Isaiah 66:19

I will set a sign among them i.e. perform a miracle (ch. Isaiah 7:11) that shall convince them of Jehovah's divinity.

I will send … them I will send from them escaped ones, survivors (cf. Isaiah 45:20) of the judgement depicted in Isaiah 66:16. The purpose is to spread the tidings of Jehovah's glory.

to Tarshish … Javan All these names are taken from the book of Ezekiel; see Isaiah 27:10; Isaiah 27:12 f., Isaiah 38:1; Isaiah 39:1. So Duhm, who thinks the whole line is a gloss. Tarshish= Tartessus; see on ch. Isaiah 2:16. A name Puloccurs nowhere else, and it is doubtless here a clerical error for Put (so LXX. Φούδ). Phut and Lud are mentioned together in Jeremiah 46:9; Ezekiel 27:10; Ezekiel 30:5; and in Genesis 10:6; Genesis 10:13 both peoples are connected genealogically with Mizraim (Egypt). Probably therefore two African nations are denoted.

that draw the bow The bow is mentioned as the weapon of the Lydians (Lud) in Jeremiah 46:9. The LXX. reads Μόσοχ (Meshech). This is attractive, because of the resemblance to môshěkê(drawing), and because Meshech and Tubal are nearly always associated (Genesis 10:2; Ezekiel 27:13; Ezekiel 32:26, &c.). They are the Moschi and Tibareni of classical writers, the Muski and Tabal of the Assyrian monuments, tribes lying south and south-east of the Black Sea (Schrader, Cun. Inscr.pp. 82, 84). If the reading of the LXX. be adopted it will be necessary to find an equivalent for qésheth(bow); and Duhm suggests Roshfrom Ezekiel 38:1; Ezekiel 39:1 (see Davidson's Note).

Javan(Ἰάϝων) the Ionians, is the Hebrew name for the Greek race.

the isles( coastlands, ch. Isaiah 40:15) afar off, that have not heard my fame &c. This distinction between the nearer nations who have experienced something of the greatness of Jehovah, through contact with His people Israel, and the remoter nations who have not heard His name, originates with the prophet Ezekiel. It underlies the conception of the invasion of Gog's host and its destruction as described in ch. 38 f. Gog is the leader and representative of the outlying nations of the earth, and the demonstration of Jehovah's power against them falls at a time subsequent to the peaceful settlement of Israel in its own land, and long after judgement has been executed on the neighbouring states which had been in contact with Israel throughout its history (see Davidson, Camb. Bible, Ezekiel, pp. 273 ff.). But while the distinction is common to the two prophets, the development of the idea is strikingly different. In Ezekiel Gog's ignorance of Jehovah tempts him to an act of sacrilege on the land of Israel, which is avenged by the annihilation of him and his host. The spirit of this passage is more evangelical. Jehovah sends missionaries from the nearer nations to those who have not heard His fame nor seen His glory; and the report carries conviction to their minds, so that they restore the Israelites exiled amongst them, as an offering to the Lord.