TRV
Study This Verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Isaiah 26:5–11. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Here the prophet further encourages us to trust in the Lord for ever, and to continue waiting on him; for,
I.He will make humble souls that trust in him to triumph over their proud enemies, Isa 26:5, Isa 26:6.
Those that exalt themselves shall be abased: For he brings down those that dwell on high; and wherein they deal proudly he is, and will be, above them. Even the lofty city Babylon itself, or Nineveh, he lays it low, Isa 25:12. He can do it, be it ever so well fortified. He has often done it. He will do it, for he resists the proud. It is his glory to do it, for he proves himself to be God by looking on the proud and abasing them, Job 40:12. But, on the contrary, those that humble themselves shall be exalted; for the feet of the poor shall tread upon the lofty cities, Isa 26:6. He does not say, Great armies shall tread them down; but, When God will have it done, even the feet of the poor shall do it, Mal 4:3. You shall tread down the wicked. Come, set your feet on the necks of these kings. See Psa 147:6; Rom 16:20.
II.He takes cognizance of the way of his people and has delight in it (Isa 26:7):
The way of the just is evenness (so it may be read): it is their endeavour and constant care to walk with God in an even steady course of obedience and holy conversation. My foot stands in an even place, goes in an even path, Psa 26:12. And it is their happiness that God makes their way plain and easy before them: Thou, most upright, dost level (or make even) the path of the just, by preventing or removing those things that would be stumbling-blocks to them, so that nothing shall offend them, Psa 119:165. God weighs it (so we read it); he considers it, and will give them grace sufficient for them, to help them over all the difficulties they may meet with in their way. Thus with the upright God will show himself upright.
III.It is our duty, and will be our comfort, to wait for God, and to keep up holy desires towards him in the darkest and most discouraging times, Isa 26:8, Isa 26:9. This has always been the practice of God's people, even when God has frowned upon them,
1.To keep up a constant dependence upon him: "In the way of thy judgments we have still waited for thee; when thou hast corrected us we have looked to no other hand than thine to relieve us," as the servant looks only to the hand of his master, till he have mercy upon him, Psa 123:2. We cannot appeal from God's justice but to his mercy. If God's judgments continue long, if it be a road of judgments (so the word signifies), yet we must not be weary but continue waiting.
2.To send up holy desires towards him. Our troubles, how pressing soever, must never put us out of conceit with our religion, nor turn us away from God; but still the desire of our soul must be to his name and to the remembrance of him; and in the night, the darkest longest night of affliction, with our souls must we desire him. (1.) Our great concern must be for God's name, and our earnest desire must be that his name may be glorified, whatever becomes of us and our names. This is that which we must wait for, and pray for. "Father, glorify thy name, and we are satisfied." (2.) Our great comfort must be in the remembrance of that name, of all that whereby God has made himself known. The remembrance of God must be our great support and pleasure; and, though sometimes we be unmindful of him, yet still our desire must be towards the remembrance of him and we must take pains with our own hearts to have him always in mind. (3.) Our desires towards God must be inward, fervent, and sincere. With our soul we must desire him, with our soul we must pant after him (Psa 42:1), and with our spirits within us, with the innermost thought and the closest application of mind, we must seek him. We make nothing of our religion, whatever our profession be, if we do not make heart-work of it. (4.) Even in the darkest night of affliction our desires must be towards God, as our sun and shield; for, however God is pleased to deal with us, we must never think the worse of him, nor cool in our love to him. (5.) If our desires be indeed towards God,. we must give evidence that they are so by seeking him, and seeking him early, as those that desire to find him, and dread the thoughts of missing him. Those that would seek God and find him must seek betimes, and seek him earnestly. Though we come ever so early, we shall find him ready to receive us.
IV.It is God's gracious design, in sending abroad his judgments, thereby to bring men to seek him and serve him:
When thy judgments are upon the earth, laying all waste, then we have reason to expect that not only God's professing people, but even the inhabitants of the world, will learn righteousness, will have their mistakes rectified and their lives reformed, will be brought to acknowledge God's righteousness in punishing them, will repent of their own unrighteousness in offending God, and so be brought to walk in right paths. They will do this; that is, judgments are designed to bring them to this, they have a natural tendency to produce this effect, and, though many continue obstinate, yet some even of the inhabitants of the world will profit by this discipline, and will learn righteousness; surely they will; they are strangely stupid if they do not. Note, The intention of afflictions is to teach us righteousness; and blessed is the man whom God chastens, and thus teaches, Psa 94:12. Discite justitiam, moniti, et non temnere divos - Let this rebuke teach you to cultivate righteousness, and cease from despising the gods. - Virgil.
