Isaiah / Chapter 60

Isaiah 60

22 verses • Westminster Leningrad Codex 3 traditions available

Translator's Introduction

What This Chapter Is About

Isaiah 60 is one of the most luminous chapters in all of Scripture — a sustained vision of Zion's future glory. It opens with the command 'Arise, shine, for your light has come!' and unfolds into a panoramic vision of nations streaming to Jerusalem's light, bringing their wealth, their worship, and their children. The chapter transforms every dimension of the city: walls become Salvation, gates become Praise, the sun and moon are replaced by the LORD Himself as everlasting light, and the people — all righteous — inherit the land forever.

What Makes This Chapter Remarkable

This chapter is the theological heart of Isaiah's eschatological vision. Verse 1 is among the most recognized lines in the Hebrew Bible. The imagery of nations bringing gifts (vv.5-7) is traditionally connected to the Magi's visit in Matthew 2. Verses 19-20 — the LORD replacing sun and moon — are directly echoed in Revelation 21:23 and 22:5. The entire chapter reads as a preview of the New Jerusalem.

Translation Friction

The tension between historical Jerusalem and eschatological Zion is acute throughout. We have rendered the text to honor both dimensions: this is a real city with real gates and walls, yet the language consistently transcends any historical fulfillment.

Connections

Verse 1's 'Arise, shine' echoes through Christian hymnody and Advent liturgy. The nations bringing wealth (vv.5-7) connects to the Magi narrative (Matt 2:1-12). Verses 19-20 are the source for Revelation 21:23 and 22:5 (no need for sun — the Lamb is the light). Verse 21's 'all righteous' anticipates 2 Peter 3:13's 'new heavens and new earth in which righteousness dwells.' **Tradition comparisons:** The Dead Sea Scrolls (1QIsaiah-a) preserve this chapter with notable variants: Verse 1 shows characteristic plene spellings in the key opening command 'Arise, shine!' Verse 7 has a moderate variant in the description of offerings. Verse 19 contains a theologically important reading about God as everlasting light that is stable between both texts. Verse 21 has a minor varian.... See the [DSS Isaiah comparison](/dss-isaiah/60). Targum Jonathan provides interpretive renderings: The glory 'rising' becomes the glory 'being revealed' (itgeli). The standard anti-anthropomorphic rendering is applied even in eschatological poetry: God's glory is not a physical sunrise but a theolo... (2 notable renderings in this chapter) See [Targum Jonathan on Isaiah](/targum/isaiah). The Latin Vulgate shaped Western theology here: Surge illuminare became an Epiphany text in the Latin liturgy, associated with the coming of the Magi and the light of Christ to the nations. Gloria Domini (glory of the Lord) reinforced the Shekinah... See the [Vulgate Isaiah](/vulgate/isaiah).

Isaiah 60:1

קוּמִי אוֹרִי כִּי בָא אוֹרֵךְ וּכְבוֹד יְהוָה עָלַיִךְ זָרָח

Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you!

KJV Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.

Notes & Key Terms 1 term

Key Terms

אוֹר or
"light" — light, illumination, daylight, dawn

The imperative qumi ori ('arise, shine') uses or ('light') as both the reason and the result: Zion's light has come because the LORD's glory (kavod) has risen upon her. The light is not Zion's own but God's — reflected, not generated.

Translator Notes

  1. The imperatives are feminine singular — addressed to Zion as a woman. The 'light' is not her own; it has 'come' to her from God.
3 traditions available

Dead Sea Scrolls (1QIsaᵃ, 125 BCE)minor

"Arise, shine!"

The scroll preserves the same iconic opening: 'Arise, shine, for your light has come and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you!' No substantive variant. The difference is only the absence of Masoretic accents and vowel pointing.

Targum Jonathan (Aramaic, 1st-5th c. CE)eschatological

"Shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD upon you is revealed."

The glory 'rising' becomes the glory 'being revealed' (itgeli). The standard anti-anthropomorphic rendering is applied even in eschatological poetry: God's glory is not a physical sunrise but a theological disclosure.

Latin Vulgate (Jerome, 405 CE)

"Arise, be enlightened, O Jerusalem, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you"

Surge illuminare became an Epiphany text in the Latin liturgy, associated with the coming of the Magi and the light of Christ to the nations. Gloria Domini (glory of the Lord) reinforced the Shekinah theology in Latin.

