Isaiah 66 19

Isaiah 66:19 kjv

And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tubal, and Javan, to the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles.

Isaiah 66:19 nkjv

I will set a sign among them; and those among them who escape I will send to the nations: to Tarshish and Pul and Lud, who draw the bow, and Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands afar off who have not heard My fame nor seen My glory. And they shall declare My glory among the Gentiles.

Isaiah 66:19 niv

"I will set a sign among them, and I will send some of those who survive to the nations?to Tarshish, to the Libyans and Lydians (famous as archers), to Tubal and Greece, and to the distant islands that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory. They will proclaim my glory among the nations.

Isaiah 66:19 esv

and I will set a sign among them. And from them I will send survivors to the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands far away, that have not heard my fame or seen my glory. And they shall declare my glory among the nations.

Isaiah 66:19 nlt

I will perform a sign among them. And I will send those who survive to be messengers to the nations ? to Tarshish, to the Libyans and Lydians (who are famous as archers), to Tubal and Greece, and to all the lands beyond the sea that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory. There they will declare my glory to the nations.

Isaiah 66 verses

Isaiah 66 19 meaning

Isaiah 66:19 reveals God's universal plan for salvation and self-revelation. It states that the Lord will perform a wondrous act ("set a sign") among His people. From this faithful remnant, He will commission and send those who have survived His judgment as missionaries to the most distant nations on earth—peoples who have never encountered His fame or witnessed His glory. The purpose of this global dispatch is for these sent ones to powerfully proclaim God's majesty and honor among these unreached Gentile peoples, thus extending the knowledge of the One true God to the farthest corners of the world.

Isaiah 66 19 Context

Isaiah chapter 66 is the concluding chapter of the entire book, drawing together many of Isaiah's central themes of judgment, redemption, and universal eschatological hope. It begins by challenging superficial worship, contrasting it with true humility before God. It then speaks of a new Jerusalem, God's comfort for His people, and the astonishing birth of a new nation in a day (vv. 7-14). While promising blessings for the righteous remnant, it also prophesies fiery judgment upon those who reject Him (vv. 15-18). Verse 19 shifts abruptly to a grand, universal vision following this judgment. The global reach of God's redemptive plan, a thread woven throughout Isaiah, culminates here as the nations are brought into a relationship with God through the witness of a redeemed Israel. This serves as a powerful theological conclusion to a book deeply concerned with God's sovereignty over all creation and His ultimate purpose for humanity. Historically, Isaiah was prophesying to Judah during a period of Assyrian and Babylonian threats, encouraging faithfulness but also offering a vision beyond their immediate trials. The polemic against limited nationalistic understanding of God is clear, emphasizing God's global intent.

Isaiah 66 19 Word analysis

• And I will set (וְשַׂמְתִּי֙ - ve'samti): From the Hebrew verb śûm, meaning "to place, set, appoint." This emphasizes a deliberate and powerful divine action. God initiates and orchestrates this event.
• a sign (אוֹת - ʾôt): A mark, token, wonder, miracle, or divine sign. It's not just a symbol but often a miraculous display or an event that points to God's presence and power. The precise nature of this sign here is debated: it could be the act of judgment that distinguishes the remnant, the miraculous preservation of the remnant itself, or perhaps the subsequent global mission and ingathering. It is a demonstrable act of God to serve as a testimony.
• among them (בָהֶ֣ם - bahem): Refers to God's people, likely the surviving remnant who have just experienced God's powerful acts of judgment and salvation. The sign is first demonstrated within Israel.
• And from them (וְשִׁלַּחְתִּ֣י מֵהֶם - ve'shilakhti mehem): God sending out from these survivors/remnant. This establishes the remnant as the agents of this global mission, highlighting that God uses His redeemed people.
• survivors (פְּלֵיטִים - peleytim): Those who have escaped or been delivered, the remnant saved from divine judgment. Their very existence is a testament to God's mercy and power, making them credible messengers.
• to the nations (אֶל־הַגּוֹיִ֗ם - el ha'goyim): "The Gentiles." This marks a decisive move from a focus on Israel to the universal scope of God's plan.
• to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud (תַּרְשִׁ֤ישׁ פּ֥וּל וְל֖וּד - Tarshish Pul ve'Lud):
  • Tarshish: Often identified with a city in modern Spain or a far western Mediterranean port. Symbolized the distant ends of the earth reachable by sea (Jon 1:3).
  • Pul: An ancient, obscure nation, possibly related to North Africa or Libya, or an Aramaic reference to Phut.
  • Lud: Either Lydia in Asia Minor or an African nation (perhaps related to Libyans/Lydians known for archery).These names represent far-flung, distinct regions, emphasizing a broad geographical spread.
• who draw the bow (מֹ֣שְׁכֵי קֶ֔שֶׁת - mosh'khey qeshet): Describes a people known for their military prowess as archers, potentially Lud. This detail adds a sense of these nations' identity and strength, yet they too will come to know God.
• to Tubal and Javan (תֻּבָ֥ל וְיָוָ֖ן - Tuval ve'Yavan):
  • Tubal: Located in Asia Minor, north of Israel, known for metalworking (Ezek 38:2).
  • Javan: Greece and the Aegean Islanders/Ionians.These further extend the geographical scope to the north and northwest, emphasizing a comprehensive global reach.
• to the distant coasts and islands (אֶל־הָאִיִּ֤ים הָרְחֹקִים֙ - el ha'iyyim ha'rechokim): Literal meaning is "islands of the distant ones" or "distant coastlands." A comprehensive term for maritime regions and remote places, emphasizing the extreme periphery of the known world.
• that have not heard My fame (אֲשֶׁר֙ לֹֽא־שָׁמְע֣וּ שִׁמְעִ֔י - asher lo shama'u shim'i): They have not received knowledge of God's renown or His report. This denotes spiritual ignorance, making them ripe for initial evangelization.
• or seen My glory (וְלֹא־רָא֥וּ כְבוֹדִֽי - ve'lo ra'u kevodiy): They have not witnessed His manifested presence, power, or splendor. They are outside the sphere of His visible self-revelation to Israel. Kavod signifies God's weighty, majestic presence.
• And they will declare (וְהִגִּ֥ידוּ - ve'higgidu): From nagad, meaning "to tell, announce, declare." It is a proactive, verbal proclamation. The remnant will bear witness.
• My glory (כְבוֹדִֽי - kevodiy): The specific content of their proclamation. The essence of God's character, power, and redemptive majesty.
• among the nations (בַגּוֹיִ֖ם - ba'goyim): Repetition to reinforce the universal audience and purpose of this mission.

