‘Come near, you nations, to hear,
And listen you peoples.
Let the earth hear, and its fullness,
The world and all things that come forth from it.'
The nations of the world are all called to come near and witness this judgment about to be described. Indeed not only the nations but also the whole of creation, is to consider what God is about to do. Compare on this Isaiah 1:2. From it they will learn how precious to Him are His people, and what it means to deal wrongly with them. All are finally involved in what God does, for He is the Creator and the God of all nations.