V.Those are wicked indeed that will not be wrought upon by the favourable methods God takes to subdue and reform them; and it is necessary that God should deal with them in a severe way by his judgments, which shall prevail to humble those that would not otherwise be humbled. Observe,
1.How sinners walk contrary to God, and refuse to comply with the means used for their reformation and to answer the intentions of them, Isa 26:10.
(1.)Favour is shown to them. They receive many mercies from God; he causes his sun to shine and his rain to fall upon them, nay, he prospers them, and into their hands he brings plentifully; they escape many of the strokes of God's judgments, which others less wicked than they have been cut off by; in some particular instances they seem to be remarkably favoured above their neighbours, and the design of all this is that they may be won upon to love and serve that God who thus favours them; and yet it is all in vain: They will not learn righteousness, will not be led to repentance by the goodness of God, and therefore it is requisite that God should send his judgments into the earth, to reckon with men for abused mercies.
(2.)They live in a land of uprightness, where religion is professed and is in reputation, where the word of God is preached, and where they have many good examples set them, - in a land of evenness, where there are not so many stumbling-blocks as in other places, - in a land of correction, where vice and profaneness are discountenanced and punished; yet there they will deal unjustly, and go on frowardly in their evil ways. Those that do wickedly deal unjustly both with God and man, as well as with their own souls; and those that will not be reclaimed by the justice of the nation may expect the judgments of God upon them. Nor can those expect a place hereafter in the land of blessedness who now conform not to the laws and usages, nor improve the privileges and advantages, of the land of uprightness; and why do they not? It is because they will not behold the majesty of the Lord, will not believe, will not consider, what a God of terrible majesty he is whose laws and justice they persist in the contempt of. God's majesty appears in all the dispensations of his providence; but they regard it not, and therefore study not to answer the ends of those dispensations. Even when we receive of the mercy of the Lord we must still behold the majesty of the Lord and his goodness.
(3.)God lifts up his hand to give them warning, that they may, by repentance and prayer, make their peace with him; but they take no notice of it, are not aware that God is angry with them, or coming forth against them: They will not see, and none so blind as those who will not see, who shut their eyes against the clearest conviction of guilt and wrath, who ascribe that to chance, or common fate, which is manifestly a divine rebuke, who regard not the threatening symptoms of their own ruin, but cry Peace to themselves, when the righteous God is waging war with them.
2.How God will at length be too hard for them; for, when he judges, he will overcome: They will not see, but they shall see, shall be made to see, whether they will or no, that God is angry with them. Atheists, scorners, and the secure, will shortly feel what now they will not believe, that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. They will not see the evil of sin, and particularly the sin of hating and persecuting the people of God; but they shall see, by the tokens of God's displeasure against them for it and the deliverances in which God will plead his people's cause, that what is done against them he takes as done against himself and will reckon for it accordingly. They shall see that they have done God's people a great deal of wrong, and therefore shall be ashamed of their enmity and envy towards them, and their ill usage of such as deserved better treatment. Note, Those that bear ill-will to God's people have reason to be ashamed of it, so absurd and unreasonable is it; and, sooner or later, they shall be ashamed of it, and the remembrance of it shall fill them with confusion. Some read it, They shall see and be confounded for the zeal of the people, by the zeal God will show for his people; when they shall be made to know how jealous God is for the honour and welfare of his people they shall be confounded to think that they might have been of that people and would not. Their doom therefore is that, since they slighted the happiness of God's friends, the fire of his enemies shall devour them, that is, the fire which is prepared for his enemies and with which they shall be devoured, the fire designed for the devil and his angels. Note, Those that are enemies to God's people, and envy them, God looks upon as his enemies, and will deal with them accordingly.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
One surviving comment on this verse from the historical church.
