Isaiah 26:5 (LSB)

Passage

For He has laid low those who settle on high, the exalted city; He brings it low, He brings it low to the ground, He casts it to the dust.

Nearby Context

Isaiah 26:3 The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace Because he trusts in You.

Isaiah 26:4 Trust in Yahweh forever, For in Yah—Yahweh Himself—we have an everlasting Rock.

Isaiah 26:5 For He has laid low those who settle on high, the exalted city; He brings it low, He brings it low to the ground, He casts it to the dust.

Isaiah 26:6 The foot will trample it, The feet of the afflicted, the steps of the poor.”

Isaiah 26:7 The way of the righteous is upright; O Upright One, make the path of the righteous level.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "laid", "settle", "high", "exalted", "city", "brings", and "ground". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "laid" and "settle", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 4's "Trust in Yahweh forever For in Yah..." into verse 6's "The foot will trample it The feet...", so "laid" and "settle" 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 "laid" and "settle" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.