TRV
Translation
King James Version
The people of thy holiness have possessed it but a little while: our adversaries have trodden down thy sanctuary.
Complete Jewish Bible
Your holy people held your sanctuary such a short time, before our adversaries trampled it down.
Berean Standard Bible
For a short while Your people possessed Your holy place, but our enemies have trampled Your sanctuary.
American Standard Version
Thy holy people possessed it but a little while: our adversaries have trodden down thy sanctuary.
World English Bible Messianic
Your holy people possessed it but a little while: our adversaries have trodden down your sanctuary.
Geneva Bible (1599)
The people of thine holinesse haue possessed it, but a litle while: for our aduersaries haue troden downe thy Sanctuarie.
Young's Literal Translation
For a little while did Thy holy people possess, Our adversaries have trodden down Thy sanctuary.
In the KJVVerse 18,885 of 31,102
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Commentary on Isaiah 63 verses 15–19
15 ¶ Look down from heaven, and behold from the habitation of thy holiness and of thy glory: where is thy zeal and thy strength, the sounding of thy bowels and of thy mercies toward me? are they restrained?
16 Doubtless thou art our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not: thou, O LORD, art our father, our redeemer; thy name is from everlasting.
17 O LORD, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants' sake, the tribes of thine inheritance.
18 The people of thy holiness have possessed it but a little while: our adversaries have trodden down thy sanctuary.
19 We are thine: thou never barest rule over them; they were not called by thy name.
The foregoing praises were intended as an introduction to this prayer, which is continued to the end of the next chapter, and it is an affectionate, importunate, pleading prayer. It is calculated for the time of the captivity. As they had promises, so they had prayers, prepared for them against that time of need, that they might take with them words in turning to the Lord, and say unto him what he himself taught them to say, in which they might the better hope to prevail, the words being of God's own inditing. Some good interpreters think this prayer looks further, and that it expresses the complaints of the Jews under their last and final rejection from God and destruction by the Romans; for there is one passage in it (Isa 64:4) which is applied to the grace of the gospel by the apostle (Co1 2:9), that grace for the rejecting of which they were rejected. In these verses we may observe,
I. The petitions they put up to God. 1. That he would take cognizance of their case and of the desires of their souls towards him: Look down from heaven, and behold, Isa 63:15. They knew very well that God sees all, but they prayed that he would regard them, would condescend to favour them, would look upon them with an eye of compassion and concern, as he looked upon the affliction of his people in Egypt when he was about to appear for their deliverance. In begging that he would only look down upon them and behold them they did in effect appeal to his justice against their enemies, and pray for judgment against them (as Jehoshaphat, Ch2 20:11, Ch2 20:12, Behold, how they reward us. Wilt thou not judge them?), implicitly confiding in his mercy and wisdom as to the way in which he will relieve them (Psa 25:18, Look upon my affliction and my pain): Look down from the habitation of thy holiness and of thy glory. God's holiness is his glory. Heaven is his habitation, the throne of his glory, where he most manifests his glory, and whence he is said to look down upon the earth, Psa 33:14. His holiness is in a special manner celebrated there by the blessed angels (Isa 6:3; Rev 4:8); there his holy ones attend him, and are continually about him; so that it is the habitation of his holiness. It is an encouragement to all his praying people, who desire to be holy as he is holy, that he dwells in a holy place. 2. That he would take a course for their relief (Isa 63:17): "Return; change thy way towards us, and proceed not in thy controversy with us; return in mercy, and let us have not only a gracious look towards us, but thy gracious presence with us." God's people dread nothing more than his departures from them and desire nothing more than his returns to them.
