To go into the clifts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks ,.... That is, the idolaters shall either go there themselves; or they shall cause their idols to go there, thither they shall cast them; though the former sense seems the best, because of what follows, for fear of the Lord , &c.; See Gill on Isaiah 2:10 , Isaiah 2:19 . read more
Be humbled - " ושח שפל shaphel veshach , read שח שפלו shaphelu shach ." - Dr. Durell. Which rectifies the grammatical construction. No MS. or version confirms this reading. read more
And upon all the cedars "Even against all the cedars" - Princes, potentates, rulers, captains, rich men, etc. - So Kimchi. These verses afford us a striking example of that peculiar way of writing, which makes a principal characteristic of the parabolical or poetical style of the Hebrews, and in which the prophets deal so largely, namely, their manner of exhibiting things Divine, spiritual, moral, and political, by a set of images taken from things natural, artificial, religious, historical,... read more
Shall utterly abolish "Shall disappear" - The ancient versions and an ancient MS. read יחלפו yachalpu , plural. One of my MSS. reads יחלוף yachaloph , probably a mistake for יחלפו yachalpu . read more
Into the holes of the rocks "Into caverns of rocks" - The country of Judea being mountainous and rocky, is full of caverns, as appears from the history of David's persecution under Saul. At En-gedi, in particular, there was a cave so large that David with six hundred men hid themselves in the sides of it; and Saul entered the mouth of the cave without perceiving that any one was there, 1 Samuel 24. Josephus, Antiq., lib. xiv., c. 15, and Bell. Jud., lib. 1, c. 16, tells us of a numerous gang... read more
Which they made each one for himself to worship "Which they have made to worship" - The word לו lo , for himself, is omitted by two ancient MSS., and is unnecessary. It does not appear that any copy of the Septuagint has it, except MS. Pachom, and MS. 1. D. II., and they have ἑαυτοις , להם lahem , to themselves. To the moles - They shall carry their idols with them into the dark caverns, old ruins, or desolate places, to which they shall flee for refuge; and so shall give them... read more
THE CONTRAST OF THE PRESENT WITH THE FUTURE . Having shown to Israel the vision of a far-distant future, when holiness and peace would reign upon the earth, and "the mountain of the Lord's house" would draw all men into it, the prophet returns to things as they are—first exhorting Israel to "walk in the light of Jehovah' ( Isaiah 2:5 ), and then showing how far they have withdrawn from the light; Such being the case, punishment must come—mean and great must be equally... read more
Retribution and its results. In this noble prophetic passage, as charged with poetic grandeur as it is full of religious zeal, we have our thought directed to— I. Two HEINOUS SINS WHICH BELONG TO EVERY AGE AND CLASS . They are these: 1. Disobedience . The divination to which reference is made ( Isaiah 2:6 ) is expressly prohibited in the Law ( Deuteronomy 18:10-12 ); alliance with strangers ( Isaiah 2:6 ) is also forbidden ( Exodus 34:12 ; Dent; Exodus... read more
Shame for the sinner. We can more easily bear suffering than shame. Man has great powers of physical endurance. But we dread shame as we dread nothing else. There was the keenest distress in that old and cruel way of treating some criminals. They were put in the pillory. They were lifted up on a stage in the market-place. A frame was fastened round the neck and wrists, which left the head and hands exposed. Crowds gathered below, and scorned the poor man, throwing at him all manner of vile... read more
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John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 2:20
In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols o gold ,.... Being frightened at the terrible shaking of the earth, and at the glory and majesty of Christ, which will be seen in his witnesses and people, at the time of his spiritual coming, and the destruction of antichrist; insomuch that they shall cast away their idols, and relinquish their idolatrous practices, and give glory to the God of heaven, Revelation 11:11 , which they made each one for himself to worship ... read more