Chapter Overview
Summary
Isaiah 60 is the ARISE-AND-SHINE chapter — Zion's-eschatological-glory radiating-to-the-nations. Verse 1's 'Arise, shine, for your light has come' is Christologically-applied at-Ephesians 5:14. Verse 6's 'gold and frankincense' anticipates the-Magi's-gifts at Matthew 2:11. Verses 19–20 ('the sun shall be no more your light') Christologically-extend at Revelation 21:23, 22:5.
Notable Variants
60:1 'Arise, shine' → Eph 5:14 echo; 60:6 'gold and frankincense' → Matthew 2:11 Magi-gifts; 60:19–20 'no need of sun' → Rev 21:23, 22:5; 60:21 'my people shall all be righteous' eschatological-righteousness.
Structural Notes
MT Isaiah 60 = LXX Isaiah 60. 22 verses. ARISE-AND-SHINE chapter.
Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you!
'Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you' tracks MT. ARISE-AND-SHINE. Ephesians 5:14 ('Awake, O sleeper, and ARISE FROM THE DEAD, and Christ will SHINE on you') Christologically-extends. The eschatological-light-coming. Handel's Messiah Part II ('Arise, shine, for thy light is come').
For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and His glory will be seen upon you.
'For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you' tracks MT. DARKNESS-COVERS-EARTH / GLORY-SHINES-ON-YOU. John 1:5 ('the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it') Christologically-extends.
And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
'And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising' tracks MT. NATIONS-COME-TO-YOUR-LIGHT. Matthew 2:1–2 (Magi-coming to-the-newborn-king) Christologically-fulfills. Revelation 21:24 ('the nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it') extends.
Lift up your eyes all around and see: they all gather together; they come to you. Your sons shall come from afar, and your daughters shall be carried on the hip.
'Lift up your eyes all around, and see; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from afar, and your daughters shall be carried on the hip' tracks MT.
Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and overflow, for the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you.
'Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and exult, because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you' tracks MT. WEALTH-OF-NATIONS-COME-TO-YOU. Revelation 21:24, 26 echo.
A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense and shall proclaim the praises of the LORD.
'A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall bring good news, the praises of the LORD' tracks MT. GOLD-AND-FRANKINCENSE. Matthew 2:11 (Magi: 'they offered him gifts, GOLD AND FRANKINCENSE AND MYRRH') directly-fulfills the-prophecy. The Magi-tradition reads-this verse + Ps 72:10–11 as-the-source for-Christmas-gift-tradition.
All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered to you; the rams of Nebaioth shall serve you. They shall come up with acceptance on My altar, and I will glorify My glorious house.
'All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered to you; the rams of Nebaioth shall minister to you; they shall come up with acceptance on my altar, and I will beautify my beautiful house' tracks MT.
Who are these that fly like a cloud, like doves to their nesting places?
'Who are these that fly like a cloud, and like doves to their windows?' tracks MT. FLY-LIKE-CLOUD return-to-Zion.
Surely the coastlands shall wait for Me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring your children from afar, their silver and gold with them, for the name of the LORD your God, and for the Holy One of Israel, because He has glorified you.
'For the coastlands shall hope for me, the ships of Tarshish first, to bring your children from afar, their silver and gold with them, for the name of the LORD your God, and for the Holy One of Israel, because he has glorified you' tracks MT.
Foreigners shall build up your walls, and their kings shall serve you; for in My wrath I struck you, but in My favor I have had mercy on you.
'Foreigners shall build up your walls, and their kings shall minister to you; for in my wrath I struck you, but in my favor I have had mercy on you' tracks MT.
Your gates shall be open continually; day and night they shall not be shut, that the wealth of the nations may be brought to you, with their kings led in procession.
'Your gates shall be open continually; day and night they shall not be shut, that people may bring to you the wealth of the nations, with their kings led in procession' tracks MT. GATES-OPEN-CONTINUALLY. Revelation 21:25 ('its gates will never be shut by day') verbatim-cites.
For the nation and kingdom that will not serve you shall perish; those nations shall be utterly laid waste.
