Isaiah 57:15 Meaning and Explanation
“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)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Height and lowliness rarely appear in the same sentence without one cancelling the other. Isaiah 57:15 holds them together deliberately. It matters because it answers a question people ask in their worst weeks: whether the God described as high and holy has any interest in someone who feels broken and small. The verse gives its answer twice.
The One who inhabits eternity names two addresses. He dwells in the high and holy place, and He dwells with the crushed and lowly, in order to bring their spirit and heart back to life.
The Context of Isaiah 57:15
Chapter 57 opens by noting that the righteous perish while nobody pays attention, then turns to a long rebuke of idolatry practised under green trees and on high mountains. Verse 14 changes direction with a command to prepare the way and remove the stumblingblock. Verse 15 follows immediately, introducing the speaker with a formal title before He states where He lives. Verses 16 to 19 continue the movement, promising healing, leading, restored comfort, and peace to those far off and near. The chapter closes with a warning in verses 20 and 21.
What Does Isaiah 57:15 Mean?
The verse arrives with a heavy introduction. High and lofty, inhabiting eternity, named Holy: three descriptions before the sentence even reaches its verb. Then comes the statement of residence, I dwell in the high and holy place, which is what the titles led us to expect. The surprise is the phrase that follows: with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit. Contrite translates a word for something crushed, and humble describes what has been brought low. The verse closes with purpose clauses, twice using revive, so the visit has a stated aim. God comes to bring life back.
The placement is pastoral. Isaiah has just finished describing a people who wearied themselves in the greatness of their way and refused to admit hopelessness. Against that background, being crushed is presented as the condition God can work with, since a crushed spirit has stopped pretending. Verses 17 and 18 make the sequence explicit: God saw the ways of a covetous people, and then says He will heal, lead, and restore comforts. The same pairing of majesty and nearness runs through the Psalms, where the LORD is high above the nations and close to the broken-hearted.
Isaiah returns to this theme near the end of his book, saying that God looks to the poor and contrite in spirit who tremble at His word. Jesus takes the same measure in the parable of two men praying, where the one who beat his breast went home justified. He also describes Himself as meek and lowly in heart, and invites the weary to come to Him for rest. The pattern holds across the whole of Scripture: greatness that stoops, and stoops on purpose. What Isaiah announces in a single sentence, the Gospels show walking around in Galilee.
Isaiah 57:15 in the Original Language
dakka (דַּכָּא), 'contrite' -- crushed or beaten small, the adjective for something ground down under pressure. Scripture uses related forms for a broken spirit in the Psalms. Isaiah applies it to people whose self-confidence has given way, and names them as the company God keeps.
Bible Verses Related to Isaiah 57:15
“For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: 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
“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.”
- Psalm 51:17
“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 he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”
- James 4:6
Where Isaiah 57:15 Echoes in Scripture
Luke 18:14 reports the verdict at the end of a parable: the tax collector who kept his eyes down and asked for mercy went home justified. Jesus attaches a principle about exaltation and humbling that reads like a summary of Isaiah 57:15. The prophet described where God chooses to live; the parable shows what happens at street level when a man agrees with that description. Both passages make lowliness the doorway rather than the disqualification.
How to Apply Isaiah 57:15 Today
Most of us work hard to avoid the condition this verse blesses. We manage impressions, minimise our failures, and keep the crushed parts of our story out of conversation. The verse suggests a different use for them. Honesty about what has broken us becomes the place where God says He can be found, which makes confession less like punishment and more like opening a door. It also changes how we sit with someone in that state. Company is what God offers first, and reviving follows; we can imitate that order.
Reflection & Prayer
What part of your life feels too crushed to bring into the open, and what would it mean to describe it honestly to God tonight? A prayer: High and holy One, You said where You live. Come to the low room in me. Revive what has gone quiet, and let me stop performing long enough to be met. Amen.
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