Isaiah 60:2

כִּי־הִנֵּה הַחֹשֶׁךְ יְכַסֶּה־אֶרֶץ וַעֲרָפֶל לְאֻמִּים וְעָלַיִךְ יִזְרַח יְהוָה וּכְבוֹדוֹ עָלַיִךְ יֵרָאֶה

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.

KJV For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The contrast is absolute: universal darkness versus Zion's light. The light is not general illumination but the kabod (glory) of YHWH Himself.
1 tradition available

Dead Sea Scrolls (1QIsaᵃ, 125 BCE)minor

"shall cover the earth"

The scroll omits the maqqef. The contrast between darkness covering the earth and God's glory rising upon Zion is identical in both texts.

Isaiah 60:3

וְהָלְכוּ גוֹיִם לְאוֹרֵךְ וּמְלָכִים לְנֹגַהּ זַרְחֵךְ

And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

KJV And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The pilgrimage of nations to Zion — a theme running through Isaiah (2:2-4, 11:10, 49:6) — reaches its fullest expression here.
Isaiah 60:4

שְׂאִי־סָבִיב עֵינַיִךְ וּרְאִי כֻּלָּם נִקְבְּצוּ בָאוּ־לָךְ בָּנַיִךְ מֵרָחוֹק יָבֹאוּ וּבְנֹתַיִךְ עַל־צַד תֵּאָמַנָה

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.

KJV Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. 'Carried on the hip' — the image of small children being carried home. Zion's scattered children return not as soldiers but as beloved infants.
1 tradition available

Dead Sea Scrolls (1QIsaᵃ, 125 BCE)minor

"they gather together"

No meaningful variant. The call to lift up eyes and see — sons coming from afar and daughters carried on the hip — is identical in both texts.

Isaiah 60:5

אָז תִּרְאִי וְנָהַרְתְּ וּפָחַד וְרָחַב לְבָבֵךְ כִּי־יֵהָפֵךְ עָלַיִךְ הֲמוֹן יָם חֵיל גּוֹיִם יָבֹאוּ לָךְ

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.

KJV Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Zion's emotional response: seeing, radiance, a heart that both trembles (pachad) and expands (rachab). Joy and awe coexist.
1 tradition available

Dead Sea Scrolls (1QIsaᵃ, 125 BCE)minor

"and your heart shall swell"

The scroll uses a slightly different suffix form for 'your heart' — the feminine suffix -ki rather than MT's -ekh. Both address Zion as feminine. The meaning is identical: your heart shall thrill and swell because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you.

Isaiah 60:6

שִׁפְעַת גְּמַלִּים תְּכַסֵּךְ בִּכְרֵי מִדְיָן וְעֵיפָה כֻּלָּם מִשְּׁבָא יָבֹאוּ זָהָב וּלְבוֹנָה יִשָּׂאוּ וּתְהִלֹּת יְהוָה יְבַשֵּׂרוּ

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.

KJV The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the LORD.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Gold and frankincense from Sheba — the traditional connection to the Magi in Matthew 2:11 ('gold, frankincense, and myrrh'). Matthew sees Jesus' birth as the fulfillment of this very passage.
1 tradition available

Dead Sea Scrolls (1QIsaᵃ, 125 BCE)minor

"camels of Midian"

No meaningful variant. The vision of caravans — camels of Midian and Ephah, all from Sheba bearing gold and frankincense — is identical. This verse is traditionally connected to the Magi narrative in Matthew 2.

Isaiah 60:7

כָּל־צֹאן קֵדָר יִקָּבְצוּ לָךְ אֵילֵי נְבָיוֹת יְשָׁרְתוּנֶךְ יַעֲלוּ עַל־רָצוֹן מִזְבְּחִי וּבֵית תִּפְאַרְתִּי אֲפָאֵר

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.

