Isaiah 2:14-22

14 Against all the 1lofty mountains, Against all the hills that are lifted up,
15 Against every 2high tower, Against every fortified wall,
16 Against all the 3ships of Tarshish And against all the beautiful craft.
17 The pride of man will be humbled And the loftiness of men will be abased; And the LORD alone will be exalted in that day,
18 But the 4idols will completely vanish.
19 Men will 5go into caves of the rocks And into holes of the ground Before * the terror of the LORD And the splendor of His majesty, When He arises 6to make the earth tremble.
20 In that day men will 7cast away to the moles and the 8bats Their idols of silver and their idols of gold, Which they made for themselves to worship,
21 In order to 9go into the caverns of the rocks and the clefts of the cliffs Before * the terror of the LORD and the splendor of His majesty, When He arises to make the earth tremble.
22 10Stop regarding * man, whose breath of life is in his nostrils; For 11why should he be esteemed?

Isaiah 2:14-22 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 2

This chapter contains a vision or prophecy of the enlargement of Christ's kingdom and interest, and of the glory of his church in the latter day, by the calling of the Gentiles, and the numerous conversions of them to it, and of the abolition of idolatry, and the destruction of the antichristian party. The inscription to it is in Isa 2:1 the prophecy itself follows; the date of it is the last days; the subject matter of it, the kingdom, interest, and church of Christ, signified by the mountain of the Lord's house; its glorious estate is expressed by its establishment on the mountains; by its exaltation above the hills; and by the great numbers that should flock to it, and should encourage one another to go up to it, in order to learn the ways of God, and walk in them; the means of which is the Gospel preached, that should go out of Jerusalem; the effect of that is peace among the nations: hence the house of Jacob is exhorted to walk in the light held forth by it, Isa 2:2-5 and then the reasons are given of God's rejecting and forsaking some that bear the Christian name, called the house of Jacob; namely, their Heathenish superstition, idolatry, covetousness, and confidence in their riches; who are sarcastically called upon to hide themselves in the rocks for fear of the Lord, Isa 2:6-10 when the judgments of God are denounced on the proud and lofty, comparable to cedars, oaks, mountains, hills, high towers, fenced walls, and ships of the ocean, at which time, Christ, and he alone, will be exalted, and idolatry utterly abolished; the consequence of which will be the utmost dread and terror to all idolaters, Isa 2:11-21 and the chapter is concluded with an exhortation to such to cease from the man of sin, and have him in no account, Isa 2:22.

Cross References 11

  • 1. Isaiah 40:4
  • 2. Isaiah 25:12
  • 3. 1 Kings 10:22; Isaiah 23:1, 14; Isaiah 60:9
  • 4. Isaiah 21:9; Micah 1:7
  • 5. Isaiah 2:10
  • 6. Psalms 18:7; Isaiah 2:21; Isaiah 13:13; Isaiah 24:1, 19, 20; Haggai 2:6, 7; Hebrews 12:26
  • 7. Isaiah 30:22; Isaiah 31:7
  • 8. Leviticus 11:19
  • 9. Isaiah 2:19
  • 10. Psalms 146:3; Jeremiah 17:5
  • 11. Psalms 8:4; Psalms 144:3, 4; Isaiah 40:15, 17; James 4:14

Footnotes 3

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