Commentari biblici

Ch. 60. The Glory of the New Jerusalem

At length the dark clouds of sin and impending judgement roll away before the prophet’s vision, and in three magnificent chapters (60–62) he hails the rising sun of Jerusalem’s prosperity. Ch. 60, a prophecy complete in itself, is a continuous apostrophe to the ideal Zion, describing her future splendour, the restoration of her children, the submission of the nations, the influx of costly tribute from all parts of the earth, &c. All the main features can be paralleled from ch. 40–55, and the strong resemblance to ch. Isaiah 49:14 ff., Isaiah 51:17 ff., Isaiah 54 would naturally lead to its being assigned to the same author. Had the chapter occupied a different position doubt on this point would hardly arise; it would be accepted without difficulty as a prophecy of return from Exile, written in Babylon. But the fact that it follows a series of chapters which there are strong reasons to regard as post-exilic, raises the question whether it be a misplaced discourse of the second Isaiah, or whether it may not have been composed in the same circumstances as the gloomy oracles with which it is immediately connected. A closer examination of the passage reveals little that is decisive on either side, but apparently nothing inconsistent with the latter hypothesis. The promise of the return of the exiles (Isaiah 60:4; Isaiah 60:9) obviously refers to the Jews dispersed throughout the world, whose ingathering remained an object of prophetic anticipation long after the restoration of the Jewish community in Palestine. Equally indeterminate are the allusions to the sanctuary in Isaiah 60:7; Isaiah 60:13; it does not appear whether the Temple has yet to be rebuilt or only to be beautified. That the walls are still unbuilt (Isaiah 60:10) only proves that the date is earlier than the governorship of Nehemiah. In the absence of definite indications, all that can safely be said is that the theory of post-exilic authorship is perfectly admissible, and is probably to be preferred in the interests of critical simplicity. The prophecy at all events loses none of its significance if it is regarded as a message of consolation to the depressed and misgoverned and poverty stricken community depicted in the foregoing chapters.

The poem, according to Duhm and Cheyne, consists of ten strophes. The order of ideas may be thus exhibited:—

i. Isaiah 60:1-3. An introductory strophe. While the rest of the world is shrouded in darkness, the light of Jehovah’s glory breaks on Zion, and the nations are attracted to it.

ii. Isaiah 60:4-9. The main subject of the next three strophes is the return of the exiled children of Zion from East and West. As in ch. Isaiah 49:22, they are represented as brought home by the nations among whom they have sojourned; the resources of the world are placed at their disposal, and they bring with them the wealth of distant countries as tribute to the God of Israel.

iii. Isaiah 60:10-16. The relation of the new Israel to the outer world (again three strophes). Zion becomes the mistress of the nations; her walls are built by strangers, and kings are her servants (Isaiah 60:10); through her open gates a constant stream of treasure flows to beautify the sanctuary (Isaiah 60:11-13); she is the joy and praise of the whole earth, and is nourished by the “milk of the Gentiles” (Isaiah 60:14-16).

iv. Isaiah 60:17-22. The last three strophes describe the internal prosperity, both material and moral, of the future community. Peace and righteousness are the ruling powers within its borders; perfect order and security prevail (Isaiah 60:17 f.); instead of the natural luminaries of heaven, Jehovah Himself is its “everlasting light” (Isaiah 60:19 f.); the inhabitants are all righteous, possessing the land for ever, as the branch of the Lord’s planting (Isaiah 60:21 f.).

1. for thy light is come] Cf. ch. Isaiah 58:8; Isaiah 58:10, Isaiah 59:9. It is the light of the promised salvation, so long looked for in vain. The perfect tenses are used from the ideal standpoint of the future.

1–3. The image in these strikingly beautiful verses is that of a city glittering in the first rays of the morning sun. Zion is no doubt addressed in the feminine gender, but the personification is much less complete than in ch. Isaiah 49:18 ff., Isaiah 51:17 ff., Isaiah 52:1 ff., Isaiah 54:1 ff. The name “Jerusalem” is inserted by the LXX., Targ. and Vulg., but the addition is unnecessary (cf. Isaiah 54:1).

2, 3. While Zion is thus illuminated by the presence of Jehovah the heathen world still lies in darkness. Jerusalem is the one point of light on the earth’s surface, to which the nations and their kings are attracted. For people read with R.V. peoples.

but the Lord &c.] Better: but upon thee (emphatic) shall Jehovah arise.

