Isaiah 60
The Glory of Zion
1“Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the LORD’s glory has risen on you!
2For behold, darkness will cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise on you, and his glory shall be seen on you.
3Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.
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.
5Then you shall see and be radiant, and your heart will thrill and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea will be turned to you. The wealth of the nations will come to you.
6A multitude of camels will cover you, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah. All from Sheba will come. They will bring gold and frankincense, and will proclaim the praises of the LORD.
7All the flocks of Kedar will be gathered together to you. The rams of Nebaioth will serve you. They will be accepted as offerings on my altar; and I will beautify my glorious house.
8“Who are these who fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows?
9Surely the islands will wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring your sons from far away, their silver and their gold with them, for the name of the LORD your God, and for the Holy One of Israel, because he has glorified you.
10“Foreigners will build up your walls, and their kings will serve you; for in my wrath I struck you, but in my favor I have had mercy on you.
11Your gates also shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night, that men may bring to you the wealth of the nations, and their kings led captive.
12For that nation and kingdom that will not serve you shall perish; yes, those nations shall be utterly wasted.
13“The glory of Lebanon shall come to you, the cypress tree, the pine, and the box tree together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary; and I will make the place of my feet glorious.
14The sons of those who afflicted you will come bowing to you; and all those who despised you will bow themselves down at the soles of your feet. They will call you the LORD’s City, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
15“Whereas you have been forsaken and hated, so that no one passed through you, I will make you an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations.
16You will also drink the milk of the nations, and will nurse from royal breasts. Then you will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior, your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.
17For bronze I will bring gold; for iron I will bring silver; for wood, bronze, and for stones, iron. I will also make peace your governor, and righteousness your ruler.
18Violence shall no more be heard in your land, nor desolation or destruction within your borders; but you will call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise.
19The sun will be no more your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon give light to you, but the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.
20Your sun will not go down any more, nor will your moon withdraw itself; for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and the days of your mourning will end.
21Then your people will all be righteous. They will inherit the land forever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified.
22The little one will become a thousand, and the small one a strong nation. I, the LORD, will do this quickly in its time.”
Isaiah 60 presents a magnificent vision of Zion's future glory, where God's light will shine upon Jerusalem and draw all nations to worship there. The chapter depicts a complete reversal of Israel's fortunes, with former enemies bringing tribute and wealth, exiled children returning home, and the city becoming an eternal center of divine presence. This prophecy envisions a transformed world where God's people experience unprecedented prosperity, security, and honor as the focal point of global worship.
Context
This chapter continues the restoration theme from Isaiah 59, moving from God's intervention against sin to the glorious future awaiting redeemed Zion.
Key Themes
Outline
- 1-3The Dawn of Zion's GloryGod's light rises upon Zion while darkness covers the earth, drawing nations and kings to Jerusalem's brightness.
- 4-9The Great IngatheringExiled children return from afar while nations bring their wealth, camels, ships, and tribute to honor the Lord.
- 10-14Foreigners Serve ZionFormer enemies will rebuild Jerusalem's walls and bow before the city, now called the Lord's City and Zion of the Holy One.
- 15-18From Desolation to ExcellenceGod transforms the forsaken city into eternal glory with upgraded materials and rulers named Peace and Righteousness.
- 19-22Eternal Light and GrowthThe Lord himself becomes Zion's everlasting light, and the people multiply greatly in this age of divine favor.
The Glory of Zion
60:1–60:22God promises that Zion will shine with divine glory, attracting nations and kings who will bring wealth and honor to Jerusalem in a future restoration.
theme_rarity
Isaiah 60 uniquely fuses worship and wealth as complementary expressions of divine glory, with nations bringing both their treasures and their reverence to transformed Zion.
