Isaiah 25:12
And the fortress of the high fort of thy walls shall he bring down, lay low, and bring to the ground, even to the dust.
Original Language Analysis
וּמִבְצַ֞ר
And the fortress
H4013
וּמִבְצַ֞ר
And the fortress
Strong's:
H4013
Word #:
1 of 9
a fortification, castle, or fortified city; figuratively, a defender
הֵשַׁ֥ח
shall he bring down
H7817
הֵשַׁ֥ח
shall he bring down
Strong's:
H7817
Word #:
4 of 9
to sink or depress (reflexive or causative)
הִשְׁפִּ֛יל
lay low
H8213
הִשְׁפִּ֛יל
lay low
Strong's:
H8213
Word #:
5 of 9
to depress or sink (especially figuratively, to humiliate, intransitive or transitive)
הִגִּ֥יעַ
and bring
H5060
הִגִּ֥יעַ
and bring
Strong's:
H5060
Word #:
6 of 9
properly, to touch, i.e., lay the hand upon (for any purpose; euphemistically, to lie with a woman); by implication, to reach (figuratively, to arrive
Cross References
Revelation 18:21And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.Isaiah 26:5For he bringeth down them that dwell on high; the lofty city, he layeth it low; he layeth it low, even to the ground; he bringeth it even to the dust.
Historical Context
Moabite fortifications were substantial. Cities like Ar and Kir-hareseth had strong defensive walls. The Moabites trusted these military installations to protect them from Israelite and other invasions. Archaeology shows destruction layers at Moabite sites from various conquests (Babylonian, later periods), literally fulfilling this prophecy of walls brought to dust. The ruins still testify to judgment's reality.
Questions for Reflection
- What 'high forts' and 'walls' do people today trust in instead of God—and how certain is their destruction?
- How does the four-stage demolition (brought down, laid low, to ground, to dust) illustrate the progressive nature of judgment?
- What does it mean that everything not built on Christ ultimately returns to dust—and how should this shape our building priorities?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
The fortress of the high fort of thy walls shall he bring down, lay low, and bring to the ground, even to the dust (וּמִבְצַר מִשְׂגַּב חוֹמֹתֶיךָ הִשַּׁח הִשְׁפִּיל הִגִּיעַ לָאָרֶץ עַד־עָפָר)—Four Hebrew verbs describe total destruction: shachach (bow down, bring low), shaphil (humble, abase), higgia (cause to touch/reach), ad-aphar (unto dust). The progression moves from high to low: fortress → brought down → laid low → reaching ground → even to dust. Nothing remains standing.
The 'high fort' (misgav) represents human confidence in military strength and architectural achievement. Walls (chomoth) symbolize security. God demolishes both literal and figurative fortifications—physical walls and psychological confidence. This verse completes the Moab oracle by emphasizing judgment's thoroughness: not partial defeat but utter annihilation. The dust motif recalls Genesis 3:19: 'dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.' Fortresses built from earth return to undifferentiated earth. All human construction, however impressive, reverts to original materials when God's judgment comes. Only what's built on Christ the Rock survives (Matthew 7:24-27). Everything else—careers, reputations, institutions, nations—becomes dust.