Introduction: Transition from the Babylonian Redemption to the End of Days
Until now, the prophecies dealt with the redemption from Babylon through Cyrus. From here on, explains the Malbim, the prophet opens an entirely new section: a prophecy concerning the future redemption, the redemption brought by the King Messiah. The chapter opens with an address to all ends of the earth, continues with a description of the prophet's mission and his anguish that his words did not take effect, and concludes with a promise that all his toil will bear fruit - not in his generation, but in the End of Days.
Verse 1: Listen, O Islands, and Pay Heed, O Peoples
שִׁמְעוּ אִיִּים אֵלַי וְהַקְשִׁיבוּ לְאֻמִּים מֵרָחוֹק, יְהֹוָה מִבֶּטֶן קְרָאָנִי, מִמְּעֵי אִמִּי הִזְכִּיר שְׁמִי׃ - "Listen to me, O islands, and pay heed, O nations from afar; Hashem called me from the womb, from the innards of my mother He mentioned my name."
The verse is filled with apparent duplications: "Listen" (shimu) and then "pay heed" (hakshivu); "islands" (iyim) and then "nations" (le'umim); "He called me" (kera'ani) and then "He mentioned my name" (hizkir shemi); "from the womb" (mibeten) and then "from the innards of my mother" (mime'ei imi). Anyone familiar with the Malbim's methodology knows that this opens up a broad canvas for elucidating the precise nuances of Lashon HaKodesh (the Holy Tongue).
"From afar" does not refer to physical distance, but rather to distance in time. This is an announcement regarding events that are destined to come to pass many days from now, in the End of Days.
What is the difference between "islands" (iyim) and "nations" (le'umim)? Le'umim refers to major powers that possess an organized religion, distinct legal systems, and structured governments - in modern terms: America, Russia, or Great Britain. "Islands" refers to smaller, isolated lands scattered across the sea.
And why does he say "listen" (shema) to one and "pay heed" (hakshivu) to the other? There is a fundamental rule in Lashon HaKodesh, of which we have already seen several parallels (such as "Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak; and let the earth hear the words of my mouth"): the term shemi'ah (hearing/listening) is directed to the one specifically targeted by the speaker - the primary audience addressed directly, who is expected to comprehend and accept the message. The term hakshavah or ha'azanah (attending or lending an ear) is addressed to a secondary party, as if saying: "I am speaking to this one, but you should also listen in."
Why is the direct address directed specifically to the islands here? Because the major nations already have belief - they possess structured religions and faiths, and they will readily accept the prophet's words. There is no need to convince them of the reality of God. The distant islands, however, are still far removed from faith and have not yet come to know Hashem. Therefore, the prophet addresses them directly: "Listen to me, O islands." To the established nations, he says: you merely pay heed.
"Hashem called me from the womb, from the innards of my mother He mentioned my name" - Two Stages of Preparation
The Malbim explains that there is a distinction between beten (womb/belly) and me'ayim (innards). The embryo is initially formed in the mother's inner recesses, and as it grows, it ascends and resides in the womb. Beten is a general term for the abdominal cavity, and in the context of pregnancy, it denotes the womb where the fetus develops. Me'ayim denotes the deeper internal organs where conception begins: the ovaries and fallopian tubes, the place of fertilization and initial implantation, from where it moves into the womb.
Therefore, when referring to a male, Scripture always uses the term me'ayim and never beten: "He that shall come forth from your innards shall be your heir" (Bereishit 15:4) was said to Avraham, since the source of seed in a man is also called me'ayim. However, "who will come forth from your beten" is never said of a man anywhere in Tanach, because beten signifies the place of gestation, which does not apply to a man.
What is the prophet coming to convey through this? Malbim cites the words of the Rambam in Moreh Nevuchim, explaining that attaining prophecy requires two preparations: a natural preparation and an acquired preparation. A natural preparation means that already from his mother's womb, a person is formed with the predisposition for prophecy, as Scripture states: "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you." An acquired preparation means that all natural talents will be of no avail if one does nothing with them: he must accustom himself to mitzvos and good deeds and sanctify himself to be worthy of having the word of Hashem in his mouth. The Rambam writes regarding Aristotle that through his wisdom he was close to the level of prophecy, but "close" does not count, for he lacked the acquired preparation.
