions in these verses imply a glorious diffusion of the Gospel over peoples hitherto unfriendly to Zion. The language throughout is in Isaiah’s accustomed drapery.
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 9. Surely the isles shall wait for me] ch.…
9. Surely the isles shall wait for me] ch. Isa_42:4, Isa_51:5. Duhm proposes to read “For to me shall the seafarers be gathered” (substituting ציים [see on ch. Isa_23:13] for איים, and slightly changing the verb). Some such sense would better explain the word “first” in the following line.
ships of Tarshish] See on ch. Isa_2:16.
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glorified thee] beautified thee (as Isa_60:7).
10 ff. The restoration of Zion’s material prosperity through the labour and gifts of foreign peoples.
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 (9) The isles . . .—i.e., as in Isa_49:1,…
(9) The isles . . .—i.e., as in Isa_49:1, the far-off maritime regions of the West.
Ships of Tarshish.—These are, as in Isa_2:16, the first-class trading ships, whether trading with that country (Spain) or in the Indian Ocean. (Comp. 1Ki_10:22; 1Ki_22:48.) The mention of silver and gold may, therefore, point to Ophir as well as Spain.
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The Holy One of Israel.—We note once more the recurrence of the characteristic Name.
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 Surely the isles shall wait for me. The "isles,"…
Surely the isles shall wait for me. The "isles," or maritime countries of the West, have long waited for a Redeemer. (Isa_41:1 Isa_42:4 Isa_49:1 Isa_51:5, etc.) They shall send their sons, and their gifts, in ships, which will come from far, and cover the Mediterranean (see the preceding verse). The ships of Tarshish. Either ships belonging to the people of Tartessus, in Spain, who had a widely extended commerce in ancient times, (Herod., 1:163 4:152 1Ki_10:22 Eze_27:12Jo Eze_1:3 etc) or ships of a peculiar class, such as were considered suitable for the long and dangerous voyage to the distant Western port (see the comment Isa_2:16). To bring thy sons from far (see the comment on ver. 4). Unto the Name of the Lord; i.e. "to the place where the Lord has set his Name". (comp. Isa_18:7)
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain Surely the isles shall wait for Me
Isa_60:9
Surely the isles shall wait for Me
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The ships of Tarshish
The ships of Tarshish coming from the extreme end of the European island-region, as the leaders of the fleet brining Lions children from afar.
(F. Delitzsch, D. D.)
Missionary ships
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. (M. Henry.)
The enlargement of the Church
I. WHO ARE BROUGHT. Thy sons, i.e such as are designed to be so, those children of God that are scuttled abroad (Joh_11:52).
II. 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 live remote from Jerusalem, when they come up to worship at the feast, they shall bring their silver and their gold with them. 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 will honour Him with our substance.
III. 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 Churchs God and King, even to the Holy One of Israel, whom Israel worships as a holy One, in the beauty of holiness, because He hath glorified thee. 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 (Zec_8:23). (C. H.Spurgeon.)
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 60:9 filled you with splendor: See Rev 21:26.
60:9 filled you with splendor: See Rev 21:26.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.