II. The complaints they made to God. Two things they complained of: - 1. That they were given up to themselves, and God's grace did not recover them, Isa 63:17. It is a strange expostulation, "Why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, that is, many among us, the generality of us; and this complaint we have all of us some cause to make that thou hast hardened our heart from thy fear." Some make it to be the language of those among them that were impious and profane; when the prophets reproved them for the error of their ways, their hardness of heart, and contempt of God's word and commandments, they with a daring impudence charged their sin upon God, made him the author of it, and asked why doth he then find fault? Note, Those are wicked indeed that lay the blame of their wickedness upon God. But I rather take it to be the language of those among them that lamented the unbelief and impenitence of their people, not accusing God of being the author of their wickedness, but complaining of it to him. They owned that they had erred from God's ways, that their hearts had been hardened from his fear, that they had not received the impressions which the fear of God ought to make upon them and this was the cause of all their errors from his ways; or from his fear may mean from the true worship of God, and that is a hard heart indeed which is alienated from the service of a God so incontestably great and good. Now this they complain of, as their great misery and burden, that God had for their sins left them to this, had permitted them to err from his ways and had justly withheld his grace, so that their hearts were hardened from his fear. When they ask, Why hast thou done this? it is not as charging him with wrong, but lamenting it as a sore judgment. God had caused them to err and hardened their hearts, not only by withdrawing his Spirit from them, because they had grieved, and vexed, and quenched him (Isa 63:10), but by a judicial sentence upon them (Go, make the heart of this people fat, Isa 6:9, Isa 6:10) and by his providences concerning them, which had proved sad occasions for their departure from him. David complains of his banishment, because in it he was in effect bidden to go and serve other gods, Sa1 26:19. Their troubles had alienated many of them from God, and prejudiced them against his service; and, because the rod of the wicked had lain long on their lot, they were ready to put forth their hand unto iniquity (Psa 125:3), and this was the thing they complained most of; their afflictions were their temptations, and to many of them invincible ones. Note, Convinced consciences complain most of spiritual judgments and dread that most in an affliction which draws them from God and duty. 2. That they were given up to their enemies, and God's providence did not rescue and relieve them (Isa 63:18): Our adversaries have trodden down thy sanctuary. As it was a grief to them that in their captivity the generality of them had lost their affection to God's worship, and had their hearts hardened from it by their affliction, so it was a further grief that they were deprived of their opportunities of worshipping God in solemn assemblies. They complained not so much of the adversaries treading down their houses and cities as of their treading down God's sanctuary, because thereby God was immediately affronted, and they were robbed of the comforts they valued most and took most pleasure in.
III. The pleas they urged with God for mercy and deliverance. 1. They pleaded the tender compassion God used to show to his people and his ability and readiness to appear for them, Isa 63:15. The most prevailing arguments in prayer are those that are taken from God himself; such these are. Where is thy zeal and thy strength? God has a zeal for his own glory, and for the comfort of his people; his name is Jealous; and he is a jealous God; and he has strength proportionable to secure his own glory and the interest of his people, in despite of all opposition. Now where are these? Have they not formerly appeared? Why do they not appear now? It cannot be that divine zeal, which is infinitely wise and just, should be cooled, that divine strength, which is infinite, should be weakened. Nay, his people had experienced not only his zeal and his strength, but the sounding of his bowels, or rather the yearning of them, such a degree of compassion to them as in men causes a commotion and agitation within them, as Hos 11:8, My heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together; and Jer 31:20, My bowels are troubled (or sound) for him. "Thus God used to be affected towards his people, and to express a multitude of mercies towards them; but where are they now? Are they restrained? Psa 77:9. Has God, who so often remembered to be gracious, now forgotten to be so? Has he in anger shut up his tender mercies? It can never be." Note, We may ground good expectations of further mercy upon our experiences of former mercy. 