Isa 60:4, 66:20 | JFB | STEP | 4. Lift up . . . eyes —Jerusalem is addressed as a female with eyes cast down from grief. all they . . . they —The Gentile peoples come together to bring back the dispersed Hebrews, restore their city, and worship Jehovah with offerings. nursed at thy side —rather "carried at thy side." It is the custom in the East to carry the children astride on the hip, with the arms around the body ( ).

Isaiah 60:4

4. Lift up . . . eyes—Jerusalem is addressed as a female with eyes cast down from grief.

all they . . . they—The Gentile peoples come together to bring back the dispersed Hebrews, restore their city, and worship Jehovah with offerings.

nursed at thy side—rather "carried at thy side." It is the custom in the East to carry the children astride on the hip, with the arms around the body (Isa 66:12).

Isaiah 66:20

20. they—the Gentiles (Isa 66:19).

bring . . . your brethren—the Jews, back to the Holy Land (Isa 49:22). It cannot mean the mere entrance of the Jews into the Christian Church; for such an entrance would be by faith, not upon "horses, litters, and mules" [HOUBIGANT]. "Offering" is metaphorical, as in Ro 15:16.

horses—not much used by the Jews. The Gentiles are here represented as using their modes of conveyance to "bring" the Jews to Jerusalem.

chariots—as these are not found in Oriental caravans, translate, "vehicles," namely, borne, not drawn on wheels.

litters—covered sedans for the rich.

upon swift beasts—dromedaries: from Hebrew root, "to dance," from their bounding motion, often accelerated by music [BOCHART]. Panniers were thrown across the dromedaries' back for poorer women [HORSLEY].