'For the nation and kingdom that will not serve you shall perish; those nations shall be utterly laid waste' tracks MT.
The glory of Lebanon shall come to you — the cypress, the plane tree, and the pine together — to beautify the place of My sanctuary, and I will make the place of My feet glorious.
'The glory of Lebanon shall come to you, the cypress, the plane, and the pine, to beautify the place of my sanctuary, and I will make the place of my feet glorious' tracks MT. PLACE-OF-MY-FEET — temple-as-divine-footstool (cf. 66:1).
The children of those who afflicted you shall come bending low to you, and all who despised you shall bow down at your feet. They shall call you the City of the LORD, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
'The sons of those who afflicted you shall come bending low to you, and all who despised you shall bow down at your feet; they shall call you the City of the LORD, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel' tracks MT.
Whereas you have been forsaken and hated, with no one passing through, I will make you majestic forever, a joy from age to age.
'Whereas you have been forsaken and hated, with no one passing through, I will make you majestic forever, a joy from age to age' tracks MT.
You shall nurse at the breast of nations and be nursed at the breast of kings, and you shall know that I, the LORD, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.
'You shall suck the milk of nations; you shall nurse at the breast of kings; and you shall know that I, the LORD, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob' tracks MT.
Instead of bronze I will bring gold, and instead of iron I will bring silver; instead of wood, bronze, and instead of stones, iron. I will make your overseers peace and your taskmasters righteousness.
'Instead of bronze I will bring gold, and instead of iron I will bring silver; instead of wood, bronze, instead of stones, iron. I will make your overseers peace and your taskmasters righteousness' tracks MT.
Violence shall no more be heard in your land, devastation or destruction within your borders. You shall call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise.
'Violence shall no more be heard in your land, devastation or destruction within your borders; you shall call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise' tracks MT. WALLS-SALVATION / GATES-PRAISE — naming.
The sun shall no longer be your light by day, nor shall the moon give you light by its brightness; but the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.
Masoretic (WLC)
לֹא־יִהְיֶה־לָּךְ עוֹד הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ לְאוֹר יוֹמָם וּלְנֹגַהּ הַיָּרֵחַ לֹא־יָאִיר לָךְ וְהָיָה־לָךְ יְהוָה לְאוֹר עוֹלָם וֵאלֹהַיִךְ לְתִפְאַרְתֵּךְ
The sun shall be no more your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give you light; but the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory
Septuagint (LXX)
καὶ οὐκ ἔσται σοι ὁ ἥλιος εἰς φῶς ἡμέρας οὐδὲ ἀνατολὴ σελήνης φωτιεῖ σοι τὴν νύκτα ἀλλ᾽ ἔσται σοι κύριος φῶς αἰώνιον καὶ ὁ θεὸς δόξα σου
The sun shall no more be your light by day, nor the rising of the moon give you light by night, but the Lord shall be your everlasting light, and God your glory
REVELATION 21:23 + 22:5 CITATION. Revelation 21:23: 'And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.' Revelation 22:5: 'And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.' Both verses-directly-extend Isa 60:19–20 Christologically — the eschatological-divine-light replacing-cosmic-luminaries. Christ-as-the-Lamb-lamp.
Your sun shall no more go down, and your moon shall not withdraw; for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your days of mourning shall be ended.
'Your sun shall no more go down, nor your moon withdraw itself; for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your days of mourning shall be ended' tracks MT. DAYS-OF-MOURNING-ENDED. Rev 21:4 'no more crying or pain' extends.
Your people shall all be righteous; they shall possess the land forever, the branch of My planting, the work of My hands, that I may be glorified.
'Your people shall all be righteous; they shall possess the land forever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I might be glorified' tracks MT. ALL-RIGHTEOUS — eschatological-justification. The branch-of-my-planting Messianic-Zechariah-vocabulary.
The least one shall become a clan, and the smallest a mighty nation. I am the LORD; in its time I will hasten it.
'The least one shall become a clan, and the smallest one a mighty nation; I am the LORD; in its time I will hasten it' tracks MT.