The Meaning of Isaiah 2:20 Explained

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;

YLT: 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,

Darby: 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;

ASV: 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;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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; 

What does Isaiah 2:20 Mean?

Context Summary

Isaiah 2:12-22 - An Exhortation To Humility And Reverence
If men will not repent, they must suffer. If they will not voluntarily put away their idols and sorceries, they will be compelled to do so in the anguish of their disappointment with their helpless deities, Isaiah 2:20. Nothing in that great civilization would be spared. High towers, fenced walls, ships, treasures, armor-all would perish. Their vaunted faith in man would cease. Life would become elemental in its simplicity amid the shelter of the ragged rocks. In sarcastic phrase the prophet depicts a despairing nation choosing for ruler the first man that came along with a decent coat on his back, Isaiah 2:6; but in vain. We can almost hear the sob of the prophet's soul in Isaiah 2:8-9, and recall the tears of a greater than Isaiah, Who wept over this same Jerusalem eight hundred years afterward. Patriotism is one of the purest passions that can burn in the heart of man! "Lives there a man, with soul so dead, that never to himself has said, This is my own, my native land!" [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 2

1  Isaiah prophesies the coming of Christ's kingdom
6  Wickedness is the cause of God's forsaking
10  He exhorts to fear, because of the powerful effects of God's majesty

What do the individual words in Isaiah 2:20 mean?

In day that will cast away a man - idols of his silver and of his gold which they made [each] for himself to worship to the moles and bats
בַּיּ֤וֹם הַהוּא֙ יַשְׁלִ֣יךְ הָאָדָ֔ם אֵ֚ת אֱלִילֵ֣י כַסְפּ֔וֹ וְאֵ֖ת זְהָב֑וֹ אֲשֶׁ֤ר עָֽשׂוּ־ לוֹ֙ לְהִֽשְׁתַּחֲוֺ֔ת לַחְפֹּ֥ר פֵּר֖וֹת וְלָעֲטַלֵּפִֽים

בַּיּ֤וֹם  In  day 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הַהוּא֙  that 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
יַשְׁלִ֣יךְ  will  cast  away 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַךְ  
Sense: to throw, cast, hurl, fling.
הָאָדָ֔ם  a  man 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
אֵ֚ת  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
אֱלִילֵ֣י  idols 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אֱלִיל  
Sense: of nought, good for nothing, worthless.
כַסְפּ֔וֹ  of  his  silver 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: כֶּסֶף  
Sense: silver, money.
זְהָב֑וֹ  of  his  gold 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: זָהָב  
Sense: gold.
עָֽשׂוּ־  they  made  [each] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
לוֹ֙  for  himself 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
לְהִֽשְׁתַּחֲוֺ֔ת  to  worship 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hitpael, Infinitive construct
Root: שָׁחָה  
Sense: to bow down.
פֵּר֖וֹת  the  moles 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: פֵּרֹות 
Sense: mole (as digger).
וְלָעֲטַלֵּפִֽים  and  bats 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: עֲטַלֵּף  
Sense: bat.