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;
In that day {H3117} a man {H120} shall cast {H7993} his idols {H457} of silver {H3701}, and his idols {H457} of gold {H2091}, which they made each one for himself {H6213} to worship {H7812}, to the moles {H2661}{H6512} and to the bats {H5847};
On that day a man will take hold of his idols of silver and idols of gold, which they made for themselves to worship, and fling them away to the moles and bats!
In that day men will cast away to the moles and bats their idols of silver and gold— the idols they made to worship.
In that day men shall cast away their idols of silver, and their idols of gold, which have been made for them to worship, to the moles and to the bats;
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Isaiah 30:22
Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven images of silver, and the ornament of thy molten images of gold: thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth; thou shalt say unto it, Get thee hence. -
Isaiah 31:7
For in that day every man shall cast away his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which your own hands have made unto you [for] a sin. -
Leviticus 11:19
And the stork, the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat. -
Hosea 14:8
¶ Ephraim [shall say], What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard [him], and observed him: I [am] like a green fir tree. From me is thy fruit found. -
Philippians 3:7
But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. -
Philippians 3:8
Yea doubtless, and I count all things [but] loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them [but] dung, that I may win Christ, -
Isaiah 46:1
¶ Bel boweth down, Nebo stoopeth, their idols were upon the beasts, and upon the cattle: your carriages [were] heavy loaden; [they are] a burden to the weary [beast].
Isaiah 2:20 KJV describes a powerful prophetic image of repentance and divine judgment in "that day"—a term often referring to the Day of the Lord. The verse vividly portrays a future time when humanity, humbled by God's manifest presence and judgment, will utterly discard their man-made gods, recognizing their utter worthlessness.
Context
This verse is part of a larger prophecy in Isaiah Chapter 2, which begins with a vision of God's future kingdom and the exaltation of Zion, drawing all nations to Jerusalem for instruction. However, the chapter quickly shifts to a stern warning about the impending "Day of the Lord," a time of reckoning when God will humble the proud and bring low all that is exalted by human hands. The people of Israel, like many ancient cultures, were prone to idolatry, creating images of silver and gold to worship. This practice is a direct affront to God's uniqueness and sovereignty (as seen in the second commandment).
The act of casting idols "to the moles and to the bats" is highly symbolic. Moles and bats are creatures of darkness, dwelling in desolate, forgotten, and often filthy places like caves, ruins, and underground burrows. This imagery conveys a profound sense of contempt and abandonment, signifying that these once-revered objects will be thrown into the most ignoble and despised locations, utterly rejected as worthless rubbish.
Key Themes
Linguistic Insights
The Hebrew terms for "idols of silver" (pesilē kesef) and "idols of gold" (pesilē zahav) refer to carved or graven images, often implying something cut or hewn. Despite the value of the materials, the term pesil itself can carry a connotation of something shaped by human effort, highlighting its man-made, and thus inferior, nature compared to the divine. The phrase "to the moles and to the bats" (Hebrew: laḥăparpārōṯ wĕlaʿaṭallēpīm) uses terms for creatures associated with dark, subterranean, and desolate places, vividly emphasizing the utter contempt and finality of discarding these idols.
Related Scriptures
Practical Application
While modern society may not typically worship physical statues of silver and gold, the principle of idolatry remains highly relevant. An "idol" in contemporary terms can be anything we prioritize above God—money, career, relationships, possessions, social status, comfort, or even our own self-image and opinions. Isaiah 2:20 challenges us to examine our own lives: What do we truly worship? What do we trust in more than God? The verse serves as a powerful call to spiritual introspection and genuine repentance, urging us to cast away anything that takes God's rightful place in our hearts and lives, recognizing its ultimate emptiness and futility in comparison to the eternal truth of God.