KJV All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Kedar and Nebaioth are sons of Ishmael (Gen 25:13) — the Ishmaelite nations bringing offerings to YHWH's altar. The inclusion is deliberate and stunning.
1 tradition available

Dead Sea Scrolls (1QIsaᵃ, 125 BCE)moderate

"they shall come up with acceptance on My altar"

The scroll omits the maqqef and reads the phrase with slightly different word spacing. The consonantal text is identical in meaning. The flocks of Kedar and rams of Nebaioth serving as acceptable sacrifices on God's altar is preserved without substantive variant.

Isaiah 60:8

מִי־אֵלֶּה כָעָב תְּעוּפֶינָה וְכַיּוֹנִים אֶל־אֲרֻבֹּתֵיהֶם

Who are these that fly like a cloud, like doves to their nesting places?

KJV Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows?

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. A moment of wonder — Zion looks up and sees approaching crowds so vast they look like clouds, so swift they look like doves homing.
Isaiah 60:9

כִּי־לִי אִיִּים יְקַוּוּ וָאֳנִיּוֹת תַּרְשִׁישׁ בָּרִאשֹׁנָה לְהָבִיא בָנַיִךְ מֵרָחוֹק כַּסְפָּם וּזְהָבָם אִתָּם לְשֵׁם יְהוָה אֱלֹהַיִךְ וְלִקְדוֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל כִּי פֵאֲרָךְ

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.

KJV 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.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. 'The Holy One of Israel' — Isaiah's signature title for God, rendered in full per project convention.
  2. Ships of Tarshish represent the most distant maritime commerce — even the farthest trading vessels serve Zion's restoration.
1 tradition available

Dead Sea Scrolls (1QIsaᵃ, 125 BCE)minor

"ships of Tarshish"

No meaningful variant. The ships of Tarshish bringing sons from afar with their silver and gold is identical in both texts.

Isaiah 60:10

וּבָנוּ בְנֵי־נֵכָר חֹמֹתַיִךְ וּמַלְכֵיהֶם יְשָׁרְתוּנֶךְ כִּי בְקִצְפִּי הִכִּיתִיךְ וּבִרְצוֹנִי רִחַמְתִּיךְ

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.

KJV And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favour have I had mercy on thee.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The reversal: foreigners who once destroyed Jerusalem's walls will rebuild them. Kings who once conquered will serve.
1 tradition available

Dead Sea Scrolls (1QIsaᵃ, 125 BCE)minor

"sons of foreigners"

The scroll omits the maqqef. The promise that foreigners shall build Zion's walls and their kings shall serve her is identical in both texts.

Isaiah 60:11

וּפִתְּחוּ שְׁעָרַיִךְ תָּמִיד יוֹמָם וָלַיְלָה לֹא יִסָּגֵרוּ לְהָבִיא אֵלַיִךְ חֵיל גּוֹיִם וּמַלְכֵיהֶם נְהוּגִים

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.

KJV Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Gates perpetually open — a city with no fear of attack. Revelation 21:25 directly echoes this verse: 'its gates will never be shut by day — and there will be no night there.'
1 tradition available

Dead Sea Scrolls (1QIsaᵃ, 125 BCE)minor

"and your gates shall be open continually"

The scroll uses the feminine suffix -ki for 'your gates.' This verse is echoed in Revelation 21:25 ('its gates shall never be shut by day — and there shall be no night there'). The scroll confirms the MT reading that Zion's gates stand open day and night.

Isaiah 60:12

כִּי־הַגּוֹי וְהַמַּמְלָכָה אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יַעַבְדוּךְ יֹאבֵדוּ וְהַגּוֹיִם חָרֹב יֶחֱרָבוּ

For the nation and kingdom that will not serve you shall perish; those nations shall be utterly laid waste.

KJV For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. A sobering counterpoint to the vision of inclusion: the pilgrimage to Zion is not optional. Refusal to participate in God's new order results in destruction.
Isaiah 60:13

כְּבוֹד הַלְּבָנוֹן אֵלַיִךְ יָבוֹא בְּרוֹשׁ תִּדְהָר וּתְאַשּׁוּר יַחְדָּו לְפָאֵר מְקוֹם מִקְדָּשִׁי וּמְקוֹם רַגְלַי אֲכַבֵּד

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.