(Vers. 5, 6.) In the Lord, the mighty God forever: for He will bring down those who dwell on high; He will humble the lofty city and bring it down to the ground; He will cast it down to the dust. The feet shall trample it, the feet of the poor and the steps of the needy. LXX: O great and eternal God, who have humbled and cast down those who dwell on high, you will destroy strong cities and bring them down to the pavement, and their feet will be trampled by the meek and the humble. And this is what the Prophet speaks, who answered him in the place where he had said above: Hope in the Lord in eternal ages; and he joins to it what we have now proposed: In the Lord God Almighty forever, and so on. For the Lord God Almighty, in Hebrew has three names, Ia () and Adonai () and Sur (), which mean, respectively, invisible, ineffable, and strong, of which the first is placed in the last syllable of Alleluia (). And let the diligent reader observe this, that sometimes we divide the text in the proposition of testimonium: because one edition has one sense from the Septuagint and another has the sense expressed word for word from the Hebrew. Therefore the Prophet says: Hope in the Lord in eternal ages: in the Lord God Almighty forever, whose help is everlasting. For He will bow down those who dwell on high, because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled; those who boasted of having Abraham as their father, and spoke against the Lord: We are not born of fornication (John VIII, 41). He will also humble the lofty city, as the Jews believe, Rome (or rather Jerusalem), which killed the Prophets, and stoned those who were sent to it, and finally killed the son of the master of the house, so that the heir, being killed, the inheritance would perish (Luke XIII). And the city is not called the one [which] is called in Hebrew Ir, but Caria which Aquila translated as πολίχνην, which we can call either a small city or village or town, and frequently in the Scriptures it is referred to by this name Jerusalem. And beautifully, he placed a twofold humility: He will humble, he will humble it, first under the Babylonians, when the temple was destroyed, secondly under Titus and Vespasian, whose ruin continues until the end. It tramples it under foot, and treads upon it, and joins the feet of the poor, without doubt of Christ. Of whom we have already spoken above: He became strength to the poor; the strength of the needy in their tribulation. The steps of the needy, namely the Apostles, who imitating the poverty of the Lord, also obtained the privilege of his virtue; who, not being received, shook off the dust of their feet upon it. And because it is said in the words of the Savior, Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled: and he who humbles himself will be exalted (Luke 14:11), we can apply this not only to men, but also to contrary virtues. According to the Septuagint, the Prophet sings praises to God, because he humiliates all the proud and tears down the fortifications of all cities to the ground, and he treads upon the heads of the holy, the meek, and the humble.
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Summary
Isaiah 26:5 serves as a profound declaration of God's absolute sovereignty and His unwavering commitment to divine justice, particularly in the humbling of human pride and self-exaltation. Embedded within a prophetic song celebrating God's deliverance and the security of His people, this verse vividly portrays the inevitable downfall of those who elevate themselves or their creations in defiance of the Almighty, promising their complete abasement from the loftiest positions of power to utter insignificance.
Context
Literary Context
This verse is an integral component of a triumphant song of praise and unwavering trust in the Lord, situated in Isaiah 26. The chapter commences with a vision of a "strong city" (Isaiah 26:1)—a powerful metaphor for God's redeemed people and His secure, righteous kingdom—which stands in stark contrast to the "lofty city" described in verse 5. The preceding verses emphatically underscore the profound peace and unshakeable security granted to those who place their trust in the Lord (Isaiah 26:3) and highlight the eternal, rock-like foundation of God's character (Isaiah 26:4). Verse 5 then functions as the theological bedrock for this trust, articulating why God's people can remain secure: He actively and decisively dismantles the very powers that oppose Him and oppress His covenant people. The broader song anticipates a future era of restoration and righteous judgment, likely with both immediate post-exilic and ultimate eschatological implications.
Historical & Cultural Context
The "lofty city" in Isaiah's prophetic discourse frequently alludes to the formidable, arrogant empires of the ancient Near East, such as Babylon or Assyria, which consistently posed existential threats to Israel. These dominant civilizations constructed magnificent, seemingly impregnable cities as concrete symbols of their immense might, self-sufficiency, and often, their unbridled hubris, frequently engaging in oppressive practices and boasting against the God of Israel. The concept of "dwelling on high" or being "lofty" was deeply intertwined with notions of immense power, unassailable security, and profound arrogance, vividly exemplified by the architectural marvels and military prowess of these empires. Isaiah's audience, having either experienced or anticipated the crushing oppression of such powers, would have found immense comfort, vindication, and hope in the divine promise that even the most formidable human constructs were utterly vulnerable to God's sovereign judgment. This prophetic declaration also resonates with the pervasive biblical theme of God's unwavering opposition to human pride, a recurring motif found throughout wisdom literature and the prophetic books.
