The Meaning of Isaiah 2:3 Explained

Isaiah 2:3

KJV: And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, 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 the LORD from Jerusalem.

YLT: And gone have many peoples and said, 'Come, and we go up unto the mount of Jehovah, Unto the house of the God of Jacob, And He doth teach us of His ways, And we walk in His paths, For from Zion goeth forth a law, And a word of Jehovah from Jerusalem.

Darby: And many peoples shall go and say, Come, 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 Jehovah's word from Jerusalem.

ASV: And many peoples 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And many  people  shall go  and say,  Come  ye, and let us go up  to the mountain  of the LORD,  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 the LORD  from Jerusalem. 

What does Isaiah 2:3 Mean?

Context Summary

Isaiah 2:1-11 - A Vision Of World Peace
This and the four following chapters must be classed together as a distinct portion of this book, belonging to the earliest years of Isaiah's ministry. Their date is 735 b.c.; about the time of the accession of Ahaz to the throne. Isaiah 2:2-4 are evidently an ancient prophecy by some unknown seer, for Micah also quotes it. This section presents a fair vision of the future, when the beloved city must become the center of the religious life of the world, the seat of the theocracy, the burning nucleus of a reign of love and peace. We cherish this ancient prophecy as our guiding star in the present storm. But it can be realized only when the Son of God, riding forth on His white horse, has subdued His enemies. Then Revelation 21:1-27 and Revelation 22:1-21 will fulfill this ancient dream. The contrast between the ideal city and the actual is terrible, Isaiah 2:6-9. But let us not despair. The exalted Lord, from the right hand of power, is hastening the coming of the day of God. [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 2

1  Isaiah prophesies the coming of Christ's kingdom
6  Wickedness is the cause of God's forsaking
10  He exhorts to fear, because of the powerful effects of God's majesty

What do the individual words in Isaiah 2:3 mean?

And shall come people Many and say come and let us go up to the mountain of Yahweh the house of the God of Jacob and He will teach us His ways and we shall walk in His paths For out of Zion shall go forth the law and the word from Jerusalem
וְֽהָלְכ֞וּ עַמִּ֣ים רַבִּ֗ים וְאָמְרוּ֙ לְכ֣וּ ׀ וְנַעֲלֶ֣ה אֶל־ הַר־ יְהוָ֗ה בֵּית֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יַעֲקֹ֔ב וְיֹרֵ֙נוּ֙ מִדְּרָכָ֔יו וְנֵלְכָ֖ה בְּאֹרְחֹתָ֑יו כִּ֤י מִצִּיּוֹן֙ תֵּצֵ֣א תוֹרָ֔ה וּדְבַר־ מִירוּשָׁלִָֽם

וְֽהָלְכ֞וּ  And  shall  come 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
עַמִּ֣ים  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
רַבִּ֗ים  Many 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: רַב 
Sense: much, many, great.
וְאָמְרוּ֙  and  say 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לְכ֣וּ ׀  come 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
וְנַעֲלֶ֣ה  and  let  us  go  up 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative if contextual, first person common plural
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
הַר־  the  mountain 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: הַר  
Sense: hill, mountain, hill country, mount.
יְהוָ֗ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: Jehovah—used primarily in the combination ‘Lord Jehovah’.
בֵּית֙  the  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
אֱלֹהֵ֣י  of  the  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
יַעֲקֹ֔ב  of  Jacob 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יַעֲקֹב  
Sense: son of Isaac, grandson of Abraham, and father of the 2 patriarchs of the tribes of Israel.
וְיֹרֵ֙נוּ֙  and  He  will  teach  us 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive imperfect, third person masculine singular, first person common plural
Root: יׄורֶה 
Sense: to throw, shoot, cast, pour.
מִדְּרָכָ֔יו  His  ways 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, common plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: דֶּרֶךְ  
Sense: way, road, distance, journey, manner.
וְנֵלְכָ֖ה  and  we  shall  walk 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative, first person common plural
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
בְּאֹרְחֹתָ֑יו  in  His  paths 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, common plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אֹרַח  
Sense: way, path.
מִצִּיּוֹן֙  out  of  Zion 
Parse: Preposition-m, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: צִיּׄון  
Sense: another name for Jerusalem especially in the prophetic books.
תֵּצֵ֣א  shall  go  forth 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
תוֹרָ֔ה  the  law 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: תֹּורָה  
Sense: law, direction, instruction.
וּדְבַר־  and  the  word 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
מִירוּשָׁלִָֽם  from  Jerusalem 
Parse: Preposition-m, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְרוּשָׁלַםִ  
Sense: the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split.