Isaiah 2:20
◄  Isaiah 2:20  ►
New International Version (©2011)
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.

New Living Translation (©2007)
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,

English Standard Version (©2001)
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,

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
In that day men will cast away to the moles and the bats Their idols of silver and their idols of gold, Which they made for themselves to worship,

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
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;

Holman Christian Standard Bible (©2009)
On that day people will throw their silver and gold idols, which they made to worship, to the moles and the bats.

International Standard Version (©2012)
At that time, mankind will throw their silver and gold idols that their fingers have made as objects of worship to the moles and to the bats.

NET Bible (©2006)
At that time men will throw their silver and gold idols, which they made for themselves to worship, into the caves where rodents and bats live,

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
On that day people will throw to the moles and the bats the silver and gold idols that they made for themselves to worship.

King James 2000 Bible (©2003)
In that day a man shall cast away his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made, each for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats;

American King James Version
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;

American Standard Version
In that day men shall cast away their idols of silver, and their idols of gold, which have been made for them to worship, to the moles and to the bats;

Douay-Rheims Bible
In that day a man shall cast away his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which he had made for himself to adore, moles and bats.

Darby Bible Translation
In that day men shall cast away their idols of silver and their idols of gold, which they made each for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats;

English Revised Version
In that day a man shall cast away his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made for him to worship, to the moles and to the bats;

Webster's Bible Translation
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;

World English Bible
In that day, men shall cast away their idols of silver, and their idols of gold, which have been made for themselves to worship, to the moles and to the bats;

Young's Literal Translation
In that day doth man cast his idols of silver, And his idols of gold, That they have made for him to worship, To moles, and to bats,

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

2:10-22 The taking of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans seems first meant here, when idolatry among the Jews was done away; but our thoughts are led forward to the destruction of all the enemies of Christ. It is folly for those who are pursued by the wrath of God, to think to hide or shelter themselves from it. The shaking of the earth will be terrible to those who set their affections on things of the earth. Men's haughtiness will be brought down, either by the grace of God convincing them of the evil of pride, or by the providence of God depriving them of all the things they were proud of. The day of the Lord shall be upon those things in which they put their confidence. Those who will not be reasoned out of their sins, sooner or later shall be frightened out of them. Covetous men make money their god; but the time will come when they will feel it as much their burden. This whole passage may be applied to the case of an awakened sinner, ready to leave all that his soul may be saved. The Jews were prone to rely on their heathen neighbours; but they are here called upon to cease from depending on mortal man. We are all prone to the same sin. Then let not man be your fear, let not him be your hope; but let your hope be in the Lord your God. Let us make this our great concern.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 20. - In that day a man shall cast, etc, When the idols disappoint their worship-pets, and prove to be unable to save them, they are treated with scorn and ignominy. The African beats his fetish on such occasions. The Israelites would fling theirs to the moles and the bats. Idols of silver... idols of gold (comp. Exodus 20:23; Psalm 115:4: 135:15; Isaiah 30:22; Isaiah 31:7; Hosea 8:4; Hosea 13:2). A passage of Habakkuk (Habakkuk 2:19) shows that sometimes the main bulk of the idol was of stone, which was overlaid with a coating of one or other of the two precious metals; but it would seem that ordinarily the entire image was either of gold or silver (comp. Exodus 32:4, 24; 1 Kings 12:28). No doubt it was thought that the god worshipped through the image was more honored, and therefore better pleased, by the more costly material. Which they made each one for himself; rather, which they (i.e. the manufacturers) have made for him. Idol-making was a trade, as we see by the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 19:24-27). To the moles; literally, to the dig-holes. The metaphor must not be pressed. They would throw the idols into holes and corners, pits and caverns, where moles and bats might be expected to be the only visitants. Some idea of the blindness implied in any regard for idols may have prompted the imagery.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

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; everyone having their peculiar idol, the work of their own hands; which shows their gross ignorance and wretched stupidity:

to the moles, and to the bats; that is, either they shall leave them to persons as blind and ignorant as moles and bats; or rather they shall cast them into the holes which moles make, and bats have recourse unto. The Targum makes these the objects of worship, rendering the words,

"that they may worship the idols and images;''

and the Jewish writers interpret them of images worshipped in the form of moles and bats; though we never read of those creatures being worshipped, Moles were sacrificed to Neptune (w). Kimchi refers this text to the times of the Messiah; and some of their ancient writers (x) apply it to the Messiah, and to his arising and appearing in the land of Galilee.

(w) Phurnutus de Natura Deorum, p. 59. (x) Zohar in Exod. fol. 3. 3. &. in Numb. fol. 99. 3.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

20. moles—Others translate "mice." The sense is, under ground, in darkness.

bats—unclean birds (Le 11:19), living amidst tenantless ruins (Re 11:13).

Isaiah 2:20 Parallel Commentaries

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Bible Hub: Online Parallel Bible


The Day of the Reckoning
…19And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he rises to shake terribly the earth. 20In 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; 21To 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.

Luke 23:30 Then "'they will say to the mountains, "Fall on us!" and to the hills, "Cover us!"'
Leviticus 11:19 the stork, any kind of heron, the hoopoe and the bat.
Isaiah 17:8 They will not look to the altars, the work of their hands, and they will have no regard for the Asherah poles and the incense altars their fingers have made.
Isaiah 30:22 Then you will desecrate your idols overlaid with silver and your images covered with gold; you will throw them away like a menstrual cloth and say to them, "Away with you!"
Isaiah 31:7 For in that day every one of you will reject the idols of silver and gold your sinful hands have made.
Isaiah 40:19 As for an idol, a metalworker casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and fashions silver chains for it.
Ezekiel 7:19 "'They will throw their silver into the streets, and their gold will be treated as a thing unclean. Their silver and gold will not be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD's wrath. It will not satisfy their hunger or fill their stomachs, for it has caused them to stumble into sin.
Ezekiel 14:6 "Therefore say to the people of Israel, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices!
Ezekiel 36:25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols.