Lift up your eyes all around, and see; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from afar, and your daughters shall be carried on the hip.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The phrase "your daughters shall be carried on the hip" isn't just about children being transported; it’s a vivid, culturally specific image of intimate care and belonging. It depicts a tender, close way of carrying infants, suggesting the welcoming and nurturing embrace the community will offer to all who return or join them. This detail highlights the deep emotional and familial connection these individuals will experience.
Lift up your eyes all around, and see; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from afar, and your daughters shall be carried on the hip.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The prophet Isaiah is painting a picture of future restoration and glory for Jerusalem, a stark contrast to its current desolation. Following a call for the city to "arise and shine," this passage begins to detail how this transformation will happen, focusing on the return of scattered people and the influx of new adherents, not just from afar, but also those carried close like precious children.
Imagine a parent's tender way of holding a child close. This verse paints a picture of profound intimacy and care, but also hints at something much larger.
The phrase 'carried on the hip' (or 'nursed at your side') is a beautiful image of tender affection. It speaks of a mother carefully balancing her child, keeping it secure and close. But in Isaiah's vision, this intimate image expands dramatically.
Sometimes, the most incredible promises involve seeing beyond our current reality. This verse calls us to look further than we might imagine.
Isaiah 60:4 isn't just about people returning to a place; it's about a radical expansion of God's people and His influence.
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This passage, written during the looming threat of exile, vividly paints a picture of future restoration and expansion, where Zion's children and even entire nations will return, bringing their wealth and embracing God's glory.
c. 740 BC
Prophecies of Isaiah Begin
Isaiah receives his commission as a prophet, beginning a ministry that would span decades and address both impending judgment and future hope for Judah.
722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the northern Kingdom of Israel, scattering its people and intensifying the geopolitical anxieties of the southern Kingdom of Judah.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquers Judah, initiating a series of exiles that would eventually lead to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple.
587-586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem
The Babylonians destroy Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling most of the population and leaving the people in profound despair.
c. 540 BC— this verse
Isaiah's Vision of Future Restoration
Isaiah delivers his prophetic visions of hope and restoration, looking beyond the Babylonian exile to a future glorious return and a redeemed people, including the imagery of distant nations and their children returning to Zion.
538 BC
Return from Exile
Cyrus the Great of Persia allows the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and begin rebuilding the Temple, a partial fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecies.
This verse is almost identical to Isaiah 60:4, emphasizing the theme of a restored people returning from exile and the nations observing God's work.
Isaiah 49:22This passage speaks of nations carrying the exiled people and their children back, mirroring the image of children being tenderly brought to the community in Isaiah 60:4.
Isaiah 66:12This verse uses similar imagery of nurturing children, specifically 'suckling them upon her own lap,' which echoes the tender care described in Isaiah 60:4 for the returning or gathered people.
Ezekiel 36:12This passage promises that the land of Israel will be resettled with its people, who will be more numerous than before, aligning with the ingathering described in Isaiah 60:4.
Luke 2:32This verse refers to Jesus being a 'light for revelation to the Gentiles,' connecting to the broader theme of nations being drawn to God's people and glory, as depicted in Isaiah 60.
pulpitIsaiah 60:4: "Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side."
Verse 4. - Lift up thine eyes (see Isaiah 49:18). Thy sons... thy daughters. Not so much Jews of the dispersion, as Gentiles, who will become thy adopted "sons" and "daughters." Shall be nursed at thy side; rather, shall be carried on thy side. Oriental mothers often carry a small child on their hip, with th…
clarkeIsaiah 60:4: "Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side."
Shall be nursed at thy side "Shall be carried at the side" - For תאמנה teamanah, shall be nursed, the Septuagint and Chaldee read תנשאנה tinnasenah, shall be carried. A MS. has על כתף תנשאנה al catheph tinnasenah, "shall be carried on the shoulder;" instead of על צד תאמנה al tsad teamanah, "shall be nurse…
The phrase "your daughters shall be carried on the hip" isn't just about children being transported; it’s a vivid, culturally specific image of intimate care and belonging. It depicts a tender, close way of carrying infants, suggesting the welcoming and nurturing embrace the community will offer to all who return or join them. This detail highlights the deep emotional and familial connection these individuals will experience.
The prophet Isaiah is painting a picture of future restoration and glory for Jerusalem, a stark contrast to its current desolation. Following a call for the city to "arise and shine," this passage begins to detail how this transformation will happen, focusing on the return of scattered people and the influx of new adherents, not just from afar, but also those carried close like precious children.
The prophet Isaiah is painting a picture of future restoration and glory for Jerusalem, a stark contrast to its current desolation. Following a call for the city to "arise and shine," this passage begins to detail how this transformation will happen, focusing on the return of scattered people and the influx of new adherents, not just from afar, but also those carried close like precious children.
"Lift up your eyes all around, and see; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from afar, and your daughters shall be carried on the hip." — The phrase "your daughters shall be carried on the hip" isn't just about children being transported; it’s a vivid, culturally specific image of intimate care and belonging. It depicts a tender, close…
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Last reviewed October 2026