You shall defile also the covering of your graven images of silver, and the ornament of your molten images of gold: you shall cast them away as a menstruous cloth; you shall say to it, Get you hence.
defile
Isaiah 2:20,21 In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats; …
Isaiah 17:7,8 At that day shall a man look to his Maker, and his eyes shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel…
Isaiah 27:9 By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged; and this is all the fruit to take away his sin; when he maketh all the stones of the altar as chalkstones that are beaten in sunder, the groves and images shall not stand up.
thy graven images of silver.
Isaiah 46:6 They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, and hire a goldsmith; and he maketh it a god: they fall down, yea, they worship.
Exodus 32:2-4 And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me…
Judges 17:3,4 And when he had restored the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, his mother said, I had wholly dedicated the silver unto the LORD from my hand for my son, to make a graven image and a molten image: now therefore I will restore it unto thee…
cast.
Lamentations 1:17 Zion spreadeth forth her hands, and there is none to comfort her: the LORD hath commanded concerning Jacob, that his adversaries should be round about him: Jerusalem is as a menstruous woman among them.
Ezekiel 18:6 And hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither hath defiled his neighbour's wife, neither hath come near to a menstruous woman,
get
Hosea 14:8 Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard him, and observed him: I am like a green fir tree. From me is thy fruit found.
You will throw them away like menstrual cloths,
The comparison to menstrual cloths underscores the impurity and disdain associated with the idols. In Levitical law, menstrual blood was considered ritually unclean (Leviticus 15:19-24), and anything associated with it was to be avoided. By likening idols to something unclean, the text emphasizes the need for purification and separation from sin. This imagery conveys a strong message of rejection and disgust towards idolatry, urging the people to cleanse themselves spiritually. The cultural context of the time viewed menstrual impurity as something to be isolated, reflecting the seriousness of turning away from false gods.
saying to them, “Be gone!”
This phrase captures the decisive action and verbal renunciation of idolatry. It reflects a complete and utter rejection, not just physically removing the idols but also verbally denouncing them. This echoes the call to repentance found throughout the prophetic books, where the prophets urge the people to return to God with their whole hearts (Joel 2:12-13). The command "Be gone!" signifies a break from past sins and a commitment to follow the Lord exclusively. This act of casting away idols can be seen as a type of spiritual renewal, akin to the cleansing and rededication seen in the reforms of kings like Hezekiah and Josiah, who sought to restore true worship in Israel.
• Isaiah pictures a decisive break with false worship. The people will treat what they once prized as holy as something offensive (Exodus 20:3–5, 2 Kings 23:4–6).
• “Desecrate” indicates tearing down and profaning, not merely storing away. Similar reform happened under Hezekiah when the bronze serpent became “Nehushtan” and was smashed (2 Kings 18:4).
• God’s call is always to wholehearted devotion; idols cannot stand beside Him (1 John 5:21).
• Wealth and artistry do not sanctify an idol. Even if covered in gold, these images are powerless (Isaiah 40:19–20; Psalm 115:4–8).
• God exposes the lie that value equals worthiness of worship. Like the futile gods of Egypt (Exodus 12:12), every glittering rival will fall.
• The verse insists on total removal—no sentimental keeping of “religious antiques.”
• The comparison is shocking on purpose. Menstrual cloths were ceremonially unclean (Leviticus 15:19); idols are to be viewed with equal revulsion.
• Ezekiel uses similar imagery when calling Israel’s idols “filthy” (Ezekiel 36:17). Paul echoes the sentiment, counting worldly gains “as rubbish” for Christ (Philippians 3:8).
• The action is swift and final—discard, not recycle.
• The people not only discard the idols; they verbally renounce them. True repentance speaks as well as acts (Hosea 14:3; Joshua 24:15–16).
• This echoes Jesus’ rebuke to Satan, “Away with you” (Matthew 4:10), and the command to “Submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee” (James 4:7).
• Turning from idols to serve the living God marks genuine conversion (1 Thessalonians 1:9).
Isaiah 30:22 paints a vivid picture of repentance: priceless idols are smashed, treated as disgusting waste, and verbally banished. God calls His people to abandon every rival—no matter how beautiful or costly—and cling to Him alone. The verse challenges us to examine what we treasure, throw away anything that competes with Christ, and say, “Be gone!” to every false god.
(22) Ye shall defile also . . .--The first effect of the turning of the people was to be the putting away of what had been their besetting sin. The "graven" image possibly refers to the "carved" wooden figure which was afterwards overlaid with silver and gold. (Comp. Isaiah 40:19.) These, which had been worshipped, were now to be cast aside, like that which was the very type of loathsomeness.Verse 22. - Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven images of silver. Idolatry, greatly encouraged by Ahaz, had been strictly forbidden by Hezekiah at the beginning of his reign (2 Kings 18:4); but the present passage, among others, shows how impossible it was for a king, with the best intentions, to effect the extirpation of idolatry, if his subjects were attached to it. Evidently the Jews had, in many cases, secretly maintained their idols and their idolatrous practices, despite the efforts of Hezekiah. But now, in their repentance, they would "defile" (i.e. destroy) both the outer "covering" of precious rectal, and the inner core of wood or stone, or base metallic substance. The ornament of thy molten images of gold; rather, the coating or overlaying. It was usual to overlay with gold or silver molten images of bronze or other inferior metal. Cast them away; literally, scatter; i.e. either grind them to powder (2 Kings 23:6), or at any rate break them to bits, and then disperse the fragments far and wide.