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Isaiah

About this book
Chapter 60

1 “Arise! Shine! For your light arrives! The splendor of the Lord shines on you!⁠ 2 For, look, darkness covers the earth and deep darkness covers the nations, but the Lord shines on you; his splendor appears over you.⁠ 3 Nations come to your light, kings to your bright light.⁠ 4 Look all around you! They all gather and come to you—your sons come from far away, and your daughters are escorted by guardians.⁠ 5 Then you will look and smile, you will be excited and your heart will swell with pride. For the riches of distant lands will belong to you, and the wealth of nations will come to you.⁠ 6 Camel caravans will cover your roads, young camels from Midian and Ephah. All the merchants of Sheba will come, bringing gold and incense and singing praises to the Lord.⁠ 7 All the sheep of Kedar will be gathered to you; the rams of Nebaioth will be available to you as sacrifices. They will go up on my altar acceptably, and I will bestow honor on my majestic temple. 8 Who are these who float along like a cloud, who fly like doves to their shelters? 9 Indeed, the coastlands look eagerly for me; the large ships are in the lead, bringing your sons from far away, along with their silver and gold, to honor the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has bestowed honor on you. 10 Foreigners will rebuild your walls; their kings will serve you. Even though I struck you down in my anger, I will restore my favor and have compassion on you. 11 Your gates will remain open at all times; they will not be shut during the day or at night so that the wealth of nations may be delivered, with their kings leading the way.⁠ 12 Indeed, nations or kingdoms that do not serve you will perish; such nations will definitely be destroyed. 13 The splendor of Lebanon will come to you, its evergreens, firs, and cypresses together, to beautify my palace; I will bestow honor at the place of my feet24.⁠ 14 The children of your oppressors will come bowing to you; all who treated you with disrespect will bow down at your feet. They will call you, ‘The City of the Lord, Zion of the Holy One of Israel.’ 15 You were once abandoned and despised, with no one passing through, but I will make you a permanent source of pride and joy to coming generations. 16 You will drink the milk of nations; you will nurse at the breasts of kings.⁠ Then you will recognize that I, the Lord, am your Deliverer, your Protector, the Powerful One of Jacob. 17 Instead of bronze, I will bring you gold; instead of iron, I will bring you silver; instead of wood, I will bring you bronze; instead of stones, I will bring you iron. I will make prosperity your overseer, and vindication your sovereign ruler. 18 Sounds of violence will no longer be heard in your land, or the sounds of destruction and devastation within your borders. You will name your walls, ‘Deliverance’ and your gates, ‘Praise.’ 19 The sun will no longer supply light for you by day, nor will the moon’s brightness shine on you; the Lord will be your permanent source of light—the splendor of your God will shine upon you.⁠ 20 Your sun will no longer set; your moon will not disappear; the Lord will be your permanent source of light; your time of sorrow will be over. 21 All your people will be godly; they will possess the land permanently. I will plant them like a shoot; they will be the product of my labor, through whom I reveal my splendor.⁠ 22 The least of you will multiply into a thousand; the smallest of you will become a large nation. When the right time comes, I the Lord will quickly do this!”⁠

Texts in conversation

Compare Isaiah 60:1 and Ephesians 5:14

Hebrew Bible · New Testament

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Summary

Ephesians reshapes language from Isaiah, blending two passages that describe rising from darkness and seeing new light. In Isaiah, this light depicts the nation’s renewal after exile, and in Ephesians it is used to teach about growth centered on Jesus.

Passages

Isaiah 60:1

Hebrew Bible
1 “Arise! Shine! For your light arrives! The splendor of the Lord shines on you! 2 For, look, darkness covers the earth and deep darkness covers the nations, but the Lord shines on you; his splendor appears over you. 3 Nations come to your light, kings to your bright light. 4 Look all around you! They all gather and come to you—your sons come from far away, and your daughters are escorted by guardians. 5 Then you will look and smile, you will be excited and your heart will swell with pride. For the riches of distant lands will belong to you, and the wealth of nations will come to you.
740–450 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Isaiah

Ephesians 5:14

New Testament
11 Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 For the things they do in secret are shameful even to mention. 13 But all things being exposed by the light are made visible. 14 For everything made visible is light, and for this reason it says: “Awake, O sleeper! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you!” 15 Therefore consider carefully how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 taking advantage of every opportunity because the days are evil.
90–100 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in Ephesians

References

"... Although this excerpt does include strong allusions to Isaiah 26:19 and 60:1-2, it does not cohere closely with either text ... Certainly, the first two lines of 5:14 have close linkage with Isaiah 26:19 ... The text in Isaiah 60:1-2 contributes conceptual parallels to the citation, with the notion of the 'Light of the Lord' rising and shining on his people who dwell in darkness. Isaiah 60:1 also begins with second person singular imperatives, including the verb 'arise' in the underlying Hebrew. It appears, therefore, that Paul's citation represents an amalgamation of at least these two Isaianic texts ..."
Jonathan M. Lunde and John A. Dunne, Paul's Creative and Contextual Use of Isaiah in Ephesians 5:14 (Journal of the Evangelical Society, 2012), 87–110.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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Isaiah 60:1 and Ephesians 5:14

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