Isaiah 2
← chapter 1 chapter 3 →
TheGreat Isaiah Scroll, the best preserved of the biblical scrolls found atQumran from the second century BC, contains all the verses in this chapter.
Book	Book of Isaiah
Hebrew Bible part	Nevi'im
Order in the Hebrew part	5
Category	Latter Prophets
Christian Bible part	Old Testament
Order in the Christian part	23

Isaiah 2 is the secondchapter of theBook of Isaiah in theHebrew Bible or theOld Testament of theChristianBible.^[1] This book contains the prophecies attributed to theprophetIsaiah, and is one of theBooks of the Prophets.^[2]

The original text was written inHebrew language.This chapter is divided into 22 verses.

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter inHebrew are of theMasoretic Text tradition, which includes theCodex Cairensis (895),the Petersburg Codex of the Prophets (916),Aleppo Codex (10th century),Codex Leningradensis (1008).^[3]

Fragments containing parts of this chapter were found among theDead Sea Scrolls (3rd century BC or later):^[4]

• 1QIsa^a: complete
• 4QIsa^a (4Q55): extant: verses 7-10
• 4QIsa^b (4Q56): extant: verses 3-16
• 4QIsa^f (4Q60): extant: verses 1-3
• 4QIsa^l (4Q65): extant: verses 1-4

There is also a translation intoKoine Greek known as theSeptuagint, made in the last few centuries BCE. Extant ancient manuscripts of theSeptuagint version includeCodex Vaticanus (B;${\displaystyle \mathfrak{G}}$^B; 4th century),Codex Sinaiticus (S;BHK:${\displaystyle \mathfrak{G}}$^S; 4th century),Codex Alexandrinus (A;${\displaystyle \mathfrak{G}}$^A; 5th century) andCodex Marchalianus (Q;${\displaystyle \mathfrak{G}}$^Q; 6th century).^[5]

Micah 4:1–3 is very similar toIsaiah 2:2-4.^[6]

Theparashah sections listed here are based on theAleppo Codex.^[7] Isaiah 2 is a part of theProphecies about Judah and Israel (Isaiah 1-12). {P}: openparashah.

{P} 2:1-4 {P} 2:5-11 {P} 2:12-22 {P}

This part is the beginning of an oracle which comprises chapters 2-4, with the basic theme of the glorious future of Jerusalem.^[8]

The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.^[9]

A new superscription inserted here may serve to emphasize the originality of this prophecy as Isaiah's, as the subsequent words of oracle (verses 2–4) can also be found, with minor differences, in theBook of Micah.^[6]

And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of Jehovah's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.^[10]

The oracle in verses 2–4 bears a close similarity toMicah 4:1–3 but with a different conclusion.^[6]

And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of JEHOVAH, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of JEHOVAH from Jerusalem.^[11]

• Cross reference:Isaiah 11:10;Isaiah 43:6;Isaiah 49:22;Isaiah 60:3;Isaiah 66:12

And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.^[12]

• Cross reference:Micah 4:3

Many speeches and movements concerned with peace and the adaptation ofmilitary technology to peaceful uses have adopted the phrase "swords into plowshares". The verse is a reversal ofJoel 3:10, where theploughshares and pruning hooks are to become swords and spears, as it is related to 'the need for continued conflict'.^[6]

This section contains an oracle about "the day of Jehovah" which brings together two basic themes in the book of Isaiah: "the vanity of human self-confidence" and "the folly of worshipping false gods".^[6]

O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of Jehovah.^[13]

The first part of this verse inHebrew: "בית יעקב לכו ונלכה"Beit Ya'akov Lekhu Venelkha ("House of Jacob, let us go [up]") is the basis of theacronym "Bilu" (Hebrew בילו) which became the name of a twentieth-century movement inIsrael.^[14]

Therefore thou hast forsaken thy people the house of Jacob, because they be replenished from the east, and are soothsayers like the Philistines, and they please themselves in the children of strangers.^[15]

• "They be replenished from the east" (King James Version) or "They are filled with eastern ways" (New King James Version): This phrase is rendered in theRevised Version as "they be filled with customs from the east", which is consistent with the following words:

... and of soothsayers like the Philistines.^[16]

This verse starts the actual new section, followingverse 5 which is only linked by the phrase 'house of Jacob'.^[6]

Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of ?^[17]

TheNew King James Version renders this verse:

Sever yourselves from such a man, whose breath is in his nostrils; for of what account is he?

This verse is not found in theSeptuagint,^[18] and could be a later insertion in Isaiah's prophecy.^[19]

• Christian messianic prophecies
• Guns into Plowshares
• Jewish messianism
• Messianic prophecies of Jesus
• Starry Plough (flag) orPlough flag
• Swords to ploughshares
• RelatedBible parts:Isaiah 51,Micah 2,Micah 4,Ephesians 2

• Coggins, R (2007). "22. Isaiah". InBarton, John;Muddiman, John (eds.).The Oxford Bible Commentary (first (paperback) ed.). Oxford University Press. pp. 433–486.ISBN 978-0199277186. RetrievedFebruary 6, 2019.
• Ulrich, Eugene, ed. (2010).The Biblical Qumran Scrolls: Transcriptions and Textual Variants. Brill.ISBN 9789004181830. RetrievedMay 15, 2017.
• Würthwein, Ernst (1995).The Text of the Old Testament. Translated by Rhodes, Erroll F. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans.ISBN 0-8028-0788-7. RetrievedJanuary 26, 2019.

• Isaiah 2: Hebrew with Parallel English

• Isaiah 2 English Translation with Parallel Latin VulgateArchived 2020-09-18 at theWayback Machine

• Book of Isaiah chapters

• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata
• Pages with numeric Bible version references
• Webarchive template wayback links