Isaiah 2:12
in Isaiah 2For the Day of the LORD of Hosts will come against all the proud and lofty, against all that is exalted—it will be humbled—
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For there shall be a day of Jehovah of hosts upon all that is proud and haughty, and upon all that is lifted up; and it shall be brought low;
KJV
For the day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low:
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This verse in Isaiah 2
Commentary
7 notes on this verse(Verse 12) For the day of the Lord of hosts shall come upon all that is proud and lofty, and upon all that is arrogant; and they shall be brought low. These things are connected to the preceding ones. On that day, he says, the Lord alone shall be exalted, that is, on the day of the Lord's vengeance, the lofty and arrogant, and the high and mighty, shall be subjected to captivity and the sword. However, metaphorically speaking, the discourse pertains to the great and the princes: the more they exalt themselves, the more they shall be humbled.
This site's exposition
For the Day of the LORD
on Isaiah 2:12-16
The Day of the LORD comes against every kind of height, from the cedars of Lebanon to fortified walls. It ends with "every ship of Tarshish," the ocean-going merchant fleet. Nothing tall by nature or by human effort is exempt from the day named in the refrain around the list.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
Here is set out the manner of fulfillment of the things that have been predicted. And first, as to the lowering of men; second, as to the subtraction of things, where it says, "and upon all" (Isa 2:13). Thus he says first: therefore this will …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
): The day of the Lord of hosts, the day of his wrath and judgment, shall be upon every one that is proud. He now laughs at their insolence because he sees that his day is coming, this day, which will be upon them ere they are aware, Ps. xxxvii.
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For the day of the Lord of hosts,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Man has had many days: "the day of the Lord" shall come at last, beginning with judgment, a never-ending day in which God shall be "all in all" (1Co 15:28;
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A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
The day ... - This expression evidently denotes that the Lord would inflict severe punishment upon every one that was lofty.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
The haughty eyes of man [This means] the haughty spirit, and so every expression of haughty eyes in the Scriptures, as it is said: “Whoever is haughty of eye, lustful in heart..” (Ps.:5).
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
the cedars of the Lebanon This is symbolic of the heroes [var. the kings].
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
12 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 |
| י֞וֹם | yom | a day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| לַיהוָ֧ה | layahweh | [belongs] to Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| צְבָא֛וֹת | tzevaot | of hosts | H6635 → | 485 times |
| עַ֥ל | ʾal | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| גֵּאֶ֖ה | geeh | proud [thing] | H1343 → | |
| וָרָ֑ם | varam | and lofty [thing] | H7311 → | 190 times |
| וְעַ֖ל | veal | and on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| נִשָּׂ֥א | nisa' | [thing] lifted up | H5375 → | 656 times |
| וְשָׁפֵֽל׃ | veshafel | and [it will be] low | H8213 → | 31 times |
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
י֞וֹםa day
yomH3117 →2304 times
לַיהוָ֧ה[belongs] to Yahweh
layahwehH3068 →6520 times
צְבָא֛וֹתof hosts
tzevaotH6635 →485 times
עַ֥לon
ʾalH5921 →5755 times
כָּל־every
kol-H3605 →5413 times
גֵּאֶ֖הproud [thing]
geehH1343 →
וָרָ֑םand lofty [thing]
varamH7311 →190 times
וְעַ֖לand on
vealH5921 →5755 times
כָּל־every
kol-H3605 →5413 times
נִשָּׂ֥א[thing] lifted up
nisa'H5375 →656 times
וְשָׁפֵֽל׃and [it will be] low
veshafelH8213 →31 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
Luke 14:11For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
it leads to
- James 4:6
But He gives us more grace. This is why it says: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- Luke 18:14
I tell you, this man, rather than the Pharisee, went home justified. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
- Matthew 23:12
For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
- Proverbs 29:23
A man’s pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain honor.
- 1 Peter 5:5
Young men, in the same way, submit yourselves to your elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
- James 4:6
Through
Malachi 4:1“For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace, when all the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble; the day is coming when I will set them ablaze,” says the LORD of…
it leads to
- 2 Thessalonians 1:8
in blazing fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
- 2 Peter 3:7
And by that same word, the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
- 2 Thessalonians 1:8
Through
Proverbs 16:5Everyone who is proud in heart is detestable to the LORD; be assured that he will not go unpunished.
it leads to
- Proverbs 6:16–17
There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to Him:
- Proverbs 6:16–17
Where this verse is studied
About Isaiah
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Isaiah; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.