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. THE FORTRESS - the strongholds of Moab, the representative of the foes of God's people; also Babylon. The anti-Christian powers of the world are represented as a city (). Remarks: As in Isaiah 12:1, after the prophecy of Messiah's coming reign over restored Israel and Judah, so also here in this chapter the literal and the spiritual Israel are introduced as singing a song of praise for the "wonderful things" which God hath done on their behalf. Nothing so fills the heart and the mouth with thanksgivings as to be able to say with appropriating faith, "O Lord, thou art my God." For though the Lord's people be now "poor and needy," the Lord is t...

12._And the fortress. _The Prophet now directs his discourse to the country of Moab. It was highly fortified, and was proud of its walls and fortifications; and he affirms that the lofty towers, and other defences, however strong and seemingly impregnable, will be of no avail. The ancients, it is well known, had quite a different method of fortifying from what is practiced among us. _He will bring down, lay low, and cast to the ground. _The three words here employed, for conveying the meaning more strongly, are not superfluous; for it was necessary to beat down that pride which swelled the hearts of the Moabites, and which, as we formerly saw, (153) made them intolerable. The Prophet therefore mocks at them, “As if the Lord could not cast down that loftiness of which you boast!” _To the dust. _The meaning of this clause is as if he had said, “He will not only level it with the ground, b...

9-12 With joy and praise will those entertain the glad tidings of the Redeemer, who looked for him; and with a triumphant song will glorified saints enter into the joy of their Lord. And it is not in vain to wait for him; for the mercy comes at last, with abundant recompence for the delay. The hands once stretched out upon the cross, to make way for our salvation, will at length be stretched forth to destroy all impenitent sinners. Moab is here put for all adversaries of God's people; they shall all be trodden down or threshed. God shall bring down the pride of the enemies by one humbling judgment after another. This destruction of Moab is typical of Christ's victory, and the pulling down of Satan's strong holds. Therefore, beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord; for your labour is not in vain in the Lord....

AND THE FORTRESS ... - Thy strong defenses shall be destroyed. This is spoken of Moab (compare the notes at Isaiah 15:1;Isaiah 16:1), and is designed to be emblematic of the enemies of the people of God (compare the notes at Isaiah 34) The repetition of the expressions ‘bring down,’ ‘lay low,’ and ‘bring to the ground,’ is designed to make the sentence emphatic, and to indicate that it would certainly be accomplished....

EXPOSITION ISAIAH 25:1 ISAIAH'S SONG OF PRAISE ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF GOD'S KINGDOM. AS in Isaiah 12:1, after describing the first setting up of Christ's kingdom and the call of the Gentiles, the prophet broke out into song, through joy at the tidings he was commissioned to announce, so now, having proclaimed the final establishment of the same kingdom in the heavenly Zion, he is again carried away by the sense of exultant gladness into a fresh _Lobgesang_, which he utters in his own person—not, as the former one, in the person of the Church. His song divides itself into three

AND THE FORTRESS OF THE HIGH FORT OF THY WALLS SHALL HE BRING DOWN,.... That is, their high and, fenced walls, which were about their cities, the fortifications of them; these should be destroyed by the Lord, be battered and brought down, not being able to stand against his mighty power. The Targum renders it, "the mighty city, the cities of the nations;'' and may design the city of Rome, and the cities of the nations that shall fall at the pouring out of the seventh and last vial, Revelation 16:19 it follows, LAY LOW, [AND] BRING TO THE GROUND, [EVEN] TO THE DUST; which variety of words without any copulative are used to express the sudden, quick, certain, and irrecoverable destruction of such fortified city, or cities, and their fortifications....

CHAPTER 25 Israel's Praise and the Blessings of the Kingdom 1. _The praise of the delivered nation (Isaiah 25:1)_ 2. _The blessing for all nations during the Kingdom (Isaiah 25:6)_ 3. _Israel rejoicing after waiting (Isaiah 25:9)_ 4. _Moab and Israel's enemies judged (Isaiah 25:10)_ In the foreground of this chapter stands another hymn of praise, which redeemed Israel will sing in “that day.” Jehovah has done wonderful things for His people. Compare with Isaiah 12:5 ;

A SONG OF DELIVERANCE. MOAB IS CRUSHED. Then they will sing, Yahweh is our Saviour, let us exult in His salvation. For Moab shall be ignominiously trampled under foot, and if he tries to keep himself afloat, Yahweh will bring to nought all his clever and ingenious movements. ISAIAH 25:10. MOAB: may be singled out as an example of Israel's enemies in general, but more probably is intended literally, though to what historical situation the catastrophe belongs is quite uncertain. _Cf._ Isaiah 15 f., Jeremiah 48, Ezekiel 25:8; Zephaniah 2:8. Isaiah 25:11_ a_. The LXX has no reference to swimming; the

BRING DOWN, LAY LOW, AND BRING TO THE GROUND. Note the Figure of speech _Synonymia_, to emphasize the certainty and reality of what had been expressed by the Figure of speech _Simile_ in verses: Isaiah 25:10; Isaiah 25:11....

The humiliation of Moab. The heading in Isaiah 25:9 marks this as a distinct section. It might indeed be supposed, from the phrase "in this mountain" in Isaiah 25:10, and the use of future tenses in 10 12, that the song of praise ends with Isaiah 25:9 and that 10 12 are the continuation of Isaiah 25:8. But this is unlikely. The express naming of Moab is not in the manner of the main apocalyptic prophecy, while to take Moab as a symbolic name for the enemies of God in general is hazardous, as being opposed to Old Testament usage. The violent contrast between the spirit of Isaia