Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Isaiah 60:14
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.
14. The homage done to Zion by her former oppressors is probably to be regarded as the consequence of the new glory which accrues to the Sanctuary ( Isa 60:13).
The sons also feet ] The LXX. reads simply: “And there shall come crouching unto thee the sons of thine afflicters and despisers.” The words omitted (“ all ” and “ shall bow feet ”) are probably a gloss.
The Zion of the Holy One of Israel ] On the construction of the proper name followed by a genitive see Davidson, Syntax, 24, R. 6.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The sons of them that afflicted thee – In the previous verses the prophet had said that strangers and foreigners would become tributary to the true religion. Here, to give variety and interest to the description, he says, that even the descendants of those who had oppressed them would become tributary to them, and acknowledge them as favored by Yahweh.
Shall come bending unto thee – Shall come to time in a posture of humiliation and respect, In regard to the fulfillment of this, we may observe:
1. That there was a partial fulfillment of it in the conquest of Babylon. The sons, the descendants of those who had destroyed Jerusalem, and led the Jews into captivity, were constrained to acknowledge them, and, under Cyrus, to reconduct them to the land of their fathers (see the notes at Isa 14:1-2).
2. It has often occurred, in times of persecution, that the immediate descendants of the persecutors, and that too by means of the persecution, became converted to the true religion, and acknowledged the God of those whom they bad persecuted to be the true God.
3. It often occurs in times when there is no open and public persecution. Many of those now in the church are the children or descendants of those who had been the enemies of the gospel. They themselves did all that could be done, by their lives and examples, to train up their children in opposition to it. But the sovereign mercy of God interposed, and from such he selected heralds of salvation and preachers of righteousness to a lost world, or such as should become shining lights in the more obscure walks of the Christian life.
And all they that despised thee – There shall yet be a universal acknowledgment of the true religion even in those nations that have spurned the gospel. This does not mean that all who have ever despised the true religion shall be converted and saved, but that there shall be a universal acknowledgement that it is of God, and that the church is under his care. See an explanation of this sentiment in the notes at Isa 45:23.
At the soles of thy feet – In a posture of the utmost reverence and submission (see Rev 3:9; compare the notes at Isa 49:23).
And they shall call thee – They shall honor thee as the favored of the Lord; as the abode of the true God (see Isa 2:3).
The Zion … – The Zion, or the royal court where the holy God that is worshipped in Israel dwells.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Isa 60:14
The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee
Honour done to the Church
A promise like this is made to the Church of Philadelphia (Rev 3:9); and it is intended to be–
1.
A mortification to the proud oppressors of the Church.
2. An exaltation to the poor, oppressed ones of the Church.
3. And this is the honour that shall be done them: they shall have an opportunity of doing good to those who have done evil to them, and saving those alive that have afflicted and despised them. It is a pleasure to a good man, and he accounts it an honour, to show mercy to those with whom he has found no mercy. (M. Henry.)
The city of the Lord
The city of the Lord
1. He hath built it for the honour of His majesty.
2. It bears His name.
3. He hath fortified it with impregnable walls and bulwarks.
4. He hath beautified it with the graces of His spirit.
5. He hath replenished it with the blessings of His goodness.
6. He hath felicitated it with His gracious presence.
7. It is the city wherein reside the peculiar people of God, who are the beloved of the Lord, on whom His eyes and His heart are continually fixed.
8. He esteems it above all the kingdoms and empires of the world. (R. Macculloch.)
An ideal city
That city is truly great and honourable, it is strong, it is rich, it is safe, it is beautiful, it is the most desirable place that can be to live in, which is the city of the Lord, which He owns, in which He dwells, in which religion is uppermost. (M. Henry.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
The sons; either their posterity, acknowledging their fathers sins in afflicting thee; or themselves; for it is the manner of the Hebrews to put the sons of a thing for the thing itself.
Bending; humbling themselves, as penitents; this being the sign of reverence and respect; and that either for love or fear submit to the yoke of Christ; they shall be like Christ, of a humble and meek spirit, and the degree of this is mentioned in the next clause.
Bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet: this notes that great degree of submission, that even despisers and enemies shall yield to the church, prostrating themselves as humble suppliants; see Isa 49:23; or rather to Christ, the Head, King, and Husband of the church.
They shall call thee, The city; they shall give her that honourable title, or acknowledge her to be so, and so called, both from the love that God had for her, and from the temple of God that was in her.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
14. The sonsTheir fatherswho “afflicted” Israel having been cut off by divinejudgments (Isa 14:1; Isa 14:2;Isa 49:23).
The Zion of the Holy OneTheroyal court of the Holy One. MAURERtranslates, “Zion, the sanctuary (holy place) ofIsrael” (Isa 57:15; Psa 46:4).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee,…. The posterity of the Jews, who persecuted the first Christian churches, even those who say they are Jews and are not; these shall be convinced of the truth of the Christian religion, and be converted to it, and shall come and worship before the church, and in fellowship with it, and own it to be the true church of God; which is what is foretold shall be in the Philadelphian state, which is the same with the spiritual reign here described; see Re 3:9 or the children of the Roman Heathens, their remote descendants, who formerly greatly distressed the Christians; or rather the posterity of Rome Papal, many of whom shall be called out of her at the time of her destruction, and be humble suppliants to the church of Christ, and be subject to the doctrines, rules, and laws of it, whose ancestors cruelly persecuted it:
and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; a phrase expressive of great respect, veneration, and submission; see Isa 49:23:
and they shall call thee the city of the Lord, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel; instead of calling them heretics, schismatics, and fanatics, as their fathers did, they shall own them to be the true church of Christ; a city of his building, and where he dwells; the object of his choice, delight, and love, as Zion was; a holy people made meet to be the habitation of the God of Israel; which are so many names for the church under the Gospel dispensation; see Heb 12:22.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The prophecy now returns to the world of man. “The children also of thy tormentors come bending unto thee, and all thy despisers stretch themselves at the soles of thy feet, and call thee ‘City of Jehovah, Zion of the Holy One of Israel.’” The persecutors of the church both in work and word are now no more (Isa 26:14), and their children fell themselves disarmed. They are seized with shame and repentance, when they see the church which was formerly tormented and despised so highly exalted. They come sh e choach (an inf. noun of the form , Lam 5:13; used here as an accusative of more precise definition, just as nouns of this kind are frequently connected directly with the verb , Ewald, 279, c), literally a bow or stoop, equivalent to bowing or stooping (the opposite to romah in Mic 2:3), and stretch themselves “at the soles of thy feet,” i.e., clinging to thee as imploringly and obsequiously as if they would lay themselves down under thy very feet, and were not worthy to lie anywhere but there (as in Isa 49:23); and whereas formerly they called thee by nicknames, they now give thee the honourable name of “City of Jehovah, Zion of the Holy One of Israel,” not “Sanctuary of Israel,” as Meier supposes, since q e dosh Israel is always a name of Jehovah in the book of Isaiah. It is a genitive construction like Bethlehem of Judah, Gibeah of Saul, and others.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
14. And the sons of them that afflict thee shall come. He continues the same subject, for he shows how splendid will be this work of redemption; that is, that they who persecuted or despised the Church “shall come,” so as to bow down humbly before her, and submit to her with their whole heart. By “the sons of them that afflict her,” he means the persecutors and enemies who oppressed her. This was indeed partly fulfilled, when the Jews returned to their native country; but that return was nothing more than a dark shadow of the deliverance which we have obtained through Christ. These things were actually accomplished under the reign of Christ, yet so that the full accomplishment of them may be expected at; his second coming, as we have already said under a different passage.
Some one will ask, “Is not this honor, of which the Prophet speaks, excessive and greater than ought to be given to the Church? for to bow down and prostrate ourselves are tokens of honor which no human being ought to receive.” I reply, this honor is rendered, not to the members, but to the Head; that is, to Christ, who is worshipped in the Church; and this worship is rendered by those who formerly hated and persecuted him. Now we say that Christ is worshipped in the Church, not as the Papists do, who think that the honor which they bestow on that Roman idol is rendered to Christ. (159) They for whose sake these things are said reject and despise doctrine; for Christ is honored by those who obey his doctrine. And this is what the Prophet means, that they who were formerly alienated from it shall heartily submit, so as to obey Christ; for if Christ; has any majesty, it shines forth in the doctrine which he administers by the agency of men.
They shall call thee the city of Jehovah. The Church had formerly been adorned with that title; but it was nearly obliterated when the city was destroyed, the temple thrown down, and the people carried into captivity. Jerusalem was no more, and nothing was to be seen in it but frightful desolation; and therefore he means that it shall be restored in such a manner that all shall acknowledge it to be the city of God.
The Zion of the Holy One of Israel. He next speaks of the temple, that all may know that this high rank is ascribed to Jerusalem on account of the temple; that is, on account of the worship of God which the Lord established there.
(159) “ Qui pensent bien honnorer Christ en s’agenouillant derant cette idole de Rome pour baiser sa pantoufle.” “Who think that they greatly honor Christ by kneeling before that idol of Rome to kiss his slipper.”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(14) The sons also of them that afflicted thee . . .The explanation commonly given is that the sons are named because the persecutors themselves are thought of as no more. It seems better, however, to see in the words an expression of the law of inherited retribution, which entered so largely into the Hebrews thought of the moral government of the world. That law will show itself in the prostrate homage with which the descendants of the old oppressors will recognise that the restored city is indeed the Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
14. Sons of them that afflicted thee Descendants of thy ancient persecutors.
Shall come bending unto thee Shall confess the mistakes and sins of their fathers, and shall (not with nicknames or worse, as heretofore) respectfully acknowledge thee to be the city of Jehovah, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel. And they declare thereby their faith in the true God; for Jerusalem stands as the monument proclaiming to the world the true Godhead of Jehovah.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘And the sons of those who afflicted you,
Will come bending to you,
And all those who despised you,
Will bow themselves down at the soles of your feet,
And they will call you ‘the city of Yahweh’,
The Zion of the holy One of Israel.’
