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It shall happen in that day that Yahweh will punish the army of the high ones on high, and the kings of the earth on the earth.
Isaiah 24:21 · World English Bible
Parallel translations
  • 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.
  • BSB In that day the LORD will punish the host of heaven above and the kings of the earth below.
  • 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.
  • NASB So it will happen on that day, That the Lord will punish the rebellious angels of heaven on high, And the kings of the earth on earth.
  • NLT In that day the Lord will punish the gods in the heavens and the proud rulers of the nations on earth.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

In that day the Lord will punish both the heavenly host on high and the kings of the earth below. No power, spiritual or earthly, is beyond His judgment.

Overview

God will call to account the army of the high ones, often understood as rebellious spiritual powers, along with earthly rulers. His judgment spans heaven and earth. The verse anticipates Christ's coming triumph over every hostile authority, seen and unseen.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 16

  • Ps 76:12He will cut off the spirit of princes. He is feared by the kings of the earth.
  • Zech 14:12–19This will be the plague with which Yahweh will strike all the peoples who have fought against Jerusalem: their flesh will consume away while they stand on their feet, and their eyes will consume away in their sockets, and their tongue will consume away in their mouth.
  • Isa 34:2–17For Yahweh is enraged against all the nations, and angry with all their armies. He has utterly destroyed them. He has given them over for slaughter.
  • Ps 149:6–9May the high praises of God be in their mouths, and a two-edged sword in their hand;
  • Isa 10:12Therefore it will happen that, when the Lord has performed his whole work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the willful proud heart of the king of Assyria, and the insolence of his haughty looks.
  • Isa 14:1–2For Yahweh will have compassion on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land. The foreigner will join himself with them, and they will unite with the house of Jacob.
  • Isa 25:10–12For in this mountain Yahweh’s hand will rest. Moab will be trodden down in his place, even like straw is trodden down in the water of the dunghill.
  • Rev 18:9The kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived wantonly with her, will weep and wail over her, when they look at the smoke of her burning,
  • Ezek 38:1–23Yahweh’s word came to me, saying,
  • Rev 6:14–17The sky was removed like a scroll when it is rolled up. Every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
  • Isa 10:25–27For yet a very little while, and the indignation against you will be accomplished, and my anger will be directed to his destruction.”
  • Joel 3:19Egypt will be a desolation, and Edom will be a desolate wilderness, for the violence done to the children of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land.
  • Rev 19:18–21that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, and small and great.”
  • Rev 17:14These will war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings, and those who are with him are called chosen and faithful.”
  • Joel 3:9–17Proclaim this among the nations: “Prepare for war! Stir up the mighty men. Let all the warriors draw near. Let them come up.
  • Hag 2:21–22“Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, ‘I will shake the heavens and the earth.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (1)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Isaiah videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Isaiah 24:21YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on IsaiahMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Isaiah sees him most clearly: the virgin's son Immanuel, the child on David's throne, the shoot from Jesse, the light to the nations, and above all the Suffering Servant pierced for our transgressions (ch. 53).

How Isaiah 24:21 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.