The prophet says: The Holy One, blessed be He, prepared me through both stages at once. "From my mother's womb He mentioned my name" - while I was still attached in my mother's innards, at the moment of conception, before the form of the fetus was completed, Hashem had already mentioned my name. "From the belly He called me" - and even after I separated from the innards and entered the womb proper, while still in my mother's belly before emerging into the world, He had already called me and commanded me to go on His mission and prophesy concerning Israel. Consequently, when the Holy One, blessed be He, sends me, He sends someone who possessed from the very outset all the proper preparations to prophesy, and words emerging from the mouth of such a person are words of truth that must be accepted.
Pasuk 2: A Sharp Sword and a Polished Arrow
וַיָּשֶׂם פִּי כְּחֶרֶב חַדָּה, בְּצֵל יָדוֹ הֶחְבִּיאָנִי, וַיְשִׂימֵנִי לְחֵץ בָּרוּר, בְּאַשְׁפָּתוֹ הִסְתִּירָנִי׃ - "And He made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of His hand He hid me; and He made me into a polished arrow; in His quiver He concealed me."
Let us begin with Rashi: "Like a sharp sword" - to rebuke the wicked, warning them that tribulations will come upon them; swords, as it were, emerge from the prophet's mouth against the nations. "In the shadow of His hand He hid me" - because when a prophet prophesies calamity, people seek to harm and persecute him; Yirmiyahu was cast into the courtyard of the guard, into prison. "A polished arrow" - Rashi explains: burnished, gleaming, and clean (citing the Old French term cler, clear and clean). "His quiver" - the case in which arrows are kept.
Malbim adds a wonderful insight: a sword cuts from up close, whereas an arrow strikes even from afar. The sword is held in hand, and with it one charges into battle, ready for any surprise; whereas the arrow rests in the quiver, and the moment it is needed, it is drawn and shot.
"And He made my mouth like a sharp sword" - this corresponds to the people of Israel, who are close. To them, sharp and incisive rebukes were directed, and Hashem held me in His hand like a sword. And since one draws near to battle with a sword, there was a need that "in the shadow of His hand He hid me," that I be hidden in the shadow of His hand. The deeper meaning is that all should know that my words are spoken in the Name of Hashem, and not feel that Yeshayahu is the one speaking harsh words to them or wishing them harm. The prophet is hidden in the shadow; do not attribute the words to him - he is merely delivering the message. The hand is the hand of the Holy One, blessed be He, and He is the One who strikes.
And here lies a profound lesson. It is human nature to shoot the messenger of bad news. A person screams at the mailman who delivers a traffic ticket - did the mailman issue the ticket? He is only asking for a signature. This is the idea behind "the face of the generation is like the face of a dog": when a dog is struck with a stick, it bites the stick and tries to seize it, failing to realize that it should look to the one swinging the blow. In the era preceding Mashiach, the face of the generation is just like that: there is a problem with Hezbollah - we must destroy Hezbollah; we must finish off Nasrallah, Ahmadinejad, bomb the nuclear reactor. But perhaps an additional hour of Torah study is needed? Perhaps we need to strengthen ourselves in the service of Hashem and repent, and then all the problems will be resolved. We focus on the stick, but the problem is not with the stick: "Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger" - it is the rod of the Holy One's wrath. Certainly, by the laws of nature, one must make the necessary natural effort, but to view it as the ultimate solution - no. The solution is to return in repentance.
"And He made me into a polished arrow" - in addition to the sword directed at Israel who are near, Hashem also made me into a polished arrow, that I may shoot my prophecy to distant nations and to future times as well, like an arrow striking from afar. "In His quiver He concealed me" - so that the nations would not realize that a prophecy is prepared and aimed against them.
