Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Isaiah 60:11
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.
11. For Therefore read And (R.V. “also”).
the riches of nations ] as Isa 60:5.
and that their kings may be brought ] R.V. and their kings led with them; a circumstantial clause. Some commentators would change the passive participle into an active: “their kings being the leaders.” The alteration seems unnecessary.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Therefore thy gates shall be open continually – The main idea here is, probably, that the accession from the pagan world, and the consequent influx of converts, would be so great, that there would be a necessity that the gates should never be closed. It is possible, also, that the prophet meant to describe that time as a period of security and peace. The gates of cities were closed in time of war, and at night, to guard them from danger. But in those times, such would be the prevalence of peace, and such would be the purposes for which the multitude of strangers would come from all parts of the world, that the gates might be left open, and the city unguarded at all times. The sense is –
1. That there will be immense multitudes that shall enter the true church from the pagan world.
2. That the gospel will be constantly and unceasingly offered to people. The doors of the church shall at no time be closed. By day and by night, at all seasons and in all places, people may come and obtain salvation. None shall be excluded because the gates shall be closed upon them; none because they are strangers and have come from distant lands; none because there will be no room; none because the conflux shall be so great that the provisions of mercy will be exhausted.
3. It will be a time of safety when the world shall be brought under the influence and the dominion of the Prince of Peace. There will be no need of closing the gates of cities, or of building walls around them. There will be no need to guard against hostile armies or the intrusions of hordes of banditti. There will be no need of guarding against the fraud, oppressions, and dishonest arts of other people. If the principles of the true religion everywhere prevailed, there would be no need of wails to cities, or gates, or bars; no need of ramparts, of ships of war, and of fortifications; no need of bolts and locks and iron chests to guard our property. No true Christian needs to guard himself or his property against another true Christian. No lock, no bolt, no wall, no gate, no iron safe has been made in order to guard against a man who is the sincere friend of the Redeemer. They are made to guard against wicked people; and when universal truth and righteousness prevail, they may be suffered to rust and rot for want of use. Should the principles of Christianity be everywhere diffused, the walls of all cities might be suffered to fall down; their gates to stand open until they should decay; ships of war to lie in the dock until they should sink to the bottom, forts and fleets to be dismantled; and the whole business of making locks and shackles, and of building prisons and manufacturing instruments of war, would come to an end.
That men may bring unto thee – So many shall be coming with the wealth of the Gentiles, that the gates shall be continually open.
The forces of the Gentiles – The wealth of the pagan (see the notes at Isa 60:5).
And that their kings may be brought – Lowth renders this, That their kings may come pompously attended. Noyes, May come with their retinues. The Chaldee renders it, And their kings be brought bound, or in chains. But the Hebrew word used here ( nehugym) denotes simply that they would be led or conducted in any way; and the idea is, that they would be induced, by the force of truth, to come and devote themselves to the service of God, They might be expected, indeed, to come, as Lowth says, pompously attended, but this idea is not in t the Hebrew text.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Therefore; for that end and purpose; or by reason of the conflux of people that shall be continually flocking thither, arguing abundance of peace and security, and great enlargement of the church, and that the Christian church shall be always open to the godly, to receive all comers freely.
The forces; or, wealth; either all wherein they excel, or all the prey taken in fight.
May be brought, as it were, captives in chains, such as they took in war, being made victorious, so say some; but rather, such as were led and conducted in state.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
11. (Re21:25). The gates are ever open to receive new offerings andconverts (Isa 26:2; Act 14:27;Rev 3:8). In time of peacethe gates of a city are open: so, under the Prince of peace, thereshall be no need of barring gates against invaders.
forcesriches.
be broughtas willingcaptives to the truth; or, if not willingly, be bought byjudgments to submit to Israel (Isa 60:12;Isa 60:14). GESENIUSexplains it, “may come escorted by a retinue.“
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Therefore thy gates shall be open continually,…. This is expressive both of the peaceable state of the church, that she shall be in no danger, nor fear of enemies; there being none to hurt and destroy in all the holy mountain; and therefore under no concern to keep her gates shut; see Eze 38:11 and of the vast concourse of people to it continually; converts from all parts shall be always coming in, and the gates of the church will stand open always to receive them; they will be welcome, come as many as will; there will be no objection to them, no hinderance of them; ministers and people will gladly embrace them; see Isa 26:2 and likewise of the capacity of the church to receive them; for though they will be continually coming in great numbers, yet still there will be room; the gates will not be shut upon them, as unable to receive more; place will be given for them to dwell in; her tents will be enlarged; the curtains of her habitation stretched out; her cords lengthened, and stakes strengthened; so that though she breaks forth on the right hand, and on the left, there will be room for them all, Isa 54:2,
they shall not be shut day nor night; this clause is referred to in
Re 21:25 but there differently expressed,
and the gates of it shall not be shut at all day, for there shall be no night there; the reason of which difference is, because the New Jerusalem state, or personal reign of Christ, will be a perfect state, and no night at all in it; but the spiritual reign of Christ, to which this prophecy relates, will be an imperfect one, though glorious; and therefore mention is made both of day and night:
that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles; the whole strength of them, their armies; [See comments on Isa 60:5]. The Targum paraphrases it, the substance of the people, their wealth and riches:
and that their kings may be brought; or “led” d, either in state, as kings on horseback sometimes are, or rather as captives in chains; see
Isa 20:4, so the Targum renders it, “bound”; being conquered by mighty grace, and led in chains of love to Christ, and to his church, and become obedient. Kimchi has this note,
“they shall come before the King Messiah, as servants before their masters.”
