The Meaning of Isaiah 60:17 Explained

Isaiah 60:17

KJV: For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron: I will also make thy officers peace, and thine exactors righteousness.

YLT: Instead of the brass I bring in gold, And instead of the iron I bring in silver, And instead of the wood brass, And instead of the stone iron, And I have made thy inspection peace, And thy exactors righteousness.

Darby: For bronze I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood bronze, and for stones iron; and I will make thine officers peace, and thy rulers righteousness.

ASV: For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron. I will also make thy officers peace, and thine exactors righteousness.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For brass  I will bring  gold,  and for iron  I will bring  silver,  and for wood  brass,  and for stones  iron:  I will also make  thy officers  peace,  and thine exactors  righteousness. 

What does Isaiah 60:17 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Everything will be better in Israel"s millennial future. The contrasts appear to be with regard to Zion ( Isaiah 60:14). Peace and righteousness will be the governing principles in that city. If peace and righteousness are the slave drivers and inspectors, what will the best be? Another view is that Isaiah personified peace and righteousness as vice-regents of God, in order to indicate that human leaders would no longer be necessary. The Israelites could not produce peace and righteousness ( Isaiah 59:9-13), but God will provide them.

Context Summary

Isaiah 60:15-22 - "he Is Their Everlasting Light"
What a graphic delineation is presented in these words of the privileges of the consecrated life! The Mighty One of Jacob becomes its Savior. Thenceforth it is ever ascending in the scale of experience, exchanging the period of stone for that of iron, of iron for silver, and of brass for gold. Anxiety and depression are followed by long and happy years of fulness and joy. Violence and destruction, which, like vandals, hewed and burned, are replaced by salvation and praise. The Lord becomes the everlasting light, and the days of mourning are ended.
Do not think that such an experience is too good to last, and so beautiful that it must be evanescent. When once the dawn of perfect surrender and acceptance breaks, there is no sundown, no shadowed sky, no more sorrow or crying, no more heartbreak or hopelessness. The inheritance is forever! The branch is ever green! The strong nation is destined never again to become small! [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 60

1  The glory of the church in the abundant access of the Gentiles
15  And the great blessings after a short affliction

What do the individual words in Isaiah 60:17 mean?

Instead of bronze I will bring gold and Instead of iron I will bring silver of wood bronze of stones iron And I will make your officers peace and your magistrates righteousness
תַּ֣חַת הַנְּחֹ֜שֶׁת אָבִ֣יא זָהָ֗ב וְתַ֤חַת הַבַּרְזֶל֙ אָ֣בִיא כֶ֔סֶף הָֽעֵצִים֙ נְחֹ֔שֶׁת הָאֲבָנִ֖ים בַּרְזֶ֑ל וְשַׂמְתִּ֤י פְקֻדָּתֵךְ֙ שָׁל֔וֹם וְנֹגְשַׂ֖יִךְ צְדָקָֽה

תַּ֣חַת  Instead 
Parse: Preposition
Root: מִתְחָה 
Sense: the under part, beneath, instead of, as, for, for the sake of, flat, unto, where, whereas.
הַנְּחֹ֜שֶׁת  of  bronze 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: נְחֹשֶׁת 
Sense: copper, bronze.
אָבִ֣יא  I  will  bring 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
זָהָ֗ב  gold 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: זָהָב  
Sense: gold.
וְתַ֤חַת  and  Instead 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: מִתְחָה 
Sense: the under part, beneath, instead of, as, for, for the sake of, flat, unto, where, whereas.
הַבַּרְזֶל֙  of  iron 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּרְזֶל  
Sense: iron.
אָ֣בִיא  I  will  bring 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
כֶ֔סֶף  silver 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֶּסֶף  
Sense: silver, money.
הָֽעֵצִים֙  of  wood 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: עֵץ  
Sense: tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows.
נְחֹ֔שֶׁת  bronze 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: נְחֹשֶׁת 
Sense: copper, bronze.
הָאֲבָנִ֖ים  of  stones 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: אֶבֶן  
Sense: stone (large or small).
בַּרְזֶ֑ל  iron 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּרְזֶל  
Sense: iron.
וְשַׂמְתִּ֤י  And  I  will  make 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
פְקֻדָּתֵךְ֙  your  officers 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person feminine singular
Root: פְּקֻדָּה  
Sense: oversight, care, custody, mustering, visitation, store.
שָׁל֔וֹם  peace 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁלֹום  
Sense: completeness, soundness, welfare, peace.
וְנֹגְשַׂ֖יִךְ  and  your  magistrates 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct, second person feminine singular
Root: נָגַשׂ  
Sense: to press, drive, oppress, exact, exert demanding pressure.
צְדָקָֽה  righteousness 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: צְדָקָה  
Sense: justice, righteousness.