Isaiah 2:5

5 Come ye, the house of Jacob, and go we in the light of the Lord.

Isaiah 2:5 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 2:5

O house of Jacob
This is either an exhortation of the prophet to the men of his generation, to attend to the light of the law, which the Lord had given them, as Aben Ezra and Kimchi; or rather, as the Targum and Jarchi suggest, an exhortation of the nations to the people of Israel, and are indeed the words of the converted Gentiles to the people of the Jews, being concerned for their conversion and spiritual welfare, as will appear in the latter day; when they will not only encourage one another to go up to the house of the Lord, as in the preceding verses, but will be very solicitous that the Jews, the posterity of Jacob, share with them in all that light and glory that shall be risen upon Zion; as follows:

come ye, and let us walk in the light of the Lord;
meaning either Christ, in whom the light of the knowledge of the glory of God is given, and the glory of all the perfections of the divine nature is displayed; who is that light that dwells with the Lord, was sent forth by him, and came into this world as the light of it, and is given for a light to the Gentiles, as well as the glory of the people of Israel; and who is the author of all light; of corporeal light, in the first creation; of the sun, moon, and stars; of the light of nature in every man; of the light of the Gospel of the grace of God; of the spiritual light of grace in the hearts of his people; and of the light of eternal glory: or else the Gospel is intended, called the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, ( 2 Corinthians 4:4 ) by which some are only notionally enlightened, and some spiritually and savingly, when it is attended with the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ: or rather, the light of the latter day glory, which includes the other two; when Christ and his Gospel will be more clearly revealed and seen, not only by the watchmen, who will see eye to eye, but by all the saints; when the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun sevenfold as the light of seven days, and the whole earth shall be lightened with its glory, ( Isaiah 30:26 ) ( Revelation 18:1 ) and to "walk" in this light, as it respects Christ, is to walk by faith in him, to go on in believing views of him, and to walk in imitation of him, and as he directs; and as it respects the Gospel, it is to embrace it, profess it, hold it fast, and hold it forth; and to walk as that prescribes and guides, and as becomes it; and to walk as children of the light, wisely and circumspectly; worthy of the calling of God, of the grace he calls by, and the kingdom he calls to: and to walk in the light of the latter day glory is to enjoy it, and share in all the blessings of it, with perseverance therein, through the grace of God; and such walking is pleasant and comfortable; such shall have the communion of God and Christ, and fellowship one with another, and at last enjoy the light of life. ( John 8:12 ) ( John 12:35 John 12:36 ) ( 1 John 1:7 ) ( Revelation 21:23 Revelation 21:24 )

Isaiah 2:5 In-Context

3 and many peoples shall go, and shall say, Come ye, ascend we to the hill of the Lord, and to the house of God of Jacob; and he shall teach us his ways, and we shall go in the paths of him. For why the law shall go out of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. (and many peoples shall go, and shall say, Come ye, let us go up the mountain of the Lord, to the House of the God of Jacob; and he shall teach us his ways, and we shall go on his paths. For the Law shall go out from Zion, yea, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.)
4 And he shall deem heathen men, and he shall reprove many peoples; and they shall weld together their swords into shares , and their spears into sickles, either scythes; folk shall no more raise sword against folk, and they shall no more be exercised, either haunted, to battle. (And he shall judge the heathen, and he shall rebuke many peoples; and they shall weld together their swords into plowshares, and their spears into sickles, or into scythes; nation shall no more raise sword against nation, and they shall no more prepare for battle.)
5 Come ye, the house of Jacob, and go we in the light of the Lord.
6 Forsooth thou hast cast away thy people, the house of Jacob, for they be filled as sometime before; and they had false diviners by the chittering of birds, as (the) Philistines, and they cleaved to alien children (and they married foreigners, or strangers).
7 The land is filled with silver and gold, and none end is of the treasures thereof; and the land thereof is filled with horses, and the four-horsed carts thereof be unnumberable. (The land is filled with silver and gold, and there is no end to its treasures; and the land is filled with horses, and its chariots be innumerable.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.