The Meaning of Isaiah 11:12 Explained

Isaiah 11:12

KJV: And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.

YLT: And He hath lifted up an ensign to nations, And gathereth the driven away of Israel, And the scattered of Judah He assembleth, From the four wings of the earth.

Darby: And he shall lift up a banner to the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.

ASV: And he will set up an ensign for the nations, and will assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And he shall set up  an ensign  for the nations,  and shall assemble  the outcasts  of Israel,  and gather together  the dispersed  of Judah  from the four  corners  of the earth. 

What does Isaiah 11:12 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The standard He lifts up for the nations is the flag of His kingdom; His will be an earthly kingdom. He will assemble under this banner a remnant of Jews from both the Northern and the Southern Kingdoms who will be living all over the earth then. The northern tribes of Israel were not lost, as some cults claim. They have a future as Israel.

Context Summary

Isaiah 11:10-16 - A Song Of Thanksgiving
The prophet's vision extends. He has seen the effect of redemption, as it emanates from Jesus Christ, upon the whole physical creation; now he beholds also the ingathering of all Israel. The ancient enmity between Ephraim and Judah would pass away. As Paul puts it afterward, "All Israel shall be saved," Romans 11:25-26. As they were brought out of Egypt, so shall they be brought from all the countries of the world, where they have dwelt during these Christian centuries. The return of the Jews under Ezra included those of one tribe only, and cannot fulfill the great dreams of all the prophets as here of Isaiah. The following chapter is the counterpart of Exodus 15:1-27. When their enemies are overwhelmed in the great battle of Armageddon, the ransomed hosts of Israel shall break forth in this anthem.
The Isaiah 12:3 was chanted by the priests on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, John 7:37-38. The little possessive pronoun my is the bucket with which we draw water from the depths of God. Our pilgrimage way is lined by these wells of saving help. [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 11

1  The peaceable kingdom of the Branch out of the root of Jesse
10  The victorious restoration of Israel, and vocation of the Gentiles

What do the individual words in Isaiah 11:12 mean?

And He will set up a banner for the nations and will assemble the outcasts of Israel and the dispersed of Judah gather together from the four corners of the earth
וְנָשָׂ֥א נֵס֙ לַגּוֹיִ֔ם וְאָסַ֖ף נִדְחֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וּנְפֻצ֤וֹת יְהוּדָה֙ יְקַבֵּ֔ץ מֵאַרְבַּ֖ע כַּנְפ֥וֹת הָאָֽרֶץ

וְנָשָׂ֥א  And  He  will  set  up 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָשָׂא  
Sense: to lift, bear up, carry, take.
נֵס֙  a  banner 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: נֵס  
Sense: something lifted up, standard, signal, signal pole, ensign, banner, sign, sail.
לַגּוֹיִ֔ם  for  the  nations 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: גֹּוי 
Sense: nation, people.
וְאָסַ֖ף  and  will  assemble 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָסַף 
Sense: to gather, receive, remove, gather in.
נִדְחֵ֣י  the  outcasts 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: דָּחָה 
Sense: to push, thrust, chase, overflow, totter, sore, drive away or out, be outcast, be cast down.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
וּנְפֻצ֤וֹת  and  the  dispersed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, feminine plural construct
Root: נָפַץ 
Sense: to shatter, break, dash, beat in pieces.
יְהוּדָה֙  of  Judah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.
יְקַבֵּ֔ץ  gather  together 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָבַץ  
Sense: to gather, assemble.
מֵאַרְבַּ֖ע  from  the  four 
Parse: Preposition-m, Number, feminine singular construct
Root: אַרְבַּע  
Sense: four.
כַּנְפ֥וֹת  corners 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: כָּנָף  
Sense: wing, extremity, edge, winged, border, corner, shirt.
הָאָֽרֶץ  of  the  earth 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.