The Meaning of Isaiah 60:21 Explained

Isaiah 60:21

KJV: Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified.

YLT: And thy people are all of them righteous, To the age they possess the earth, A branch of My planting, A work of My hands, to be beautified.

Darby: Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall possess the land for ever the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified.

ASV: Thy people also shall be all righteous; they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Thy people  also [shall be] all righteous:  they shall inherit  the land  for ever,  the branch  of my planting,  the work  of my hands,  that I may be glorified. 

What does Isaiah 60:21 Mean?

Verse Meaning

All the Israelites will be righteous, whereas formerly they had been unrighteous, in their standing and in their state. And they will possess the Promised Land forever, rather than having to leave it because of their sins (cf. Genesis 17:8). Young wrote, "Inheritance of the land is a symbol of the future spiritual blessings that come to man through Christ." [1] If this is Song of Solomon , why did God give specific geographical boundaries for the Promised Land several times after Israel possessed the land partially? Israel would be the plant that God had nourished, and would now be healthy and thriving (cf. Isaiah 4:1; Isaiah 5:1-7; Isaiah 6:13; Isaiah 11:1; Isaiah 27:2-6; Isaiah 53:2; John 15:1-5). Her condition would glorify Him.

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 60:21 mean?

And your people [shall be] all righteous forever they shall inherit the land the branch of My planting the work of My hands that I may be glorified
וְעַמֵּךְ֙ כֻּלָּ֣ם צַדִּיקִ֔ים לְעוֹלָ֖ם יִ֣ירְשׁוּ אָ֑רֶץ נֵ֧צֶר [מטעו] (מַטָּעַ֛י) מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יָדַ֖י לְהִתְפָּאֵֽר

וְעַמֵּךְ֙  And  your  people  [shall  be] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person feminine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
צַדִּיקִ֔ים  righteous 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: צַדִּיק  
Sense: just, lawful, righteous.
לְעוֹלָ֖ם  forever 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֹולָם  
Sense: long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world.
יִ֣ירְשׁוּ  they  shall  inherit 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יָרַשׁ  
Sense: to seize, dispossess, take possession off, inherit, disinherit, occupy, impoverish, be an heir.
אָ֑רֶץ  the  land 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
נֵ֧צֶר  the  branch 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: נֵצֶר  
Sense: sprout, shoot, branch (always fig.
(מַטָּעַ֛י)  My  planting 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: מַטָּע  
Sense: place or act of planting, planting, plantation.
מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה  the  work 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מַעֲשֶׂה  
Sense: deed, work.
יָדַ֖י  of  My  hands 
Parse: Noun, fdc, first person common singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
לְהִתְפָּאֵֽר  that  I  may  be  glorified 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hitpael, Infinitive construct
Root: פָּאַר 
Sense: to glorify, beautify, adorn.