The Meaning of Isaiah 60:22 Explained

Isaiah 60:22

KJV: A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the LORD will hasten it in his time.

YLT: The little one doth become a chief, And the small one a mighty nation, I, Jehovah, in its own time do hasten it!

Darby: The little one shall become a thousand, and the smallest a mighty nation: I, Jehovah, will hasten it in its time.

ASV: The little one shall become a thousand, and the small one a strong nation; I, Jehovah, will hasten it in its time.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

A little one  shall become a thousand,  and a small one  a strong  nation:  I the LORD  will hasten  it in his time. 

What does Isaiah 60:22 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The Lord would also bless His people with fertility so they would become the ancestors of numerous descendants. He would make of them what He had made of Abraham (cf. Isaiah 51:2). With posterity come glory, influence, and power (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:26-31). The guarantor of these promises was Yahweh, who brought Israel out of Egypt into the Promised Land (cf. Exodus 20:2). He will bring these promises into fulfillment quickly in their proper time (cf. Galatians 4:4).

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 60:22 mean?

A little one shall become a thousand and a small one a nation Strong I Yahweh in its time will hasten it -
הַקָּטֹן֙ יִֽהְיֶ֣ה לָאֶ֔לֶף וְהַצָּעִ֖יר לְג֣וֹי עָצ֑וּם אֲנִ֥י יְהוָ֖ה בְּעִתָּ֥הּ אֲחִישֶֽׁנָּה ס

הַקָּטֹן֙  A  little  one 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: קָטָן 
Sense: young, small, insignificant, unimportant.
יִֽהְיֶ֣ה  shall  become 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לָאֶ֔לֶף  a  thousand 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Number, masculine singular
Root: אֶלֶף 
Sense: a thousand.
וְהַצָּעִ֖יר  and  a  small  one 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: צָעִיר  
Sense: little, insignificant, young.
לְג֣וֹי  a  nation 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: גֹּוי 
Sense: nation, people.
עָצ֑וּם  Strong 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: עָצוּם  
Sense: mighty, vast, numerous.
יְהוָ֖ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
בְּעִתָּ֥הּ  in  its  time 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, common singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: עֵת  
Sense: time.
אֲחִישֶֽׁנָּה  will  hasten  it 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, first person common singular, third person feminine singular
Root: חוּשׁ 
Sense: to haste, make haste, hurry.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation