The big picture
Isaiah 2 opens in verse 1 with “The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.”, reaches its middle movement near verse 11 with “The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down…”, and closes in verse 22 with “Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted…” Repeated or prominent terms include LORD, house, idols, earth, exalted. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Isaiah · King James Version · 22Isaiah 2:1-8
1–8: The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
Isaiah 2:1–8 opens with “The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.” and reaches “Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on the wording and movement of this passage, with particular weight carried by house, full, Jacob.
Context that brings the passage to life
“The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.” Naming Amoz and Isaiah keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD , to the house of the God of…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the LORD .” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“Their land also is full of silver and gold, neither is there any end of their treasures; their land is also full of…” Naming Their keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
Isaiah 2:1-8
King James Version1The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
2And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.
3And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD , to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
4And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
5O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the LORD .
6Therefore thou hast forsaken thy people the house of Jacob, because they be replenished from the east, and are soothsayers like the Philistines, and they please themselves in the children of strangers.
7Their land also is full of silver and gold, neither is there any end of their treasures; their land is also full of horses, neither is there any end of their chariots:
8Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made:
Isaiah 2:9-16
9–16: The mean man boweth down, and the great man humbleth himself: therefore…
Isaiah 2:9–16 opens with “And the mean man boweth down, and the great man humbleth himself: therefore forgive them not.” and reaches “And upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant pictures.” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on the wording and movement of this passage, with particular weight carried by high, lifted, LORD.
Context that brings the passage to life
“And the mean man boweth down, and the great man humbleth himself: therefore forgive them not.” The line’s distinctive content terms include boweth, forgive, humbleth. Its relationship to verses 10 shows what work it does in this passage.
“The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
Isaiah 2:9-16
King James Version9And the mean man boweth down, and the great man humbleth himself: therefore forgive them not.
10Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the LORD , and for the glory of his majesty.
11The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.
12For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low:
13And upon all the cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan,
14And upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up,
15And upon every high tower, and upon every fenced wall,
16And upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant pictures.
Isaiah 2:17-22
17–22: The loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men…
Isaiah 2:17–22 opens with “And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and…” and reaches “Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on the wording and movement of this passage, with particular weight carried by earth, idols, LORD.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 1 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the LORD alone shall…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
Isaiah 2:17-22
King James Version17And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.
18And the idols he shall utterly abolish.
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 ariseth 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 ariseth to shake terribly the earth.
22Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Isaiah 2:1 begins with “The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.”
Where the chapter turns
Isaiah 2:6 forms a natural hinge: “Therefore thou hast forsaken thy people the house of Jacob, because they be replenished from the east, and are soothsayers like the Philistines, and they…”
The final note
Isaiah 2:22 leaves the reader with “Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?”
A word trail through the chapter
The words LORD, house, idols, earth, exalted, fear help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
Which gifts come before the prohibition?
Life, the garden, food and meaningful work. The command occurs inside generosity.
How does chapter 2 deepen chapter 1?
It concentrates on dependence, partnership and responsibility within the shared human calling.
KJV words made clear
- unto
- to
- thee
- you
- thou
- you
- thy
- your
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.