Isaiah 2 21

Isaiah 2:21 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.

Isaiah 2:21 nkjv

To go into the clefts of the rocks, And into the crags of the rugged rocks, From the terror of the LORD And the glory of His majesty, When He arises to shake the earth mightily.

Isaiah 2:21 niv

They will flee to caverns in the rocks and to the overhanging crags from the fearful presence of the LORD and the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to shake the earth.

Isaiah 2:21 esv

to enter the caverns of the rocks and the clefts of the cliffs, from before the terror of the LORD, and from the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to terrify the earth.

Isaiah 2:21 nlt

while they crawl away into caverns
and hide among the jagged rocks in the cliffs.
They will try to escape the terror of the LORD
and the glory of his majesty
as he rises to shake the earth.

Isaiah 2 verses

Isaiah 2 21 meaning

Isaiah 2:21 portrays the terrified response of humanity on the Day of the LORD, desperately seeking refuge in the deepest natural hiding places—clefts, crags, and rugged rocks. This desperate flight is driven by the overwhelming fear induced by God's terrifying presence, the awe-inspiring splendor of His majesty, and His decisive action in shaking the very foundations of the earth to judge and humble human pride and idolatry. It signifies the futility of human efforts to escape divine judgment and the overwhelming nature of God's glorious presence.

Isaiah 2 21 Context

Isaiah 2:21 is embedded within a powerful prophetic oracle concerning "The Day of the LORD," introduced earlier in Isaiah 2:6. The chapter contrasts Judah's pervasive idolatry, human pride, and self-reliance (manifested in their accumulation of wealth, military might, and reliance on alliances rather than God) with God's impending universal judgment. Verses 6-11 depict the widespread idolatry and pride that God will humble. Verses 12-18 intensify this by listing various symbols of human exaltation—tall cedars, lofty mountains, high towers, majestic ships—all destined to be brought low by the LORD of Hosts, so that "the LORD alone will be exalted in that day."

Verse 21 follows Isaiah 2:19-20, which specifically describes people throwing away their idols made of silver and gold to the moles and bats (creatures of darkness and decay), then fleeing into caves and holes to escape God's terror. Verse 21 continues this desperate flight, emphasizing the futile search for deeper, more secure natural refuges. The entire section (Isa 2:12-22) paints a vivid picture of cosmic terror and the utter demolition of human pride, preparing the way for the profound message that the reliance on anything but God is utterly meaningless in the face of His true power and majesty. Historically, this served as a warning to Judah, likely influenced by the growing power of Assyria, reminding them that God was their true and only refuge, not their fleeting human strength or their false gods.

Isaiah 2 21 Word analysis

• to go into (לָבוֹא - lā·ḇō·w’): Hebrew preposition "to" combined with the infinitive "to go/come." It signifies an intentional and urgent movement, highlighting the desperation and active flight of people seeking to escape.

• the clefts of the rocks (בִּנְקִיקֵי הַצֻּרִים - bin·qî·qê haṣ·ṣu·rîm):

  • clefts (נְקִיקִים - neqiqim): Refers to fissures, crevices, or holes in rocks. It implies natural cracks or small openings, emphasizing confined and often dark places of hiding.
  • rocks (צֻּרִים - ṣurim): Solid, massive rock formations. Symbolizes what seems like an impenetrable fortress, but is revealed as insufficient before God.

• and into the crags (וּבִסְעִפֵי - ū·ḇis·‘î·p̄ê):

  • crags/cliffs (סְעִיפֵי - se‘ipê): Can mean "clefts," "fissures," or "sections/branches" of a cliff face. It suggests deeper or more significant fissures in the rock formations. This often describes rugged, steep rock faces offering concealment.

• of the rugged rocks (הַסְּלָעִים - has·sə·lā·‘îm):

  • rugged rocks (סְלָעִים - sela‘im): Plural of sela, a large rock, cliff, or stronghold. This term generally denotes strong, unyielding, massive rock formations, indicating the most robust natural defenses imaginable.

• from the terror (מִפְּנֵי פַּחַד - mip·pə·nê paḥaḏ):

  • from the terror (מִפְּנֵי פַּחַד - mippene paḥad): mippene literally means "from the face of" or "from the presence of," signifying a direct encounter with that which inspires great dread. paḥad denotes deep-seated fear, dread, or terror. The fear is not abstract but evoked directly by God's appearing.

• of the LORD (יְהוָה - YHWH): The covenant name of God, indicating His absolute sovereignty, faithfulness to His word, and His unique identity as the one true God who judges and saves. The terror originates from Him specifically.

