Bible Strands
Isaiah 60:6
Caravans of camels will cover your land, young camels of Midian and Ephah, and all from Sheba will come, bearing gold and frankincense and proclaiming the praises of the LORD.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — God addresses Zion (the remnant) in a prophetic vision of restored glory, declaring what will happen when the nations turn to her. This sits between the promise of sea-trade riches (v. 5) and the gathering of flocks for altar service (v. 7).
The words — שִֽׁפְעַ֨ת (shif'at) is a rare word for "multitude" or "abundance," applied here to camels to convey an overwhelming, covering number rather than a mere caravan.
The thread — The same motif of Sheba bringing gold and frankincense appears in Psalms 72:10, 15, and in the Magi's gifts in Matthew 2:11, all pointing to distant nations carrying tribute to the center.
Why it lands — The verse inverts the expected order: the despised remnant becomes the destination, and the nations come bearing both goods and praise. It asks the reader to hold a present of humiliation against a declared future that the text presents as certain.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the Lord.
Cross-references
- Matthew 2:11 On coming to the house, they saw the Child with His mother Mary, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh.
- Psalms 72:10 May the kings of Tarshish and distant shores bring tribute; may the kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts.
- Psalms 72:15 Long may he live! May gold from Sheba be given him. May people ever pray for him; may they bless him all day long.
- Genesis 25:3 Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were the Asshurites, the Letushites, and the Leummites.
- Judges 6:5 For the Midianites came with their livestock and their tents like a great swarm of locusts. They and their camels were innumerable, and they entered the land to ravage it.
- 1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
- 1 Peter 2:5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
- Revelation 5:9 And they sang a new song: “Worthy are You to take the scroll and open its seals, because You were slain, and by Your blood You purchased for God those from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.
- Philippians 2:17 But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.
- Revelation 7:9 After this I looked and saw a multitude too large to count, from every nation and tribe and people and tongue, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.