Albert Barnes Commentary Isaiah 60:9

"Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, for the name of Jehovah thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee." — Isaiah 60:9 (ASV)

Surely the isles - On the meaning of the word ‘isles’ in Isaiah, see the notes at (Isaiah 41:1).

Shall wait for me - (See the notes at Isaiah 41:4).

And the ships of Tarshish - (See the notes at Isaiah 2:16). The main idea here is clear. These ships were the principal vessels known to the Hebrews as employed in foreign commerce, and the prophet employs the name to denote ships in general that sailed to distant ports. They will be employed in importing the most valuable productions of distant lands to Zion, and in collecting those who should be converted to God; that is, the commerce of the world would be made tributary to religion, and the ships that sail to distant lands would be employed in advancing the cause of salvation.

First - Among the first, in the first rank; they will be among the most active and useful agents in diffusing the knowledge of the truth. Twenty-five manuscripts and the Syriac read it, ‘As at the first.’ Jarchi and Kimchi suppose it means, as at the first; that is, as in the time of Solomon.

But the idea is that the ships which trade to the most distant regions will be among the principal instrumentalities employed in the conversion of the pagan world to Christianity. To some extent, this has already been done. The servants of God have been carried already to almost every pagan land, and the time may come when it will be considered an essential object of those engaged in foreign commerce to diffuse a knowledge of civilization, and of the arts of life, of science, and of pure religion.

To bring your sons from far - Those who will be converted from distant lands—as if they were to come personally and worship at Jerusalem (see the notes at Isaiah 49:22).

To the name of the Lord your God - Lowth renders this, ‘Because of the name.’ So the Septuagint, Διὰ τὸ ὄνομα (dia to onoma), etc. The idea is that all this wealth would be devoted to Yahweh and employed in his service.

Because he has glorified you - He has honored you by imparting to you the true religion and making you the means of diffusing it around the world.