Isaiah 2:18 — Word Study
WLCוְהָאֱלִילִ֖ים כָּלִ֥יל יַחֲלֹֽף׃
BSAand the idolsʼĕlîyl [false gods, worthless objects] will vanishchâlaph▸ [completely disappear, utterly pass away] ◂completelykâlîyl [entirely, to the point of non-existence]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וְהָאֱלִילִ֖ים | and the idols | Conjunction, particle, noun common masculine plural absolute |
| כָּלִ֥יל | completely | Adj |
| יַחֲלֹֽף׃ | it will pass away | Verb, Qal, imperfect third person masculine singular |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | and the idols will vanish completely. |
| KJV | And the idols he shall utterly abolish. |
| ASV | And the idols shall utterly pass away. |
| YLT | And the idols — they completely pass away. |
| WEB | The idols shall utterly pass away. |
| BBE | And the images will never be seen again. |
The translations agree that the idols will vanish completely.
The sentence is straightforward, presenting a single main clause that conveys the complete disappearance of idols.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbחָלַף
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Isaiah 2:18
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Day of the Lordgenerated
Isaiah 2:18 speaks of a time when human pride will be humbled, and the only one exalted will be the Lord. In this context, the verse emphasizes that idols, which represent false gods, will vanish completely, highlighting the futility of worshiping them. This is part of a broader prophetic message concerning the judgment and majesty of God, as seen in the surrounding verses.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Isaiah 27:9 | Therefore Jacob’s guilt will be atoned for, and the full fruit of the removal of his sin will be this: When he makes all the altar stones like crushed bits of chalk, no Asherah poles or incense altars will remain standing. |
| 2 | Ezekiel 36:25 | I will also sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols. |
| 3 | Ezekiel 37:23 | They will no longer defile themselves with their idols or detestable images, or with any of their transgressions. I will save them from all their apostasies by which they sinned, and I will cleanse them. Then they will be My people, and I will be their God. |
| 4 | Hosea 14:8 | O Ephraim, what have I to do anymore with idols? It is I who answer and watch over him. I am like a flourishing cypress; your fruit comes from Me. |
| 5 | Zephaniah 1:3 | “I will sweep away man and beast; I will sweep away the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, and the idols with their wicked worshipers. I will cut off mankind from the face of the earth,” declares the LORD. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 6 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — אֱלִיל, ve.ha.'e.li.Limgenerated
The word אֱלִיל (eliyl) refers to something worthless or an idol, often indicating false gods. It is built from a root meaning 'insufficiency' or 'vanity', emphasizing the lack of value in these objects of worship.
In this verse, it underscores the complete futility of idols in the face of God's power. The parsing as a noun in the plural form indicates a collective reference to various forms of idolatry.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The translations agree that the idols will vanish completely.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb יַחֲלֹֽף (yachlof), meaning 'it will pass away', governs the sentence, with the subject וְהָאֱלִילִ֖ים (ve.ha.e.li.Lim), 'the idols', preceding it. The structure is straightforward, focusing on the action of the idols vanishing.
The adverbial phrase כָּלִ֥יל (ka.lil), meaning 'completely', modifies the verb, indicating the extent of the idols' disappearance.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates אֱלִיל as ξειροποίητα (G5499), which refers to something made by hand, emphasizing the crafted nature of idols. This choice highlights the artificiality and impermanence of such objects.
The Greek word for 'completely' is πάντα (G3956), which conveys the sense of totality, aligning with the Hebrew meaning.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Isaiah 2:18 states that the idols will vanish completely. This verse is part of a prophecy about the day of the Lord, emphasizing that false gods, which are worthless, will cease to exist.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It signifies that false gods, which people worship, have no real power and will ultimately be shown to be worthless.
This emphasizes God's supremacy and the futility of relying on anything other than Him.
It is part of a larger prophecy about God's judgment and the exaltation of the Lord over human pride.
We are reminded to evaluate what we prioritize in our lives and to recognize the worthlessness of anything that takes God's place.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What are some modern-day idols that people might worship instead of God?
- How can recognizing the worthlessness of idols change our perspective on what is truly valuable?
- In what ways can we ensure that we are not placing our trust in false gods or worthless things?
- How does this verse encourage us to focus on the true nature of God?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
The early church father Jerome comments on this verse, emphasizing the humbling of pride and the utter destruction of idols in the day of the Lord.
And the pride of men shall be humbled, and the lofty heights of men shall be brought low, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day, and all idols shall be utterly crushed.Early Church Fathers on Isaiah 2 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Isaiah 2:18 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd the idols he shall utterly abolish. The images of saints worshipped by the Papists: after the destruction of antichrist, and when the spiritual reign of Christ takes place, there will be no
Read John Gill on Isaiah 2 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd the idols he shall utterly abolish. And the idols - Hebrew, haa'ªliyliym (H457); literally, vain things, nothings (1 Corinthians 8:4). Fulfilled to the letter.
Read Robert Jamieson on Isaiah 2 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleGod will discover the impotency of idols to succour their worshippers, and thereby destroy their worship in the world.
Read Matthew Poole on Isaiah 2 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsIsaiah 2:18 And the idols he shall utterly abolish.Ver. 18. And the idols he shall utterly abolish.] Their names shall be cut off out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered, unless it be with shame and detestation.