KJV The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary; and I will make the place of my feet glorious.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Lebanon's famous cedars and timber furnished Solomon's Temple (1 Kings 5). Now they furnish the eschatological sanctuary.
1 tradition available

Dead Sea Scrolls (1QIsaᵃ, 125 BCE)minor

"the glory of Lebanon"

No meaningful variant. The cypress, plane, and pine trees of Lebanon coming to beautify the sanctuary is identical in both texts.

Isaiah 60:14

וְהָלְכוּ אֵלַיִךְ שְׁחוֹחַ בְּנֵי מְעַנַּיִךְ וְהִשְׁתַּחֲווּ עַל־כַּפּוֹת רַגְלַיִךְ כָּל־מְנַאֲצָיִךְ וְקָרְאוּ לָךְ עִיר יְהוָה צִיּוֹן קְדוֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל

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.

KJV The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee, The city of the LORD, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. 'The Zion of the Holy One of Israel' — the city receives its ultimate name, defined not by its geography but by whose city it is.
1 tradition available

Dead Sea Scrolls (1QIsaᵃ, 125 BCE)minor

"the City of the LORD"

No meaningful variant. The titles 'City of the LORD' and 'Zion of the Holy One of Israel' are identical in both texts.

Isaiah 60:15

תַּחַת הֱיוֹתֵךְ עֲזוּבָה וּשְׂנוּאָה וְאֵין עוֹבֵר וְשַׂמְתִּיךְ לִגְאוֹן עוֹלָם מְשׂוֹשׂ דּוֹר וָדוֹר

Whereas you have been forsaken and hated, with no one passing through, I will make you majestic forever, a joy from age to age.

KJV Whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated, so that no man went through thee, I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The reversal formula: 'whereas... I will make.' Every aspect of Zion's humiliation is overturned.
1 tradition available

Dead Sea Scrolls (1QIsaᵃ, 125 BCE)minor

"forsaken and hated"

No meaningful variant. The transformation from being forsaken and hated to becoming an eternal excellency is preserved identically.

Isaiah 60:16

וְיָנַקְתְּ חֲלֵב גּוֹיִם וְשֹׁד מְלָכִים תִּינָקִי וְיָדַעַתְּ כִּי אֲנִי יְהוָה מוֹשִׁיעֵךְ וְגֹאֲלֵךְ אֲבִיר יַעֲקֹב

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.

KJV Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of kings: and thou shalt know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. 'Your Redeemer' — go'el rendered as capitalized 'Redeemer' per project convention. Three divine titles stack: LORD, Savior, Redeemer.
Isaiah 60:17

תַּחַת הַנְּחֹשֶׁת אָבִיא זָהָב וְתַחַת הַבַּרְזֶל אָבִיא כֶסֶף וְתַחַת הָעֵצִים נְחֹשֶׁת וְתַחַת הָאֲבָנִים בַּרְזֶל וְשַׂמְתִּי פְקֻדָּתֵךְ שָׁלוֹם וְנֹגְשַׂיִךְ צְדָקָה

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.

KJV For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron: I will also make thy officers peace, and thine exactors righteousness.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Every material is upgraded one tier. But the climactic substitution is not material: oppressive taskmasters are replaced by peace and righteousness as governing principles.
1 tradition available

Dead Sea Scrolls (1QIsaᵃ, 125 BCE)moderate

"instead of bronze"

The scroll uses plene spelling for nechoshet ('bronze') with waw. The glorious promise of transformation — gold instead of bronze, silver instead of iron — is identical in meaning. The progression to 'I will make your overseers peace and your taskmasters righteousness' is preserved without variant.

Isaiah 60:18

לֹא־יִשָּׁמַע עוֹד חָמָס בְּאַרְצֵךְ שֹׁד וָשֶׁבֶר בִּגְבוּלָיִךְ וְקָרָאת יְשׁוּעָה חוֹמֹתַיִךְ וּשְׁעָרַיִךְ תְּהִלָּה

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.

KJV Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The renaming of architecture: walls become 'Salvation' (Yeshuah), gates become 'Praise' (Tehillah). The city's very structure proclaims its theological identity.
1 tradition available

Dead Sea Scrolls (1QIsaᵃ, 125 BCE)minor

"you shall call your walls Salvation"

The scroll uses the feminine suffix -ki for 'your walls.' The naming of walls as 'Salvation' and gates as 'Praise' is identical in both texts. This verse is echoed in Revelation 21:12-21.

Isaiah 60:19

לֹא־יִהְיֶה־לָּךְ עוֹד הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ לְאוֹר יוֹמָם וּלְנֹגַהּ הַיָּרֵחַ לֹא־יָאִיר לָךְ וְהָיָה־לָךְ יְהוָה לְאוֹר עוֹלָם וֵאלֹהַיִךְ לְתִפְאַרְתֵּךְ

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.

KJV The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory.

Notes & Key Terms 1 term

Key Terms

אוֹר עוֹלָם or olam
"everlasting light" — eternal light, perpetual light, light of eternity

The phrase or olam ('everlasting light') replaces the sun and moon — God Himself becomes Zion's permanent illumination. This image is taken up in Revelation 21:23 and 22:5, where the heavenly city needs no sun because the Lamb is its light.

Translator Notes

  1. Revelation 21:23 directly echoes this verse: '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.'
2 traditions available

Dead Sea Scrolls (1QIsaᵃ, 125 BCE)minor

"your sun shall no longer go down"

The scroll spells lo with waw-aleph (לוא) and uses feminine suffix -ki. The sublime promise that 'the LORD will be your everlasting light and your God your glory' is identical in meaning. This passage is directly echoed in Revelation 21:23 and 22:5. The scroll confirms the MT reading without substantive variant.

Targum Jonathan (Aramaic, 1st-5th c. CE)anti-anthropomorphism

"And the glory of the LORD shall be for you an everlasting light."

The LORD does not become light directly — the glory of the LORD does. Jonathan inserts 'glory' (yeqar) to mediate between God's essence and the physical phenomenon of light.

Isaiah 60:20

לֹא־יָבוֹא עוֹד שִׁמְשֵׁךְ וִירֵחֵךְ לֹא יֵאָסֵף כִּי יְהוָה יִהְיֶה־לָּךְ לְאוֹר עוֹלָם וְשָׁלְמוּ יְמֵי אֶבְלֵךְ

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.

KJV Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the LORD shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. 'Your days of mourning shall be ended' — the final word of v.20 is not about light but about grief. The everlasting light means the permanent end of sorrow.
1 tradition available

Dead Sea Scrolls (1QIsaᵃ, 125 BCE)minor

"for the LORD will be your everlasting light"

The scroll spells ki as kia and uses the feminine suffix -ki for 'to you.' The meaning is identical. The promise that God Himself replaces sun and moon as Zion's light is confirmed in the oldest manuscript.

Isaiah 60:21

וְעַמֵּךְ כֻּלָּם צַדִּיקִים לְעוֹלָם יִירְשׁוּ אָרֶץ נֵצֶר מַטָּעַי מַעֲשֵׂה יָדַי לְהִתְפָּאֵר

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.

KJV Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. 'All righteous' — not by their own merit but because they are God's planting (matta'i) and God's handiwork (ma'aseh yadai). Their righteousness is derivative, not original.
1 tradition available

Dead Sea Scrolls (1QIsaᵃ, 125 BCE)minor

"they shall possess the land forever"

No meaningful variant. The promise that Zion's people shall all be righteous and possess the land forever is identical in both texts.

Isaiah 60:22

הַקָּטֹן יִהְיֶה לָאֶלֶף וְהַצָּעִיר לְגוֹי עָצוּם אֲנִי יְהוָה בְּעִתָּהּ אֲחִישֶׁנָּה

The least one shall become a clan, and the smallest a mighty nation. I am the LORD; in its time I will hasten it.

KJV A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the LORD will hasten it in his time.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The chapter's final words hold two seemingly contradictory ideas: 'in its time' (be'ittah — at the appointed moment) and 'I will hasten it' (achishennah — I will speed it up). God's timing is both patient and urgent.
1 tradition available

Dead Sea Scrolls (1QIsaᵃ, 125 BCE)minor

"the smallest shall become a thousand"

The scroll uses plene spelling for 'smallest' (qaton with waw). The closing promise of exponential multiplication — 'the least shall become a thousand, the smallest a mighty nation' — is identical in meaning. The chapter closes with the assurance 'I the LORD will hasten it in its time.'

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