Hiding Versus Concealing
Malbim teaches us: Nechba (to be hidden) is always used for someone who is being pursued and for that reason hides away. Nistar (to be concealed) is used even for someone who is not being pursued at all. Proof of this: "Shaul my father seeks to kill you... and you shall abide in secret and hide (venachbeisa)" - there Shaul was actively pursuing him, hence "and hide." In contrast, "Send me away, that I may conceal myself (venistarti) in the field" - there Shaul was not actively pursuing him yet, so concealment was sufficient. Likewise, "As a hiding place (kemachba) from the wind, and a concealment (veseser) from the tempest": the wind seeks out holes and cracks and comes from all four directions, requiring a hiding place; but a tempest comes from a single direction, so concealment suffices.
Therefore: the sword cuts from up close, and everyone searches for the prophet who utters such words - hence "He hid me" (hechbiani). But the arrow shoots from afar, and no one would think to look for it - hence "He concealed me" (histirani), just as arrows are concealed in a quiver and no one goes looking for them.
Verse 3: You Are My Servant
וַיֹּאמֶר לִי עַבְדִּי אָתָּה, יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר בְּךָ אֶתְפָּאָר׃ - And He said to me, "You are My servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified."
"And He said to me, 'You are My servant'" - by the very act of the Holy One, blessed be He, calling a person "My servant," He prepares him and makes him fit and worthy for the task. And immediately the prophet turns to Israel and says to them: "Israel, in whom I will be glorified" - know that Hashem calling me His servant is solely in your merit, for your sake, and for your needs. So too, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moshe, "Go down, for your people have corrupted themselves" - the moment your people have become corrupted, descend from your greatness, for all your greatness was granted to you only for their sake.
And what is the mission? To bring you back in teshuvah. I am the servant of Hashem and His messenger to awaken the people of Israel, and when will I be able to say that I have completed my work and that "in you I will be glorified"? When you return in teshuvah. But if, Heaven forbid, you do not return, I have lost the entire stature of being the "servant of Hashem," and I do not have the glory of "in you I will be glorified."
Verse 4: I Have Labored in Vain
וַאֲנִי אָמַרְתִּי לְרִיק יָגַעְתִּי, לְתֹהוּ וְהֶבֶל כֹּחִי כִלֵּיתִי, אָכֵן מִשְׁפָּטִי אֶת יְהֹוָה וּפְעֻלָּתִי אֶת אֱלֹהָי׃ - And I said, "I have labored in vain; I have spent my strength for nothingness and vanity; yet surely my judgment is with Hashem, and my reward is with my God."
For this reason the prophet says: I said in my heart, "I have labored in vain." I see that the people of Israel are not repenting, I have not merited to fulfill my mission, and therefore I have labored in vain, and spent my strength for nothingness and vanity.
What is the difference between "labor" (yegiah) and "spending strength" (kiluy ko'ach)? "I have labored" refers to the time of the work itself, in the midst of the toil. "I have spent my strength" is said at the end, when a person looks back and assesses what came of all his toil.
The Malbim offers a wonderful parable. A man hired you to dig and search for a hidden treasure, paying you a daily wage. You worked all day, toiled and exerted yourself, but found nothing. On the one hand, "I have labored in vain," for during the time of exertion you found nothing. But at the end of the day, looking back, you cannot say "I have spent my strength for nothing," because you receive a daily wage. However, if they made a condition with you: if you find the treasure you will receive a share, and if you do not find it you receive nothing - such a person can say at the end of the day both "I have labored in vain," since I found nothing during the search, and "I have spent my strength for nothingness and vanity," since I received no payment at all.
So said the prophet: I thought that I labored in vain, for I speak to them and they are not affected, nor do they repent. And perhaps at least I would receive reward for the action itself? Not even that, since I did not fulfill my mission, and the Creator of the world would say: For what should I pay you? You produced no results, and you did not achieve the hoped-for goal.