2. They pleaded God's relation to them as their Father (Isa 63:16): "Thy tender mercies are not restrained, for they are the tender mercies of a father, who, though he may be for a time displeased with his child, will yet, through the force of natural affection, soon be reconciled. Doubtless thou art our Father, and therefore thy bowels will years towards us." Such good thoughts of God as these we should always keep up in our hearts. However it be, yet God is good; for he is our Father. They own themselves fatherless if he be not their Father, and so cast themselves upon him with whom the fatherless findeth mercy, Hos 14:3. It was the honour of their nation that they had Abraham to their father (Mat 3:9), who was the friend of God, and Israel, who was a prince with God; but what the better were they for that unless they had God himself for their Father? "Abraham and Israel cannot help us; they have not the power that God has; they are dead long since, and are ignorant of us, and acknowledge us not; they know not what our case is, nor what our wants are, and therefore know not which way to do us a kindness. If Abraham and Israel were alive with us, they would intercede for us and advise us; but they have gone to the other world, and we know not that they have any communication at all with this world, and therefore they are not capable of doing us any kindness any further than that we have the honour of being called their children." When the father is dead his sons come to honour and he knows it not, Job 14:21. "But thou, O Lord! art our Father still (the fathers of our flesh may call themselves ever-loving; but they are not ever-living; it is God only that is the immortal Father, that always knows us, and is never at a distance from us), and therefore our Redeemer from everlasting is thy name, the name by which we will know and own thee. It is the name by which from of old thou hast been known; thy people have always looked upon thee as the God to whom they might appeal to redress their grievances and plead their cause. Nay" (according to the sense some give of this place), "though Abraham and Israel not only cannot, but would not, help us, thou wilt. They have not the pity thou hast. We are so degenerate and corrupt that Abraham and Israel would not own us for their children, yet we fly to thee as our Father. Abraham cast out his son Ishmael; Jacob disinherited his son Reuben and cursed Simeon and Levi; but our heavenly Father, in pardoning sin, is God, and not man," Hos 11:9. 3. They pleaded God's interest in them, that he was their Lord, their owner and proprietor: "We are thy servants; what service we can do thou art entitled to, and therefore we ought not to serve strange kings and strange gods: Return for thy servants' sake." As a father finds himself obliged by natural affection to relieve and protect his child, so a master thinks himself obliged in honour to rescue and protect his servant: "We are thine by the strongest engagements, as well as the highest endearments. Thou hast borne rule over us; therefore, Lord, assert thy own interest, maintain thy own right; for we are called by thy name, and therefore whither shall we go but to thee, to be righted and protected? We are thine, save us (Psa 119:94), thy own, acknowledge us. We are the tribes of thy inheritance, not only thy servants, but thy tenants; we are thine, not only to do work for thee, but to pay rent to thee. The tribes of Israel are God's inheritance, whence issue the little praise and worship that he receives from this lower world; and wilt thou suffer thy own servants and tenants to be thus abused?" 4. They pleaded that they had had but a short enjoyment of the land of promise and the privileges of the sanctuary (Isa 63:18): The people of thy holiness have possessed it but a little while. From Abraham to David were but fourteen generations, and from David to the captivity but fourteen more (Mat 1:17), and that was but a little while in comparison with what might have been expected from the promise of the land of Canaan for an everlasting possession (Gen 17:8) and from the power that was put forth to bring them into that land and settle them in it. "Though we are the people of thy holiness, distinguished from other people and consecrated to thee, yet we are soon dislodged." But this they might thank themselves for; they were, in profession, the people of God's holiness, but it was their wickedness that turned them out of the possession of that land. 5. They pleaded that those who had and kept possession of their land were such as were strangers to God, such as he had no service or honour from: "Thou never didst bear rule over them, nor did they ever yield thee any obedience; they were not called by thy name, but professed relation to other gods and were the worshippers of them. Will God suffer those that do not stand in any relation to him to trample upon those that do?" Some give another reading of this: "We have become as those over whom thou didst never bear rule and who were never called by thy name; we are rejected and abandoned, despised and trampled upon, as if we never had been in thy service nor had thy name called upon us." Thus the shield of Saul was vilely cast away, as though he had not been anointed with oil. But the covenant that seems to be forgotten shall be remembered again.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 15–19. Public domain.
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JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Isaiah
(Verse 18, 19.) Why have you made us err, O Lord, from your ways: you have hardened our heart, so that we would not fear you? Turn again for the sake of your servants, the tribes of your inheritance. Your holy people have possessed nothing: our enemies have trampled upon your sanctuary. We have become like in the beginning: when you did not rule over us, neither was your name invoked upon us. LXX: Why have you led us astray, O Lord, from your holy way: you have hardened our hearts, so that we would not fear you? Convert for the sake of your servants, for the sake of your inheritance, so that we may possess a little of your holy mountain: our adversaries have trampled your sanctuary: we have become as those who were not ruled by you from the beginning: nor has your name been invoked upon us. The letter that Paul writes to the Corinthians, when it is written to the people of a certain city, by reason of the diversity of its inhabitants, that is, of saints and sinners, now praises them, now corrects them, now teaches them, now rebukes them, provokes them to continence; he