Matthew Henry Commentary Isaiah 2:10-22

"Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, from before the terror of Jehovah, and from the glory of his majesty. The lofty looks of man shall be brought low, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and Jehovah alone shall be exalted in that day. For there shall be a day of Jehovah of hosts upon all that is proud and haughty, and upon all that is lifted up; and it shall be brought low; and upon all the cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan, and upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up, and upon every lofty tower, and upon every fortified wall, and upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant imagery. And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be brought low; and Jehovah alone shall be exalted in that day. And the idols shall utterly pass away. And 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. 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; to go into the caverns of the rocks, and into the clefts of the ragged rocks, from before the terror of Jehovah, and from the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake mightily the earth. Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils; for wherein is he to be accounted of?" — Isaiah 2:10-22 (ASV)

The taking of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans seems to be what is primarily intended here, when idolatry among the Jews was abolished; but our thoughts are also led onward to the destruction of all the enemies of Christ. It is folly for those who are pursued by the wrath of God to think they can 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.

People's haughtiness will be brought down, either by the grace of God convincing them of the evil of pride, or by the providence of God depriving them of all the things they were proud of. The day of the Lord will come upon those things in which they place their confidence. Those who will not be reasoned out of their sins will, sooner or later, be frightened out of them.

Covetous people make money their god; but the time will come when they will feel it to be just as much their burden. This whole passage may be applied to the case of an awakened sinner, ready to leave all so that their soul may be saved. The Jews were prone to rely on their heathen neighbors; but they are here urged to stop depending on mortal humans.

We are all prone to the same sin. Therefore, do not let any human be your fear, nor let any human be your hope; but let your hope be in the Lord your God. Let us make this our great concern.