Arise, shine is a double imperative that calls on God’s people to reflect his glory. Both these imperatives are feminine singular in Hebrew, which indicates that the prophet is addressing Jerusalem with its inhabitants (see the introductory comments on the whole section). The prophet refers to Jerusalem and its people as a woman, as in some other passages (see, for example, 54.4-5). Good News Translation makes it explicit that he is addressing Jerusalem. Since the people of Jerusalem are still lamenting the devastation of their city, the call to Arise encourages them to pick themselves up, almost literally, and have hope in their future and in God’s promises (compare 51.17; 52.1). The Hebrew imperative rendered Arise usually introduces the action indicated in the verb that follows it (compare 14.21, where it is translated “rise”). Here this verb is shine, the second imperative, and that is where the focus of the call lies. The prophet tells the people to show God’s glory in their lives. Calling on a city or its people to shine may be unnatural in many languages. If so, it may be rendered with a simile, such as “be like lights.” Good News Translation uses the simile “shine like the sun.” However, this simile does not fit exactly since the light in view is God’s glory. Other possible renderings for shine are “be brilliant like light,” “give light,” and maybe “glow.”
For your light has come: The Hebrew particle ki rendered for introduces the rest of this verse as the grounds for the call just given. The people must reflect God’s glory because it has come upon them. From the following parallel line it is clear that your light refers to the glory of the LORD. Your light is a metaphor for the glorious acts of God on behalf of his people (compare 58.8, 10). The Hebrew noun for light comes from the same root as the verb for shine. This whole clause may be rendered “for light has shone upon you.”
And the glory of the LORD has risen upon you means Yahweh acts powerfully on Jerusalem’s behalf. The glory of the LORD refers to the glorious display of his power (see the comments on 6.3). The Hebrew verb rendered has risen is often used of the sun rising (see 58.10), so God’s glorious power has shone on Jerusalem like the sun (compare 40.5). The Hebrew root for has risen also occurs in verses 2 and 3, where it is translated “will arise” and “rising” respectively. It forms an inclusio for this subsection. If possible, translators should use the same word for it in each of these verses and distinguish it from the initial verb Arise. In English the word “dawn” may be used by rendering this line as “the glory of the LORD has dawned on you.” Good News Translation says “The glory of the LORD is shining on you!”
For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:
• Stand up and shine!
For light has been shed upon you,
Yahweh’s glory has dawned on you!
• Rise up and shine forth!
Because light has shone upon you,
the glory of Yahweh has dawned upon 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 .