Isaiah 24:15 · Bible study
Isaiah 24:15 Commentary: From East and Isles, Glorify the Lord
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
This study examines the meaning of 'ba'urim' (in the east?
Research Summary
- Meaning: A summons for God’s people, wherever they are scattered, to glorify Yahweh for His revealed majesty.
- Key words: ba'urim (light/east), 'iyye hayyam (islands/coasts), kavedu (glorify/honor), shem (name).
- Main debate: Whether ba'urim signifies the direction “east” or the condition “fires” (affliction), a lexical and textual crux.
- Theological theme: The universality of praise; God’s name is to be declared from every corner of the earth, even in the midst of judgment.
- Best use: A model for praising God beyond immediate circumstances, and a reminder that worship unites exiled believers across geography and culture.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Therefore glorify the LORD in the east. Extol the name of the LORD, the God of Israel in the islands of the sea.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Therefore glorify Yahweh in the east, even the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel, in the islands of the sea!
KJV King James Version 1769
Wherefore glorify ye the Lord in the fires, even the name of the Lord God of Israel in the isles of the sea.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Wherefore glorify ye Jehovah in the east, even the name of Jehovah, the God of Israel, in the isles of the sea.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Therefore in prosperity honour ye Jehovah, In isles of the sea, the name of Jehovah, God of Israel.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Therefore glorify Jehovah in the east, the name of Jehovah, the God of Israel, in the isles of the west.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Therefore glorify ye the Lord in instruction: the name of the Lord God of Israel in the islands of the sea.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Glorificad por esto á Jehová en los valles: en islas de la mar sea nombrado Jehová Dios de Israel.
Por isso glorificai ao SENHOR no oriente; e no litoral ao nome do SENHOR, o Deus de Israel.
Glorifiez donc l’ Éternel dans les lieux où brille la lumière,
So preiset nun den HERRN in den Gründen, in den Inseln des Meeres den Namen des HERRN, des Gottes Israels.
Daarom eert den HEERE in de valleien, in de eilanden der zee den Naam des HEEREN, des Gods van Israel.
“Glorificate dunque l’Eterno nelle regioni dell’aurora, glorificate il nome dell’Eterno, l’Iddio d’Israele, nelle isole del mare!
Przetoż w dolinach wysławiajcie Pana, na wyspach morskich imię Pana, Boga Izraelskiego.
Итак славьте Господа на востоке, на островах морских - имя Господа, Бога Израилева.
因 此，你們要在東方 榮耀 耶和華，在眾海 島 榮耀耶和華─以色列 神 的名。
Give praise to the Lord in the east, to the name of the Lord, the God of Israel, in the sea-lands.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Isaiah 24:15
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that Isaiah 24:15 calls a remnant scattered across the earth to glorify God in response to His revealed majesty. The central interpretive question is the meaning of the Hebrew ba'urim (plural of 'or, “light”). Keil & Delitzsch, Barnes, and Jamieson-Fausset-Brown read it as “in the east,” paralleling “the islands of the sea” (the west) to create a geographic pairing, praise from every horizon. An older tradition, reflected in the KJV and in Matthew Henry and Wesley, translates “in the fires,” understood as the furnace of affliction. Calvin took it as “valleys,” meaning hidden, remote places. The textual evidence (MSS and Septuagint) is divided; many modern translations prefer “east.” Despite the lexical debate, the verse’s thrust is clear: wherever God’s people are, whether in eastern lands or western coasts, in distress or deliverance, they are summoned to honor the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Affliction reading ('fires'): KJV, followed by Wesley and Matthew Henry; sees 'ba'urim' as related to 'fire' (though Hebrew 'or is light, some associate with fire as light-source). Supported by 1 Peter 1:7 imagery of trials.
- Geographic reading ('east'): WEB, ASV, Barnes, JFB, Keil & Delitzsch; aligns with use of 'urim for morning light/dawn, and creates a deliberate east-west geographic parallelism with 'islands of the sea'.
- Valleys/hidden places reading: Calvin, followed by some MSS; reads 'ba'urim' as meaning 'valleys' or 'caves' from a perceived root, emphasizing that praise arises from obscure refuges.
- Textual emendation ('in the islands'): Adam Clarke and the Septuagint; suggests the original read 'in the islands' (ba'iyim) rather than 'in the east/fires,' making the phrase parallel to the second half of the verse.
What is clear: The verse is a summons to glorify Yahweh from distant places—whether those places are defined by geography or by suffering—in response to the revelation of His majesty.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of <em>ba'urim</em> | All interpreters see the word as indicating the location from which praise is to be offered, either a geographical region or a condition. | Some traditions (KJV, Matthew Henry, Wesley) read it as 'fires' (affliction); others (WEB, ASV, Keil & Delitzsch, Barnes) read 'east' (direction of sunrise). A third view (Calvin) takes it as 'valleys' (hidden places). The textual evidence is divided, with some MSS and the Septuagint supporting a different underlying Hebrew ('islands'). |
| Identity of the singers | The singers in vv. 14, 15 are a remnant, survivors of God’s judgment on the earth. | Some see them as Israelites of the Dispersion (Cambridge Bible), relocated after exile. Others view them more broadly as any faithful remnant, including possibly Gentiles who turn to God (Calvin). The exact historical identity remains unspecified in the text. |
| Scope of the call to praise | The call extends beyond Israel to distant places, 'islands of the sea' refers to coastal regions of the Mediterranean and beyond. | Whether the east (or fires) refers to the explicit land of Israel’s east (Babylon, Assyria) or to any direction (including hidden valleys) is disputed. The universal scope is affirmed, but the precise geography is tied to the interpretation of <em>ba'urim</em>. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Isaiah 24 opens the so-called “Isaiah Apocalypse” (chapters 24, 27), a vision of universal judgment and renewal. The previous verses describe a world shattered by God’s wrath (Isa 24:17, 20): only a few survivors remain, compared to a scant gleaning after harvest (v. 13). In verse 14, this remnant lifts its voice in joy over God’s majestic intervention. The Cambridge Bible suggests that the singers are Israelites of the Dispersion, scattered after the Assyrian or Babylonian invasions, who follow the crisis from distant locations and see cause for hope.
The “islands of the sea” ('iyye hayyam) refers consistently in the Old Testament to coastlands and distant lands across the Mediterranean (Gen 10:5; Isa 11:11; 41:5). The east ('urim) likely denotes the region of sunrise, the lands to the east of Palestine. Together, these phrases encompass the entire inhabited world. The call to “glorify Yahweh…in the islands of the sea” asserts that God’s name is no longer confined to Zion; it will be acknowledged from the farthest reaches. This anticipates the New Testament mission to the Gentiles, but it also speaks to the concrete situation of Judean exiles spread across the ancient Near East.
Textual Notes
The Hebrew text reads ba'urim (plural of 'or, “light”), but significant manuscript evidence suggests an alternative reading. Adam Clarke notes that twenty-three of Kennicott’s MSS and many of De Rossi’s read ba'urim as “in the valleys,” while the Septuagint appears to have read ba'iyim (“in the islands”), repeating the phrase from the second clause. The Syriac and Vulgate diverge further. Keil & Delitzsch defend the Masoretic reading “east” as the most coherent in context. While no single variant commands universal scholarly consent, the oldest versions (LXX) already show a different Vorlage, indicating that the text’s precise form was uncertain early in the transmission history.
Reception History
Interpreters across church history have read Isaiah 24:15 as both a call to patient endurance and a prophecy of global worship. The KJV tradition, following the Septuagint and Vulgate tendencies, understood “fires” as the refining trials of God’s people, finding comfort in the command to praise even while suffering. Puritan commentators like Matthew Henry and Wesley emphasized that God can be glorified in the worst circumstances. In the Reformation, Calvin saw the “valleys” as the most obscure places, and from that reading he preached that the gospel would reach the world’s forgotten corners. More recent evangelical expositors (Barnes, JFB, Keil & Delitzsch) prefer the geographic reading, connecting the east and west coasts to the spread of Christianity from east to west. The verse is sometimes cited in hymns of missions and in writings on the universality of worship.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God’s judgment purifies a remnant. Verses 13, 14 show that after devastation, a small company remains, and they sing. Their joy comes not from escaping trouble but from seeing the majesty of Yahweh.
- Praise knows no borders. Whether in the east or on the western coasts, God’s name is to be declared. Geography does not limit worship; He is the God of Israel and the God of the nations.
- Suffering does not silence praise. If “fires” is the correct reading, the call is to glorify God in affliction. If “east,” the call is to glorify Him from exile. Either way, hardship becomes a context for honor.
Five-point outline
- The remnant’s response: The survivors do not mourn their losses; they lift their voices (v. 14).
- The basis of praise: “The majesty of Yahweh”, His power in judgment and mercy (Isa 12:5, 6).
- The scope of the call: From the valleys/east to the islands of the sea, every place is summoned.
- The name to be exalted: “Yahweh, the God of Israel”, the covenant God, now known beyond Israel.
- The tension of the prophet: Verse 16 shows Isaiah himself pining even as songs rise; hope and lament coexist.
