Isaiah 2
2
1#This editorial heading probably introduced the collection of chaps. 2–12, to which chap. 1 with its introduction was added later (see note on 1:2–31). This is what Isaiah, son of Amoz, saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
Zion, the Royal City of God
2#These verses contain two very important oracles, one on the pilgrimage of nations to Mount Zion (vv. 2–4—completed with an invitation to the “house of Jacob,” v. 5), the other on the day of the Lord (see note on Am 5:18), which was probably composed from at least two earlier pieces. Whereas vv. 6–8 indict Judah for trust in superstitious practices and human resources rather than in the Lord, the following verses are directed against humankind in general and emphasize the effect of the “day of the Lord,” the humbling of human pride. This may be taken as a precondition for the glorious vision of vv. 2–4. This vision of Zion’s glorious future, which is also found in a slightly variant form in Mi 4:1–4, is rooted in the early Zion tradition, cultivated in the royal cult in Jerusalem. It celebrated God’s choice of Jerusalem as the divine dwelling place, along with God’s choice of the Davidic dynasty (Ps 68:16–17; 78:67–72; 132:13–18). Highest mountain: the Zion tradition followed earlier mythological conceptions that associate the abode of deities with very high mountains (Ps 48:2–3). The lifting of Mount Zion is a metaphor for universal recognition of the Lord’s authority. In days to come,
The mountain of the Lord’s house
shall be established as the highest mountain
and raised above the hills.
All nations shall stream toward it.#Mi 4:1–4.
3Many peoples shall come and say:
“Come, let us go up to the Lord’s mountain,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
That he may instruct us in his ways,
and we may walk in his paths.”#Is 56:7; 2 Kgs 17:26–28; Jer 31:6–14; Zec 8:20–23.
For from Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
4#Once the nations acknowledge God as sovereign, they go up to Jerusalem to settle their disputes, rather than having recourse to war. He shall judge between the nations,
and set terms for many peoples.
They shall beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks;#Jl 4:10.
One nation shall not raise the sword against another,
nor shall they train for war again.#Is 9:7; 11:4; Ps 46:10; Zec 9:10.
5#This verse is added as a conclusion to vv. 2–4; cf. Mi 4:4–5, where a quite different conclusion is provided for the parallel version of this oracle. House of Jacob, come,
let us walk in the light of the Lord!
The Lord’s Day of Judgment on Pride
6You have abandoned your people,
the house of Jacob!
Because they are filled with diviners,
and soothsayers, like the Philistines;
with foreigners they clasp hands.#Is 10:32.
7Their land is full of silver and gold,
there is no end to their treasures;
Their land is full of horses,
there is no end to their chariots.
8Their land is full of idols;
they bow down to the works of their hands,
what their fingers have made.#Is 17:7–8; 31:1–3.
9So all shall be abased,
each one brought low.#Bowing down to idols will not bring deliverance to Israel, but rather total abasement. Do not pardon them: this line is so abrupt that it is almost certainly an intrusion in the text.
Do not pardon them!
10Get behind the rocks,
hide in the dust,
From the terror of the Lord
and the splendor of his majesty!
11The eyes of human pride shall be lowered,
the arrogance of mortals shall be abased,
and the Lord alone will be exalted, on that day.#That day: i.e., the day of the Lord; cf. note on Am 5:18.
12For the Lord of hosts will have his day
against all that is proud and arrogant,
against all that is high, and it will be brought low;
13Yes, against all the cedars of Lebanon#Lebanon: Mount Lebanon in Syria, famed for its cedars. Bashan: the fertile uplands east of the Sea of Galilee.
and against all the oaks of Bashan,
14Against all the lofty mountains
and all the high hills,
15Against every lofty tower
and every fortified wall,
16Against all the ships of Tarshish
and all stately vessels.
17Then human pride shall be abased,
the arrogance of mortals brought low,
And the Lord alone will be exalted on that day.
18The idols will vanish completely.
19People will go into caves in the rocks
and into holes in the earth,
At the terror of the Lord
and the splendor of his majesty,
as he rises to overawe the earth.
20On 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.
21And they shall go into caverns in the rocks
and into crevices in the cliffs,
At the terror of the Lord
and the splendor of his majesty,
as he rises to overawe the earth.
22#The meaning of this verse, certainly a later addition, is not clear. It is not addressed to God but to a plural subject. As for you, stop worrying about mortals,
in whose nostrils is but a breath;
for of what worth are they?
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Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc
Isaiah 2
2
The Mountain of Yahweh
1The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:
2And it shall happen in the future of the days
the mountain of the house#Or “temple” of Yahweh shall be established;
it will be among the highest#Literally “head” of the mountains,
and it shall be raised from the hills.
All of the nations shall travel to him;
3many peoples shall come.
And they shall say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of Yahweh,
to the house#Or “temple” of the God of Jacob,
and may he teach us part of his ways,
and let us walk in his paths.”
For instruction shall go out from Zion,
and the word of Yahweh from Jerusalem.
4He shall judge between the nations
and he shall arbitrate for many peoples.
They shall beat their swords into ploughshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
A nation shall not lift up a sword against a nation,
and they shall not learn war again.
The Day of Yahweh
5House of Jacob, come and let us walk in the light of Yahweh.
6For you have forsaken your people, house of Jacob,
because they are full#Possibly “of diviners” was part of the original text here from the east,
and of soothsayers like the Philistines,
and they make alliances#Literally “they clap hands” with the offspring of foreigners.
7And its land is filled with silver and gold,
and there is no end to its treasures;
and its land is filled with horses,
and there is no end to its chariots.
8Its land is filled with idols;
they bow down to the work of their#Hebrew “his” hands,
to what they made with their#Hebrew “his” fingers.
9So humanity is humbled;
everyone is humbled,
and you must not forgive them.
10Enter into the rock
and hide yourself in the dust
from the presence of the terror of Yahweh
and from the glory of his majesty.
11The haughty eyes#Literally “eyes of the haughtiness” of humanity will#The Hebrew is singular be brought low,
and the pride of everyone will be humbled,
and Yahweh alone will be exalted on that day.
12For there is a day for Yahweh of hosts
against all of the proud and the lofty
and against all that is lifted up and humble,#Or “it will be humbled”
13and against all the lofty and lifted up cedars of Lebanon,
and against all the large trees of Bashan,
14and against all the high mountains,
and against all the lofty hills,
15and against every kind of high tower,
and against every kind of fortified wall,
16and against all the ships of Tarshish,
and against all the ships of desire.
17And the haughtiness of the people shall be humbled,
and the pride of everyone shall be brought low,
and Yahweh alone will be exalted on that day.
18And the idols shall pass away entirely,
19and they will enter into the caves of the rocks
and into the holes of the ground
from the presence of the terror of Yahweh
and from the glory of his majesty
when he rises#Literally “in his rising” to terrify the earth.
20On that day humanity will throw away its idols of silver
and its idols of gold,
which they made for it to worship,
to the rodents#Or “moles” and to the bats—
21to enter into the crevices of the rocks
and into the clefts of the crags
from the presence of the terror of Yahweh
and from the glory of his majesty,
when he rises#Literally “in his rising” to terrify the earth.
22Turn away from humanity,
who has breath in its nostrils,#Hebrew “nostril”
for by#Or “in” what is it esteemed?
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