ישעיהו, פרק ב׳, פסוק כ״א

A sudden realization of the utter worthlessness of idols in the face of God's immense power drives humanity into a panicked flight toward the hidden depths of nature. Building on earlier poetic imagery of casting idols to moles and bats, this is not a literal descent into animal burrows, but a metaphor for fleeing into dark, secluded caves [שד״ל]. The very act of running to these hiding places marks the exact moment the people finally throw the false gods from their hands [מצודת דוד]. Overwhelmed by the awe of God's majesty and the threat of His punishment, they find it impossible to continue bowing to any other deity once they have truly recognized His kingship and felt genuine fear [מלבי״ם].

In their desperation, the fleeing crowds seek out two distinct types of natural mountain shelters. The primary approach among commentators notes that they first look for deep cavities, holes, and caves hollowed out within solid stone [מצודת ציון, רד״ק, אבן עזרא, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. These rounded spaces, carved into the hard rock, function as secure strongholds and protected fortresses [מלבי״ם]. Additionally, people scramble toward high, protruding rocky crags. The language used to describe these formations is borrowed from the world of plants, comparing the jagged, extending rocks to the branching limbs of a tall tree [מצודת ציון, רד״ק, אבן עזרא, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Unlike the deep caves that provide solid physical defense, these splits in the softer rock offer no real protection. They serve only as places of concealment, allowing individuals to hide from sight out of sheer, paralyzing terror of what lies outside [מלבי״ם].

This entire scene of frantic escape is triggered by a singular, awe-inspiring event. The mass panic unfolds the moment God rises to strike profound fear, shatter the land, and completely overwhelm the earth [אבן עזרא].