Isaiah 2:21

They 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.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The prophet Isaiah addresses Judah during a future day of divine judgment when God rises to shake the earth. He describes the desperate reaction of idolaters who abandon their silver and gold images when confronted by this event.

The words — The Hebrew פַּחַד (Pa.chad) denotes the dread or terror of Yahweh that drives the fleeing. This terror stands in direct contrast to the splendor of His majesty that accompanies the shaking.

The thread — The motif of fleeing to rock crevices for refuge appears in Isaiah 2:19, while Exodus 33:22 uses a cleft of the rock as a place of divine protection. Job 30:6 similarly describes outcasts dwelling among rocks and holes in the ground.

Why it lands — The text demands the abandonment of false security in idols and human reliability when divine judgment arrives. It requires acknowledging that God’s majesty shakes the earth and exposes all earthly refuge as futile.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

לָבוֹא֙la./Vo'to/ go בְּנִקְר֣וֹתbe./nik.Rotin/ [the] crevices of הַצֻּרִ֔יםha./tzu.Rimthe/ rocks וּבִסְעִפֵ֖יu./vi/s.'i.Feiand/ in/ [the] clefts of הַסְּלָעִ֑יםha./se.la.'Imthe/ cliffs מִפְּנֵ֞יmi./pe.Neifrom/ before פַּ֤חַדPa.chad[the] dread of יְהוָה֙Yah.wehYahweh וּמֵהֲדַ֣רu./me./ha.Darand/ from/ [the] splendor of גְּאוֹנ֔וֹge.'o.N/omajesty/ his בְּקוּמ֖וֹbe./ku.M/owhen/ arises/ he לַעֲרֹ֥ץla./'a.Rotzto/ terrify הָאָֽרֶץ׃ha./'A.retzthe/ earth

King James Version

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.

Cross-references

Isaiah 2:19 Men 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.
Exodus 33:22 and when My glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by.
Job 30:6 so that they lived on the slopes of the wadis, among the rocks and in holes in the ground.
Song of Solomon 2:14 O my dove in the clefts of the rock, in the crevices of the cliff, let me see your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your countenance is lovely.
Isaiah 2:10 Go into the rocks and hide in the dust from the terror of the LORD and the splendor of His majesty.