Isaiah 2 Study Notes

2:8 The root of the evil of idolatry is expressed here when the pronouncement states that idols are man-made (the work of their hands). Paul reflected this understanding when he referred to the folly of exchanging “the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles” (Rm 1:23).

2:9-10 Do not forgive them is a curious petition. It probably means that Israel’s sin cannot just be forgotten but must be punished.

2:11 With the words the pride of mankind will be humbled, Isaiah expressed one of the major themes of his book. Through judgment, God cuts down the sinful pretensions of his people.

2:12-18 The prophets often spoke of a coming day belonging to the Lord (Jl 1:15; 2:1,11,31; Am 5:18,20; Zph 1:7,14; Zch 14:1). This day is one of judgment of sinners, which means the redemption of God’s people. However, God’s people in this verse were the object of his anger since they were rebelling against him. While the “day of the Lord” ultimately points to the final judgment, God’s temporal punishments of his people are often understood to be anticipatory fulfillments of the final judgment. Lebanon and Bashan were well known for their fertile lands and, in particular, their impressive trees. Thus, they are representative of arrogance built on abundance. God’s judgment is against all kinds of pride.

2:19-21 People will flee in terror from the coming judgment of God. Out of fear, they will throw away their precious idols. On the caves in the rocks see Rv 6:15.

2:22 The last verse of the pronouncement states an important and pervasive theme in Isaiah connected to the prophet’s concern that God’s people act with humility. They were not to trust in a mere human, but to put their confidence in God.

Isaiah has half the uses of shaphel, which means be lowly (Pr 16:19) or sink (Is 32:19). People are humbled (Is 2:9) or brought down (Is 29:4). Trees are felled (Is 10:33) and mountains leveled (Is 40:4). Causative verbs mean humiliate (Jb 40:11), humble (Pr 29:23), demote (Pr 25:7), bring down or low (Is 25:11-12), stoop down (Ps 113:6), and send down (Is 57:9). Shephelah (20x) is the name for the Judean foothills (Jos 9:1). The adjective shaphal (17x) denotes low (Ezk 17:6), lowly (Is 57:15), humble (Ezk 17:14), or humiliated (Mal 2:9). Once it is lowliest (Ezk 29:15). The phrase “lower than” is translated beneath (Lv 13:20). The noun shephel means humiliation (Ps 136:23) or lowly position (Ec 10:6). Shiphlah, meaning depths, occurs with the verb shaphel (Is 32:19). “Lowness (shiphlut) of hands” suggests negligent hands hanging down (Ec 10:18). The adjective shaphel implies humbled (Is 2:12).