Read John Trapp on Isaiah 2 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(18) And the idols.—Better, The no-gods shall pass away. The seven words of the English answer to three in the Hebrew. As with a profound sense, conscious or unconscious, of the power of rhythm, the prophet first condenses the judgment that is coming on the no-gods, and then expands it.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Isaiah 2 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 18. Shall utterly abolish - "Shall disappear"] The ancient versions and an ancient MS. read יחלפו yachalpu, plural. One of my MSS. reads יחלוף yachaloph, probably a mistake for יחלפו yachalpu.
Read AdamClarke on Isaiah 2 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges18–21. A special feature of the judgment will be the extinction of idolatry everywhere.
Read Cambridge on Isaiah 2 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleAnd the idols - Note, Isaiah 2:8. Abolish - Hebrew, ‘Cause to pass away or disappear.’ He shall entirely cause their worship to cease. This prediction was most remarkably fulfilled.
Read Albert Barnes on Isaiah 2 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
and the idols will vanish completely.
The idols shall utterly pass away.
and the idols will vanish completely.
The worthless idols will be completely eliminated.
Tyndale line
And the idols he shall utterly abolish.
And the idols shall utterly pass away.
And the idols shall utterly pass away.
And the idols he will utterly abolish.
And the idoles will he vtterly destroy.
Strictly literal
and the idols shall utterly pass away.
And the idols — they completely pass away.
And the idols—they completely pass away.
And the idols will he utterly abolish.
The idols will completely pass away.
From the Latin
And idols shall be utterly destroyed.
Simplified
Idols will completely vanish away.
And the images will never be seen again.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text reads וְהָאֱלִילִ֖ים כָּלִ֥יל יַחֲלֹֽף׃, which matches the Septuagint's translation of the key terms. The Dead Sea Scrolls also reflect the same idea, with a slight editorial restoration, affirming the consistency of the message across these texts.
וְהָאֱלִילִ֖ים כָּלִ֥יל יַחֲלֹֽף׃
3 of the 3 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
[והאלילים] כליל יחלופו
2 words on the leather — 1 supplied entire by an editor.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Isaiah 2:18
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
אֱלִיל (eliyl) refers to something that is worthless or of no value, often used to describe idols or false gods. It is derived from a root meaning 'insufficiency' or 'vanity.' The term appears in contexts that emphasize its lack of worth, including references to worthless shepherds.
אֱלִיל n.m. insufficiency, worthlessness
the shepherd of worthlessness = the worthless shepherd
concr. worthless gods, idols
base
H457 אֱלִיל insufficiency, worthlessness
457 'eliyl el-eel'
apparently from 408; good for nothing, by anal. vain or
vanity; specifically an idol:--idol, no value, thing of
nought.
see HEBREW for 0408
אֱלִיל (e.lil) — idol.
1) of nought, good for nothing, worthless
1a) of physicians, a shepherd, a divination
1b) of false gods
Conj | Art | N-mp — Conjunction · particle · noun common masculine plural absoluteHC/Td/Ncmpa
כָּלִיל (kaliyl) means entire or whole, and can refer specifically to a sacrifice that is completely consumed, known as a holocaust. It functions as an adjective, adverb, and noun, covering meanings like perfect and wholly. The entries emphasize its use in contexts of totality and completeness.
כָּלִיל adj. and subst. entire, whole, holocaust
base
H3632 כָּלִיל entire, whole, holocaust
3632 kaliyl kaw-leel'
from 3634; complete; as noun, the whole (specifically, a
sacrifice entirely consumed); as adverb, fully:--all, every
whit, flame, perfect(-ion), utterly, whole burnt offering
(sacrifice), wholly.
see HEBREW for 03634
כָּלִיל (ka.lil) — entire.
adj
1) entire, all, perfect
adv
2) entirety
subst
3) whole, whole burnt offering, holocaust, entirety
Adj — AdjHAamsa
חָלַף (chalaph) is a Hebrew verb meaning to pass on or away, with various nuances including to hasten, sprout anew, or change. It can refer to physical movement, such as passing through, as well as metaphorical changes like transgression or renewal. The word appears in poetic contexts and has different forms indicating causation or transformation.
חָלַף vb. pass on or away, pass through (mostly poet.)
Qal
pass on quickly
pass away, vanish
of grass, come on anew, i.e. sprout again
trans.
pass through, i.e. pierce
overstep, transgress
Pi. (cause to pass) change
Hiph.
change (trans.)
shew newness
base
H2498 חָלַף pass on or away, pass through (mostly poet.) .. . pass on quickly
. pass away, vanish
. of grass, come on anew, i.e. sprout again
. trans. . pass through, i.e. pierce
. overstep, transgress
. (cause to pass) change
. . change (trans.)
. shew newness
2498 chalaph khaw-laf'
a primitive root; properly, to slide by, i.e. (by
implication) to hasten away, pass on, spring up, pierce or
change:--abolish, alter, change, cut off, go on forward, grow
up, be over, pass (away, on, through), renew, sprout, strike
through.
חָלַף (cha.laph) — to pass.
1) to pass on or away, pass through, pass by, go through, grow up, change, to go on from
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to pass on quickly
1a2) to pass away (vanish)
1a3) to come on anew, sprout again (of grass)
1a4) to pass through
1a5) to overstep, transgress
1b) (Piel) to cause to pass, change
1c) (Hiph)
1c1) to change, substitute, alter, change for better, renew
1c2) to show newness (of tree)
Aramaic equivalent: cha.laph (חֲלַף "to pass" H2499)
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singularHVqi3ms