O house of Jacob: Isaiah addresses the people of Israel here. In verse 2 house had a literal meaning, but here it is used figuratively for “descendants” (Good News Translation). Jacob, whose name was changed later from Jacob to Israel, is the nation’s ancestor (Gen 32.27-28). Good News Translation normally uses the more common name “Israel” rather than the less common one Jacob (see Isa 2.3). Contemporary English Version uses “Israel” both in this verse and in the next one, where house of Jacob recurs, to make clear who is in view. This may not be necessary because the general context is sufficiently clear.
Come, let us walk: As in verse 3, these verbs express mutual encouragement. As there, walk refers to behavior, a way of living. A possible translation is “let us live.”
In the light of the LORD: Light is a metaphor for the teachings of the LORD here (compare Isa 9.2; Psa 4.6; 36.9; 119.105). The meaning of light of the LORD is not that the LORD is the owner of the light, but that he gives light to others. God’s word enlightens the way of life; the prophet calls everyone to walk in it. There is a possible play-on-words here in view of the similarity of sound between the Hebrew word for light (ʾor) and the word for “paths” (ʾorchoth) in verse 3. Light is a basic physical need of human beings, yet there are languages where light is difficult to express. One such language uses “the showing of the earth,” that is, “that which makes the earth visible.” Another has “that which makes us see well.” With this expression for light, a possible model for the last two lines is “let us walk there where the LORD makes us see well.” If light cannot serve as a metaphor for “good teaching,” then translators may use another metaphor or a nonfigurative expression; for example, “let us walk according to Yahweh’s good teaching,” or even “… Yahweh’s rules of justice.” If both metaphors (walk and light) cannot be kept, we may say “let us live according to the [good] instructions of the LORD.”
Translation examples for this verse are:
• People of the family of Jacob,
come and let us all walk in the light that Yahweh gives.
• People of Israel,
come and let’s live in the light of Yahweh’s teachings.
• [People of the] House of Jacob,
let us all follow Yahweh’s light.
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 .