Again we note that the subservience is due to what the city is in relation to Yahweh (but compare Isa 49:23 where the point is that those who had demanded their obeisance would now bow down to them. However, it is reasonable to assume that this is because of the status they will have as priests of Yahweh, see Isa 61:6-7). It is because it is the place where Yahweh is that they will bow down, so in reality it is before Yahweh that they will bow down in order to receive His verdict on them. The oppressors, those who have badly treated God’s people, will find themselves called to account. But those who are there, who have borne their suffering because they were His people, will have the satisfaction of seeing their former oppressors having to submit to God, the Holy One, and having to yield before the heavenly existence of the people of God (compare Isa 45:23; Isa 49:23). All rebellion will be over and God will be all in all.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Isa 60:14 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.
Ver. 14. The sons also of them that afflicted thee. ] When once they shall return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, as Mal 3:18 there shall be a strange alteration wrought in them, as was in Paul, Cyprian, Vergerius, Latimer, and others.
Shall bow themselves at the soles of thy feet.
a Eutrop.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
afflicted = oppressed. See Isa 1:7, Isa 1:8; Isa 6:12; Isa 7:16.
shall come, &c. Not fulfilled yet. Mat 8:11 refers to this. Compare Mal 1:11.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
sons: Isa 14:1, Isa 14:2, Isa 45:14, Isa 49:23, Jer 16:19, Rev 3:9
The city: Isa 62:12, Psa 87:3, Heb 12:22, Rev 3:12, Rev 14:1
Reciprocal: Gen 26:28 – was with Gen 37:10 – Shall I Exo 11:3 – Moses Jdg 11:7 – Did not ye hate 2Sa 22:40 – subdued 1Ki 18:7 – fell on 2Ki 1:13 – besought 2Ki 3:12 – Israel 2Ki 5:9 – General Est 6:11 – took Haman Est 7:7 – Haman Est 9:1 – though it was turned Job 11:19 – many Job 42:8 – my servant Job shall Job 42:9 – did Psa 46:4 – city Pro 14:19 – General Son 8:1 – I should not be despised Isa 11:14 – them of the east Isa 26:6 – General Isa 26:11 – be Isa 51:16 – Thou art Eze 36:15 – men Eze 39:7 – the Holy Joe 3:8 – your sons Mic 7:17 – lick Zep 3:19 – and I will Zec 8:3 – a city Zec 9:7 – a governor Zec 9:16 – lifted Luk 14:10 – then Act 2:35 – thy foes Act 16:29 – and fell Act 16:39 – came 1Co 14:25 – falling 2Co 10:5 – and every 2Ti 3:3 – despisers
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Isa 60:14. The sons of them, that afflicted thee Their posterity, or themselves, for it is the manner of the Hebrews so to speak; shall come bending unto thee Humbling themselves as penitents, and thus manifesting their respect and reverence for thee. They shall acknowledge their former errors, or the errors of their fathers, and instead of being persecutors shall become proselytes. And all they that despised thee As a poor, mean, insignificant, and despicable people; shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet Shall prostrate themselves before thee as humble suppliants, or rather before Christ, the head, husband, and king of his church. And they shall call thee, The city of the Lord They shall acknowledge thee to be so, and to be so called, both from the love that God hath to thee, and from the presence of God with thee. As there is no account of any thing like this happening to the Jews, that any people, who had before persecuted and afflicted them, came and made submission to them in such a suppliant manner as is here represented, this must, of necessity, be considered as a description, either, 1st, Of that change of things which was made in the Roman empire, when the highest powers in it, even the emperors themselves, became Christians, in consequence of which the heathen became suppliants to the Christians, whom they had before treated in the most cruel and barbarous manner: or, 2d, Of that still greater change which shall take place, in this respect, when the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our God and of his Christ, and he will make his churchs enemies to come and worship, that is, to prostrate themselves before her feet, and to know that he has loved her, Rev 3:9.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
60:14 The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending to thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves {p} 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.
(p) To worship their head Christ, by obeying his doctrine.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
The descendants of Israel’s persecutors (cf. Isa 39:7) will end up bowing down to the Israelites, honoring them and submitting to them (cf. Est 8:2). They will acknowledge the Israelites collectively as Zion, the city of Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel.
Does this mean that "Zion" is a figure for the future redeemed Israelites and not the name of a real city? Certainly Zion does stand for the future Israelites collectively in Isaiah, but it was also a synonym for Jerusalem, a real city, throughout the Old Testament. Here Isaiah employed the collective meaning of the name.
"The earthliness of this setting seems to preclude assigning it to heaven." [Note: Archer, p. 651.]