Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version 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 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 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, Berean Standard Bible In that day men will cast away to the moles and bats their idols of silver and gold—the idols they made to worship. Berean Literal Bible In that day man will throw away the idols of his silver, and idols of his gold, which they made, each for himself, to bow down to diggers of holes and to the bats, King James Bible 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; New King James Version 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, New American Standard Bible On that day people will throw away to the moles and the bats Their idols of silver and their idols of gold, Which they made for themselves to worship, NASB 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, NASB 1977 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, Legacy Standard Bible 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, Amplified Bible In that day men will throw away to the moles and to the bats Their idols of silver and their idols of gold, Which they made for themselves [as objects] to worship, Berean Annotated Bible In that day men will cast away to the moles and bats their idols of silver and gold—the idols they made to worship. Christian Standard Bible On that day people will throw their worthless idols of silver and gold, which they made to worship, to the moles and the bats. Holman Christian Standard Bible On that day people will throw their silver and gold idols, which they made to worship, to the moles and 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; Contemporary English Version On that day everyone will throw to the moles and bats their idols of silver and gold they made to worship. 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; GOD'S WORD® Translation On that day people will throw to the moles and the bats the silver and gold idols that they made for themselves to worship. Good News Translation When that day comes, they will throw away the gold and silver idols they have made, and abandon them to the moles and the bats. International Standard Version 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 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, New Heart English Bible In that day, people will cast away their idols of silver and their idols of gold to the rodents and to the bats, which have been made for themselves to worship; 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; Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleIn that day men will cast away to the moles and bats their idols of silver and gold—the idols they made to worship. 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, Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionIn that day man casts his idols of silver, "" And his idols of gold, "" That they have made for him to worship, "" To moles, and to bats, Berean Literal Bible In that day man will throw away the idols of his silver, and idols of his gold, which they made, each for himself, to bow down to diggers of holes 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, Smith's Literal Translation In that day man shall cast the nothings of his silver and the nothings of his gold which they made for him to worship, to the digging of moles and to bats. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleIn 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. Catholic Public Domain Version In that day, man shall cast aside his idols of silver and his images of gold, which he had made for himself, as if to reverence the moles and the bats. New American Bible On that day people shall throw to moles and bats their idols of silver and their idols of gold which they made for themselves to worship. New Revised Standard Version On that day people will throw away to the moles and to the bats their idols of silver and their idols of gold, which they made for themselves to worship, Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleIn that day a man shall cast away to the moles and to the bats his idols of gold and his idols of silver, which they made each one for themselves to worship, Peshitta Holy Bible Translated In that day men shall throw idols of gold and of silver, that they had made for themselves to worship, to nothingness and to the bats OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917In that day a man shall cast away His idols of silver, and his idols of gold, Which they made for themselves to worship, To the moles and to the bats; Brenton Septuagint Translation For in that day a man shall cast forth his silver and gold abominations, which they made in order to worship vanities and bats; Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context The Day of Reckoning…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. 20In that day men will cast away to the moles and bats their idols of silver and gold— the idols they made to worship. 21They 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.… Cross References In that day Zechariah 13:2 And on that day, declares the LORD of Hosts, I will erase the names of the idols from the land, and they will no longer be remembered. I will also remove the prophets and the spirit of impurity from the land. Isaiah 17:7 In that day men will look to their Maker and turn their eyes to the Holy One of Israel. Zechariah 14:9 On that day the LORD will become King over all the earth—the LORD alone, and His name alone. men will cast away Isaiah 31:7 For on that day, every one of you will reject the idols of silver and gold that your own hands have sinfully made. Ezekiel 20:7 And I said to them: ‘Each of you must throw away the abominations before his eyes, and you must not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.’ Isaiah 30:22 So you will desecrate your silver-plated idols and your gold-plated images. You will throw them away like menstrual cloths, saying to them, “Be gone!” to the moles and bats Leviticus 11:19 the stork, any kind of heron, the hoopoe, and the bat. Deuteronomy 14:18 the stork, any kind of heron, the hoopoe, or the bat. Isaiah 34:11-15 The desert owl and screech owl will possess it, and the great owl and raven will dwell in it. The LORD will stretch out over Edom a measuring line of chaos and a plumb line of destruction. / No nobles will be left to proclaim a king, and all her princes will come to nothing. / Her towers will be overgrown with thorns, her fortresses with thistles and briers. She will become a haunt for jackals, an abode for ostriches. … their idols of silver and gold— Psalm 115:4-8 Their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. / They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see; / they have ears, but cannot hear; they have noses, but cannot smell; … Psalm 135:15-18 The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. / They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see; / they have ears, but cannot hear; nor is there breath in their mouths. … Jeremiah 10:3-5 For the customs of the peoples are worthless; they cut down a tree from the forest; it is shaped with a chisel by the hands of a craftsman. / They adorn it with silver and gold and fasten it with hammer and nails, so that it will not totter. / Like scarecrows in a cucumber patch, their idols cannot speak. They must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them, for they can do no harm, and neither can they do any good.” the idols they made to worship. Psalm 106:19-20 At Horeb they made a calf and worshiped a molten image. / They exchanged their Glory for the image of a grass-eating ox. Acts 7:41 At that time they made a calf and offered a sacrifice to the idol, rejoicing in the works of their hands. Habakkuk 2:18-19 What use is an idol, that a craftsman should carve it—or an image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak. / Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Awake!’ or to silent stone, ‘Arise!’ Can it give guidance? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, yet there is no breath in it at all.” 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. / And they said to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the One seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb. Treasury of Scripture 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; cast Isaiah 30:22 Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven images of silver, and the ornament of thy molten images of gold: thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth; thou shalt say unto it, Get thee hence. Isaiah 31:7 For in that day every man shall cast away his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which your own hands have made unto you for a sin. Isaiah 46:1 Bel boweth down, Nebo stoopeth, their idols were upon the beasts, and upon the cattle: your carriages were heavy loaden; they are a burden to the weary beast. his idols of silver. Isaiah 46:6 They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, and hire a goldsmith; and he maketh it a god: they fall down, yea, they worship. each one for himself to. Jump to Previous Beasts Cast Dark Forth Gold Idols Images Keeping Silver Themselves Throw WorshipJump to Next Beasts Cast Dark Forth Gold Idols Images Keeping Silver Themselves Throw WorshipIsaiah 2 1. Isaiah prophesies the coming of Christ's kingdom6. Wickedness is the cause of God's forsaking 10. He exhorts to fear, because of the powerful effects of God's majesty In that day This phrase often refers to a future time of divine intervention or judgment. In the context of Isaiah, it points to the Day of the Lord, a time when God will execute judgment and establish His kingdom. This eschatological theme is prevalent throughout the prophetic books, emphasizing a future period of reckoning and restoration. men will cast away to the moles and bats their idols of silver and gold the idols they made to worship Persons / Places / Events 1. IsaiahA major prophet in the Old Testament, Isaiah's ministry spanned the reigns of several kings of Judah. He is known for his prophecies concerning both judgment and redemption. 2. Judah The southern kingdom of Israel, often the focus of Isaiah's prophecies. The people of Judah were frequently admonished for their idolatry and lack of faithfulness to God. 3. Idols Objects made of silver and gold that the people of Judah worshipped instead of the one true God. These idols symbolize the misplaced trust and spiritual adultery of the people. 4. Moles and Bats Creatures that dwell in darkness, symbolizing the worthlessness and obscurity to which the idols will be relegated. 5. In that day A prophetic phrase often used by Isaiah to refer to a future time of divine intervention, judgment, or restoration. Teaching Points The Futility of IdolatryIdols, no matter how precious or ornate, are ultimately worthless and powerless. They cannot save or protect. God's Sovereignty The casting away of idols signifies the recognition of God's ultimate authority and power over all creation. Repentance and Renewal True repentance involves not only turning away from sin but also discarding the objects and practices associated with it. Spiritual Blindness Idolatry is often linked to spiritual blindness, where people fail to see the truth of God's supremacy and the emptiness of their false gods. Preparation for Judgment The phrase "in that day" serves as a reminder to live in readiness for God's judgment, ensuring our lives are free from idolatry and aligned with His will. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1. What is the meaning of Isaiah 2:20?2. How does Isaiah 2:20 illustrate the futility of idol worship in our lives? 3. What idols might we need to "cast away" in today's society? 4. How does Isaiah 2:20 connect with the First Commandment in Exodus 20:3? 5. What practical steps can we take to identify and remove idols from our lives? 6. How does trusting God over idols impact our daily decision-making and priorities? 7. What does Isaiah 2:20 reveal about idolatry in ancient Israel? 8. How does Isaiah 2:20 challenge modern views on materialism? 9. What historical context influenced the message of Isaiah 2:20? 10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Isaiah 2? 