ישעיהו, פרק י״א, פסוק י״א

A sweeping prophetic vision foretells an ultimate, worldwide ingathering of exiles. This divine process unfolds once the world universally recognizes the truth of the Redeemer [מלבי״ם]. In this era, God will gather the surviving Israelites from every land where they were scattered, fostering a profound unity that will erase all past hatred and jealousy from within the nation [צאינה וראינה].

The future redemption is explicitly paralleled with the Exodus from Egypt, framed as a second great deliverance. This raises a historical question: why is it considered only the second deliverance, given that the Jewish people also returned to Israel to build the Second Temple? The primary approach among commentators is that the return during the Second Temple era does not qualify as a complete redemption. During that period, the people remained under the subjugation of foreign rulers, such as King Cyrus of Persia [רש״י]. Furthermore, only the tribes of Judah and Benjamin returned at that time, whereas the Exodus from Egypt involved all the tribes of Israel together. Therefore, only a complete ingathering of all tribes, entirely free from foreign domination, can truly be considered the ultimate second redemption [רד״ק, אבן עזרא]. While one perspective suggests this prophecy was fulfilled during the days of King Hezekiah, when survivors gathered after the defeat of the Assyrian king Sennacherib [אבן עזרא], the dominant approach views it as a vision for the Messianic era.

[שד״ל] expands on this future era, explaining that the ten tribes originally exiled to Assyria eventually scattered across other lands, whether by choice or by being sold into slavery. In the future, the nations of the world will develop such deep respect for the King of Judah that they will willingly release their Jewish captives and allow them to return to their homeland.

The divine process of gathering the people is framed as an act of acquisition. This does not imply a financial transaction paid to a human seller, but rather an assumption of ownership and protection, similar to the concept of God as the Maker and Acquirer of heaven and earth [מצודת ציון]. God will draw the people close to Him [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Just as He liberated them from slavery in Egypt, He will acquire them anew to serve Him [שד״ל].

The prophecy places a strong emphasis on the surviving remnant of the nation. The repetition of this concept serves as a somber reminder that many will tragically perish throughout the long, harsh years of exile. The divine promise of return is directed specifically toward those survivors who endure and remain alive [רד״ק, מצודת דוד, שד״ל].

This ingathering will draw the surviving remnant from specific ancient empires like Assyria and Egypt [מצודת דוד, שד״ל]. It will also reach into Pathros, identified as a southern district in Upper Egypt [ביאור שטיינזלץ, שד״ל], and extend to distant coastal lands and islands across the sea, such as Greece and Asia Minor [רש״י, שד״ל]. Ultimately, whether referring to specific regions like those of Edom and Ishmael [רד״ק] or speaking broadly, it represents a complete gathering of the people from the absolute ends of the earth [ביאור שטיינזלץ].