3. And the Gentiles] And nations (R.V.).

4. shall be nursed at thy side] Rather, shall be nursed on the side, i.e. carried on the hip, the Eastern mode of carrying young children. Cf. ch. Isaiah 66:12, Isaiah 49:22. The idea, therefore, is the same as in ch. Isaiah 49:22 f.; the nurses who bring back the children representing the heathen nations. see Muir, Life of Mahomet, p. 8 (abridged Ed.): ‘Thou gavest me this bite upon my back, when I carried thee on my hip’.

4, 5. In this and the two following strophes two things are closely associated: the restoration of Zion’s banished children, and the influx of wealth from all parts of the world. The first half of Isaiah 60:4 is repeated literally from ch. Isaiah 49:18.

5. and flow together] See ch. Isaiah 2:2. But the right translation is that of R.V. and be lightened (cf. Psalm 34:5). The two verbs are identical in form but belong to distinct roots.

thine heart shall fear] Lit., shall throb, obviously from joy, as in Jeremiah 33:9. These are perhaps the only two instances where the word is so used. Usually it means to tremble from fear.

and be enlarged] Psalm 119:32.

the abundance of the sea] “Abundance” is lit. “tumult”; it often means “multitude” (see ch. Isaiah 5:13 f., Isaiah 13:4, Isaiah 33:3), but in late usage it acquires the sense of “wealth” (Ecclesiastes 5:9; Psalm 37:16). The wealth of the sea is not the produce of the sea, but seaborne wealth, the wealth of maritime nations.

shall be converted unto thee] shall be turned to thee (R.V.). The stream of commerce shall be diverted from its old channels and flow to Zion.

the forces of the Gentiles] the riches of nations. Cf. Haggai 2:7 (R.V. “the desirable things of all nations”).

6. A multitude of camels] Cf. Ezekiel 26:10; Job 22:11. The word for “multitude” is used of Jehu’s small escort in 2 Kings 9:17. Perhaps “train of camels.”

dromedaries] properly “young camels.” The word does not occur in the O.T. elsewhere; amongst the Arabs it denotes, according to some of the native lexicographers, a camel less than nine years old (Lane’s Lexicon).

Ephah] a Midianite tribe (Genesis 25:4). The Midianites are often mentioned in the O.T., although nearly always (except Habakkuk 3:7) in connexion with the early history. In Genesis 37:28; Genesis 37:36 they appear as traders between the desert and Egypt (in another source—Genesis 37:25; Genesis 37:28—they are called Ishmaelites); in Exodus 2, 18 we find them occupying the Sinaitic peninsula; in Numbers 22, 25, 31 on the east of the Jordan; in Judges 6-8 their hordes invade Palestine. Their proper territory is said to have been east of the Gulf of Akaba, where Ptolemy and the Arabian geographers mention a city of Madian.

all they from Sheba] i.e. (probably) all those of Sheba; although the Hebrew accentuation implies that the subject is the “dromedaries of Midian”; hence R.V. “they all shall come from Sheba.” The meaning would then be that the produce of Sheba was conveyed by Midianite caravans. Sheba (Genesis 10:7 &c.) is a people and country in Arabia Felix (Yemen).

gold and incense] See 1 Kings 10:2; Ezekiel 27:22; Psalm 72:15; Jeremiah 6:20.

shew forth the praises of the Lord] Lit. “proclaim the glad tidings of” His praiseworthy deeds; cf. ch. Isaiah 63:7.

6, 7. The promise of Isaiah 60:5 is expanded in two pictures, seen from Jerusalem’s commanding position between the desert and the sea. The first is a procession of camels and flocks representing the tribute of the East.

7. Kedar (see on ch. Isaiah 21:16) … Nebajoth] Cf. Genesis 25:13 &c. The identification of the latter tribe with the Nabatæans of the classical writers is disputed by some eminent authorities, but it is at least a significant circumstance that “Nabataei et Cedrei” are bracketed together by Pliny, as Nabaitai and Kidrai are associated in Assyrian inscriptions (Schrader, Cuneiform Inscriptions, on Genesis 25:13 f.). The Nabatæans were as powerful in the last three centuries b.c. as the Midianites appear to have been in the days of Moses and the Judges (see on ch. 34 Introd. Note).

shall minister unto thee] serve thee for sacrificial victims. The verb has a liturgical sense (see ch. Isaiah 56:6) and the somewhat peculiar expression is explained by the following clause.

I will glorify &c.] my beautiful house I will beautify (Isaiah 60:13). It is difficult to say whether these words imply that the Temple was already in existence.