Then you will defile your carved idols overlaid with silver and your gold-plated metal images. You will scatter them as unclean things. You will say to them, “Be gone!”
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse reveals that true repentance isn't just about abandoning idols, but about actively despising them. The imagery of casting them away "as a menstruous cloth" and telling them to "Get thee hence!" emphasizes a profound disgust and rejection, showing that the precious materials they were made of no longer held any allure.
Then you will defile your carved idols overlaid with silver and your gold-plated metal images. You will scatter them as unclean things. You will say to them, “Be gone!”
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage comes after God's pronouncements of judgment on Judah for their misplaced trust in Egypt rather than in Him. Having just described the devastating consequences of their foolish alliances and disbelief, God now pivots to promise a future renewal and restoration that will include a complete rejection of idolatry. The verse immediately following this one details the blessings of restored rain and abundant harvests as a sign of God's favor.
Why would God describe idols as something utterly repulsive, like a 'menstruous cloth'? What does this imagery reveal about His feelings toward idolatry?
Isaiah 30:22 uses incredibly strong language to describe how God's people will treat their idols after turning back to Him:
Utter Rejection
God says they will 'defile' their idols. This isn't just putting them aside; it's treating them with utter contempt, as if they were impure. The idols, once covered in silver and gold, are now considered unclean.
Symbolic Destruction
The phrase 'cast them away as a menstruous cloth' is powerful. A menstruous cloth was considered ritually unclean in ancient Israel. By comparing the idols to this, God shows that they are not just worthless, but also spiritually defiling. They are to be utterly rejected and disposed of as refuse.
Verbal Disdain
Finally, they will 'say to them, “Be gone!”' This isn't a polite farewell; it's a command for them to disappear, to get out of sight. It signifies a complete and vocal rejection of the false gods that once held their allegiance.
The idols are described as 'covered' with silver and 'ornamented' with gold. What does this tell us about the true nature of the things we often value?
Isaiah 30:22 points out the deceptive nature of idols, both literal and figurative:
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The Illusion of Value
Idols were often made with a core of common material like wood or clay, but overlaid with precious metals like silver and gold. This 'covering' and 'ornament' gave them an appearance of great worth and power. They looked impressive, designed to attract worship.
The Emptiness Within
However, beneath the shiny exterior, they were hollow. They were not gods at all, but man-made objects incapable of seeing, hearing, or acting. The 'covering' and 'ornament' were just that – superficial layers that hid the utter lack of divine substance.
Modern Parallels
This is a powerful metaphor for modern idols. Wealth, status, beauty, power – these can all be like the gold and silver plating. They can seem incredibly valuable and attractive, promising fulfillment. But when they are pursued instead of God, they are ultimately hollow and unable to provide true satisfaction or salvation.
Understand the original words
pesel · Hebrew Noun
Refers to the false gods or images created by human hands to represent or replace the true God, frequently condemned in Scripture as an act of rebellion and spiritual adultery. It signifies putting anything—or anyone—before the Creator.
davah · Hebrew Adjective
Ritual or moral impurity that renders something unfit for use in the presence of a holy God; it describes a state of being set apart from the sacred.
This prophecy comes in the context of Judah's persistent struggle with idolatry, even in the face of Assyrian threats and the reforms of kings like Hezekiah and Josiah. The ultimate deliverance from the Assyrian siege and the later exile solidified a lasting aversion to idols among the Jewish people, making the imagery of casting them away like refuse powerfully resonant.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria
The Northern Kingdom of Israel is conquered by the Assyrian Empire, and many of its inhabitants are exiled. This event served as a stark warning to the Southern Kingdom of Judah about the consequences of disobedience and reliance on foreign powers.
c. 701 BC— this verse
Assyrian Siege of Jerusalem
King Sennacherib of Assyria invades Judah and besieces Jerusalem. The prophet Isaiah offers King Hezekiah God's assurance of deliverance, which occurs miraculously.
c. 622 BC
Josiah's Reforms
During the reign of King Josiah, a scroll of the Law is discovered, leading to a widespread religious reformation and the destruction of idolatrous objects and practices throughout Judah.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Babylonian Exile
The Babylonians conquer Jerusalem, destroy the Temple, and exile much of the population. This catastrophic event marked the end of the Davidic monarchy and led to a deep aversion to idolatry among the returning exiles.
This passage describes Moses' reaction to the golden calf incident, where he breaks the tablets and grinds the idol to powder, showing a similar act of defilement and rejection of an idol.
Deuteronomy 7:25This verse instructs the Israelites to burn the graven images of other nations and not to desire the silver or gold on them, directly paralleling the sentiment of casting away and abhorring idols mentioned in Isaiah.
2 Kings 23:10-14This historical account details Josiah's purging of idolatry, including the defilement and destruction of altars and high places, demonstrating a fulfillment of the prophetic command to treat idols as unclean.
Jeremiah 10:14Jeremiah speaks of idols made of silver and gold, formed by craftsmen, and contrasts their worthlessness with the living God, echoing the theme of idols being mere objects to be discarded in shame.
Romans 1:22-23Paul describes people who exchanged the truth about God for a lie, worshipping created things rather than the Creator, which highlights the spiritual emptiness and folly of idolatry that Isaiah condemns.
bensonIsaiah 30:22: "Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven images of silver, and the ornament of thy molten images of gold: thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth; thou shalt say unto it, Get thee hence."
Isaiah 30:22 . Ye shall also — To show your contempt of it; defile the covering of thy graven images — The leaves or plates, wherewith their wooden images were frequently covered: and the ornament of thy molten images — Or, the coat, or covering; Hebrew, אפדת , the ephod, as the w…
cambridgeIsaiah 30:22: "Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven images of silver, and the ornament of thy molten images of gold: thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth; thou shalt say unto it, Get thee hence."
22 . The renunciation of idolatry. Ye shall defile ] i.e. “desecrate” ( 2 Kings 23:8 ff.). covering … ornament ] Overlaying … plating, as R.V. An idol consisted of a core of wood or inferior metal, overlaid with a costly layer of silver or gold. The latter part was of course the m…
This verse reveals that true repentance isn't just about abandoning idols, but about actively despising them. The imagery of casting them away "as a menstruous cloth" and telling them to "Get thee hence!" emphasizes a profound disgust and rejection, showing that the precious materials they were made of no longer held any allure.
This passage comes after God's pronouncements of judgment on Judah for their misplaced trust in Egypt rather than in Him. Having just described the devastating consequences of their foolish alliances and disbelief, God now pivots to promise a future renewal and restoration that will include a complete rejection of idolatry. The verse immediately following this one details the blessings of restored rain and abundant harvests as a sign of God's favor.
This passage comes after God's pronouncements of judgment on Judah for their misplaced trust in Egypt rather than in Him. Having just described the devastating consequences of their foolish alliances and disbelief, God now pivots to promise a future renewal and restoration that will include a complete rejection of idolatry. The verse immediately following this one details the blessings of restored rain and abundant harvests as a sign of God's favor.
"Then you will defile your carved idols overlaid with silver and your gold-plated metal images. You will scatter them as unclean things. You will say to them, “Be gone!”" — This verse reveals that true repentance isn't just about abandoning idols, but about actively despising them. The imagery of casting them away "as a menstruous cloth" and telling them to "Get thee…
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Last reviewed October 2026