Lexical Summary zerach: Rising, Shining Original Word: זֶרַח Strong's Exhaustive Concordance rising From zarach; a rising of light -- rising. see HEBREW zarach NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom zarach Definition a dawning, shining NASB Translation rising (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs I. [זֶ֫רַח] noun [masculine] dawning, shining; — only figurative, נֹגַהּ זַרְחֵךְ i.e. of Zion, Isaiah 60:3 ("" אוֺר). Topical Lexicon Overview of the MotifStrong’s 2225 זֶרַח portrays the first burst of daylight on the horizon—an image Scripture uses to communicate sudden, irresistible, life-giving revelation from God. Though the noun occurs only once, its single appearance in Isaiah 60:3 stands at the heart of a far-reaching biblical theology of light that threads from Genesis to Revelation. Prophetic Context in Isaiah 60 1. Immediate Setting Isaiah 60 announces the climactic restoration of Zion after the long night of exile. Verse 1 declares, “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you”. Verse 3 then adds, “Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.” Here זֶרַח pictures Jerusalem’s newly risen brilliance acting like a magnet for the Gentile world. The term underscores both suddenness (the darkness is instantly broken) and permanence (the dawn does not fade back into night). 2. Literary Structure a. Verses 1-3: The divine light appears and draws the nations. b. Verses 4-9: Pilgrims and wealth stream to Zion. c. Verses 10-22: Everlasting glory, peace, and righteousness. The opening dawn image frames the entire oracle, so every subsequent promise is rooted in God’s initial shining. 3. Historical Horizon While the chapter initially encouraged post-exilic Judah, its language outruns any return under Zerubbabel or Ezra. The universal pilgrimage, uninterrupted peace, and perpetual light (Isaiah 60:19-20) look to the Messianic age, ultimately fulfilled in the new creation. Theological Themes 1. Divine Self-Revelation Dawn is God’s own intervention; humanity does not generate the light. The same reality is expressed in 2 Corinthians 4:6: “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made His light shine in our hearts…” The link between creation’s first morning and Zion’s eschatological dawn shows continuity in God’s redemptive activity. 2. Salvation Extending to the Nations Isaiah’s use of זֶרַח couples personal illumination with global mission. The light that blesses Zion immediately becomes a beacon for “nations” and “kings.” Revelation 21:23-24 echoes the scene almost verbatim, demonstrating the coherence of the canon. 3. Kingship and Glory The attraction of kings to the dawn highlights God’s supremacy over earthly rulers (compare Psalm 2:10-12). Political power bows before divine illumination, confirming the universality of the coming reign. 4. Covenant Fulfillment Isaiah 60 fulfills the promise to Abraham that “all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:3). The dawn motif therefore intertwines with covenant fidelity, showing that God’s light is the anticipated outcome of His sworn oath. Intertextual Connections • Numbers 24:17 – Balaam’s oracle: “A star will come forth from Jacob,” another early-morning image foretelling Messianic rule. Messianic Fulfillment Jesus embodies the prophesied dawn in three stages: 1. Incarnation: Light enters the darkness (John 1:9). Ministry and Missional Implications 1. Evangelism The church is called to reflect the dawn already shining in Christ (Matthew 5:14-16; Ephesians 5:8). Evangelism is not the manufacture of light but the unveiling of what God has caused to rise. 2. Discipleship Proverbs 4:18 observes, “The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining brighter till the full light of day.” Growth in holiness mirrors the progressive intensification of זֶרַח. 3. Worship Isaiah 60 fuels expectancy in corporate worship. Services that celebrate Christ’s resurrection each Lord’s Day rehearse the promise that “night will be no more” (Revelation 22:5). 4. Social Ethics Living as “children of light” (1 Thessalonians 5:5) means confronting injustice, offering truth, and practicing mercy—concrete rays of the dawn in a dark world. Pastoral Reflections • Assurance: No matter how deep present darkness seems, dawn is inevitable because it is rooted in God’s character, not human effort. Eschatological Outlook The final chapters of Revelation pick up Isaiah’s language almost verbatim, depicting a city illuminated by God’s glory where “the nations will walk by its light” (Revelation 21:24). The single Old Testament occurrence of זֶרַח thus opens a vista that culminates in an everlasting kingdom free of night, fulfilling every covenant promise and vindicating God’s redemptive plan. Forms and Transliterations זַרְחֵֽךְ׃ זרחך׃ zar·ḥêḵ zarChech zarḥêḵLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Isaiah 60:3 HEB: וּמְלָכִ֖ים לְנֹ֥גַהּ זַרְחֵֽךְ׃ NAS: to the brightness of your rising. KJV: to the brightness of thy rising. INT: and kings to the brightness of your rising 1 Occurrence |
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