Catholic Commentary on Isaiah 2

“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.” (Isaiah 2:4)

The Mountain of the LORD

Isaiah sees the mountain of the LORD's temple established as the highest of the mountains, with all nations streaming to it. The peoples will say: come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD; 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. 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. Then the warning: the arrogance of people will be brought low and human pride humbled; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day.

The Catechism identifies this vision as the eschatological promise of universal peace, partially anticipated in the Church and fully realised only in the Kingdom of God (CCC 2317).

Living the Word

Brothers and sisters, swords into plowshares, spears into pruning hooks. The implements of war become tools of cultivation. The world shaped by the word of the LORD produces food rather than wounds. This is the direction of the Kingdom: not the conquest of nations but their conversion. Work toward this vision in your own community.

Prayer

Lord God, let the nations stream to your mountain and learn your ways. Beat the swords of our hearts into plowshares. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

2
The Mountain of the House of the LORD
(Micah 4:1-5)
This is the message that was revealed to Isaiah son of Amoz concerning Judah and Jerusalem:
 
In the last days the mountain of the house of the LORD
will be established as the chief of the mountains;
it will be raised above the hills,
and all nations will stream to it.
 
And many peoples will come and say:
 
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
to the house of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us His ways
so that we may walk in His paths.”
 
For the law will go forth from Zion,
and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
Then He will judge between the nations
and arbitrate for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will no longer take up the sword against nation,
nor train anymore for war.
The Day of Reckoning
 
Come, O house of Jacob,
let us walk in the light of the LORD.
For You have abandoned Your people,
the house of Jacob,
because they are filled
with influences from the east;
they are soothsayers like the Philistines;
they strike hands with the children of foreigners.
 
Their land is full of silver and gold,
with no limit to their treasures;
their land is full of horses,
with no limit to their chariots.
Their land is full of idols;
they bow down to the work of their hands,
to what their fingers have made.
So mankind is brought low,
and man is humbled-
do not forgive them!
 
10 Go into the rocks
and hide in the dust
from the terror of the LORD
and the splendor of His majesty.
11 The proud look of man will be humbled,
and the loftiness of men brought low;
the LORD alone will be exalted in that day.
 
12 For the Day of the LORD of Hosts
will come against all the proud and lofty,
against all that is exalted-
it will be humbled-
13 against all the cedars of Lebanon, lofty and lifted up,
against all the oaks of Bashan,
14 against all the tall mountains,
against all the high hills,
15 against every high tower,
against every fortified wall,
16 against every ship of Tarshish,* 2:16 Or every ship of trade
and against every stately vessel.
 
17 So the pride of man will be brought low,
and the loftiness of men will be humbled;
the LORD alone will be exalted in that day,
18 and the idols will vanish completely.
19 Men will flee to caves in the rocks
and holes in the ground,
away from the terror of the LORD
and from the splendor of His majesty,
when He rises to shake the earth.
 
20 In that day men will cast away
to the moles and bats
their idols of silver and gold-
the idols they made to worship.
21 They will flee to caverns in the rocks
and crevices in the cliffs,
away from the terror of the LORD
and from the splendor of His majesty,
when He rises to shake the earth.
 
22 Put no more trust in man,
who has only the breath in his nostrils.
Of what account is he?

*2:16 2:16 Or every ship of trade