Isaiah 2 20

Isaiah 2:20 kjv

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;

Isaiah 2:20 nkjv

In that day a man will cast away his idols of silver And his idols of gold, Which they made, each for himself to worship, To the moles and bats,

Isaiah 2:20 niv

In that day people will throw away to the moles and bats their idols of silver and idols of gold, which they made to worship.

Isaiah 2:20 esv

In that day mankind will cast away their idols of silver and their idols of gold, which they made for themselves to worship, to the moles and to the bats,

Isaiah 2:20 nlt

On that day of judgment they will abandon the gold and silver idols
they made for themselves to worship.
They will leave their gods to the rodents and bats,

Isaiah 2 verses

Isaiah 2 20 Meaning

Isaiah 2:20 portrays a dramatic and decisive rejection of idols on "the Day of the Lord." In the face of God's manifest power and judgment, humanity will realize the utter futility of self-made gods, particularly those crafted from precious silver and gold. This verse predicts a radical turning away from false worship, an act of compelled renunciation, as people cast their once-cherished idols to vile, dark, and desolated places associated with moles and bats, signifying their complete worthlessness and shame. It underscores the ultimate collapse of human pride and reliance on material wealth and human constructs in the presence of divine glory.

Isaiah 2 20 Context

Isaiah chapter 2 begins with a glorious prophecy of Zion's future exaltation and the universal flow of nations to Jerusalem, learning God's ways and experiencing peace (Isa 2:2-4). This is swiftly contrasted with the present reality of Judah's deep sin, marked by pride, reliance on human strength, and pervasive idolatry (Isa 2:5-9). The focus then shifts to "the Day of the Lord," a pivotal prophetic concept that Isaiah expands upon (Isa 2:10-21). This day will be characterized by divine judgment that will humble all human pride, exalt God alone, and expose the utter vanity of human institutions, possessions, and false worship. Verse 20 is a powerful depiction of a specific, immediate reaction to this judgment: those who had previously placed their trust and adoration in idols made of precious metals will, in a sudden realization of their worthlessness, violently cast them away to dark, abandoned, and filthy places. The chapter culminates with a stark warning against trusting in frail humanity (Isa 2:22), reinforcing the theme that God alone is to be worshipped and feared.

Historically, Isaiah prophesied during a period when the people of Judah were deeply influenced by the polytheistic practices of surrounding nations and even within their own kingdom, engaging in worship of various gods and constructing idols, often from valuable materials. This widespread idolatry was seen by God as a profound betrayal.

Isaiah 2 20 Word analysis

• In that day (Hebrew: bayyom hahu)

  • Word: Bayyom ("in the day of") + hahu ("that").
  • Significance: This phrase is a common prophetic marker, pointing to an eschatological time. It does not refer to a literal 24-hour period but rather a significant, divinely appointed future epoch of God's direct intervention, encompassing judgment for the unrighteous and vindication for the righteous. It's the "Day of the Lord," a day of divine reckoning.

• a man (Hebrew: ish)

  • Word: Ish.
  • Significance: Refers to an individual person, humanity in general. Highlights that the action of renouncing idols will be a widespread, personal, and decisive response, affecting even those who previously engaged in deep idolatry.

• will cast away (Hebrew: yashlikh)

  • Word: A form of shalakh.
  • Significance: A strong, active verb meaning "to throw, cast, send away." It denotes a forceful, definitive act of rejection, implying an urgent and almost desperate response. This is not a careful disposal but a frantic, disgusted casting off.

• his idols of silver and his idols of gold (Hebrew: elilei késef v'elilei zahav)

  • Word: Elilim ("idols, non-gods, things of naught") + kesef ("silver") + zahav ("gold").
  • Significance: Elilim strongly conveys "worthless ones" or "things of nothingness," a deliberate derogatory term for false gods. The materials—silver and gold—were the most valuable in ancient times, yet here they are revealed as utterly futile and valueless in the face of divine reality. This directly condemns the human tendency to worship wealth, craftsmanship, and material things over the living God. It's a polemic against the idea that costliness bestows divine power.

• which they made for him to worship (Hebrew: asher asu lo lehishtakhvot)

  • Word: Asu ("they made") + hishtakhvot (from shachah, "to bow down, worship").
  • Significance: Emphasizes the irony and folly of the act of idolatry itself: humanity worshipping objects that they themselves created with their own hands. This highlights the inherent absurdity and self-deception in false worship.

• to the moles and to the bats (Hebrew: lachafôr perot v'la'atallephim)

  • Word: Chafôr perot ("digging creatures," often understood as moles, shrews, or rodents that burrow in darkness) + atallephim ("bats").
  • Significance: These are creatures of darkness, dirt, obscurity, and uncleanliness (Lev 11:19, Deut 14:18 list bats as unclean). They inhabit caves, ruins, and desolate, dark places. Throwing precious idols to them symbolizes ultimate degradation, contempt, and the absolute abandonment of false worship. It means consigning them to places of death, filth, and oblivion, signaling their complete loss of status and inherent nothingness. This imagery also implies a retreat to caves or hiding places (as mentioned in Isa 2:10) where one might encounter such creatures.

• Word-groups / Phrase Analysis:

  • "In that day... a man will cast away...": The temporal phrase initiates a powerful cause-and-effect relationship. The severity of God's coming judgment (Day of the Lord) will directly trigger a profound and visible change in human behavior, a forced repentance from idolatry.
  • "his idols of silver and his idols of gold... to the moles and to the bats": This phrase creates a stark contrast between perceived value and ultimate worthlessness. What was once valuable and worshipped becomes worthless and contemptuously discarded to creatures and places of lowest regard, demonstrating total rejection and abhorrence. It visually captures the complete dethronement of idols.

Isaiah 2 20 Bonus section

The specific act of throwing idols into places where moles and bats dwell can also reflect the human attempt to hide or flee in the face of God's judgment. As seen in Isaiah 2:10, people will flee "into the rock and hide in the dust from before the terror of the Lord." Their idols, now useless, are thrown into these very places of desperation and hiding, indicating their shared fate of being exposed as futile and irrelevant. This verse serves as a potent theological statement about God's absolute sovereignty and exclusive glory, challenging any rival claims to worship, whether physical idols or other forms of misplaced trust.

Isaiah 2 20 Commentary

Isaiah 2:20 succinctly captures the profound transformation that occurs when human pride and self-reliance collapse before the undeniable majesty of God's judgment on "the Day of the Lord." The verse paints a vivid picture of a compelled renunciation of idolatry, driven not by gradual conviction but by the terrifying reality of divine wrath and glory. The irony is poignant: precious metals, once meticulously crafted and revered as symbols of power or sources of comfort, are frantically cast into the most despised and desolate places, acknowledging their true nature as "worthless things." This act of casting away to moles and bats signifies an ultimate abasement and public shame for what was formerly worshipped, demonstrating the absolute futility of relying on anything other than the Living God. The lesson remains timeless: any object, possession, or ambition placed above God is ultimately an idol, destined for exposure and humiliation when true light and divine truth prevail.