Isaiah 2:1-11

God's Universal Reign

1 The word which 1Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
2 Now it will come about that 2In the last days The 3mountain of the house of the LORD Will be established as the chief of the mountains, And will be raised above the hills; And 4all the nations will stream to it.
3 And many peoples will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; That He may teach us concerning His ways And that we may walk in His paths." For the law will go forth 5from Zion And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
4 And He will judge between the nations, And will render decisions for many peoples; And 6they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. 7Nation will not lift up sword against nation, And never again will they learn war.
5 Come, 8house of Jacob, and let us walk in the 9light of the LORD.
6 For You have 10abandoned Your people, the house of Jacob, Because they are filled with influences from the east, And they are soothsayers 11like the Philistines, And they 12strike bargains with the children of foreigners.
7 Their land has also been filled with silver and gold And there is no end to their treasures; Their land has also been filled with 13horses And there is no end to their chariots.
8 Their land has also been 14filled with idols; They worship the 15work of their hands, That which their fingers have made.
9 So 16the common man has been humbled And the man of importance has been abased, But 17do not forgive them.
10 18Enter the rock and hide in the dust 19From the terror of the LORD and from the splendor of His majesty.
11 The 20proud look of man will be abased And the 21loftiness of man will be humbled, And the LORD alone will be exalted in that day.

Isaiah 2:1-11 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 21

  • 1. Isaiah 1:1
  • 2. Micah 4:1-3
  • 3. Isaiah 27:13; Isaiah 66:20
  • 4. Isaiah 56:7
  • 5. Isaiah 51:4, 5; Luke 24:47
  • 6. Isaiah 32:17, 18; Joel 3:10
  • 7. Isaiah 9:5, 7; Isaiah 11:6-9; Hosea 2:18; Zechariah 9:10
  • 8. Isaiah 58:1
  • 9. Is 60:1, 2, 19, 20; 1 John 1:5
  • 10. Deuteronomy 31:17
  • 11. 2 Kings 1:2
  • 12. 2 Kings 16:7, 8; Proverbs 6:1
  • 13. Deuteronomy 17:16; Isaiah 30:16; Isaiah 31:1; Micah 5:10
  • 14. Isaiah 10:11
  • 15. Psalms 115:4-8; Isaiah 17:8; Isaiah 37:19; Isaiah 40:19; Isaiah 44:17
  • 16. Psalms 49:2; Psalms 62:9; Isaiah 5:15
  • 17. Nehemiah 4:5
  • 18. Isaiah 2:19, 21; Revelation 6:15, 16
  • 19. 2 Thessalonians 1:9
  • 20. Isaiah 5:15; Isaiah 37:23
  • 21. Psalms 18:27; Isaiah 13:11; Isaiah 23:9; 2 Corinthians 10:5

Footnotes 5

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