John Calvin Commentary Isaiah 60:3

"And nations shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising." — Isaiah 60:3 (ASV)

And the Gentiles shall walk. He confirms what we have already said: that there is no other light for humanity except when the Lord shines on them by His word. Indeed, all acknowledge this; but they do not value this benefit as highly as they should, and imagine it to be something ordinary, which naturally belongs to all people.

But he shows that this grace is supernatural, and therefore it should be distinguished from nature. This is clearly shown by the repetition of the words 'upon you' in the preceding verse.

First, then, we should believe that this benefit comes from God alone; and secondly, that not all indiscriminately partake of it, but only the elect, on whom the Lord shines by undeserved favor, so as to remove them from the ordinary rank of humanity. This is done by Christ, who is called the Sun of Righteousness, because we are enlightened as if by His rays (Malachi 4:2). Besides, the Prophet declares that this favor will be spread far and wide by the Jews, which is also intimated by the words of the covenant:

In your seed shall all nations be blessed (Genesis 22:18).

To your brightness. If one nation only had enjoyed the light, it would have been no advantage to the rest; but, insofar as the doctrine of the Gospel has been spread throughout the whole world, Judea has held out the light to the Gentiles formerly blinded, in order to point out the way.

By making the brightness peculiar to a single nation, he shows that the world could be enlightened, or come to share in this benefit, in no other way than by seeking light from that word which came from the Jews and was heard at Jerusalem. It was there the lamp of the Lord was kindled, and where the Sun of Righteousness arose, that from there He might diffuse His light to all the ends of the earth, as we have previously seen, Out of Zion shall go forth the Law (Isaiah 2:3).

Therefore, there is no light except from the doctrine of the prophets, so that those who withdraw from it falsely boast of walking in the light.

And kings to the brightness of your rising. He alludes to the dawn. For, as the morning star begins the day in only one quarter of heaven, and immediately the sun enlightens the whole world, so the daybreak was first in Judea, from which the light arose and was afterwards diffused throughout the whole world. Indeed, there is no corner of the earth which the Lord has not enlightened by this light.

He mentions “kings,” so that they might not imagine that only the common people would come to this light, but also princes and nobles, who in other respects are greatly delighted with their high rank. But now he confers on the Church the very highest honor: that she shines with such brightness as to attract to herself nations and princes. He calls it “the light” of the Church, not because she has any light from herself, but because she borrows it from Christ, as the moon borrows from the sun.