Isaiah 11:16
And there will be a highway from Assyria for the remnant that remains of his people, as there was for Israel when they came up from the land of Egypt.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This verse highlights that God's future restoration isn't just about bringing people back, but about creating a safe and unimpeded path for them. The "highway" isn't just a road, but a divinely secured passage, echoing the miraculous way God led Israel out of Egypt, assuring us that His power removes all obstacles for His people.
This verse emerges from a broader prophecy detailing a future era of peace and restoration under a new king from Jesse's line. Following visions of nature transformed and enemies pacified, it describes the divine intervention that will gather scattered Jewish exiles. This verse specifically bridges the miraculous return from Egypt in Israel's past with the future ingathering of a "remnant" from places like Assyria, highlighting God's consistent power to create a clear path for His people.
Imagine a road paved for you, cleared of all obstacles, leading you directly home. Isaiah paints a picture of God actively creating a way for His people.
The verse speaks of a "highway" being prepared, not a path that Israel or Assyria had to build. This imagery highlights God's direct intervention in bringing His people back.
Assyria represented a place of desperate exile, a seemingly hopeless situation. Yet, God promises a way back, echoing an even greater liberation.
The specific mention of Assyria is significant. It was the northern kingdom (the ten tribes) that was largely deported to Assyria, a fate considered particularly grim.
Understand the original words
mesillah · Hebrew Noun
A raised road or raised way intended to facilitate safe and direct travel. In a prophetic context, it often symbolizes God’s intervention to make the way of return or restoration possible for His people, removing obstacles in their path.
she'ar · Hebrew Noun
A small part or portion that remains after a larger part has been removed or destroyed. Biblically, it refers to the faithful minority whom God preserves through judgment to carry forward the covenant promises.
Yisra'el · Hebrew Proper Noun
Those who belong to the covenant community established through the patriarch Jacob. It represents the people chosen by God to be a light to the nations and the recipients of His specific promises.
This verse points to a future, divinely orchestrated restoration for a scattered people, likening it to the foundational exodus from Egypt. The mention of Assyria specifically recalls the desperate situation of the northern tribes exiled by the Assyrians, suggesting a restoration even more profound than the return from Babylon.
c. 745 BC
Assyrian Conquest of Northern Israel
The Neo-Assyrian Empire, under Tiglath-Pileser III, begins its systematic conquest of the northern kingdom of Israel, leading to the deportation of its inhabitants.
722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Northern Exile
The capital of the Northern Kingdom, Samaria, falls to the Assyrians, and the ten northern tribes are exiled, becoming known as the 'lost tribes.' This event represents a seemingly desperate situation for a significant portion of God's people.
605 BC - 586 BC
Babylonian Exile of Judah
The Neo-Babylonian Empire deports Judah's population in stages, culminating in the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. This event marks another period of exile and national crisis.
c. 538 BC
Cyrus's Edict and Return from Babylon
Cyrus the Great of Persia issues a decree allowing the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple, marking the first major return from exile.
This passage describes the miraculous parting of the Red Sea, providing a 'highway' for Israel's escape from Egypt, paralleling the 'highway' Isaiah envisions for the remnant's return.
Jeremiah 31:7-9Similar to Isaiah, Jeremiah speaks of God gathering his people from all directions, including the north (Assyria), and restoring them, highlighting God's faithfulness to His scattered flock.
Zechariah 10:10-11This prophecy echoes Isaiah's imagery of a miraculous return, mentioning God bringing His people back from Assyria and Egypt, and subduing the sea, reinforcing the theme of divine intervention in their restoration.
Isaiah 35:8-10This earlier passage in Isaiah also describes a 'highway' or 'way of holiness' for the redeemed to return, emphasizing the removal of obstacles and the presence of God in their journey.
Nehemiah 9:11-12This prayer recounts God's deliverance of Israel from Egypt, dividing the sea and leading them through it, which serves as a foundational example of God making a 'way' for His people, as referenced by Isaiah.
barnesIsaiah 11:16: "And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt."
And there shall be an highway - All obstructions shall be removed, and they shall be permitted to return without hinderance (compare the note at Isaiah 35:8 ). For the remnant of his people from Assyria - See note at Isaiah 11:11. Like as it was to Israel... - That is, God will remove all obstructions as he…
wesleyIsaiah 11:16: "And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt."
11:16 As it was - As there was another high - way from Egypt. All impediments shall be removed, and a way made for the return of God's Israel from all parts of the world. He mentions Assyria, because thither the ten tribes were carried, whose case seemed to be most desperate.
This verse highlights that God's future restoration isn't just about bringing people back, but about creating a safe and unimpeded path for them. The "highway" isn't just a road, but a divinely secured passage, echoing the miraculous way God led Israel out of Egypt, assuring us that His power removes all obstacles for His people.
This verse emerges from a broader prophecy detailing a future era of peace and restoration under a new king from Jesse's line. Following visions of nature transformed and enemies pacified, it describes the divine intervention that will gather scattered Jewish exiles. This verse specifically bridges the miraculous return from Egypt in Israel's past with the future ingathering of a "remnant" from places like Assyria, highlighting God's consistent power to create a clear path for His people.
This verse emerges from a broader prophecy detailing a future era of peace and restoration under a new king from Jesse's line. Following visions of nature transformed and enemies pacified, it describes the divine intervention that will gather scattered Jewish exiles. This verse specifically bridges the miraculous return from Egypt in Israel's past with the future ingathering of a "remnant" from places like Assyria, highlighting God's consistent power to create a clear path for His people.
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c. 6th-4th century BC
Post-Exilic Period and Persian Rule
The Jewish people live under Persian rule, with varying degrees of autonomy. This era is marked by the rebuilding of the Temple and a renewed, though often precarious, sense of national identity.
c. 1st Century AD— this verse
Roman Rule and the Diaspora
Judea is under Roman dominion, and a significant Jewish diaspora exists throughout the Roman Empire and beyond, creating scattered communities awaiting restoration and fulfillment of prophecy.
"And there will be a highway from Assyria for the remnant that remains of his people, as there was for Israel when they came up from the land of Egypt." — This verse highlights that God's future restoration isn't just about bringing people back, but about creating a safe and unimpeded path for them. The "highway" isn't just a road, but a divinely sec…
