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;
ISAIAH 2:20KJVWhat does Isaiah 2:20 mean?
Isaiah 2:20 describes a time when people will throw away their idols made of silver and gold, abandoning the objects they once made and worshipped, and leave them to creatures like moles and bats. The verse shows people rejecting their former false gods in a moment of fear or realization.
The prophet Isaiah is speaking to the people of Judah, warning them about a coming day of judgment from God. In this context, Isaiah pictures people so desperate and ashamed of their idols that they discard them in caves and dark places, where animals like moles and bats live, showing how worthless these idols have become.
The Hebrew behind Isaiah 2:20
- The word for "idols" is אֵלִיל (’elil, transliterated as elil), which often means "worthless things" or "nonentities," emphasizing that these objects have no real power.
- The word for "cast" is שָׁלַךְ (shalakh, transliterated as shalach), meaning to throw or hurl away, highlighting a sudden and forceful rejection rather than a gentle setting aside.
- The terms for "moles" (חֹפֵר פֵּרוֹת, chopher perot and חַפְּרוּר, chappurur) and "bats" (עֲטַלֵּף, atalef) refer to animals that live in dark, hidden places, underlining how the idols are tossed into places of filth and obscurity.
Why Isaiah 2:20 matters
- Isaiah 2:20 clears up the idea that idols had any lasting value; even those made of precious metals are shown to be abandoned as worthless.
- The verse emphasizes the total rejection of false worship in the face of God's presence, connecting to the larger theme in Isaiah 2 of God alone being exalted.
- By mentioning moles and bats, Isaiah paints a vivid picture of how far people will go to distance themselves from their former objects of trust, making the warning more memorable and concrete.