Isaiah 66:19 (KJV)

What does Isaiah 66:19 mean?

Isaiah 66:19 describes God sending survivors to distant peoples who have not yet heard of him or seen his glory. Their task is to tell those nations about God’s glory. The verse pictures news of God reaching far beyond the people gathered in the preceding verse.

God is the speaker. He says he will place a “sign” among the gathered peoples, then send some who escape to named lands and faraway coastlands. The list points toward places known to the first hearers as distant, including lands associated with the Mediterranean world.

The Hebrew behind Isaiah 66:19

• “sign” — אוֹת (ʾot): A mark or sign that points to something. Here the word draws attention to something God will set among the people, though the verse does not identify the sign.
• “glory” — כָּבוֹד (kavod): Honor or splendor. In this verse, the word points to God’s greatness made known, both as something people may see and as something the survivors will declare.
• “isles” — אִי (ʾi): An island or coastland. The word can include distant shores, so the phrase need not refer only to land completely surrounded by water.

Why Isaiah 66:19 matters

• The message reaches people who have not already encountered it. God sends the survivors to those who “have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory.”
• The journey leads to a gathering, not merely an announcement. In verse 20, people from the nations bring members of Israel back to Jerusalem.
• The word “Gentiles” points to the peoples outside Israel. The same Hebrew word is translated “nations” earlier in verse 19, connecting the destinations with the audience for the announcement.