Illustration hooks
- A sports team whose fans are spread across a continent, when the team wins, cheers sound from homes, bars, and airports, all united in celebration despite the distance.
- A family displaced by a wildfire, gathered in a shelter, still thanking God for each other’s safety. The place is unfamiliar, but the gratitude is real.
- A church whose members are scattered for work or study, each one, in their different city, still sings the same hymns on Sunday morning.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How can I praise God when I feel far from home, or far from where I used to be spiritually?
- Does God really care about the people in distant, unreached places, and about me in this specific location?
- If I’m in a “fire” of suffering right now, is it okay to just endure, or am I supposed to try to praise?
Leading a Discussion
This call to praise arises from the ashes of judgment. The remnant finds reason to sing, and the entire earth, east and west, is invited to join. As you discuss, consider what it means to glorify God when circumstances are hard, and how the scope of worship stretches beyond your own community.
Discussion questions
- Read Isaiah 24:13, 20. What picture of the world’s condition does Isaiah paint? How does the remnant’s joy in verse 14 fit with that dark setting?
- The Hebrew word ba'urim can be read as “in the east” or “in the fires.” How does each reading change the meaning and application of verse 15?
- Why does the prophet call for God to be glorified “in the islands of the sea” (coastlands)? What does this say about God’s relationship with non-Israelite peoples?
- Verse 16 records Isaiah’s own anguish even as he hears songs of praise. Is it possible to rejoice and lament at the same time? Share a personal example if comfortable.
- How does the promise of a remnant (v. 13) encourage you when you feel like a minority in your faith or circumstances?
- In what “east” or “west” place has God placed you right now, and how can you specifically honor His name there this week?
- Jesus quoted passages from this section of Isaiah (chs. 24, 27) to speak about the end times. How does this call to global praise shape your hope for the future?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 10:4 | The sons of Javan were: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. |
| Genesis 10:5 | Of these were the islands of the nations divided in their lands, everyone after his language, after their families, in their nations. |
| Job 35:9 | “By reason of the multitude of oppressions they cry out. They cry for help by reason of the arm of the mighty. |
| Job 35:10 | But no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night, |
| Isaiah 11:11 | It will happen in that day that the Lord will set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant that is left of his people from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. |
| Isaiah 11:12 | He will set up a banner for the nations, and will assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. |
| Isaiah 25:3 | Therefore a strong people will glorify you. A city of awesome nations will fear you. |
| Isaiah 41:5 | The islands have seen, and fear. The ends of the earth tremble. They approach, and come. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke argues that "in the isles" should replace "in the valleys" in this verse, based on manuscript evidence and the phrase's recurrence in the next sentence. He notes that "isles" refers to distant lands, especially Mediterranean coasts, and that several ancient versions support this reading.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes argues the Hebrew word "Urim" means light, not valleys or islands, so the prophet calls the scattered people to glorify God in the regions of the morning dawn and the northern lights. This interpretation emphasizes that worship of the true God continues wherever His people are driven, even in distant lands.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin interprets the valleys as remote, isolated regions separated by mountains. He sees the call to glorify God there as a prophecy that Christ’s kingdom will bring true religion to even the most obscure and uncivilized places, so that all nations will praise the God of Israel.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The prophet hears songs of praise from Israelites of the Dispersion who prematurely celebrate an approaching deliverance. But he cannot share their hope; their jubilant voices only deepen his despair because he alone sees the darker signs of treachery and deceit that they miss.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note stresses that God's praise must be offered from every place and situation, not just from a central sanctuary. The lowliest valleys and the most remote islands are called to join in giving glory to the Lord God of Israel. No location lies outside the reach of this command.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill reads the phrase "in the fires" as a reference to the Urim, meaning lights. He argues the call is to glorify God for Christ, the true Urim and Thummim, and for the light of the Gospel that will spread throughout the world, even to distant islands.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB weighs several possible meanings of "fires," including caves, affliction, islands, and the east. He finds the common thread that wherever God's people are scattered, whether east or west, their calling remains the same: to glorify the Lord.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch read the call to praise as directed both east and west—"lands of the sun" meaning the Asiatic East, and "islands of the sea" meaning the European West. They argue that "urim" refers to lands of light, not a rare word for north or evening, and that this dual summons preserves the beauty of the appeal.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry observes that even when judgment sweeps the land, God always preserves a small, scattered remnant. These few are hidden like olives left after harvesting or grapes missed by the vinedresser. Their comfort comes not from earthly things but from joy in God, which survives any calamity.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley interprets the phrase "in distress" as the experience of being in the furnace of affliction. He explains that "in the isles" refers to remote countries beyond the sea, a term commonly used in Scripture for distant lands.