John Gill Commentary Isaiah 60:15

"Whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated, so that no man passed through thee, I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations." — Isaiah 60:15 (ASV)

Whereas you have been forsaken
Seemingly forsaken of God; thought to be so by herself, which was matter of complaint; and by her enemies, which to them was matter of joy; the Lord not appearing for her immediate relief, and for her deliverance out of the hands of her persecutors: and hated :
of all men, of wicked and profane sinners, and of carnal professors, and especially of the antichristian party:

so that no one went through you ;
very few passengers in Zion's ways; few asked the way to her, or joined themselves in fellowship and worship with her. Jacob was small; the number of converts exceeding few:

I will make you an eternal excellency ;
the saints are the excellent in the earth, in the esteem of God and Christ; they, are their jewels and peculiar treasure, having the excellent graces of the Spirit of God in them; and the excellent robe of Christ's righteousness on them; an excellent knowledge of divine and spiritual things; an excellent spirit of love and unity; and an excellent order and discipline maintained among them; as well as excellent truths preached, and ordinances administered to them; all which shall continue, being made clearly to appear to be their case:

the joy of many generations; of age and age^F5 ; or, as the Targum,``the house of joy of generation and generation;'' that is, the church will be the joy of God and Christ, of the saints, and of the whole world, age after age, for a long period of time: see (Isaiah 65:18Isaiah 65:19) there seems to be some respect to (Psalms 48:2) .

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FOOTNOTES:

• F5: (rwdw rwd) "generationis et generationis", Vatablus, Pagninas, Montanus; "cujusque generationis", Vitringa.