Isaiah 60:6
2 Chronicles 9:1lexicalWhen the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to test Solomon with hard questions at Jerusalem, with a…
Judges 8:26lexicalThe weight of the golden earrings that he requested was one thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold, in addition to t…
Isaiah 60:7
Genesis 25:13lexicalThese are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to the order of their birth: the firstborn of Ishm…
1 Chronicles 1:29lexicalThese are their generations: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebaioth; then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam,
Isaiah 60:9
2 Chronicles 9:21lexicalFor the king had ships that went to Tarshish with Huram’s servants. Once every three years, the ships of Tarshish came b…
Isaiah 66:19lexical“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 d…
Ezekiel 38:13lexicalSheba, Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all its young lions, will ask you, ‘Have you come to take the plunder?…
Jeremiah 10:9lexicalThere is silver beaten into plates, which is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the engraver and of…
1 Kings 10:22lexicalFor the king had a fleet of ships of Tarshish at sea with Hiram’s fleet. Once every three years the fleet of Tarshish ca…
Isaiah 60:11
Isaiah 21:8lexicalHe cried like a lion: “Lord, I stand continually on the watchtower in the daytime, and every night I stay at my post.
2 Chronicles 6:20lexicalthat your eyes may be open toward this house day and night, even toward the place where you have said that you would put…
Nehemiah 1:6lexicallet your ear now be attentive and your eyes open, that you may listen to the prayer of your servant which I pray before…
Ezekiel 46:12lexicalWhen the prince prepares a free will offering, a burnt offering or peace offerings as a free will offering to the LORD,…
Isaiah 45:1lexicalThe LORD says to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have held to subdue nations before him and strip kings of th…
Isaiah 60:13
Isaiah 41:19lexicalI will put cedar, acacia, myrtle, and oil trees in the wilderness. I will set cypress trees, pine, and box trees togethe…
Deuteronomy 11:24lexicalEvery place on which the sole of your foot treads shall be yours: from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the r…
Jeremiah 17:12lexicalA glorious throne, set on high from the beginning, is the place of our sanctuary.
Numbers 24:11lexicalTherefore, flee to your place, now! I thought to promote you to great honor; but, behold, the LORD has kept you back fro…
Isaiah 60:17
1 Chronicles 29:2lexicalNow I have prepared with all my might for the house of my God the gold for the things of gold, the silver for the things…
1 Chronicles 22:14lexicalNow, behold, in my affliction I have prepared for the LORD’s house one hundred thousand talents of gold, one million tal…
Joshua 6:19lexicalBut all the silver, gold, and vessels of bronze and iron are holy to the LORD. They shall come into the LORD’s treasury.…
1 Chronicles 29:7lexicaland they gave for the service of God’s house of gold five thousand talents and ten thousand darics, of silver ten thousa…
Joshua 6:24lexicalThey burned the city with fire, and all that was in it. Only they put the silver, the gold, and the vessels of bronze an…
Isaiah 60:19
Habakkuk 3:11lexicalThe sun and moon stood still in the sky at the light of your arrows as they went, at the shining of your glittering spea…
Ezekiel 32:7lexicalWhen I extinguish you, I will cover the heavens and make its stars dark. I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon…
Jeremiah 31:35lexicalThe LORD, who gives the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, wh…
Joel 2:10lexicalThe earth quakes before them. The heavens tremble. The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shini…
Proverbs 4:18lexicalBut the path of the righteous is like the dawning light that shines more and more until the perfect day.
Isaiah 60:20
Ezekiel 32:7lexicalWhen I extinguish you, I will cover the heavens and make its stars dark. I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon…
Isaiah 13:10lexicalFor the stars of the sky and its constellations will not give their light. The sun will be darkened in its going out, an…
Ecclesiastes 12:2lexicalBefore the sun, the light, the moon, and the stars are darkened, and the clouds return after the rain;
Jeremiah 31:35lexicalThe LORD, who gives the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, wh…
Habakkuk 3:11lexicalThe sun and moon stood still in the sky at the light of your arrows as they went, at the shining of your glittering spea…
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