Isaiah 26:5 (KJV)

Passage

For 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.

Nearby Context

Isaiah 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

Isaiah 26:4 Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:

Isaiah 26:5 For 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.

Isaiah 26:6 The foot shall tread it down, even the feet of the poor, and the steps of the needy.

Isaiah 26:7 The way of the just is uprightness: thou, most upright, dost weigh the path of the just.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "bringeth", "down", "dwell", "high", "lofty", "city", and "layeth". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "bringeth" and "down", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 4's "Trust ye in the LORD for ever..." into verse 6's "The foot shall tread it down even...", so "bringeth" and "down" belong inside that flow. In Isaiah context, the local focus is the Holy One of Israel, judgment and restoration, the servant of the LORD, and Zion's hope.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "bringeth" and "down" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.