Isaiah 5:26

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Isaiah

Isaiah 5

26 He lifts up a banner for the distant nations, he whistles for those at the ends of the earth. Here they come, swiftly and speedily!

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Isaiah 5:26 in Other Translations

KJV

26 And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly:

ESV

26 He will raise a signal for nations far away, and whistle for them from the ends of the earth; and behold, quickly, speedily they come!

NLT

26 He will send a signal to distant nations far away and whistle to those at the ends of the earth. They will come racing toward Jerusalem.

MSG

26 He raises a flag, signaling a distant nation, whistles for people at the ends of the earth. And here they come - on the run!

CSB

26 He raises a signal flag for the distant nations and whistles for them from the ends of the earth. Look-how quickly and swiftly they come!

Isaiah 5:26 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 5:26

And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far,
&c.] Not to the Chaldeans or Babylonians, for they were not nations, but one nation, and were a people near; but to the Romans, who consisted of many nations, and were afar off, and extended their empire to the ends of the earth; these, by one providence or another, were stirred up to make an expedition into the land of Judea, and besiege Jerusalem: and this lifting up of an ensign is not, as sometimes, for the gathering and enlisting of soldiers, or to prepare them for the battle, or to give them the signal when to begin the fight; but as a direction to decamp and proceed on a journey, on some expedition: and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth,
or "to him" ^F9; the king, or general of them, wherever he is, even though at the end of the earth: and the phrase denotes the secret and powerful influence of divine Providence, in moving upon the hearts of the Romans, and their general, to enter upon such a design against the Jews; and which was as easily done as for one man to hiss or call to another; or as for a shepherd to whistle for his sheep; to which the allusion seems to be; the Lord having the hearts of all in his hands, and can turn them as he pleases, to do his will: and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly;
or "he shall come"; the king with his army; and so the Targum paraphrases it;

``and behold, a king with his army shall come swiftly, as light clouds;''

this shows the swift and sudden destruction that should come upon the Jews; and is an answer to their scoffs, ( Isaiah 5:19 ) .

FOOTNOTES:

F9 (wl) "ei", Vatablus; Montanus; "illi", Cocceius; "ad se", Junius & Tremellius.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Isaiah 5:26 In-Context

24 Therefore, as tongues of fire lick up straw and as dry grass sinks down in the flames, so their roots will decay and their flowers blow away like dust; for they have rejected the law of the LORD Almighty and spurned the word of the Holy One of Israel.

25 Therefore the LORD’s anger burns against his people; his hand is raised and he strikes them down. The mountains shake, and the dead bodies are like refuse in the streets. Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised.

26 He lifts up a banner for the distant nations, he whistles for those at the ends of the earth. Here they come, swiftly and speedily!

27 Not one of them grows tired or stumbles, not one slumbers or sleeps; not a belt is loosened at the waist, not a sandal strap is broken.

28 Their arrows are sharp, all their bows are strung; their horses’ hooves seem like flint, their chariot wheels like a whirlwind.