Then shalt thou see, viz. with a great deal of delight, the multitudes of thy children running to thee. Flow together; as when one river meeting with another and joining waters, run sweetly together, as one and the same river: this notes the abundance of their united joys and delights; or they shall flock together to behold such an amazing sight. Thine heart shall fear; as standing amazed to see such multitudes come in to the Lord Christ; See Poole on "Isaiah 44:1", See Poole on "Isaiah 44:2", &c.; as it were surprised with it, as those Ac 2 7, or overwhelmed with the joyful sight, as Jacob was with the tidings of Joseph, Genesis 45:26, and those of the circumcision that were with Acts 10:45: such a mixture of fear and joy you have expressed Jeremiah 33:9; the sense is much the same with Isaiah 49:18. Be enlarged, both with joy and love; joy within at the coming in of the Gentiles, and this outwardly expressed in the enlargedness of love and charity towards them. Fear doth properly contract the heart, therefore this expression intimates it to be a fear mixed with such an affection as will dilate it. The abundance of the sea; either the islands of the sea, viz. the nations, as before, a metonymy of the subject, shall turn to thee, in religion or affection; they that formerly so much hated thee (they that live by the sea-coasts being usually noted for the worst of men) shall now love thee: or the wealth and traffic of those that trade by sea, the riches of the merchant; and so possibly the prophet may allude to Psalms 72:10, for Tarshish is sometimes taken for the sea, as hath been before showed: see on 1 Kings 10:22. Shall be converted unto thee; thy traders shall not so much convert their riches to their own use as to thine. The forces; or, wealth; thou shalt not have only the wealth, but the strength of the nations, to stand by thee, which hath also an eye, as in the type, to that readiness and willingness that would be in the nations to help them out of Babylon.
Related Commentaries of Isaiah 60:5
Isaiah 60:5
5 Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundanceb of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee.