Isaiah 2 15

Isaiah 2:15 kjv

And upon every high tower, and upon every fenced wall,

Isaiah 2:15 nkjv

Upon every high tower, And upon every fortified wall;

Isaiah 2:15 niv

for every lofty tower and every fortified wall,

Isaiah 2:15 esv

against every high tower, and against every fortified wall;

Isaiah 2:15 nlt

He will break down every high tower
and every fortified wall.

Isaiah 2 verses

Isaiah 2 15 Meaning

Isaiah 2:15 declares that the Lord's coming judgment, often referred to as the "Day of the Lord," will target and dismantle "every high tower, and every fenced wall." This prophecy extends beyond literal physical destruction to encompass all forms of human pride, perceived strength, and self-reliant security. These structures symbolize mankind's attempts to establish impenetrable defenses, build monuments to human achievement, and find safety and significance apart from the Sovereign God. The verse highlights God's resolve to bring low all that exalts itself against Him, ensuring that true security and authority are acknowledged as residing in Him alone.

Isaiah 2 15 Context

Isaiah chapter 2 opens with a prophetic vision of Mount Zion's future exaltation as a spiritual center, where all nations will stream to learn of the Lord (Isa 2:2-4). Immediately contrasting this ideal, verses 6-22 describe the present and future state of Judah and Jerusalem under divine judgment, known as "the Day of the Lord." This section exposes Israel's sin—their idolatry, excessive wealth, reliance on military strength, and pervasive pride. Verse 15 is part of a sweeping enumeration (Isa 2:12-16) of everything that is proud, lofty, and humanly established which God intends to humble. It highlights that no aspect of human achievement, security, or self-reliance will escape this comprehensive divine dismantling. The prophecy serves as a polemic against the contemporary beliefs of relying on fortified cities and accumulated riches rather than God, characteristic of both Judah and surrounding nations.

Isaiah 2 15 Word analysis

• "And against" (Hebrew: v'al וְעַל): This repeated phrase (appearing across Isa 2:12-14, 16) is a key literary device that signifies a pervasive and comprehensive judgment. It emphasizes the totality of God's targets, indicating that nothing born of human pride will be exempt from divine scrutiny and dismantling.

• "every" (Hebrew: kol כֹּל): This word underlines the universal and exhaustive nature of God's judgment. It implies a thorough cleansing and that all expressions of human self-reliance, no matter how great or small, will face divine reckoning.

• "high tower" (Hebrew: migdal gaḇôah מִגְדַּל גָּבֹהַ):

  • Migdal (מִגְדַּל): Tower, stronghold. Symbolically, a place of human ambition, defense, or observation. It evokes the narrative of the Tower of Babel (Gen 11:4), built by humanity to "make a name for themselves" and achieve greatness independent of God.
  • Gaḇôah (גָּבֹהַ): High, lofty, proud. This adjective directly connects the physical structure's impressive height to human arrogance and self-exaltation.
  • Significance: A "high tower" thus represents human achievement, technological prowess, perceived invulnerability, and the spiritual arrogance that results from misplaced trust in one's own capabilities, apart from reliance on God.

• "fenced wall" (Hebrew: ḥômâh beṣûrâh חֹומָה בְּצֻרָה):

  • Ḥômâh (חֹומָה): Wall, city wall, protective barrier. Walls were critical for urban defense in the ancient world, signifying security and boundaries.
  • Beṣûrâh (בְּצֻרָה): Fortified, impregnable, strongly defended. Derived from the root bāṣar (to cut off, enclose, fortify), this indicates an exceptionally robust or unassailable wall (e.g., Deut 3:5).
  • Significance: A "fenced wall" complements the "high tower" by symbolizing meticulously crafted human security, seemingly impenetrable defenses, and a comprehensive reliance on physical or systemic protection rather than divine care. It represents a spirit of self-assurance against any external threat.

• Words-group by words-group analysis:

  • "Against every high tower, and against every fenced wall": This pairing functions as a merism, where two complementary aspects (the tallest structure and the strongest barrier) are used to represent a complete range of human defense and might. The imagery directly refers to the physical fortifications of the ancient world. However, prophetically, these phrases stand as powerful metaphors for all human efforts at security and pride—whether military, economic, intellectual, or otherwise—that are not rooted in humble dependence on God. The insistent repetition of "every" throughout this section underscores that nothing constructed by human pride, or designed to provide self-sufficient security, will ultimately withstand the Lord's absolute judgment. These constructs embody human self-confidence, autonomy, and a defiant independence from the Creator, all of which will be shattered as "the Lord alone shall be exalted" (Isa 2:11, 17).

Isaiah 2 15 Bonus section

• The placement of this verse within a larger prophetic list (Isa 2:12-16) detailing the objects of divine judgment (mountains, trees, ships, and eventually "men of high stature") emphasizes that God's judgment is utterly exhaustive. No part of creation, natural or human-made, no class of people, will escape the humbling hand of the Lord if it represents pride or stands against Him.
• The Day of the Lord is not just a single future event, but a theological concept recurring throughout prophetic literature (e.g., Joel 1:15, Zeph 1:14-16), indicating a time of divine intervention where God openly judges sin and fully manifests His sovereignty, culminating in Christ's ultimate return. This verse foreshadows that comprehensive culmination.
• This passage powerfully articulates God's eternal resistance to pride and self-sufficiency, a theme consistent across both Old and New Testaments. While "high towers" and "fenced walls" were literal constructs in ancient times, the principle they represent – human reliance on created things over the Creator – remains a perennial challenge to faith.

Isaiah 2 15 Commentary

Isaiah 2:15, situated within a powerful prophecy of the "Day of the Lord," illuminates God's comprehensive judgment against all expressions of human pride and self-reliance. The specific imagery of "high towers" and "fenced walls" transcends their literal architectural meaning to become profound symbols of mankind's persistent tendency to trust in their own strength, wisdom, and creations rather than in the Almighty. "High towers" evoke the human ambition seen at Babel (Gen 11), a drive to reach the heavens and establish a name for oneself, defying God's ordained boundaries. These represent human achievement, technological prowess, and systems that promote self-exaltation. "Fenced walls," conversely, symbolize the sense of impenetrable security and defense that humans create for themselves, trusting in fortifications of wealth, military power, or intellectual superiority to safeguard their existence.

The divine pronouncement that these will fall signifies a profound humbling. God's purpose is not merely destructive but redemptive: to strip away false securities so that humanity recognizes the true source of all power, security, and worth. The "Day of the Lord" will dismantle anything that allows humanity to elevate itself or ignore its Creator, clearing the way for the ultimate exaltation of God alone (Isa 2:11, 17). This timeless message calls for humility, reminding us that true safety is found only in the Lord. It cautions against misplaced trust, urging believers to lean not on fleeting worldly advantages or personal capabilities, but on Christ, our true, eternal strong foundation (1 Cor 3:11). Practically, this implies recognizing and forsaking areas where we, by our own efforts, build metaphorical "towers" of pride or "walls" of self-sufficiency in our lives, turning instead to God's unfailing might and grace (2 Cor 10:4).