Isaiah 57:15
“For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Isaiah 57 contrasts the proud and idolatrous with the humble, and this verse promises God's reviving presence to those of a contrite spirit.
What Does Isaiah 57:15 Mean?
Isaiah 57:15 reveals that the exalted, eternal God chooses to dwell with the humble and contrite. The verse opens with soaring titles: the "high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy." This is God in His majesty, dwelling in "the high and holy place," far above all created things. The reader is meant to feel the immensity of His greatness and the purity of His holiness.
Then comes the surprising turn: this same God dwells "with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit." The one who fills eternity also makes His home with the lowly. Far from being distant from the broken, He draws near to them. And His purpose is restorative -- "to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones." The Hebrew for revive means to bring back to life, to refresh and restore. Those crushed by their failures or burdens are precisely the ones God comes to lift up. The verse holds together two truths that might seem opposed: God's transcendent greatness and His tender nearness to the lowly. For anyone feeling small or broken, this is profound comfort -- the highest God stoops to revive the humblest heart.
In the Original Language
The Hebrew dakka' means crushed or contrite; chayah means to live or revive, here describing God restoring life to the humble and brokenhearted.
Cross References
“The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.”
- Psalm 34:18
“but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.”
- Isaiah 66:2
“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
- Matthew 5:3
Application
If you feel crushed or lowly, draw near to God in humility, for the exalted One delights to dwell with the contrite and revive their hearts.