The Meaning of Isaiah 60:11 Explained

Isaiah 60:11

KJV: Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought.

YLT: And opened have thy gates continually, By day and by night they are not shut, To bring unto thee the force of nations, Even their kings are led.

Darby: And thy gates shall stand open continually: (they shall not be shut day nor night,) that the wealth of the nations may be brought unto thee, and that their kings may be led to thee.

ASV: Thy gates also shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the wealth of the nations, and their kings led captive.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Therefore thy gates  shall be open  continually;  they shall not be shut  day  nor night;  that [men] may bring  unto thee the forces  of the Gentiles,  and [that] their kings  [may be] brought. 

What does Isaiah 60:11 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Open gates indicate peaceful conditions. Isaiah foresaw the nations, led by their kings, bringing their riches into Jerusalem to offer them as gifts to the Lord (cf. Revelation 21:24-27). The kings follow the lead of another, probably the Lord Himself, who draws their allegiance. This will be a great triumphant procession.

Context Summary

Isaiah 60:1-14 - The Lord Glorifies His People
From this chapter and onward, the prophet predicts the glories of the restored Hebrew people. In a secondary sense, they are also true of the Church, for we are blessed with faithful Abraham. See Galatians 3:8-9.
The summons to arise is addressed to Jerusalem. The seer beholds the flush of dawn on the eastern sky and bids the Holy City catch the earliest beams, Isaiah 60:1-2. While darkness veils the lowlands, the dweller on the plains looks up to the heights of Zion, Isaiah 60:3-4, and finds them bathed in the splendor of dawn. See 2 Corinthians 3:18.
There is a marvelous attractiveness in real religion. Where that is present, men need no driving. From the Far East come the camels, laden with priceless treasures, and from the distant West the ships laden with costly merchandise. The wastes of many years are rebuilt by the labor of strangers, while kings vie with each other in ministering to the beauty of the chosen city. When you are right with God, He will raise up help from unexpected quarters and even from former foes, Isaiah 60:14. [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 60:11 mean?

Therefore shall be open your gates continually day or night not they shall be shut that [men] may bring to you the wealth of the Gentiles and their kings in procession
וּפִתְּח֨וּ שְׁעָרַ֧יִךְ תָּמִ֛יד יוֹמָ֥ם וָלַ֖יְלָה לֹ֣א יִסָּגֵ֑רוּ לְהָבִ֤יא אֵלַ֙יִךְ֙ חֵ֣יל גּוֹיִ֔ם וּמַלְכֵיהֶ֖ם נְהוּגִֽים

וּפִתְּח֨וּ  Therefore  shall  be  open 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: פָּתַח 
Sense: to open.
שְׁעָרַ֧יִךְ  your  gates 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person feminine singular
Root: שַׁעַר  
Sense: gate.
תָּמִ֛יד  continually 
Parse: Adverb
Root: תָּמִיד  
Sense: continuity, perpetuity, to stretch.
יוֹמָ֥ם  day 
Parse: Adverb
Root: יׄומָם  
Sense: by day, in the daytime subst.
וָלַ֖יְלָה  or  night 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: לַיִל 
Sense: night.
יִסָּגֵ֑רוּ  they  shall  be  shut 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: סָגוּר 
Sense: to shut, close.
לְהָבִ֤יא  that  [men]  may  bring 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
אֵלַ֙יִךְ֙  to  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person feminine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
חֵ֣יל  the  wealth 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: חַיִל 
Sense: strength, might, efficiency, wealth, army.
גּוֹיִ֔ם  of  the  Gentiles 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: גֹּוי 
Sense: nation, people.
וּמַלְכֵיהֶ֖ם  and  their  kings 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
נְהוּגִֽים  in  procession 
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, masculine plural
Root: נָהַג 
Sense: to drive, lead, guide, conduct.