Key Themes
Isaiah 26:5 powerfully contributes to several overarching themes that permeate both the book of Isaiah and the broader prophetic corpus. Firstly, it emphatically underscores the Sovereignty of God, demonstrating His ultimate and unchallengeable control over human history and the destiny of nations, irrespective of their perceived strength or arrogance. No earthly power, however formidable, can withstand His divine decree. Secondly, it highlights the theme of Divine Justice and Judgment, illustrating God's inherently righteous character in consistently bringing low the proud and exalting the humble. This principle is foundational to God's moral governance of the world, ensuring that unbridled arrogance and systemic oppression will not go unpunished. Finally, the verse profoundly reinforces the Contrast Between Human Pride and Divine Humility, a pervasive biblical motif. While humanity often endeavors to construct towering monuments to its own transient glory, God consistently demonstrates His omnipotence by dismantling such structures and exalting the lowly, a pattern vividly portrayed throughout the biblical narrative of God's dealings with both Israel and the nations.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
Translated "dwell" (as in "them that dwell on high"), this primitive root signifies "to sit down," and by implication, "to dwell" or "to remain." In this context, it describes those who are settled in a position of perceived security and elevated status, implying a sense of permanence and unassailability in their lofty state. Their "dwelling on high" is not merely a physical location but a posture of pride and self-assuredness.
This word, translated "high" or "lofty," derives from the root meaning "to be high." It denotes altitude, an elevated place, or abstractly, elevation. Figuratively, it conveys a sense of elation, dignity, or haughtiness. Here, it describes both the physical elevation of the "lofty city" and, more significantly, the spiritual pride and arrogance of those who inhabit it and the system it represents, who have presumptuously exalted themselves against the divine.
Translated "layeth it low," this primitive root means to depress or sink, and figuratively, to humiliate or abase. Its powerful repetition in the verse ("he layeth it low; he layeth it low") emphasizes the absolute certainty, totality, and active nature of God's judgment. It signifies not a passive decline but a deliberate, forceful act of bringing down from a position of power and pride to one of utter lowliness and insignificance.
This term, rendered "dust," refers to powdered earth, clay, or ashes. It profoundly signifies the lowest possible state of humiliation, insignificance, and dissolution. To be reduced "even to the dust" is to return to a state of nothingness, echoing humanity's origin from dust and its ultimate return to it. Here, it vividly portrays the complete destruction and utter reduction of the once "lofty city" and its inhabitants, leaving no trace of its former glory or power.
Verse Breakdown
"For he bringeth down them that dwell on high;"
This opening clause immediately establishes the divine agent ("he," referring to the Lord) and His decisive action: actively humbling and bringing low those who occupy positions of perceived power, unassailable security, or self-exaltation. "Them that dwell on high" refers to individuals, nations, or systems characterized by profound pride and arrogance, who believe themselves to be beyond challenge or judgment.
"the lofty city, he layeth it low;"
This clause introduces a specific and symbolic target: "the lofty city." This is a powerful representation of any human construct—a kingdom, an empire, a political ideology, or a societal system—that embodies pride, self-sufficiency, and defiant opposition to God. The phrase "he layeth it low" reiterates God's decisive and intentional act of abasement, emphasizing the absolute certainty of its inevitable downfall.
"he layeth it low, even to the ground;"
The repetition of "he layeth it low" serves to intensify the declaration, underscoring the completeness and finality of the divine judgment. The addition of "even to the ground" specifies the extreme extent of the abasement, indicating a comprehensive demolition from its elevated, proud state to the most basic, foundational level of existence, signifying utter ruin.
"he bringeth it even to the dust."
This concluding phrase provides the ultimate climax of the judgment, moving beyond mere "ground" to "dust." This signifies an even greater degree of destruction, dissolution, and insignificance. It implies utter desolation, reduction to nothingness, and a complete reversal of the initial "lofty" status, ensuring that no vestige of its former glory or power remains.
Literary Devices
Isaiah 26:5 masterfully employs several potent literary devices to convey its message of divine judgment and reversal. The most prominent is Repetition, particularly evident in the phrase "he layeth it low," which is repeated twice. This repetition serves to emphasize the absolute certainty, deliberateness, and comprehensive nature of God's action, reinforcing the inevitability of the downfall of the proud. Closely related is Climax or Intensification, powerfully demonstrated in the escalating imagery of descent: from "on high" to "low," then "to the ground," and finally "to the dust." This vivid progression portrays a complete and utter reduction to destruction and insignificance, leaving no doubt about the finality of the judgment. The "lofty city" functions as a potent Symbolism, representing not merely a physical urban center but any human institution, empire, or individual characterized by pride, self-sufficiency, and defiance of God. This allows the prophecy to possess profound universal application, extending far beyond a specific historical context. Finally, the stark Contrast between the initial "high" and "lofty" state and the ultimate reduction "to the dust" dramatically highlights the radical reversal brought about by divine intervention, powerfully underscoring God's sovereign power to humble the proud and exalt the humble.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Isaiah 26:5 stands as a profound theological statement on the very character of God as a righteous and active judge who consistently opposes human pride and exalts the humble. It reveals that the Lord is not a passive observer of human affairs but intervenes decisively in history to dismantle systems and individuals that presumptuously elevate themselves in defiance of His supreme sovereignty. This principle is a cornerstone of biblical theology, demonstrating that true security, lasting power, and enduring peace reside exclusively in God, not in human achievements, boasts, or self-sufficiency. The verse serves as both a solemn warning to the arrogant and a profound comfort to the oppressed, assuring them that God will ultimately rectify all injustice and bring His perfect, righteous kingdom to fruition, a kingdom where only His name is exalted and His justice prevails.