11. Isaiah 2:6-8 condemns idolatry among the people of Judah, yet archaeological findings show idol use throughout Israelite history; does this undermine the text's portrayal of reform? 12. How do the references to idols in Isaiah 44:9-20 align with Israel's historical and archeological record of worship practices? 13. (Habakkuk 2:18-19) How does the critique of idols align with accounts elsewhere that depict different perspectives or tolerances toward idol worship? 14. Micah 1:7 - How does the text's condemnation of idol worship align with other passages that appear to offer different perspectives or degrees of tolerance for pagan practices? What Does Isaiah 2:20 Mean In that dayThe verse opens with a time-marker that Scripture often uses for the climactic “day of the LORD” (Isaiah 2:12; Joel 2:31; Zephaniah 1:14). God promises a literal future moment when His majesty breaks in so powerfully that every rival god is exposed as worthless. Just as Noah’s flood arrived exactly when God said (Genesis 7:11-13) and Christ’s resurrection occurred “on the third day” exactly as foretold (Luke 24:6-7), this day will also arrive right on schedule. Men will cast away People who once clung to idols will suddenly hurl them aside. Isaiah repeats the picture later: “In that day each of you will reject the silver and gold idols your sinful hands have made” (Isaiah 31:7). The reaction is instinctive—like sailors dumping cargo in a storm (Jonah 1:5) or Ephesians burning their magic scrolls when the gospel took hold (Acts 19:18-19). When God’s glory confronts the human heart, clinging to substitutes becomes unthinkable. To the moles and bats Moles burrow underground; bats hide in caverns. Both live where light is scarce, places men would not normally store treasure. The point is vivid: idols will be tossed into the deepest, darkest holes—out of sight, out of mind. This echoes Jesus’ warning that evildoers “love darkness rather than light” (John 3:19) and Revelation’s picture of kings and generals begging rocks to hide them from the face of the Lamb (Revelation 6:15-17). The idols that once seemed so precious are dumped where unclean creatures dwell (Leviticus 11:19, 29). Their idols of silver and gold What makes the gesture shocking is the monetary value involved. Silver and gold dazzled ancient eyes just as wealth does today. Yet Psalm 115:4 reminds us, “Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands.” Even precious metals cannot give life, forgive sin, or secure eternity (1 Peter 1:18-19). When God shakes the earth (Hebrews 12:26-27), intrinsic value is reassessed: what cannot stand falls away. The idols they made to worship Hand-made gods expose the absurdity of idolatry—creatures fashioning a creator (Isaiah 44:12-20; Romans 1:23-25). Worship belongs to the One who formed heaven and earth, not to objects we produce. The verse highlights personal responsibility: “they made.” Every human heart either bows to the living God or crafts substitutes. When the Lord reveals Himself, the pretense collapses, and “at the name of Jesus every knee will bow” (Philippians 2:9-11). summary Isaiah 2:20 paints a literal future scene where people, stunned by God’s unveiled glory, frantically ditch their costliest idols in the darkest holes. The verse drives home four truths: God’s appointed day is certain; human pride will give way to repentance or ruin; earthly wealth cannot save; and self-made gods are doomed to disgrace. Wise hearts respond now—casting away every rival and embracing the Lord alone, for He will be exalted and His Word stands forever (Isaiah 40:8). (20) A man shall cast his idols of silver . . .--The picture of the earthquake is still continued. The men who have taken refuge in the caves fling away the idols, that they have found powerless to help them, to the moles and bats which had their dwelling there. It is perhaps significant that the animals thus named were proverbial for their blindness and love of darkness. Such, the prophet seems to say, were the fit custodians of the idols whom none could worship except those that hated the light and were spiritually blind.Which they made each one for himself.--Better, which they (the carvers of the idol) made for him (the worshipper). 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.Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew In thatהַהוּא֙ (ha·hū) Article | Pronoun - third person masculine singular Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are day בַּיּ֤וֹם (bay·yō·wm) Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 3117: A day men הָאָדָ֔ם (hā·’ā·ḏām) Article | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 120: Ruddy, a human being will cast away יַשְׁלִ֣יךְ (yaš·lîḵ) Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 7993: To throw out, down, away their idols אֱלִילֵ֣י (’ĕ·lî·lê) Noun - masculine plural construct Strong's 457: Good for, nothing, by anal, vain, vanity, an idol of silver כַסְפּ֔וֹ (ḵas·pōw) Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular Strong's 3701: Silver, money and וְאֵ֖ת (wə·’êṯ) Conjunctive waw | Direct object marker Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case gold— זְהָב֑וֹ (zə·hā·ḇōw) Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular Strong's 2091: Gold, something gold-colored, as oil, a clear sky [the idols] אֲשֶׁ֤ר (’ă·šer) Pronoun - relative Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that they made עָֽשׂוּ־ (‘ā·śū-) Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural Strong's 6213: To do, make to worship— לְהִֽשְׁתַּחֲוֺ֔ת (lə·hiš·ta·ḥă·wōṯ) Preposition-l | Verb - Hitpael - Infinitive construct Strong's 7812: To depress, prostrate away to the moles לַחְפֹּ֥ר (laḥ·pōr) Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct Strong's 2661: A burrower, a rat and bats. וְלָעֲטַלֵּפִֽים׃ (wə·lā·‘ă·ṭal·lê·p̄îm) Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine plural Strong's 5847: A bat Links Isaiah 2:20 NIVIsaiah 2:20 NLT Isaiah 2:20 ESV Isaiah 2:20 NASB Isaiah 2:20 KJV Isaiah 2:20 BibleApps.com Isaiah 2:20 Biblia Paralela Isaiah 2:20 Chinese Bible Isaiah 2:20 French Bible Isaiah 2:20 Catholic Bible OT Prophets: Isaiah 2:20 In that day men shall cast away (Isa Isi Is) |
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