does not refuse marriage; he refrains from idolatry; he instructs them about the resurrection; he extends his hand to the divorced, so that he does not give a place to fornication. We have said this, so that we may understand that the present chapter, which is entirely covered by the prayer of the people, may be understood either as of the just or of sinners: and now to praise the Lord, now to bring a question to the Lord, and to attribute one's own guilt to God. Hence, even afterwards they speak of this: Why have you made us err, O Lord, from your ways, or have led us astray from your path: you have hardened our heart that we should not fear you? Not that God is the cause of error and hardness, but so that his patience, waiting for our salvation, may seem to be the cause of error and hardness by not punishing the wrongdoers. Being extremely angry with certain people, he refrained from striking them and said: 'I will not visit your daughters when they have committed fornication, and your wives when they have committed adultery' (Hosea IV, 14). He chastises every son whom he receives, and he strikes in order to correct (Hebrews XII). Finally, regarding those who have not lost the title of children but are drawn back to repentance through punishment, he says about them: 'I will visit their iniquities with a rod, and their sins with stripes; but I will not take away my mercy from them' (Psalm LXXXIX, 33). For there is a sorrow that leads to life, and there is a sorrow that leads to death. Hence the sinner speaks in the psalm: You have made our paths turn away from your way, and you have humbled us in a place of affliction (Psalm 44:19). And for forty years the people wander in the desert, so that they may not find the former way, nor return to the Egyptians (Numbers 32). Also in Hosea, the paths of Jerusalem are separated and closed with thorns, so that she may not follow her lovers, and being compelled by need, she may return to her former husband (Hosea 2). And it is said that the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, so that he would not let his people go, and that he would be afflicted with ten plagues (Exodus IV). This question was discussed in great detail by Paul to the Romans (Romans IX). And we have briefly addressed it in a certain work. Turn, O Lord, or turn us on account of your servants, Abraham and Israel, who do not know us, or whom we believe to be among the people. For our adversaries have possessed your holy people as if it were nothing and without any effort. Whether convert us, so that according to the Septuagint, we may possess a little of your holy mountain, because we cannot possess your whole mountain, so that when we have a part, we may come to its fullness and contemplate the glory of the Only Begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1). Concerning this, it is said in the same prophet: In the last days, the mountain of the Lord shall be revealed (Isaiah 2:2). But concerning what is stated above: Why have you made us stray (Isaiah 63:17)? Jeremiah teaches in the fullest sense in what meaning it is to be understood: You have seduced me, Lord, and I have been seduced: you have taken hold of me, and you have been able to ((Al. you have placed)) (Jeremiah 20:7). For while you promise me mercy, and as a merciful father you hide your severity, and as a skilled doctor you hide the sharpest iron, lest you frighten the sick before you cure them, you have made me negligent; therefore, God says about Jerusalem: Behold, I will seduce her, and I will make her like a desert, and I will lay her waste like a land without water, and I will speak to her heart: and I will give her belongings from there, and the valley of Achor for opening understanding (Hosea 1:14, 15). Let us consider the order of these things: he seduces her and makes her a deserted and without water, so that she suffers from thirst for virtues. After she has said: My soul thirsts for you, how greatly my flesh longs for you (Psalm 41:2), then he will speak to her heart and console her in mourning. And he will give her possession, that is, of repentance and sorrow that works salvation. And the humility of her troubled heart (for this is what the valley of Achor signifies) opens understanding, so that she may not ignore her Creator. The enemy, he says, have trampled upon your sanctuary. There is no doubt that it signifies the Temple, which the victorious Romans trod upon. And we have become as in the beginning before we were called in Abraham, and while we were in Egypt, having neither God, nor kings, nor princes, nor prophets, nor the Law of God's commandments (Ose. III), all of which were completed after the passion of the Lord, and are fulfilled even to this day. For when they said: His blood be upon us and upon our children (Matth. XXVII, 25), there remains an everlasting curse, and their God does not reign, nor is his name invoked above, since he is not at all called the people of God.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Isaiah 63:18 encapsulates a profound lament from the exiled people of Israel, articulating their deep distress over the brevity of their secure tenure in the Promised Land and the devastating desecration of God's sanctuary by their adversaries. This verse serves as a poignant cry within a larger national prayer of repentance and petition, reflecting the collective pain of a people who feel abandoned and whose sacred heritage has been brutally violated, prompting a bewildered questioning of God's apparent withdrawal in the face of their suffering.