Reflection and Application
Isaiah 26:5 offers timeless and profoundly relevant insights for both personal and communal life, compelling us to critically examine the true foundations of our security, confidence, and identity. It challenges us to confront any areas of personal pride, self-sufficiency, or arrogance, reminding us with divine clarity that true strength, enduring peace, and lasting significance emanate from humble reliance on God, not from our own achievements, perceived invincibility, or accumulated power. In a world that frequently celebrates and rewards power, wealth, and self-exaltation, this verse issues a divine call to cultivate profound humility, recognizing that all earthly glory is fleeting, transient, and ultimately subject to God's supreme authority. For those who feel marginalized, oppressed, or overwhelmed by seemingly insurmountable powers and injustices, it provides profound hope and unwavering assurance that God sees every injustice and will, in His perfect timing and sovereign wisdom, bring down those who oppress and exalt themselves. Ultimately, this passage compels us to place our unreserved trust not in the transient, "lofty cities" of this fallen world, but in the eternal, unshakable, and righteous kingdom of God, whose foundations are secure forever.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "the lofty city" symbolize in this verse?
"The lofty city" in Isaiah 26:5 is a profoundly powerful and multi-layered symbol. It represents any human construct—be it a nation, an empire, a political system, a dominant ideology, or even an individual's personal ambition—that is characterized by profound pride, self-sufficiency, and defiant opposition to God's sovereignty. Historically, it could certainly refer to powerful, arrogant cities like Babylon or Assyria, known for their architectural grandeur, military might, and oppressive practices. Theologically, it stands for any earthly power or human endeavor that exalts itself "on high" and believes itself immune to divine judgment, standing in stark contrast to God's "strong city" (Isaiah 26:1), which is built upon divine righteousness, unwavering trust, and the eternal security of His presence.
Is this prophecy only about nations, or does it apply to individuals too?
While the immediate literary and historical context of Isaiah 26:5 often points to the downfall of proud nations and empires, the profound theological principles embedded within the verse are universally applicable to individuals as well. The Bible consistently and unequivocally teaches that God actively opposes the proud and, conversely, extends His abundant grace to the humble, a timeless theme powerfully echoed in passages like Proverbs 16:18 and James 4:6. Therefore, any individual who exalts themselves in pride, relying solely on their own strength, wisdom, or accomplishments rather than on God's divine provision and guidance, falls squarely under the scope of this divine principle of abasement. In this broader sense, the "lofty city" can be seen as a powerful metaphor for the proud heart, the self-sufficient life, or any human endeavor built upon a foundation of arrogance rather than humble dependence on God.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Isaiah 26:5 finds its ultimate and most profound Christ-centered fulfillment not merely in the historical downfall of various proud earthly empires, but preeminently in the very person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. While the "lofty cities" of humanity boasted of their self-exaltation and perceived invincibility, Christ, though existing in the very form of God, "did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness" (Philippians 2:6-7). He, who was truly "on high" in divine glory, willingly and perfectly "brought himself low" in an unparalleled act of humility, thereby demonstrating the divine principle that true exaltation comes only through profound abasement. His sacrificial death on the cross was the ultimate act of self-humiliation, where the Son of God was literally "laid low, even to the ground, even to the dust" in a physical and spiritual sense, bearing the full weight of humanity's sin. Yet, it was precisely through this ultimate act of self-abasement that God "highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name" (Philippians 2:9). Thus, Christ embodies the complete reversal of human pride: He came not to build a lofty earthly city or empire, but to establish an eternal, unshakable kingdom founded upon humility, self-sacrificial love, and divine righteousness. His triumphant victory over sin, death, and the powers of darkness ultimately brings down the "lofty city" of Satan's dominion and all systems of human rebellion against God, demonstrating that the only enduring and truly exalting power is found in the humble, self-giving love of God revealed perfectly in Him. He is the ultimate fulfillment of God's promise to abase the proud and to eternally exalt the humble, inviting all humanity to enter His glorious kingdom through the path of repentance, humility, and faith in Him.