Isaiah 2:6-16

6 Forsooth thou hast cast away thy people, the house of Jacob, for they be filled as sometime before; and they had false diviners by the chittering of birds, as (the) Philistines, and they cleaved to alien children (and they married foreigners, or strangers).
7 The land is filled with silver and gold, and none end is of the treasures thereof; and the land thereof is filled with horses, and the four-horsed carts thereof be unnumberable. (The land is filled with silver and gold, and there is no end to its treasures; and the land is filled with horses, and its chariots be innumerable.)
8 And the land thereof is filled with idols, and they worship the work of their hands, which their fingers made;
9 and a man bowed himself, and a man of full age was made low. Therefore forgive thou not to them. (yea, people bowed before them, even mature people made themselves low. And so do not thou forgive them.)
10 Enter thou, people of Judah, into a stone, be thou hid in a ditch in (the) earth, from the face of the dread of the Lord, and from the glory of his majesty. (Enter thou, people of Judah, into a cave, be thou hid in a ditch in the ground, from the fear of the Lord, and the glory of his majesty.)
11 The eyes of an high man (shall) be made low, and the highness of men shall be bowed down; forsooth the Lord alone shall be enhanced in that day (for only the Lord shall be exalted on that day).
12 For the day of the Lord of hosts shall be on each proud man and high, and on each boaster, and he shall be made low; (For the day of the Lord of hosts shall be on each proud person, who thinketh himself to be high, and on each boaster, and they shall be made low;)
13 and on all the cedars of the Lebanon high and raised (up), and on all the oaks of Bashan,
14 and on all high mountains, and on all little hills, that be raised [up];
15 and on each high tower, and on each strong wall;
16 and on all ships of Tarshish, and on all thing which is fair in sight. (and on all ships of Tarshish, and on everything which is beautiful to see.)

Isaiah 2:6-16 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.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.