God’s Word Translation
Isaiah 24:21
21On that day the Lord will punish heaven’s armies in heaven and earth’s kings on earth.
Isaiah 24:21 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.
- New International Version (NIV)In that day the Lord will punish the powers in the heavens above and the kings on the earth below.
- English Standard Version (ESV)On that day the Lord will punish the host of heaven, in heaven, and the kings of the earth, on the earth.
- New King James Version (NKJV)It shall come to pass in that day That the Lord will punish on high the host of exalted ones, And on the earth the kings of the earth.
Context of Isaiah 24:21
19The earth will be completely broken. The earth will shake back and forth violently. The earth will stagger. 20The earth will stumble like a drunk and sway like a shack in the wind. Its disobedience weighs heavy on it. It will fall and not get up again. On that day the Lord will punish heaven’s armies in heaven and earth’s kings on earth. 22They’ll be gathered like prisoners in a jail and locked in prison. After a long time they’ll be punished. 23The moon will be embarrassed. The sun will be ashamed, because the Lord of Armies will rule on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem. He will be glorious in the presence of his respected leaders.
Read all of Isaiah 24Isaiah 24:21 word by word
וְהָיָה֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא יִפְקֹ֧ד יְהוָ֛ה עַל־צְבָ֥א הַמָּר֖וֹם בַּמָּר֑וֹם וְעַל־מַלְכֵ֥י הָאֲדָמָ֖ה עַל־הָאֲדָמָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And it shall come to pass in that dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- shall punishפָּקַדpâqad · to reckon: punishH6485
- the hostצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · armyH6635
- of the high onesמָרוֹםmârôm · heightH4791
- and the kingsמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- of the earthאֲדָמָה'ădâmâh · land: planetH127
Cross-references for Isaiah 24:21
- Isaiah 10:25Very soon I will unleash my fury, and my anger will destroy them.
- Isaiah 14:1The Lord will have compassion for Jacob and again choose Israel. He will resettle them in their own country. Foreigners will join them and unite with the descendants of Jacob.
- Isaiah 25:10The Lord’s power will be on this mountain. Moab will be trampled beneath him like straw that is trampled in a pile of manure.
- Isaiah 34:2The Lord is angry with all the nations. He is furious with all their armies. He has claimed them for destruction. He has handed them over to be slaughtered.
- Psalms 76:12He cuts short the lives of influential people. He terrifies the kings of the earth.
- Psalms 149:6Let the high praises of God be in their throats and two-edged swords in their hands
- Ezekiel 38:1The Lord spoke his word to me. He said,
- Ezekiel 39:1⌞The Lord said,⌟ “Son of man, prophesy against Gog. Tell it, ‘This is what the Almighty Lord says: I am against you, Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.
- Joel 3:9Announce this among the nations: Prepare yourselves for war. Wake up the warriors. Have all the warriors come near and attack.
- Haggai 2:21“Say to Zerubbabel (governor of Judah), ‘I am going to shake the heavens and the earth.
- Zechariah 14:12This will be the plague the Lord will use to strike all the people from the nations that have gone to war against Jerusalem. Their flesh will rot while they are standing on their feet. Their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths.
- Revelation 6:14The sky vanished like a scroll being rolled up. Every mountain and island was moved from its place.
- Revelation 17:14They will go to war against the lamb. The lamb will conquer them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings. Those who are called, chosen, and faithful are with him.”
- Revelation 18:9“The kings of the earth who had sex with her and lived in luxury with her will cry and mourn over her when they see the smoke rise from her raging fire.
- Revelation 19:18Eat the flesh of kings, generals, warriors, horses and their riders, and all free people and slaves, both important or insignificant people.”
Commentaries on Isaiah 24:21
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21On high - upon the earth - That is, the ecclesiastical and civil polity of the Jews, which shall be destroyed. The nation shall continue in a state of depression and dereliction for a long time. The image seems to be taken from the practice of the great monarchs of that time; who, when they had thrown their wretched captives into a dungeon, never gave themselves the trouble of inquiring about them; but let them lie a long time in that miserable condition…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21In that day - In the time of the captivity at Babylon. Shall punish - Hebrew as the Margin, Shall visit upon‘ (see the note at Isaiah 10:12). The host of the high ones - There have been various interpretations of this expression. Jerome understands it of the host of heaven, and thinks it refers to the fact that in the day of judgment God will judge not only earthly things but celestial, and especially the sun and moon and stars, as having been the objects…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-23Verses 16-23 Believers may be driven into the uttermost parts of the earth; but they are singing, not sighing. Here is terror to sinners; the prophet laments the miseries he saw breaking in like a torrent; and the small number of believers. He foresees that sin would abound. The meaning is plain, that evil pursues sinners. Unsteady, uncertain are all these things. Worldly men think to dwell in the earth as in a palace, as in a castle; but it shall be…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21The phrase translated as host of heaven comes from the Hebrew tseba’ hammarom, which means “armed army of the heavens.” This phrase may refer to pagan gods that people believed were represented by the stars. It may also refer to angels. Some scholars think it could even include demons (Revelation 12:4, 9). The judgment described here will reach every part of creation. It will affect both the earth and the heavens (Isaiah 13:13; 34:5; see Ephesians…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2121. host of ... high ones--the heavenly host, that is, either the visible host of heaven (the present economy of nature, affected by the sun, moon, and stars, the objects of idolatry, being abolished, Is 65:17; 60:19, simultaneously with the corrupt polity of men); or rather, "the invisible rulers of the darkness of this world," as the antithesis to "kings of the earth" shows. Angels, moreover, preside, as it were, over kingdoms of the world (Da 10:13…Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 24:21
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 24
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries