Isaiah 2 · Verse 19

Isaiah 2:19

And 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.
Isaiah 2:19, King James Version

Isaiah 2:19 in other translations

BSBMen 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.
WEBMen shall go into the caves of the rocks, and into the holes of the earth, from before the terror of the LORD, and from the glory of his majesty, when he arises to shake the earth mightily.
ASVAnd men shall go into the caves of the rocks, and into the holes of the earth, from before the terror of Jehovah, and from the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake mightily the earth.
YLTAnd men have entered into caverns of rocks, And into caves of dust, Because of the fear of Jehovah, And because of the honour of His excellency, In His rising to terrify the earth.
DARBYAnd they shall go into the caves of the rocks, and into the holes of the earth, from before the terror of Jehovah, and from the glory of his majesty, when he shall arise to terrify the earth.
BBEAnd men will go into cracks of the rocks, and into holes of the earth, for fear of the Lord, and before the glory of his power, when he comes out of his place, shaking the earth with his strength.
WebsterAnd 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.

What does Isaiah 2:19 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
19. The fulfilment answers exactly to the threat (Is 2:10). they--the idol-worshippers. caves--abounding in Judea, a hilly country; hiding-places in times of alarm (1Sa 13:6). shake ... earth--and the heavens also (He 12:26). Figure for severe and universal judgments.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 19 Into the holes of the rocks "Into caverns of rocks" - The country of Judea being mountainous and rocky, is full of caverns, as appears from the history of David's persecution under Saul. At En-gedi, in particular, there was a cave so large that David with six hundred men hid themselves in the sides of it; and Saul entered the mouth of the cave without perceiving that any one was there, 1 Samuel 24. Josephus, Antiq., lib. xiv., c. 15, and Bell. Jud., lib. 1, c. 16, tells us of a numerous gang of banditti, who, having infested the country, and being pursued by Herod with his army retired into certain caverns almost inaccessible, near Arbela in Galilee, where they were with great difficulty subdued. Some of these were natural, others artificial. "Beyond Damascus," says Strabo, lib. xvi., "are two mountains called Trachones, from which the country has the name of Trachonitis; and from hence towards Arabia and Iturea, are certain rugged mountains, in which there are deep caverns, one of which will hold four thousand men." Tavernier, Voyage de Perse, part ii., chap. 4, speaks of a grot, between Aleppo and Bir, that would hold near three thousand horse. "Three hours distant from Sidon, about a mile from the sea, there runs along a high rocky mountain, in the sides of which are hewn a multitude of grots, all very little differing from each other. They have entrances about two feet square: on the inside you find in most or all of them a room of about four yards square. There are of these subterraneous caverns two hundred in number. It may, with probability at least, be concluded that these places were contrived for the use of the living, and not of the dead. Strabo describes the habitations of the Troglodytae to have been somewhat of this kind." - Maundrell, p. 118. The Horites, who dwelt in Mount Seir, were Troglodytae, as their name הרים horim, imports. But those mentioned by Strabo were on each side of the Arabian gulf. Mohammed (Koran, chap. 15 xxvi.) speaks of a tribe of Arabians, the tribe of Thamud, "who hewed houses out of the mountains, to secure themselves." Thus, "because of the Midianites, the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves and strong holds," Jdg 6:2. To these they betook themselves for refuge in times of distress and hostile invasion: "When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, for the people were distressed, then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits," 1Sam 13:6, and see Jer 41:9. Therefore "to enter into the rock, to go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth," was to them a very proper and familiar image to express terror and consternation. The prophet Hosea, Hos 10:8, hath carried the same image farther, and added great strength and spirit to it: "They shall say to the mountains, Cover us; And to the hills, Fall on us;" which image, together with these of Isaiah, is adopted by the sublime author of the Revelation, Rev 6:15, Rev 6:16, who frequently borrows his imagery from our prophet. - L.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Isaiah 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…

Read the full comment on Isaiah 2:10-22 →

Isaiah 2:19 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וּבָ֙אוּ֙u.Va.'uand people will goH935
בִּמְעָר֣וֹתbim.'a.Rotin caves ofH4631
צֻרִ֔יםtzu.Rim[the] rocksH6697
וּבִמְחִלּ֖וֹתu.vim.chi.Lotand in holes ofH4247
עָפָ֑ר'a.Far[the] groundH6083
מִפְּנֵ֞יmi.pe.Neifrom beforeH6440
פַּ֤חַדPa.chad[the] dread ofH6343
יְהוָה֙Yah.wehYahwehH3068
וּמֵהֲדַ֣רu.me.ha.Darand from [the] splendor ofH1926
גְּאוֹנ֔וֹge.'o.Nomajesty hisH1347
בְּקוּמ֖וֹbe.ku.Mowhen arises heH6965
לַעֲרֹ֥ץla.'a.Rotzto terrifyH6206
הָאָֽרֶץ\׃ha.'A.retzthe earthH776

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Isaiah 2:19

  • Isaiah 2:10

    Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty.

  • Luke 23:30

    Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us.

  • Hosea 10:8

    The high places also of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed: the thorn and the thistle shall come up on their altars; and they shall say to the mountains, Cover us; and to the hills, Fall on us.

  • Isaiah 2:21

    To 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.

  • Revelation 6:12-15

    And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;

  • Haggai 2:6

    For thus saith the Lord of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land;

  • Revelation 11:19

    And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.

  • Hebrews 12:26

    Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.

  • Revelation 16:18

    And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.

  • 1 Samuel 13:6

    When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, (for the people were distressed,) then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits.

  • Revelation 20:11

    And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

  • Jeremiah 16:16

    Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith the Lord, and they shall fish them; and after will I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
And they.
10,21; 1Sa 13:6; 14:11; Jer 16:16; Ho 10:8; Mic 7:17; Lu 23:30
Heb 11:38; Re 6:15; 9:6
earth. Heb. dust. for fear.
10; 2Th 1:9
when he.
30:32; Ps 7:6; 18:6-15; 76:7-9; 114:5-7; Mic 1:3,4; Na 1:3-6
Hab 3:3-14; Hag 2:6,21,22; Heb 12:26; 2Pe 3:10-13; Re 6:12-14
Re 11:13,19; 16:18; 20:11

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Isaiah 2:18

    And the idols he shall utterly abolish.

  • Isaiah 2:19

    And 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.

  • Isaiah 2:20

    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;

Read all of Isaiah 2

Isaiah 2:19 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y meteránse en las cavernas de las peñas, y en las aberturas de la tierra, por la presencia espantosa de Jehová, y por el resplandor de su majestad, cuando se levantare él para herir la tierra.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et on entrera dans les cavernes des rochers, et dans les trous de la terre, de devant la terreur de l’ Éternel, et de devant la magnificence de sa majesté, quand il se lèvera pour frapper d’épouvante la terre.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und sie werden sich in Felsenhöhlen und in Löcher der Erde verkriechen vor dem Schrecken Jehovas und vor der Pracht seiner Majestät, wenn er sich aufmacht, die Erde zu schrecken.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		et introibunt in speluncas petrarum, et in voragines terræ, a facie formidinis Domini et a gloria majestatis ejus, cum surrexerit percutere terram.