And here the Malbim adds another distinction: rik (emptiness, in vain) is a shell without a core - an outer casing with nothing inside. Hevel and tohu (vanity and nothingness) are absolute nothingness, naught. Toil that yielded no result is like a shell without fruit: I labored, I exerted myself, I worked, and when I open it I find it empty. But at the end of the day, when there is not even a reward, there is neither shell nor fruit - everything is vanity and nothingness, nothing at all, having no substance.
And the answer: "Yet surely my judgment is with Hashem, and my reward is with my God." Here the halves of the verse correspond: parallel to "I have labored in vain" comes "yet surely my judgment is with Hashem," and parallel to "I have spent my strength for nothingness and vanity" comes "and my reward is with my God." What I did not accomplish, the Holy One, blessed be He, accomplished. I thought that all the immense effort I invested accomplished nothing - but Hashem, in His power, brought it about that the rebukes and prophecies would indeed be of benefit, not now, but in the future. And I thought I would receive no reward - but "my reward is with my God," Hashem will bring about an immense reward for me from this. Now I see nothing, but the Holy One, blessed be He, will bring benefit from it in the future, as we will see in the coming verses.
The Malbim notes with precision: wherever it says "my God" (Elohai) rather than simply "God" (Elohim), it indicates individual Divine providence - that Hashem watches over me personally and cares for me. Likewise, "the God of Israel" or "the Holy One of Israel and its Redeemer" - any pairing of Hashem's Name with the Jewish people signifies the special Divine providence that Israel merits. In contrast, the Tetragrammaton on its own signifies His general governance of the world.
Pasuk 5: To Bring Jacob Back, and to Gather Israel
וְעַתָּה אָמַר יְהֹוָה יוֹצְרִי מִבֶּטֶן לְעֶבֶד לוֹ, לְשׁוֹבֵב יַעֲקֹב אֵלָיו וְיִשְׂרָאֵל לוֹ יֵאָסֵף, וְאֶכָּבֵד בְּעֵינֵי יְהֹוָה וֵאלֹהַי הָיָה עֻזִּי׃ - "And now says Hashem, Who formed me from the womb to be a servant to Him, to bring Jacob back to Him, and that Israel be gathered to Him; and I am honored in the eyes of Hashem, and my God has been my strength."
Now the prophet describes how the Holy One, blessed be He, orchestrated matters so that none of his efforts were in vain, and that ultimately they bore fruit - and consequently, reward as well. Hashem told me that He formed me from the womb to be His servant, and for what purpose? "To bring Jacob back to Him" - an expression of teshuvah, to return the Jewish people in repentance. "Jacob" designates, as we have seen several times, the lower spiritual level; these are the ones who need to be brought back in repentance. "And that Israel be gathered to Him" (as the verse is read, with a vav) - "Israel" refers to the great ones, the noble leaders, those on the higher spiritual plane; they have no willful transgressions and sins from which they must repent, but rather need only to be rallied and encouraged to serve Hashem as a single united front, shoulder to shoulder. They need an uplifting push, not repentance.
The Malbim explains the precise difference in phrasing: "returning" applies to something that has strayed far away and must be brought back - therefore, regarding Jacob, who had distanced themselves, it says "to bring back" (leshovev). "Gathering" (asifah) is an invitation from outside inward, applied even to those who are not far off, as in "Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you" - were the sons of Jacob standing at the far end of Egypt? They were right beside Jacob, and he was calling them to draw closer still. So too with Israel, who stand on a high spiritual plane, it is necessary only to gather and unify them. One "brings back" the castaway - "the lame and the outcast" - and that is Jacob.
"And I am honored in the eyes of Hashem, and my God has been my strength" - even though judging by the practical outcome it seemed that my mission had failed and they did not heed the rebuke, I was nonetheless honored in Hashem's eyes, for He saw the immense dedication and great exertion I invested. Therefore, the Holy One, blessed be He, ensured that I would receive full reward for all my actions, and that my labor would not be in vain.
Pasuk 6: It Is Too Light a Thing for You to Be My Servant
וַיֹּאמֶר נָקֵל מִהְיוֹתְךָ לִי עֶבֶד לְהָקִים אֶת שִׁבְטֵי יַעֲקֹב וּנְצוּרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְהָשִׁיב, וּנְתַתִּיךָ לְאוֹר גּוֹיִם לִהְיוֹת יְשׁוּעָתִי עַד קְצֵה הָאָרֶץ׃ - "And He said: It is too light a thing that you should be My servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make you a light to the nations, that My salvation may reach the ends of the earth."
The Holy One, blessed be He, says to him: Do not despair and do not be broken because you did not achieve the specific purpose for which I initially designated you. I am now designating for you a far greater role. All your work until now, local work to bring the people of your immediate surroundings back in repentance, is "too light a thing" - it is minor and insignificant compared to what I have in store for you from this point forward.
Here too, the clauses of the verse correspond to one another: matching "to raise up the tribes of Jacob" comes "that My salvation may reach the ends of the earth," and matching "and to restore the preserved ones of Israel" comes "I will also make you a light to the nations."
Consider how limited the prophet's personal reach was. Did he have radio? Mass media? If he lived, for instance, in Bnei Brak, at most he could speak to the people of Bnei Brak; perhaps his words were written down and reached somewhat farther, but that was no longer the prophet himself speaking. And if he traveled, like Samuel who made circuits through the towns of Israel - if someone is in Dan today, when will he reach Eilat? It would take months to complete a full circuit and return to them. Thus, a prophet's influence, as powerful as it was because the word of Hashem was in his mouth, was essentially local and temporary, reaching only the circle of people around him and his own generation. The Holy One, blessed be He, says to him: That is small-scale work. From now on, I am assigning you a worldwide, universal mission. Until now you operated on the micro level; from now on you will operate on the macro level.
Two Redemptions: Redemption of the Body and Redemption of the Soul
The mission placed upon him on behalf of Klal Yisrael comprised two areas. The first was "to raise up the tribes of Yaakov" - the Jewish people in exile, representing physical suffering; the goal was to take them out of the exile of Sancheriv and bring them back to Eretz Yisrael, a physical matter. The second was "to restore the preserved of Yisrael" - the spiritual and inner dimension. After all, it is easier to take Israel out of Egypt than to take Egypt out of Israel; it is easier to take the Jewish people out of exile than to take the exile out of the Jewish people. At times, the exile takes up residence within the soul, turning a person into a creature of exile: devoid of spiritual aspirations, without a drive for greatness, mired in petty ambitions and apathy. They needed to be rebuilt and elevated on an inner level as well, to be restored to their former lofty spiritual standing. That is the redemption of the soul.
Yet neither of these goals was realized through him. The Holy One, blessed be He, says to him: I am granting you both of these achievements, and you will succeed in them when it concerns all of Klal Yisrael in the ultimate future, when they will be exiled across the entire world. Corresponding to the spiritual success - "I will make you a light of nations," to illuminate their path and their complete faith in Hashem, may He be blessed; corresponding to the physical success - "to be My salvation unto the ends of the earth," a worldly and physical matter.
To Perfect the World Under the Sovereignty of the Almighty
Notice, then: this success will extend even among the nations. When the Holy One, blessed be He, speaks of "perfecting the world under the sovereignty of the Almighty," the aim is not merely that Am Yisrael repent, but that "all peoples will call upon Him in a clear tongue"; "let every creature know that You have created it, let everything formed understand that You formed it"; "let everyone with breath in his nostrils proclaim: Hashem, God of Israel, is King, and His kingship rules over all." The ultimate goal is that the entire world recognize His dominion. Certainly, the redemption depends upon Israel, and Am Yisrael possesses a unique sanctity and distinction, while the nations occupy a lower spiritual plane - but do not imagine that the Holy One, blessed be He, has no interest in them or seeks to destroy all the nations. The Rambam writes that part of the role of Melech HaMashiach is to turn the entire world toward the service of Hashem, may He be blessed. The entire world. We will certainly always retain our distinct status - Israel will have the stature of Israel, and the nations a lower one - but beyond any doubt, the Holy One, blessed be He, desires their elevation as well.