d “ducti”, Vatablus, Calvin; “ducantur”, Tigurine version; “ductos”, Cocceius.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
11. And thy gates shall be open continually. The ordinary exposition of this verse is incorrect. The Prophet is generally supposed to mean that the Church will be perfectly safe under the Lord’s protection and guardianship; for “open gates” indicate that danger is far off. But I think that the Prophet himself explains it; namely, that the gates shall be open, that riches may be brought into the city from every quarter. And as burdens are usually carried in the daytime, “The day,” he says, “will not be enough, so vast shall be the crowd of those who bring into it precious treasures, and therefore the carrying will be so constant that it will be necessary to keep the gates open night and day.” (157)
When he says that the riches of the Gentiles shall belong to the Church, let us not view this as referring to carnal luxury, but to obedience, which the whole world shall render to God in the Church; for he says that what is offered to God belongs to the Church, because here God has nothing separate from it.
That their kings may be led. I prefer retaining the participial form which the Prophet employs, instead of following those who change it into a verb. Such commentators corrupt the Prophet’s meaning, who expressly added this, because so great is the haughtiness of kings that they can scarcely endure to be led, but. rather, relying on their power, give free scope to their inclinations, and not only are driven along so as to be the sport of their passions, but., like violent torrents, drag others along with them. He shows, therefore, that these kings, though naturally haughty and ungovernable, shall submit to the authority of God and of the Church.
(157) “The idea conveyed by the gates never being shut is that of the continual arrival of the multitudes referred to. Modern travelers greatly complain of the inconvenience to which they are put, when they do not reach Jerusalem before the gates are closed. The Apostle John borrows the language in his description of the New Jerusalem. (Rev 21:25) The ideas of security and peace are implied.” Henderson.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(11) Thy gates shall be open continually.The words imply (1) a state of peace in which there would be no danger of attack; and (2) the constant stream of caravans of pilgrims, With their offerings, entering by night as well as day. It is interesting to note St. Johns transfer of the thought to the heavenly Jerusalem (Rev. 21:25-26).
The forces of the Gentiles.Better, the riches, or the possessions.
That their kings may be brought . . .The verb, as in Isa. 20:4, 1Sa. 30:2, implies that they are brought as captives, acknowledging, with or against their will, the sovereignty of Zion.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
11. Thy gates open continually day nor night The gates of Zion, because thus open, denote the unremitting influx of converted new comers.
Forces of the Gentiles “Forces” not unlikely their wealth as well as their people. (See Isa 60:5.)
Their kings That these may be “brought bound, or in chains,” ( Chaldee Paraph.;) “pompously attended,” ( Lowth;) “with their retinues,” ( Noyes.) But the Hebrew rather means, that they may be brought or led, in any way, (as by the force of truth,) to serve Jehovah. The following, however, is quite as likely to be the idea intended: that their kings may be led in as captives to grace the triumph of the true religion, after a long time making themselves brave against it.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Isa 60:11 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.
Ver. 11. Therefore shall thy gates be open continually. ] Such shall be thy spiritual security, and so great the resort unto thee
And that their kings may be brought.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
thy gates shall be open. Hebrew they shall keep thy gates open. The word “they” is impersonal: i.e. they who are continually bringing the exiles with their riches. Compare the same idiom in Luk 12:20, “they demand thy soul”.
not be shut. These coming times are already being foreshadowed, for this has already been the case for the past few years. This looks beyond the Ezra- Nehemiah period, for see Neh 13:19.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Therefore: The subject of this chapter, says Bp. Lowth, is the great increase and flourishing state of the church of God, by the conversion and accession of the heathen nations to it; which is set forth in such ample and exalted terms, as plainly shew that the full completion of this prophecy is reserved for future times. This subject is displayed in the most splendid colours, under a great variety of images highly poetical, designed to give a general idea of the glories of that perfect state of the church of God, which we are taught to expect in the latter times; when the fulness of the Gentiles shall come in, and the Jews shall be converted and gathered from their dispersions, and “the kingdom of this world shall become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ.”
thy gates: Neh 13:19, Rev 21:25
forces: or, wealth, Isa 60:5, *marg.
Reciprocal: Jos 2:5 – of shutting Jos 10:24 – put your feet Psa 2:10 – O Psa 45:9 – Kings’ Psa 45:12 – rich Son 8:8 – what Isa 2:2 – and all Isa 26:2 – Open Isa 49:23 – kings Isa 61:6 – ye shall eat Isa 62:2 – all kings Eze 48:31 – General Dan 7:27 – the kingdom and
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Open gates indicate peaceful conditions. Isaiah foresaw the nations, led by their kings, bringing their riches into Jerusalem to offer them as gifts to the Lord (cf. Rev 21:24-27). The kings follow the lead of another, probably the Lord Himself, who draws their allegiance. This will be a great triumphant procession.