Isaiah 60

Isaiah 60 belongs to the final section of the Book of Isaiah (chapters 56–66). Together with chapters 61–62, it forms a unit celebrating the glory of a restored Zion. Taking up the promise in Isaiah 59:20–21 that the Redeemer will come to Zion, it opens with light shining upon a city in darkness.

Structure

• Verses 1–3 Zion is commanded to arise and shine. Though darkness covers the earth, the glory of the LORD rises upon Zion, and nations and kings come to its light.
• Verses 4–9 Sons and daughters return from afar, and the wealth of the nations streams in. The passage lists the camels of Midian and Ephah, the gold and incense of Sheba, the flocks of Kedar, the rams of Nebaioth, and the ships of Tarshish.
• Verses 10–16 The LORD shows mercy to the city He struck in His wrath; foreigners build up its walls, and its gates stand open day and night. The trees of Lebanon adorn the sanctuary, and those who afflicted Zion bow down and call it "The city of the LORD."
• Verses 17–22 Gold replaces brass and silver replaces iron, and peace and righteousness rule. The walls are called Salvation and the gates Praise, and the LORD becomes an everlasting light in place of the sun and moon. The chapter closes with the promise that a little one will become a thousand.

Key Verses

• Isaiah 60:1 "Arise, shine" — the command that introduces the theme of the entire chapter.
• Isaiah 60:19 "But the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light" — linked with the description of the New Jerusalem in Revelation.
• Isaiah 60:22 "A little one shall become a thousand" — a promise that a small community will flourish.

People and Places

• Zion: A name for Jerusalem, addressed in the second person ("thee") throughout this chapter.
• Midian and Ephah: Nomadic tribes of the Arabian region. In Genesis, Ephah appears as a son of Midian.
• Sheba: A kingdom in southern Arabia, known as the land of the Queen of Sheba.
• Kedar and Nebaioth: Named in Genesis as sons of Ishmael; also the names of Arabian nomadic tribes.
• Tarshish: A distant port in the western Mediterranean whose exact location is uncertain.
• Lebanon: A mountainous region north of Israel known for fine timber.

Interpretive Considerations

Some scholars regard chapters 56–66 as writings set in Jerusalem after the return from exile, while the conservative tradition regards the entire Book of Isaiah as the work of the prophet Isaiah. Some interpreters read Zion's glory as a promise to the returned community; others see it fulfilled through the church (a common view in the covenant theology tradition); still others see it fulfilled in the restoration of national Israel and in the millennial kingdom (dispensationalism). The scene in which the sun and moon are no longer needed, the gates are never shut, and kings bring their glory into the city reappears in the depiction of the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21:23–24 and the verses that follow. Verse 6, which speaks of gold and incense being brought, has been associated with the gifts of the Magi (Matthew 2:11) and read as an Epiphany text. The passage itself, however, mentions neither a child nor the Magi. The later tradition portraying the Magi as kings is also thought to have been influenced by passages such as this one.

In the Korean Church

Verse 1, "Arise, shine," is frequently used as a theme verse for the New Year or as a church motto. Verse 22 is often cited in sermons on the founding or planting of churches.