Isaiah 66:18-22

The extension of the knowledge of Jehovah's power to the outlying nations, and the consequent voluntary surrender of the Israelites exiled among them.

The first sentence of Isaiah 66:18 is untranslatable as it stands, and the text is certainly corrupt. A good suggestion is made by Duhm. He transfers the phrase "their works and their thoughts" to the last clause of Isaiah 66:17 ("their works and their thoughts together shall come to an end"); then dropping the fem. term. of the participle the remaining sentence reads, And I am coming to gather all the nations and tongues. Both verses are thus improved, and the new section beginning here is disentangled from its misleading association with the idea of judgement.

all nations and tongues An expression characteristic of the Aramaic part of the Book of Daniel (ch. Isaiah 3:4 and parallels); cf. also Zechariah 8:23.

they shall come, and see my glory i.e., probably, the visible supernatural glory of Jehovah as He dwells in the Temple. See Ezekiel 43:1-4. (The section contains many traces of the influence of the book of Ezekiel.) The idea that the nations shall assemble to be destroyed by Jehovah (Zechariah 14:2; Zechariah 14:12 ff.; Joel 3:2; Zephaniah 3:8) is alien to the tenor of the verse and is not necessarily implied by Isaiah 66:19.