This verse answers the question in the previous one.

For the coastlands shall wait for me: The Hebrew particle ki rendered For is an emphatic marker here, so it is better translated “Indeed” or “Surely” (New International Version). Both expressions are suitable to introduce the response to the question posed in verse 8. Revised English Bible omits this marker, but New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “Behold,” and New Jerusalem Bible uses the exclamation “Why!” For coastlands, see the comments on 11.11 and 41.1. Here it refers to all the countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. The coastlands shall wait for me means these countries expect the LORD to act (see the comments on 51.5). The Hebrew verb rendered wait for basically has the sense of hoping or longing for something (see 8.17, where it is translated “hope”). It can also mean “to depend on” (see 40.31), so New Jerusalem Bible says “the coasts and islands put their hope in me.” However, Revised English Bible prefers the verb “assemble,” which renders another meaning of the Hebrew root here. In this context it may well be the better sense, especially if Masoretic Text is emended slightly. In Masoretic Text this verse begins literally with “For/Indeed to me” (ki-li in Hebrew), which can be emended to read “Vessels/Ships of” (kele). This change would make for a better parallel with the next line. Good News Translation, Revised English Bible, and Bible en français courant appear to follow this textual modification. So translators have a choice for this line. It can mean “Indeed people of the coastlands will wait for me” (see the first example below) or “Ships from the coastlands will assemble” (see the second example below). For translators that follow the first sense, they may want to change the first person pronoun me for the LORD to third person, since he is referred to in the third person later in the verse (see the comments on this same type of pronoun shift in Isa 60.7).

The ships of Tarshish first, to bring your sons from far: Ships from the western side of the Mediterranean Sea will be the first to arrive with their cargo of returning Israelite exiles. For ships of Tarshish, see the comments on 2.16. This phrase may be rendered “ships coming from Tarshish [or, Spain]” or simply “large ships” (similarly Good News Translation, Bible en français courant, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). Your sons from far repeats the phrase used in verse 4. Here your sons refers to both males and females, so it may be rendered “your people.”

Their silver and gold with them: When the exiles return, they will bring the wealth they have gained while living abroad. The verb bring in the previous line is implied here. Silver and gold were the two most valuable metals and stand for wealth in general (see the comments on 2.7).

For the name of the LORD your God, and for the Holy One of Israel: The cargo ships will bring back the exiles and their wealth to Jerusalem to honor Yahweh. The preposition for indicates purpose as well as result. As in several other contexts, the name of the LORD refers to both Yahweh himself and his reputation (see the comments on 12.4). Here an appropriate rendering for name is “honor,” as in New International Version and Revised English Bible. For the Holy One of Israel, see the comments on 1.4.

Because he has glorified you: The Hebrew particle ki rendered because is a logical connector here. The cargo ships will bring back the exiles and their wealth, because Yahweh will make his people glorious. The Hebrew verb rendered has glorified is the same one used at the end of verse 7 (see the comments there). The Hebrew verb here is in the perfect form, so it may point to a past event (so RSV/NRSV, Good News Translation, New International Version, Revised English Bible) or to a future event that is certain. Since verse 7 refers to making the Temple beautiful in the future, the future sense is probably better here also (see the examples below). The precise sense of this short line is uncertain, so a fairly literal rendering may be the best option; for example, Revised English Bible has “for he has made you glorious,” and New International Version says “for he has endowed you with splendor.”

For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:

• Truly, the coastlands will turn to me,
ships from Tarshish will be first,
bringing your people from distant lands,
along with their silver and gold.
They will honor Yahweh your God,
the Holy One of Israel,
for he has made you glorious.

• The ships of the coastlands will assemble,
the ships from Tarshish [or, Spain] coming first [or, in the lead],
to bring your children from far away,
together with their silver and gold,
to honor Yahweh your God,
Israel’s Holy One,
because he has brought glory to you.

Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Sterk, Jan. A Handbook on Isaiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .