Isaiah 2:4

Isaiah 2:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• English Standard Version (ESV)He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.
• New King James Version (NKJV)He shall judge between the nations, And rebuke many people; They shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war anymore.
• New Living Translation (NLT)The Lord will mediate between nations and will settle international disputes. They will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer fight against nation, nor train for war anymore.

Context of Isaiah 2:4

2In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. 3Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. 5Come, descendants of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Lord. 6You, Lord, have abandoned your people, the descendants of Jacob. They are full of superstitions from the East; they practice divination like the Philistines and embrace pagan customs.

Isaiah 2:4 word by word

וְשָׁפַט֙ בֵּ֣ין הַגּוֹיִ֔ם וְהוֹכִ֖יחַ לְעַמִּ֣ים רַבִּ֑ים וְכִתְּת֨וּ חַרְבוֹתָ֜ם לְאִתִּ֗ים וַחֲנִיתֽוֹתֵיהֶם֙ לְמַזְמֵר֔וֹת לֹא־יִשָּׂ֨א ג֤וֹי אֶל־גּוֹי֙ חֶ֔רֶב וְלֹא־יִלְמְד֥וּ ע֖וֹד מִלְחָמָֽה׃ פRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And he shall judgeשָׁפַטshâphaţ · to judgeH8199
• among the nationsגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
• and shall rebukeיָכַחyâkach · to rebukeH3198
• manyרַבrab · manyH7227
• peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• and they shall beatכָּתַתkâthath · to crushH3807
• their swordsחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719
• into plowsharesאֵת'êth · plowshareH855
• and their spearsחֲנִיתchănîyth · spearH2595
• into pruninghooksמַזְמֵרָהmazmêrâh · pruning-knifeH4211
• shall not lift upנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: fightH5375
• neither shall they learnלָמַדlâmad · to learn: learnH3925
• warמִלְחָמָהmilchâmâh · battleH4421

Cross-references for Isaiah 2:4

• Isaiah 11:3and he will delight in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears;
• 1 Samuel 2:10those who oppose the Lord will be broken. The Most High will thunder from heaven; the Lord will judge the ends of the earth. “He will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed.”
• Psalms 82:8Rise up, O God, judge the earth, for all the nations are your inheritance.
• Psalms 96:13Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his faithfulness.
• Psalms 110:6He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead and crushing the rulers of the whole earth.
• John 16:8When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment:
• Acts 17:31For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”
• Revelation 19:11I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war.
• Isaiah 9:7Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.
• Isaiah 11:6The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.
• Psalms 46:9He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire.
• Hosea 2:18In that day I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, the birds in the sky and the creatures that move along the ground. Bow and sword and battle I will abolish from the land, so that all may lie down in safety.
• Joel 3:10Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weakling say, “I am strong!”
• Micah 4:3He will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.
• Zechariah 9:10I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the warhorses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.
• Isaiah 60:17Instead of bronze I will bring you gold, and silver in place of iron. Instead of wood I will bring you bronze, and iron in place of stones. I will make peace your governor and well-being your ruler.

Commentaries on Isaiah 2:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Neither shall they learn war any more - If wars are necessary, how deep must that fall be that renders them so! But what a reproach to humanity is the trade of war! Men are regularly instructed in it, as in any of the necessary arts. "How to dislodge most souls from their frail shrines By bomb, sword, ball, and bayonet, is the art Which some call great and glorious!" And is this a necessary part of a finished education in civilized society? O Earth!…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4And he shall judge - Or he shall exercise the office of a judge, or umpire. This “literally” refers to the God of Jacob Isaiah 2:3, though it is clear that the meaning is, that he will do it by the Messiah, or under his reign. One office of a judge is to decide controversies; to put an end to litigations, and thus to promote peace. The connection shows that this is the meaning here. Nations that are contending shall be brought to peace by the influence of…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4The kingdom of God becomes clear when conflict and violence stop. It is characterized by peace (Romans 14:17). People will either choose to cooperate or be compelled to stop fighting (Psalm 46:9). Nations will choose divine judgment instead of war (see Isaiah 1:18–20). The words judge and arbitrate describe God's actions here, but later verses show the Messiah as the one who delivers justice (Isaiah 11:3–4). When this happens, war will end, and nations…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. judge--as a sovereign umpire, settling all controversies (compare Is 11:4). Lowth translates "work," "conviction." plowshares--in the East resembling a short sword (Is 9:6, 7; Zec 9:10).Read the comment

Topics related to Isaiah 2:4

• Church
• Gentiles
• Gospel
• Hooks
• Israel, Prophecies Concerning
• Jesus, the Christ
• Nation
• Peace
• Plowshare
• Pruning
• Spear
• Sword
• War

In the dictionaries

• Abolish
• Coulter
• Hook
• Lofty
• Proportion
• Teach
• Terribly
• Armor; Arms
• Christ, Offices of
• Commentaries

Commentaries on Isaiah 2

• 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