Bible/Isaiah/2

Isaiah 2:21

2:20 In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats; his idols of silver: Heb. the idols of his silver, etc each: or, for him
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.

KJV

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To go into the caverns of the rocks, and into the clefts of the ragged rocks, from before the terror of Yahweh, and from the glory of his majesty, when he arises to shake the earth mightily.

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.

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 rises to shake terribly the earth.

2:22 Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?

What does Isaiah 2:21 mean?

Isaiah 2:21 is a verse in the book of Isaiah, in the Old Testament. In the original Hebrew, key words include בּוֹא (bôwʼ), נְקָרָה (nᵉqârâh), צוּר (tsûwr). It connects to 15 cross-referenced passages elsewhere in Scripture.

Hebrew interlinear

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To
goבּוֹאbôwʼ/bo/H935to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)
into
the
cleftsנְקָרָהnᵉqârâh/nek-aw-raw'/H5366{to bore (penetrate, quarry)}
of
the
rocks,צוּרtsûwr/tsoor/H6697properly, a cliff (or sharp rock, as compressed); generally, a rock or boulder; figuratively, a refuge; also an edge (as precipitous)
and
into
the
topsסָעִיףçâʻîyph/saw-eef'/H5585a fissure (of rocks); also a bough (as subdivided)
of
the
ragged
rocks,סֶלַעçelaʻ/seh'-lah/H5553a craggy rock, literally or figuratively (a fortress)
forפָּנִיםpânîym/paw-neem'/H6440the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.)
fearפַּחַדpachad/pakh'-ad/H6343a (sudden) alarm (properly, the object feared, by implication, the feeling)
of
the
LORD,יְהֹוָהYᵉhôvâh/yeh-ho-vaw'/H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of God
and
for
the
gloryהָדָרhâdâr/haw-dawr'/H1926magnificence, i.e. ornament or splendor
of
his
majesty,גָּאוֹןgâʼôwn/gaw-ohn'/H1347{arrogance or majesty; by implication, (concretely) ornament}
when
he
arisethקוּםqûwm/koom/H6965to rise (in various applications, literal, figurative, intensive and causative)
to
shake
terriblyעָרַץʻârats/aw-rats'/H6206to awe or (intransitive) to dread; hence, to harass
the
earth.אֶרֶץʼerets/eh'-rets/H776the earth (at large, or partitively a land)

Commentary on Isaiah 2:21

HENRY_FULL · Isaiah 2:21
every creature is that to us which he makes it to be and no more. Dependence on Providence; God the Giver of Prosperity. 1 Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. 2 It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep. 3 Lo, children are a heritage of the Lord : and the fruit of the womb is his reward. 4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. 5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.

Cross-references

Related passages from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

Genesis 3:17

And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

Proverbs 31:15

She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.

Ecclesiastes 1:14

I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

Ecclesiastes 2:1

I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.

Ecclesiastes 2:20

Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 4:8

There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail.

Ecclesiastes 5:12

The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.

Ecclesiastes 6:7

All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled. appetite: Heb. soul

Isaiah 3:5

And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbour: the child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honourable.

Isaiah 39:5

Then said Isaiah to Hezekiah, Hear the word of the LORD of hosts:

Isaiah 39:6

Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store until this day, shall be carried to Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the LORD.

Jeremiah 31:26

Upon this I awaked, and beheld; and my sleep was sweet unto me.

Ezekiel 34:25

And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods.

Acts 12:5

Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. prayer: or, instant and earnest prayer was made

Acts 12:6

And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison.

Topics

Fear of GodIdolatryRemorse

Verses like this

Other verses that share key original-language words with Isaiah 2:21.

Deuteronomy 2:25

This day will I begin to put the dread of thee and the fear of thee upon the nations that are under the whole heaven, who shall hear report of thee, and shall tremble, and be in anguish because of thee.

Deuteronomy 32:13

He made him ride on the high places of the earth, that he might eat the increase of the fields; and he made him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock;

Exodus 33:22

And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:

Judges 15:11

Then three thousand men of Judah went to the top of the rock Etam, and said to Samson, Knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us? what is this that thou hast done unto us? And he said unto them, As they did unto me, so have I done unto them. went: Heb. went down

Judges 15:8

And he smote them hip and thigh with a great slaughter: and he went down and dwelt in the top of the rock Etam.

Psalms 18:2

The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. my strength: Heb. my rock

Frequently asked questions

What does Isaiah 2:21 say?

Isaiah 2:21 (King James Version) reads: "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."

Is Isaiah 2:21 in the Old or New Testament?

Isaiah 2:21 is in the Old Testament of the Bible, in the book of Isaiah.

Reflect

As you read Isaiah 2:21, what is one truth here you can carry into today?

Plan a sermon or study on Isaiah 2:21
2:20Read all of Isaiah 22:22