Isaiah 2:21
in Isaiah 2They will flee to caverns in the rocks and crevices in the cliffs, away from the terror of the LORD and from the splendor of His majesty, when He rises to shake the earth.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
to go into the caverns of the rocks, and into the clefts of the ragged rocks, from before the terror of Jehovah, and from the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake mightily the earth.
KJV
To go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.
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This verse in Isaiah 2
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
To go - That is, that he may go. Clefts of the rocks - see the note at Isa 2:19. Into the tops ... - The tops of such rocks were not easily accessible, and were, therefore, deemed places of safety. We may remark here, how vain were the refuges to which they would resort - as if they were safe from “God,” when they had fled to the places in which they sought safety from “man.” The image here is, however, one that is very sublime.
This site's exposition
In that day men will cast
on Isaiah 2:20-22
The wealth listed at verse 7 is thrown away "to the moles and bats," creatures of the dark. Verse 21 repeats the flight into the rocks from verse 19. The chapter closes with a plain command, "Put no more trust in man, who has only the breath in his nostrils."
This site's exposition
crevices in the cliffs
Verse 21 repeats the refrain of verse 19, with the idols of silver and gold thrown to the moles and bats in between. Matthew Henry said the idolaters throw them away in shame, or for fear of being found with them. They flee with empty hands.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
Second, he returns to the protection of hiding, where it says, "and he shall go into the clefts of rocks": "every bondman and every freeman hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of mountains" (Rev 6:15).
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
The idolaters here throw away their idols because they are ashamed of them and of their own folly in trusting to them, or because they are afraid of having them found in their possession when the judgments of God are abroad; as the thief throws away his stolen goods then he is searched for or pursued.
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 Isa 2:10, Isa 2:19.
And now which of these Jerusalems will we be the inhabitants of--that which is full of the knowledge of God, which will be our everlasting honour, or that which is full of horses and chariots, and silver and gold, and such idols, which will in the end be our shame?
The words behind it
13 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| לָבוֹא֙ | lavo' | to go | H935 → | 2568 times |
| בְּנִקְר֣וֹת | benikrot | in [the] crevices of | H5366 → | |
| הַצֻּרִ֔ים | hatzurim | the rocks | H6697 → | 78 times |
| וּבִסְעִפֵ֖י | uvisifei | and in [the] clefts of | H5585 → | 6 times |
| הַסְּלָעִ֑ים | haselaim | the cliffs | H5553 → | 58 times |
| מִפְּנֵ֞י | mipenei | from before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| פַּ֤חַד | pachad | [the] dread of | H6343 → | 49 times |
| יְהוָה֙ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| וּמֵהֲדַ֣ר | umehadar | and from [the] splendor of | H1926 → | 30 times |
| גְּאוֹנ֔וֹ | geono | majesty his | H1347 → | 49 times |
| בְּקוּמ֖וֹ | bekumo | when arises he | H6965 → | 628 times |
| לַעֲרֹ֥ץ | laarotz | to terrify | H6206 → | 15 times |
| הָאָֽרֶץ׃ | haaretz | the earth | H776 → | 2504 times |
לָבוֹא֙to go
lavo'H935 →2568 times
בְּנִקְר֣וֹתin [the] crevices of
benikrotH5366 →
הַצֻּרִ֔יםthe rocks
hatzurimH6697 →78 times
וּבִסְעִפֵ֖יand in [the] clefts of
uvisifeiH5585 →6 times
הַסְּלָעִ֑יםthe cliffs
haselaimH5553 →58 times
מִפְּנֵ֞יfrom before
mipeneiH6440 →2123 times
פַּ֤חַד[the] dread of
pachadH6343 →49 times
יְהוָה֙Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
וּמֵהֲדַ֣רand from [the] splendor of
umehadarH1926 →30 times
גְּאוֹנ֔וֹmajesty his
geonoH1347 →49 times
בְּקוּמ֖וֹwhen arises he
bekumoH6965 →628 times
לַעֲרֹ֥ץto terrify
laarotzH6206 →15 times
הָאָֽרֶץ׃the earth
haaretzH776 →2504 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Isaiah 2:10Go into the rocks and hide in the dust from the terror of the LORD and the splendor of His majesty.
it leads to
- Luke 23:30
At that time ‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!”’
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Hosea 10:8
The high places of Aven will be destroyed—it is the sin of Israel; thorns and thistles will overgrow their altars. Then they will say to the mountains, “Cover us!” and to the hills, “Fall…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Revelation 6:15–16
Then the kings of the earth, the nobles, the commanders, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and free man hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains.
- Isaiah 2:19–21
Men will flee to caves in the rocks and holes in the ground, away from the terror of the LORD and from the splendor of His majesty, when He rises to shake the earth.
- Luke 23:30
Through
Exodus 33:22and when My glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by.
it leads to
- Psalms 91:1
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
- Psalms 91:4
He will cover you with His feathers; under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and rampart.
- 1 Corinthians 10:4
and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.
- Psalms 91:1
Through
Isaiah 2:19Men will flee to caves in the rocks and holes in the ground, away from the terror of the LORD and from the splendor of His majesty, when He rises to shake the earth.
it leads to
- Isaiah 2:10
Go into the rocks and hide in the dust from the terror of the LORD and the splendor of His majesty.
- Isaiah 2:10
Where this verse is studied
About Isaiah
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.