Isaiah 25:2
in Isaiah 25Indeed, You have made the city a heap of rubble, the fortified town a ruin. The fortress of strangers is a city no more; it will never be rebuilt.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For thou hast made of a city a heap, of a fortified city a ruin, a palace of strangers to be no city; it shall never be built.
KJV
For thou hast made of a city an heap; of a defenced city a ruin: a palace of strangers to be no city; it shall never be built.
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This verse in Isaiah 25
Commentary
10 notes on this verseA city “The city” - Nineveh, Babylon, Ar, Moab, or any other strong fortress possessed by the enemies of the people of God. For the first מעיר meir, of a city, the Syriac and Vulgate read העיר hair, the city; the Septuagint and Chaldee read ערים arim, cities, in the plural, transposing the letters. After the second מעיר meir, a MS. adds לגל lagol, for a heap. A palace of strangers “The palace of the proud ones” - For זרים zarim, strangers, MS.
This site's exposition
O LORD, You are my God
on Isaiah 25:1-3
The oracles against the nations give way to a song, "O LORD, You are my God". The singer praises "plans formed long ago" carried out "in perfect faithfulness", which ties the song to the oracles. The fortified town is "a ruin", and "The cities of ruthless nations will revere You".
This site's exposition
You have made the city a heap of rubble
The city is left unnamed, and Clarke lists Nineveh, Babylon and Ar of Moab among the candidates. Henry draws from its ruin the lesson of Hebrews 13:14, that here there is no lasting city. The people of God look for one to come.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Chapter 25 — Verse 1 and following) O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for you have done marvelous things, faithful and true are your ancient thoughts. Amen. For you have made a city into a heap, a fortified city into ruins, a palace of foreigners, so that it is no longer a city and will never be rebuilt. On this the strong people will praise you, the city of the mighty nations will fear you.
The Medieval Church1 voice
Second, in particular: for you have reduced; and first, works which pertain to the suppression of the wicked; second, which pertain to the exaltation of the good: and the Lord of hosts shall make (Isa 25:6). 586. Concerning the first, he does three things: first, …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
A city - Which is put for cities: or of enemies of God and his people. And under the name cities he comprehends their countries and kingdoms. Strangers - The royal cities, in which were the palaces of strangers, of Gentiles.
How many of the cities of Israel have long since been heaps and ruins! God hereby teaches us that here we have no continuing city and must therefore seek one to come which will never be a ruin or go to decay.
For thou hast made of a city an heap,....
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
"Heaps" is a graphic picture of Babylon and Nineveh as they now are. palace--Babylon regarded, on account of its splendor, as a vast palace. But MAURER translates, "a citadel." of strangers--foreigners, whose capital pre-eminently Babylon was, the metropolis of the pagan world. "Aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, strangers from the covenants of promise" (Isa 29:5;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
For thou hast made - This is supposed to be uttered by the Jews who should return from Babylon, and therefore refers to what would have been seen by them. In their time it would have occurred that God had made of the city an heap. Of a city - I suppose the whole scope of the passage requires us to understand this of Babylon. There has been, however, a great variety of interpretation of this passage. Grotius supposed that Samaria was intended. Calvin that the word is used collectively, and that various cities are intended. Piscator that Rome, the seat of antichrist, was intended. Jerome says that the Jews generally understand it of Rome. Aben Ezra and Kimchi, however, understand it to refer to many cities which they say will be destroyed in the times of Gog and Magog. Nearly all these opinions may be seen subjected to an examination, and shown to be unfounded, in Vitringa. An heap - It is reduced to ruins (see the notes at Isa. 13; 14) The ruin of Babylon commenced when it was taken by Cyrus, and the Jews were set at liberty; it was not completed until many centuries after. The form of the Hebrew here is, ‘Thou hast placed from a city to a ruin:’ that is, thou hast changed it from being a city to a pile of ruins. Of a defensed city - A city fortified, and made strong against the approach of an enemy. How true this was of Babylon may be seen in the description prefixed to Isa. 13. A palace - This word properly signifies the residence of a prince or monarch Jer 30:18; Amo 1:4, Amo 1:7, Amo 1:10, Amo 1:12. Here it is applied to Babylon on account of its splendor, as if it were a vast palace, the residence of princes. Of strangers - Foreigners; a term often given to the inhabitants of foreign lands, and especially to the Babylonians (see the note at Isa 1:7; compare Eze 28:7; Joe 3:17). […]