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Isaiah 63:18 employs several powerful literary devices to convey its profound message of lament and despair. The overarching genre is Lament, characterized by expressions of grief, complaint, and petition directed towards God in times of intense suffering. The verse establishes a clear Antithesis between "our adversaries" and "thy sanctuary," highlighting the direct assault on divine honor and the sacred space. The phrase "trodden down thy sanctuary" is a vivid piece of Imagery, painting a stark picture of violent destruction and contemptuous desecration. This imagery is deeply impactful, symbolizing not just physical ruin but a profound spiritual violation. The concise and direct phrasing contributes to the verse's intense Poignancy, making it a memorable and emotionally charged statement of national distress and theological confusion.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Isaiah 63:18 powerfully articulates the theological tension between God's steadfast covenant promises and the harsh reality of Israel's suffering and exile. It grapples with the perplexing questions of divine justice and faithfulness when God's chosen people and His sacred dwelling place are subjected to such devastating defilement. The lament acknowledges Israel's unique identity as "the people of thy holiness" while simultaneously expressing bewilderment at their fleeting possession of the land and the desecration of the sanctuary. This profound tension fuels the subsequent plea for God to remember His ancient mercies and intervene, underscoring a persistent, albeit desperate, hope in His ultimate restoration despite present despair. The verse highlights the profound spiritual significance of the Temple as the locus of God's presence and the deep trauma its destruction inflicted, not merely as a physical loss but as a perceived withdrawal of divine favor and a challenge to God's sovereignty.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Isaiah 63:18 offers a timeless and vital model for honest lament in the face of profound spiritual or communal distress. It reminds us that it is not only permissible but often necessary to voice our pain, confusion, and even anger to God when we witness the desecration of what is holy—whether it be sacred spaces, biblical truth, the integrity of the church, or the sanctity of life. This verse calls us to empathize deeply with the suffering of God's people throughout history and to recognize that spiritual battles frequently target the very foundations of faith and the places where God's presence is manifested. In our own lives, we may experience a sense of "sanctuary" being "trodden down" when our personal walk with God feels attacked, when moral decay infiltrates our communities, or when the truth of the Gospel is undermined by cultural pressures or false teachings. This lament invites us to acknowledge the pain and the perceived injustice, but also to turn to God in desperate prayer, clinging to His covenant faithfulness even when circumstances seem to contradict His promises. It fosters a posture of humility, recognizing that while suffering may sometimes be a consequence of sin, it also serves as a powerful catalyst for deeper dependence on God and a fervent longing for His ultimate restoration and vindication.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is meant by "the people of thy holiness" in this verse?
Answer: "The people of thy holiness" refers to Israel, God's chosen and consecrated nation. The phrase emphasizes their unique identity and special relationship with Yahweh, set apart by covenant to be His own. Despite their current state of suffering and exile, they still claim this sacred identity, appealing to God based on His prior election and dedication of them as His holy people, as seen in passages like Deuteronomy 7:6. It underscores their unique status as a people belonging to God Himself.
Why is the "sanctuary" being "trodden down" such a significant event?
Answer: The "sanctuary" (the Temple in Jerusalem) was the physical manifestation of God's dwelling place among His people, the very heart of their worship and national identity. Its destruction and desecration by adversaries, as recorded in 2 Kings 25:9, was not merely a physical loss but a profound theological and spiritual catastrophe. It symbolized the perceived withdrawal of God's presence, the breaking of the covenant, and a deep national humiliation. To be "trodden down" signifies utter contempt, violent defilement, and an assault on God's honor and the very heart of Israel's faith and covenant relationship with Him.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Isaiah 63:18, with its poignant lament over the desecrated sanctuary and the fleeting possession of God's people, finds its ultimate and profound fulfillment in Jesus Christ. The physical Temple, once "trodden down" by adversaries, foreshadowed Christ Himself, who boldly declared, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up" (referring to His own body). Jesus is the true and perfect sanctuary, the very dwelling place of God among humanity (John 1:14). His crucifixion was the ultimate "treading down" of the Holy One, as He was despised, rejected, and crushed by the adversaries of sin and death (Isaiah 53:5). Yet, unlike the temporary destruction of the earthly temple, Christ's "treading down" led to His glorious resurrection, establishing an eternal, indestructible sanctuary—His resurrected body and, by extension, His church (Ephesians 2:20-22). Furthermore, the "people of thy holiness" who possessed their inheritance "but a little while" now find their eternal inheritance and secure possession in Christ, who grants them an "inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you" (1 Peter 1:4). Through Him, believers are transformed into "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession" (1 Peter 2:9), inheriting an eternal kingdom that can never be "trodden down" or taken away.