The Two Exiles and the Missed Opportunity in the Days of Chizkiyahu
The Malbim explains: Upon close reflection, we see there were two distinct exiles. The exile of the Ten Tribes, who were exiled eighteen years before Yehudah and Binyamin, to Chalach, Chavor, the Gozan River, beyond the Mountains of Darkness and the Sambatyon, to places unknown to us. Later came the exile of Yehudah and Binyamin. The prophets then began to prophesy that the outcasts would be gathered: "Return to the stronghold, prisoners of hope." Had Israel merited it, the Ten Tribes would have been redeemed and brought out of those dark places. When? The prophecies began in the sixth year of Chizkiyahu's reign, and had they returned in complete repentance at that time, the complete redemption would have arrived in the fifteenth year of King Chizkiyahu.
This is what Chazal meant when they taught: The Holy One, blessed be He, sought to make Chizkiyahu the Mashiach, but he did not recite shirah. For this reason, all was lost. Yet it did not depend on him alone; the people were also not worthy, as they too failed to repent. We have already explained, based on the Malbim, the episode of the sun retreating ten degrees: Chizkiyahu assumed the miracle was meant for him, believing it to be a sign of his recovery, as seems from the plain meaning of the verses - but he was mistaken. The miracle was not performed for his sake. For his sake, Hashem could have performed a localized miracle, like Gideon's fleece having dew upon it or not; there was no need for the sun to move back ten degrees, a cosmic wonder witnessed by the entire world. For whose sake was it done? For those scattered at the ends of the earth, in exile, that they might be aroused to realize that the Holy One, blessed be He, still performs wonders and rules over us, that there is hope, and that it was time to repent. Indeed, the entire world witnessed the miracle, heard of it in their settlements, and kings arrived from the ends of the earth to meet with Chizkiyahu; even Sancheriv the king of Assyria sent an envoy to see what had occurred. Tragically, Am Yisrael did not awaken. They had an opportunity spanning from the sixth year to the fifteenth year - nine years of prophecies regarding the redemption - yet they failed to awaken as they should have.
In the end, they merited neither physical redemption, wherein Hashem would have gathered their dispersed back home, nor spiritual redemption, through which they would have returned to Hashem and risen to their true stature. Not only did they fail to merit this, but instead of the Ten Tribes returning here, Yehudah and Binyamin were subsequently exiled to Babylon as well.
Do Not Throw Away the Letters
It seemed, then, as though "I have spent my strength for nothing." The Holy One, blessed be He, tells him: Know that all of these prophecies will be fulfilled in the end of days. If a person writes a letter meant to inspire people to do teshuvah and they do not repent, what becomes of the pages? They are placed in genizah, or if they contain no words of Torah, discarded in the trash. But if he is told, "Do not throw them away; they are not taking effect now, but they will take effect in the future" - then all is well.
Once, a teacher gave a shiur, and at the beginning only three or four people were present. Someone asked him, "What is the point of delivering a shiur to three or four people?" He answered, "There are three or four people here, plus one hidden listener." They asked, "Who?" He replied, "Look, the recording device. It seems like just one listener to us now, but with Hashem's help, it will broadcast to many listeners in the future." And so it was: those shiurim that began with a handful of people were recorded, burned to discs, and distributed in thousands of copies. An action about which one might say, "What can possibly come of this, two or three people?" - you are told: write it down, preserve it, for its impact lies in the future.
