Isaiah 11:12
in Isaiah 11He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; He will collect the scattered of Judah from the four corners of the earth.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
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
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.
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This verse in Isaiah 11
Commentary
8 notes on this verse378. And he shall set up. Here he places the manner of liberation, as to the first explanation: a sign, that is, the edict of king Cyrus; the fugitives of Israel, literally, those who went to Ezechias in Jerusalem, and joined themselves to the two …
This site's exposition
the Lord will extend His hand
on Isaiah 11:11-12
The Lord extends His hand "a second time to recover the remnant of His people," a second deliverance after the exodus. He raises the banner and gathers the exiles of Israel and the scattered of Judah, both kingdoms as one people. The text ties this gathering to no datable event.
This site's exposition
He will raise a banner for the nations
The banner answers 5:26, where God lifts a banner to summon distant nations against Judah. Here the same signal gathers the exiles of Israel and the scattered of Judah, north and south together. Aquinas read it first as the decree of Cyrus.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious. LXX: On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall seek him out, and his dwelling shall be honored. For his resting place has been chosen in Hebrew, Mnuatho (), which all have likewise translated. And for his honor, in Hebrew it is read as Chabod (), which clearly signifies glory.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
), many of whom, at the time of the bringing of them in to Christ, were Jews of the dispersion, the twelve tribes that were scattered abroad ( James i. 1 ), shall flock to Christ; and probably more of those scattered Jews were brought into the church, in proportion, than of those which remained in their own land.
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And he shall set up an ensign for the nations,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
And he shall set up an ensign - See Isa 11:10. The Messiah shall stand in view of the nations, as a standard is erected by a military leader. An ensign or standard was usually lifted up on the mountains or on some elevated place (compare Isa 18:3); and the meaning here is, that the Messiah would be the conspicuous object around which the nations would rally.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
In the first restoration Judah alone was restored, with perhaps some few of Israel (the ten tribes): in the future restoration both are expressly specified (Eze 37:16-19; To Israel are ascribed the "outcasts" (masculine); to Judah the "dispersed" (feminine), as the former have been longer and more utterly castaways (though not finally) than the latter (Joh 7:52).
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How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
And he shall raise a banner Perka, perche in O.F. [i.e., the verse is literally referring to the pole upon which the banner is attached.] And it shall be for a sign to gather to him and to bring the exiles of Israel to Him as a present.
2 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
a second time Just as he acquired them from Egypt, when their redemption was absolute, without subjugation, but the redemption preceding the building of the Second Temple is not counted, since they were subjugated to Cyrus.
Ephraim shall not envy Judah The Messiah, the son of David, and the Messiah, the son of Joseph, shall not envy each other.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 1 further source is cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
12 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְנָשָׂ֥א | venasa' | and he will lift up | H5375 → | 656 times |
| נֵס֙ | nes | a standard | H5251 → | 21 times |
| לַגּוֹיִ֔ם | lagoyim | for the nations | H1471 → | 561 times |
| וְאָסַ֖ף | veasaf | and he will gather | H622 → | 200 times |
| נִדְחֵ֣י | nidchei | [the] banished [men] of | H5080 → | 55 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| וּנְפֻצ֤וֹת | unefutzot | and [the] scattered [women] of | H5310 → | 22 times |
| יְהוּדָה֙ | yehudah | Judah | H3063 → | 819 times |
| יְקַבֵּ֔ץ | yekabetz | he will assemble | H6908 → | 127 times |
| מֵאַרְבַּ֖ע | mearba' | from [the] four | H702 → | 318 times |
| כַּנְפ֥וֹת | kanfot | [the] corners of | H3671 → | 109 times |
| הָאָֽרֶץ׃ | haaretz | the earth | H776 → | 2504 times |
וְנָשָׂ֥אand he will lift up
venasa'H5375 →656 times
נֵס֙a standard
nesH5251 →21 times
לַגּוֹיִ֔םfor the nations
lagoyimH1471 →561 times
וְאָסַ֖ףand he will gather
veasafH622 →200 times
נִדְחֵ֣י[the] banished [men] of
nidcheiH5080 →55 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
וּנְפֻצ֤וֹתand [the] scattered [women] of
unefutzotH5310 →22 times
יְהוּדָה֙Judah
yehudahH3063 →819 times
יְקַבֵּ֔ץhe will assemble
yekabetzH6908 →127 times
מֵאַרְבַּ֖עfrom [the] four
mearba'H702 →318 times
כַּנְפ֥וֹת[the] corners of
kanfotH3671 →109 times
הָאָֽרֶץ׃the earth
haaretzH776 →2504 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Isaiah 11:10On that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples. The nations will seek Him, and His place of rest will be glorious.
it leads to
- Romans 15:9–12
so that the Gentiles may glorify God for His mercy. As it is written: “Therefore I will praise You among the Gentiles; I will sing hymns to Your name.”
- Luke 2:32
a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to Your people Israel.”
- Isaiah 11:1
Then a shoot will spring up from the stump of Jesse, and a Branch from his roots will bear fruit.
- Matthew 2:1–2
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem,
- John 12:32
And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw everyone to Myself.”
- Romans 15:9–12
Through
Isaiah 56:8Thus declares the Lord GOD, who gathers the dispersed of Israel: “I will gather to them still others besides those already gathered.”
it leads to
- John 10:16
I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them in as well, and they will listen to My voice. Then there will be one flock and one shepherd.
- John 10:16
Through
Psalms 147:2The LORD builds up Jerusalem; He gathers the exiles of Israel.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 30:3
then He will restore you from captivity and have compassion on you and gather you from all the nations to which the LORD your God has scattered you.
- Isaiah 56:8
Thus declares the Lord GOD, who gathers the dispersed of Israel: “I will gather to them still others besides those already gathered.”
- Deuteronomy 30:3
Where this verse is studied
About Isaiah

Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Isaiah; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Prophecies of Isaiah; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.