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
counsels from long ago in true faith Counsels that You advised from long ago to Abraham in the Covenant between the Parts.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
13 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| שַׂ֤מְתָּ | samta | you have made | H7760 → | 584 times |
| מֵעִיר֙ | meir | from a city | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| לַגָּ֔ל | lagal | into <the> heap | H1530 → | 34 times |
| קִרְיָ֥ה | kiryah | a town | H7151 → | 29 times |
| בְצוּרָ֖ה | vetzurah | fortified | H1219 → | 37 times |
| לְמַפֵּלָ֑ה | lemapelah | into a ruin | H4654 → | 3 times |
| אַרְמ֤וֹן | ʾarmon | a fortress of | H759 → | 32 times |
| זָרִים֙ | zarim | strangers | H2114 → | 77 times |
| מֵעִ֔יר | meir | from a city | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| לְעוֹלָ֖ם | leolam | for ever | H5769 → | 438 times |
| לֹ֥א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִבָּנֶֽה׃ | yibaneh | it will be rebuilt | H1129 → | 376 times |
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
שַׂ֤מְתָּyou have made
samtaH7760 →584 times
מֵעִיר֙from a city
meirH5892 →1090 times
לַגָּ֔לinto <the> heap
lagalH1530 →34 times
קִרְיָ֥הa town
kiryahH7151 →29 times
בְצוּרָ֖הfortified
vetzurahH1219 →37 times
לְמַפֵּלָ֑הinto a ruin
lemapelahH4654 →3 times
אַרְמ֤וֹןa fortress of
ʾarmonH759 →32 times
זָרִים֙strangers
zarimH2114 →77 times
מֵעִ֔ירfrom a city
meirH5892 →1090 times
לְעוֹלָ֖םfor ever
leolamH5769 →438 times
לֹ֥אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
יִבָּנֶֽה׃it will be rebuilt
yibanehH1129 →376 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Isaiah 17:1This is the burden against Damascus: “Behold, Damascus is no longer a city; it has become a heap of ruins.
it leads to
- Amos 1:3–5
This is what the LORD says: “For three transgressions of Damascus, even four, I will not revoke My judgment, because they threshed Gilead with sledges of iron.
- Zechariah 9:1
This is the burden of the word of the LORD against the land of Hadrach and Damascus its resting place—for the eyes of men and of all the tribes of Israel are upon the…
- Isaiah 7:8
For the head of Aram is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin. Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be shattered as a people.
- Genesis 14:15
During the night, Abram divided his forces and routed Chedorlaomer’s army, pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus.
- Acts 9:2
and requested letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any men or women belonging to the Way, he could bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem.
- Amos 1:3–5
Through
Isaiah 13:22Hyenas will howl in her fortresses and jackals in her luxurious palaces. Babylon’s time is at hand, and her days will not be prolonged.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 51:33
For this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “The Daughter of Babylon is like a threshing floor at the time it is trampled. In just a little while her…
- Jeremiah 51:33
Through
Isaiah 25:12The high-walled fortress will be brought down, cast to the ground, into the dust.
it leads to
- Isaiah 26:5
For He has humbled those who dwell on high; He lays the lofty city low. He brings it down to the ground; He casts it into the dust.
- Isaiah 26:5
Through
Isaiah 23:13Look at the land of the Chaldeans—a people now of no account. The Assyrians destined it for the desert creatures; they set up their siege towers and stripped its palaces. They brought it to…
it leads to
- Habakkuk 1:6
For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans—that ruthless and impetuous nation which marches through the breadth of the earth to seize dwellings not their own.
- Habakkuk 1:6
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies2
About Isaiah
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Prophecies of Isaiah; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.