Words-group analysis:

• "And I will set a sign among them": This powerful opening signals a divinely initiated, dramatic event or series of events that will serve as God's undeniable proof of His sovereignty, demonstrated within the restored remnant of Israel. This sign will not merely be seen by them, but potentially emanate from them or be a visible testimony concerning them.
• "And from them I will send survivors to the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to the distant coasts and islands": This phrase paints a picture of the global mission field. The survivors of God's judgment become His emissaries. The extensive list of nations, spanning west (Tarshish, Javan), north (Tubal), and possibly south/southeast (Pul, Lud), represents the entire gentile world, a direct challenge to any narrow, ethnocentric view of God's redemptive scope.
• "that have not heard My fame or seen My glory": This highlights the mission's focus on the unreached. These nations are in spiritual darkness, ignorant of God's unique identity, His mighty acts, and His majestic presence, underscoring the necessity of this missionary endeavor.
• "And they will declare My glory among the nations": This is the ultimate objective. The dispatched remnant will not just exist, but actively and verbally proclaim God's attributes, His power, and His manifest being to these ignorant nations, transforming their darkness into light and drawing them to Him. The repetition of "nations" emphasizes the wide reach of this proclamation.

Isaiah 66 19 Bonus section

The "sign" (Hebrew: ʾôt) is multifaceted. It often implies a miraculous demonstration or a historical event that irrevocably alters perception. In Isaiah's context, it likely refers to God's final, climactic act of judgment and salvation concerning Israel, particularly the preserving of a faithful remnant (e.g., Is 66:15-18 implies a fiery judgment, which then makes way for the "sign"). The very existence of this preserved, Spirit-empowered remnant could be considered the living 'sign' and testimony to God's power and covenant faithfulness, which then serves as the launching pad for their mission to the world.

The enumeration of specific nations, though some are difficult to precisely locate today (Pul and Lud), serves a rhetorical purpose common in prophetic literature. It signifies totality rather than exclusivity. By naming the known extremities of their geographical imagination, Isaiah stresses that no part of the earth, and no people group, is beyond the reach of God's salvific purpose or excluded from hearing about His glory. It challenges a worldview that confines God's activity to Israel's borders, setting the stage for a fully universal redemptive reality.

Isaiah 66 19 Commentary

Isaiah 66:19 presents an extraordinary vision of God's universal reach, revealing His determination to make His glory known throughout the earth. Following divine judgment that purges a remnant in Israel, God performs a "sign"—a momentous display of His power and presence. This sign empowers and commissions the very survivors, those who have personally experienced God's saving grace. These agents, having survived a refining fire, are then supernaturally sent out to the most remote, unreached corners of the globe. The listed nations, from Tarshish in the far west to Tubal and Javan in the north/west, and Pul and Lud, representing other distant, unknown territories, emphasize the totality of the Gentile world. Critically, these are nations that have hitherto been ignorant of Yahweh, having neither "heard My fame nor seen My glory." The core purpose of this mission is clear: "they will declare My glory among the nations." This isn't passive evangelism but an active, zealous proclamation of God's unique majesty, sovereignty, and redemptive power. It prefigures the New Testament missionary enterprise (Acts 1:8, Rom 15:9-12), showcasing God's consistent plan for the redemption of all peoples. It serves as an enduring call for the people of God to participate in His global purpose, extending the good news beyond their cultural and geographical boundaries.

• Practical Example: The modern church sending missionaries to unreached people groups who have never heard the name of Jesus or witnessed God's transformative power in community.