1 Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen vpon thee.
2 For behold, the darknesse shall couer the earth, and grosse darknesse the people: but the Lord shall arise vpon thee, and his glory shall be seene vpon thee.
3 And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightnesse of thy rising.
4 Lift vp thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselues together, they come to thee: thy sonnes shall come from farre, and thy daughters shalbe nourced at thy side.
5 Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall feare and be inlarged, because the abundance of the Sea shalbe conuerted vnto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come vnto thee.
6 The multitude of camels shall couer thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah: all they from Sheba shall come: they shal bring gold and incense, and they shall shew forth the praises of the Lord.
7 All the flockes of Kedar shall be gathered together vnto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister vnto thee: they shall come vp with acceptance on mine altar, and I wil glorifie the house of my glory.
8 Who are these that flie as a cloude, and as the doues to their windowes?
9 Surely the yles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sonnes from farre, their siluer and their gold with them, vnto the Name of the Lord thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee.
10 And the sonnes of strangers shall build vp thy walles, and their kings shal minister vnto thee: for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my fauour haue I had mercie on thee.
11 Therefore thy gates shal be open continually, they shall not bee shut day nor night, that men may bring vnto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought.
12 For the nation and kingdome that will not serue thee, shall perish, yea those nations shall be vtterly wasted.
13 The glory of Lebanon shal come vnto thee, the Firre tree, the Pine tree, and the Boxe together, to beautifie the place of my Sanctuarie, and I will make the place of my feete glorious.
14 The sonnes also of them that afflicted thee, shall come bending vnto thee: and all they that despised thee shal bow themselues downe at the soles of thy feet, and they shall call thee the citie of the Lord, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
15 Whereas thou hast bene forsaken and hated, so that no man went thorow thee, I will make thee an eternall excellencie, a ioy of many generations.
16 Thou shalt also sucke the milke of the Gentiles, and shalt sucke the brest of kings, and thou shalt know that I the Lord am thy Sauiour and thy Redeemer, the mightie One of Iacob.
17 For brasse I will bring gold, and for yron I will bring siluer, and for wood brasse, and for stones yron: I will also make thy officers peace, and thine exactours righteousnesse.
18 Uiolence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders, but thou shalt call thy walles saluation, and thy gates praise.
19 The Sunne shall be no more thy light by day, neither for brightnesse shall the moone giue light vnto thee: but the Lord shall be vnto thee an euerlasting light, & thy God thy glory.
20 Thy Sunne shall no more goe downe, neither shall thy moone withdraw it selfe: for the Lord shall bee thine euerlasting light, and the dayes of thy mourning shall be ended.
21 Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shal inherit the land for euer, the branch of my planting, the worke of my hands, that I may be glorified.
22 A litle one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the Lord will hasten it in his time.
The glories of the church of God, when the fulness of the Gentiles shall come in. (1-8) and the Jews shall be converted and gathered from their dispersions. (9-14) and the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ. (15-22)1-8 As far as we have the knowledge of God in us, and the favour of God towards us, our light is come. And if God's glory is seen upon us to our honour, we ought, not only with our lips, but in our lives, to return its praise. We meet with nothing in the history of the Jews which can be deemed a fulfilment of the prophecy in this chapter; we must conclude it relates principally to future events. It predicts the purity and enlargement of the church. The conversion of souls is here described. They fly to Christ, to the church, to the word and ordinances, as doves to their own home; thither they fly for refuge and shelter, thither they fly for rest. What a pleasant sight to see poor souls hastening to Christ!
9-14 God will be very gracious. We must begin with his promise, thence all mercies take rise. Many shall be brought into the church, even from far countries. Christ is always ready to receive all who come to him; and the gate of mercy is always open, night and day. All that are about the church shall be made serviceable to it. But those who will not be subject to Christ's golden sceptre, to his word and Spirit, who will not be kept in by the laws and rules of his family, shall be broken in pieces by his iron rod. The peculiar advantages of every nation, and of every description of men, shall join to beautify the church of Christ. We must suppose this to be accomplished in the beauties of holiness, and the graces and comforts of the Spirit, with which gospel ordinances are adorned and enriched. Blessed be his name, the gates of Zion are ever open to returning sinners.
15-22 We must look for the full accomplishment in times and things, exceeding those of the Old Testament church. The nations and their kings shall lay themselves out for the good of the church. Such a salvation, such a redemption, shall be wrought out for thee, as discovers itself to be the work of the Lord. Every thing shall be changed for the better. In thy land shall no more be heard threats of those that do violence, nor complaints of those that suffer violence. Thy walls shall be means of safety, thy gates shall be written upon with praises to God. In the close of this chapter are images and expressions used in the description of the New Jerusalem, #Re 21:23; 22:5|. Nothing can answer to this but some future glorious state of the church on earth, or the state of the church triumphant in heaven. Those that make God their only light, shall have him their all-sufficient light. And the happiness shall know no change or alloy. No people on earth are all righteous; but there are no mixtures in heaven. They shall be wholly righteous. The spirits of just men shall there be made perfect. The glory of the church shall be to the honour of God. When it shall be finished, it will appear a work of wonder. It may seem too difficult to be brought about, but the God of almighty power has undertaken it. It may seem to be delayed and put off; but the Lord will hasten it in the time appointed by his wisdom, though not in the time prescribed by our folly. Let this hope cheer us under all difficulties, and stir us up to all diligence, that we may have an abundant entrance into this everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.