Isaiah 60:9Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

It is stated that these individuals do not approach carelessly or with indifference; rather, they come as if they were swift and light, transcending earthly concerns, as if they are soaring from the depths of the sea, leaving behind the turmoil and pleasures of the world, quickly ascending to the highest realms. While the church is in awe of the believers arriving from various nations, He who draws them reveals the purpose behind this gathering, proclaiming, “The coastlands await me, and the ships of Tarshish to bring your children from afar, their silver and gold with them.” Here, the term “isles” refers not just to geographic locations but to those who dwell in them; “Tarshish,” as often referenced in Scripture, denotes the lands of the East, including regions like India, although there is also a city named Tarshish in Cyprus.

Thus, when He speaks of the isles and those emerging from the distant lands, He indicates that they are yielding to the yoke He has placed upon them. Consequently, believers from every corner are drawn to Him. Even from the most remote and uncivilized areas, many come, bearing the name of Christ and producing fruit for His glory in abundant measures of gold and silver. These offerings are not directed toward lifeless idols or the hoards of demons but are gifts presented to honor the holy name of the Lord and to glorify the Holy One of Israel. It is important to note that cities situated near vast, uninhabited deserts are also termed islands. If it were stated that they await the Lord—serving Him—then one would understand that those in remote regions, separated by great wildernesses, will approach by faith and bring to Christ what they hold most precious: not physical gold or silver, but the beauty of faith and the glow of every virtuous deed. These are the true gifts to God and the offerings of spiritual worship, glorious and worthy of admiration.

Moreover, Scripture speaks of the coming of gifts for Christ, our Savior, affirming: “The kings of Tarshish and the isles shall bring presents; the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts: and all kings of the earth shall bow before Him, all nations shall serve Him” (Psalm 71:10, 11).

Just as the Lord descended into Egypt on a light cloud and commanded the clouds through His prophets not to rain upon Israel, the church, originally formed from the people of the covenant, is amazed that a multitude from all nations flock to it. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, they swiftly arrive at their homes or, as Symmachus and Theodotion describe, to their dovecotes, and, according to Aquila, to their gates, to unite with the church. Teachers along with their learners, doves with their young ones, ascend to the church from the lands of the Gentiles, which, as foretold by the prophets, awaited the Lord. Moreover, the vessels from Tarshish, representing the sea, which we have previously discussed in the vision of Tyre, will lead their sons to the church at the dawn of faith, carrying gold and silver. For it is with the heart that one believes the truth and with the mouth that one confesses salvation. The gold and silver are illustrated in the sixty-seventh Psalm, which reads: the wings of the dove are covered with silver, and its feathers with the shimmer of gold, and in the seventy-first Psalm: the kings of Tarshish and the coastlands will bring tributes, and the kings of Arabia and Seba will present gifts. All these offerings are made in the name of the Lord God and the Holy One of Israel, who will exalt Him.

Even now, the influential leaders of Rome and the fear surrounding kings deter those who conspire against the Church. To serve indicates an act of obedience, as they heed the sacred call of the Church and attentively embrace the proclamation of the Gospel.

The vessels of Pharsistia stand ready to navigate the Mediterranean to distant European shores, reaching Pharsis, a Carthaginian settlement in Spain. These ships await the honor of being the first to convey your children, Jerusalem, from afar, bringing them from the remote western realms to their spiritual mother, the Church of Christ in Jerusalem. They will arrive not empty-handed but will carry with them silver and gold. They will offer these gifts in the name of the Lord, ‘for the sake that the Holy One of Israel is glorious,’ presenting them to the Lord's temple as a testament to their zeal and sincere desire to participate in the glorification of God in His sacred house. It is reasonable to interpret the desire of the western nations for the temple in Jerusalem as a symbol of their longing to serve God in the New Testament Church.