So it was in the days of Yeshayahu: he imagined that his mission was only for his immediate time. The Holy One, blessed be He, says to him: No. Everything is recorded; these actions serve as a prophecy for the future. Do not throw away these letters - they will yet bear fruit and succeed in bringing the people back in repentance. These are prophecies for the end of days, a vision of the comprehensive salvation rather than merely the temporary salvation of that generation. Whereas originally I intended only to return the Ten Tribes from Chalach, Chavor, and the Gozan River - places relatively close to Eretz Yisrael that are not considered the "ends of the earth," which is why restoring them from there was a simple matter, "too light" - now that Am Yisrael will be scattered to every corner of the globe, the salvation will reach unto the ends of the earth, far greater and vastly more immense.
Not only them will I restore, but the entire Jewish people to the end of the earth, as well as the nations. And even regarding what I desired to bring back in repentance - "the preserved of Israel" - which did not succeed: you will merit to spiritually elevate the entire world, and everyone will return in repentance to Hashem. And through what? Through the prophecies they will read in the books you wrote, Yeshayahu. For even had there been a redemption in the days of Yeshayahu, it would have been a personal, temporary redemption; whereas here, the Master of the Universe is speaking of a future, eternal redemption. Did your words truly go to waste? Come and see what a wondrous future I have destined for you through what you have done.
The Tribes of Yaakov and the Preserved of Yisrael: A Severed Staff versus an Attached Shoot
Before moving on to the prophecies of the future, let us examine one phrase: "to raise up the tribes of Yaakov, and to restore the preserved of Yisrael." What is the difference between "the tribes of Yaakov" and "the preserved of Yisrael"? The Malbim offers a wonderful explanation. A shevet is a staff or branch that has been cut off - it is detached. A netzer is a shoot that emerges from the tree, as in "and a shoot shall sprout from its roots" - a tender and delicate branch, yet still attached and planted in the ground.
This corresponds directly to the two groups discussed earlier. The Ten Tribes were completely severed from the root; they are the "tribes of Yaakov": Yaakov denotes a lower spiritual level, and shevet denotes a staff that has already been detached. May Hashem have mercy on them; according to various reckonings, there are traces suggesting some are in Afghanistan and elsewhere, even within al-Qaeda - origins among the people of Israel, but disconnected, a severed branch. In contrast, Yehudah and Binyamin remain connected to their root, and we all descend from Yehudah and Binyamin. Although we may be somewhat distant, we are still considered a netzer: an attached shoot which, if watered even a little, will grow, blossom, and become a mighty tree once more. We cling to the root like a nursing shoot, and are therefore called "the preserved [netzurei] of Yisrael."
This also explains the precise distinction in the verbs employed: one who rises must have first fallen, whereas one who returns did not fall, but merely strayed from the path. Therefore, the "tribes of Yaakov" who fell - who are like a branch cut off and severed - need "to be raised up" [lehakim]. By contrast, the "preserved of Yisrael," who did not fall completely but merely drifted from the path, need "to be restored" [lehashiv] in repentance, bringing them close once again to His service, blessed be He.
In summary:
The chapter opens with an appeal to the entire world - direct hearing to the distant isles far from faith, and attentive listening to the nations possessing religion - announcing a prophecy for the End of Days. The prophet testifies that he was prepared for his mission from the two stages of formation, as a natural preparation, accompanied by habitual preparation, in accordance with the Rambam's prerequisites for prophecy. His mouth was made like a sharp sword for those nearby and like a polished arrow for those far away and for the future, and Hashem hid and concealed him so all would know that the hand at work is the hand of the Holy One, blessed be He, and not the messenger's. The prophet laments that his toil was in vain and that he would receive no reward, and Hashem answers: "My judgment is with Hashem, and my reward with my God" - what you did not complete, I will complete. Instead of a local mission to restore Yaakov and gather Yisrael - a mission that did not succeed in the days of Chizkiyahu when the opportunity for redemption was lost - he is given a worldwide mission: "a light to the nations" corresponding to the redemption of the soul, and "My salvation to the ends of the earth" corresponding to the redemption of the body. The message for all generations: no deed done for the sake of Heaven is ever lost. Even if one does not see results now, the Holy One, blessed be He, preserves those efforts and brings great benefit from them in the future.