• and from the splendor (וּמֵהֲדַר - ū·mē·hā·ḏar):

  • from the splendor: mehādar meaning "from the beauty," "honor," "majesty," or "glory." It describes the overwhelming, brilliant manifestation of God's inherent divine qualities.

• of His majesty (גְּאוֹנוֹ - gê·’ō·wnōw):

  • His majesty (גָּאוֹן - ga'on): Refers to pride, exaltation, excellency, or majestic grandeur. Here, it denotes the majestic and incomparable greatness of God, which is a terrifying display to those in sin, contrasting sharply with human pride (also ga'on).

• when He arises (בְּקוּמוֹ - bə·qū·mōw):

  • He arises (קוּמוֹ - qûm): The verb "to stand up" or "to arise," used here to indicate God taking decisive, active, and immediate action. It signals the beginning of His judgment.

• to make the earth tremble (לְהַחֲרִיד הָאָרֶץ - lə·haḥă·rîḏ hā·’ā·reṣ):

  • to make tremble (הַחֲרִיד - hacharid): Hiphil (causative) form of charad, "to tremble, shake, be in dread." It emphasizes God's active role in causing the earth to convulse in fear.
  • the earth (הָאָרֶץ - hā·’ā·reṣ): Refers to the entire land or world, signifying the cosmic, universal scale of God's action and its effect on all creation.

• "to go into the clefts of the rocks and into the crags of the rugged rocks": This phrase showcases a desperate, intensifying search for refuge. The progression from "clefts" (small openings) to "crags" (deeper fissures) to "rugged rocks" (massive cliffs) indicates an escalating panic and the vain hope that deeper physical hiding places will somehow shield them from an omnipresent, omnipotent God. It highlights the futility of human efforts to escape divine judgment.

• "from the terror of the LORD and from the splendor of His majesty": This parallelism reveals that the "terror" is directly a consequence of God's "splendor" and "majesty." It's not just His judgment that is terrifying, but His very inherent glory and awe-inspiring nature, which, when encountered by sinful humanity, results in utter dread and humiliation. God's holiness consumes human pride.

• "when He arises to make the earth tremble": This specific action describes God initiating His powerful judgment. The "trembling" of the earth is a common biblical motif for the physical manifestation of God's presence, anger, or decisive intervention, signifying cosmic upheaval and an unavoidable display of divine power that utterly humbles all human institutions and pride.

Isaiah 2 21 Bonus section

• The Day of the LORD Motif: This verse is a core expression of the "Day of the LORD" theme, which is central to prophetic literature. It signifies a specific, often sudden, and devastating intervention by God in human history, typically for judgment upon the wicked and the vindication of His righteousness, culminating in an eschatological event.
• Divine Majesty vs. Human Pride: The text uses ga'on (majesty/pride) for God, contrasting implicitly with the very ga'on (pride) of humanity and its achievements mentioned earlier in the chapter. The "splendor of His majesty" overwhelms and crushes all human self-exaltation.
• Parallelism in Terrified Flight: The imagery of people fleeing into caves and rocks from God's wrath finds powerful echoes throughout Scripture, notably in Revelation 6:15-17, which describes humanity's ultimate, futile attempt to hide from God on the throne and the Lamb's wrath at the very end of time, showcasing the consistent theme of divine judgment across the biblical narrative.
• Cosmic Judgment: The detail that God will "make the earth tremble" signifies the cosmic scope of His judgment. It affects not just humanity but the very created order, emphasizing the absolute and pervasive nature of His authority and power.

Isaiah 2 21 Commentary

Isaiah 2:21 profoundly illustrates the climax of the human predicament when confronted by the Holy God. Following verses that denounce Judah's extensive idolatry and arrogant pride, this verse depicts the inevitable consequence: a terrifying, inescapable reckoning. On the "Day of the LORD," humanity's natural response to God's manifested power and majesty is not reverence but sheer, abject terror, prompting a desperate flight into what they believe are the most secure natural fortifications. The triple emphasis on "clefts of the rocks," "crags," and "rugged rocks" underscores the intensity of their fear and the futility of seeking physical concealment from an omniscient, omnipotent God whose presence fills all space.

The source of this terror is explicitly defined: not just God's judgment, but "the terror of the LORD" and "the splendor of His majesty." This juxtaposition highlights that God's inherent glory and awe-inspiring nature, when unveiled, is fundamentally terrifying to sinful humanity, stripping away all pretension and pride. The judgment is tied directly to God's essence. "When He arises to make the earth tremble" encapsulates the dynamic and irresistible nature of this divine action; God initiates a cosmic shaking that renders all human strongholds and self-exaltation utterly worthless. This verse is a stark warning that no human strength, no material wealth, and no hidden place can withstand the overwhelming reality of God's presence and His righteous judgment.