Isaiah 5 15

Isaiah 5:15 kjv

And the mean man shall be brought down, and the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled:

Isaiah 5:15 nkjv

People shall be brought down, Each man shall be humbled, And the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled.

Isaiah 5:15 niv

So people will be brought low and everyone humbled, the eyes of the arrogant humbled.

Isaiah 5:15 esv

Man is humbled, and each one is brought low, and the eyes of the haughty are brought low.

Isaiah 5:15 nlt

Humanity will be destroyed, and people brought down;
even the arrogant will lower their eyes in humiliation.

Isaiah 5 verses

Isaiah 5 15 Meaning

Isaiah 5:15 conveys that God's judgment will humble all of humanity. It declares that both the common person ("man" and "mankind") will be brought low, and specifically, the proud and arrogant ("the haughty") will have their elevated status and confident gaze debased. This verse signifies the inescapable consequences of sin and pride, showing that divine power will ultimately level all human self-exaltation.

Isaiah 5 15 Context

Isaiah 5:15 is situated within Isaiah’s prophetic denunciations of Judah's sins, often referred to as the "Six Woes." These woes follow the "Song of the Vineyard" (Isa 5:1-7), where God's loving care for Israel (His vineyard) is contrasted with its failure to produce justice and righteousness, yielding only bloodshed and crying out. Verses 8-12 articulate the first two woes against land accumulation (greed) and drunken revelry coupled with scoffing at God's work. Verse 13 pronounces the consequence of exile and suffering due to Judah's ignorance of the Lord's ways. Verse 14 depicts Sheol enlarging itself to receive the multitude. Against this backdrop of judgment and divine wrath, verse 15 proclaims the universal humbling effect. Historically, this points to Judah in the 8th century BC, a period of apparent prosperity but profound moral and spiritual decay, foreshadowing the Assyrian invasion as God's instrument of judgment.

Isaiah 5 15 Word analysis

• So (וַיִּשַּׁח֙ - vayyishaḥ from root שָׁחַח shakhakh): This particle, serving as a consecutive, marks the outcome or consequence of the previously described conditions, particularly the pervasive sin and impending judgment. It signifies the direct result of God's action against Judah's iniquity.
• man (אָדָם - ʾādām): Refers broadly to humankind, encompassing people of all stations. It emphasizes that no one is exempt from the effects of this divine judgment. It speaks to the collective human condition, prone to sin.
• is humbled (וַיִּשַּׁח֙ - vayyishaḥ): From the Hebrew verb שָׁחַח (shakhakh), meaning to stoop, bow down, abase oneself, or be brought low. It indicates a posture of humiliation, a forced submission or decline from a position of strength or dignity.
• and mankind (אִישׁ - ʾîš): Often used parallel to ʾādām, ʾîš can refer to an individual man, a person of significance, or generally "people." Its pairing with ʾādām underscores the comprehensive nature of the humbling: both the common and the individual, perhaps even the seemingly significant, will be affected.
• is brought low (וַיִּשְׁפַּ֥ל - vayyishpal from root שָׁפַל shāpal): From the verb שָׁפַל (shāpal), meaning to be low, abased, or humble. It carries the sense of sinking or descending from an elevated position, morally or physically. This term, parallel to shakhakh, reinforces the theme of debasement.
• and the eyes of (וְעֵינֵ֥י - veʿeiney): "Eyes" here are symbolic. They represent perception, perspective, outlook, and critically, a person's proud gaze or arrogant demeanor. The "eyes of the haughty" symbolize their entire bearing, their proud self-assurance, and their disdain for others.
• haughty (גֵאָ֖ה - geʾāh from root גָּאָה gāʾāh): From the verb גָּאָה (gāʾāh), meaning to rise up, be exalted, majestic, but also to be proud, arrogant. This specifically identifies those characterized by insolence, pride, and a sense of superiority, often manifest in oppressive behavior. These are the powerful and arrogant leaders or wealthy elite that Isaiah frequently denounces.
• are humbled (תִּשְׁפַּֽל׃ - tishpal): Repetition of the root שָׁפַל (shāpal). Its re-use specifically for the haughty intensifies the message for them. It signifies that their proud look and elevated status will be decisively brought down. Their arrogance itself, symbolized by their "eyes," will be rendered low.

• "So man is humbled, and mankind is brought low": This phrase highlights the sweeping and universal nature of the judgment. It implies that no social strata, from the common person (ʾādām) to the individual of standing (ʾîš), will escape the effects of God's humbling work. The parallelism emphasizes the completeness of this debasement. It suggests that even those not directly accused of extreme pride will suffer the consequences of the national judgment, bringing a collective societal humbling.
• "and the eyes of the haughty are humbled": This part singles out a specific class – the proud and arrogant. The "eyes" denote their very essence of pride – their defiant, disdainful gaze, and their perceived superiority. To humble their "eyes" means to dismantle their proud bearing, shatter their self-perception of untouchability, and obliterate their status. This focuses on the specific internal condition and outward manifestation of pride, bringing direct divine confrontation to it.

Isaiah 5 15 Bonus section

• Theological Principle: This verse profoundly illustrates the biblical principle that "pride goes before destruction" (Prov 16:18) and that God is consistently against the proud while exalting the humble (Jas 4:6). It reflects God's nature as the One who "puts down one and lifts up another" (Ps 75:7).
• Echo of Day of the Lord Prophecy: The themes and specific wording here strongly echo Isaiah 2:10-22, a passage focused on "the day of the Lord" when "the haughtiness of man shall be humbled, and the lofty pride of men shall be brought low" (Isa 2:11, 17). This connection signifies that the judgment announced in Isaiah 5:15 is part of God's grand eschatological plan to dismantle all human idolatry and pride.
• Covenantal Consequences: This humiliation can be understood within the framework of the Deuteronomic covenant, where covenant disobedience leads to curses, including national humbling and exile (Deut 28:15ff). The people's pride was a rejection of their covenant responsibilities and a defiance of God's holiness.
• Fulfillment in History: The historical fulfillment of this humbling came through the Assyrian and Babylonian invasions, which utterly shattered the perceived might and pride of Judah and Jerusalem, leading to exile and destitution, literally bringing the nation and its inhabitants low.
• Reversal and Restoration: While this verse speaks of judgment, the biblical narrative often pairs such humbling with a future possibility of repentance and restoration for a humbled remnant. True humility before God is the path to grace and eventual exaltation in God's time.

Isaiah 5 15 Commentary

Isaiah 5:15 is a potent declaration of divine judgment's leveling effect. Following the "Song of the Vineyard" and preceding the "Woes" on Judah's specific sins, this verse functions as a pronouncement of inescapable consequence. It asserts that God's justice will not only touch the common person, bringing widespread suffering or a collective lowering of national status, but will pointedly and severely abase those characterized by arrogance and self-exaltation. The repetition of "humbled" and "brought low" underscores the certainty and comprehensiveness of this reversal. This judgment is God's response to the pride, injustice, and spiritual rebellion detailed in the surrounding context, serving to exalt the Holy God through His righteous judgment (as noted in v.16). It serves as a stark reminder that all human attempts at self-sufficiency or defiance will ultimately yield to God's supreme authority, transforming elevated human status into humiliation.