Isaiah 63:18
Isaiah 63:18 in Multiple Translations
For a short while Your people possessed Your holy place, but our enemies have trampled Your sanctuary.
The people of thy holiness have possessed it but a little while: our adversaries have trodden down thy sanctuary.
Thy holy people possessed it but a little while: our adversaries have trodden down thy sanctuary.
Why have evil men gone over your holy place, so that it has been crushed under the feet of our haters?
Your Temple belonged to us for a little while, but then our enemies invaded and destroyed it.
The people of thine holinesse haue possessed it, but a litle while: for our aduersaries haue troden downe thy Sanctuarie.
For a little while did Thy holy people possess, Our adversaries have trodden down Thy sanctuary.
Your holy people possessed it but a little while. Our adversaries have trodden down your sanctuary.
The people of thy holiness have possessed it but a little while: our adversaries have trodden down thy sanctuary.
They have possessed thy holy people as nothing: our enemies have trodden down thy sanctuary.
We, your holy people, possessed your sacred temple for only a short time, and now our enemies have destroyed it.
Berean Amplified Bible — Isaiah 63:18
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Isaiah 63:18 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
לַ/מִּצְעָ֕ר
יָרְשׁ֖וּ
עַם
קָדְשֶׁ֑/ךָ
צָרֵ֕י/נוּ
בּוֹסְס֖וּ
מִקְדָּשֶֽׁ/ךָ
לַ/מִּצְעָ֕ר
mitsʻâr
H4705
little
Prep | N-ms
יָרְשׁ֖וּ
yârash
H3423
to possess
V-Qal-Perf-3cp
עַם
ʻam
H5971
Amaw
N-ms
קָדְשֶׁ֑/ךָ
qôdesh
H6944
Holy Place
N-ms | Suff
צָרֵ֕י/נוּ
tsar
H6862
narrow
N-mp | Suff
בּוֹסְס֖וּ
bûwç
H947
to trample
V-o-Perf-3cp
מִקְדָּשֶֽׁ/ךָ
miqdâsh
H4720
sanctuary
N-ms | Suff
Hebrew Word Study
Select any word above to explore its original meaning, root, and usage across Scripture.
Use ← → arrow keys to navigate between words.
Hebrew Word Reference — Isaiah 63:18
לַ/מִּצְעָ֕ר
mitsʻâr
H4705
"little"
Prep | N-ms
This word means something that is small in size or amount, or a short period of time. It can also refer to a small thing or a little while. In the Bible, it is used to describe something that is not large or significant.
Definition: 1) a small thing 1a) small thing 1b) little while (of time)
Usage: Occurs in 4 OT verses. KJV: little one (while), small. See also: Genesis 19:20; Job 8:7; Isaiah 63:18.
יָרְשׁ֖וּ
yârash
H3423
"to possess"
V-Qal-Perf-3cp
To possess means to take control of something, like a piece of land, by driving out others and occupying it. This word is used in the Bible to describe inheriting property or seizing power.
Definition: : possess/inherit 1) to seize, dispossess, take possession off, inherit, disinherit, occupy, impoverish, be an heir 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to take possession of 1a2) to inherit 1a3) to impoverish, come to poverty, be poor 1b) (Niphal) to be dispossessed, be impoverished, come to poverty 1c) (Piel) to devour 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to cause to possess or inherit 1d2) to cause others to possess or inherit 1d3) to impoverish 1d4) to dispossess 1d5) to destroy, bring to ruin, disinherit
Usage: Occurs in 204 OT verses. KJV: cast out, consume, destroy, disinherit, dispossess, drive(-ing) out, enjoy, expel, [idiom] without fail, (give to, leave for) inherit(-ance, -or) [phrase] magistrate, be (make) poor, come to poverty, (give to, make to) possess, get (have) in (take) possession, seize upon, succeed, [idiom] utterly. See also: Genesis 15:3; Joshua 15:63; Psalms 25:13.
עַם
ʻam
H5971
"Amaw"
N-ms
A people or nation is what this Hebrew word represents, like the nation of Israel in Exodus 33:13. It can also mean a tribe, troops, or attendants, and is used to describe a group of people gathered together. The word is often used to refer to the people of God.
Definition: This name means nation, people
Usage: Occurs in 1655 OT verses. KJV: folk, men, nation, people. See also: Genesis 11:6; Exodus 16:4; Leviticus 17:9.
קָדְשֶׁ֑/ךָ
qôdesh
H6944
"Holy Place"
N-ms | Suff
The Holy Place refers to a sacred or set-apart area, like the temple in Jerusalem. It is a place of sanctity and holiness, where God is worshipped. The Bible describes it as a place of reverence and awe.
Definition: This name means apartness, holiness, sacredness Also named: hagion (ἅγιον "Holy Place" G0039)
Usage: Occurs in 380 OT verses. KJV: consecrated (thing), dedicated (thing), hallowed (thing), holiness, ([idiom] most) holy ([idiom] day, portion, thing), saint, sanctuary. See also: Exodus 3:5; Leviticus 23:4; 1 Chronicles 26:26.
צָרֵ֕י/נוּ
tsar
H6862
"narrow"
N-mp | Suff
This word means hard or narrow, often referring to trouble or a tight spot, like an adversary or affliction. It can also mean a small stone or pebble, such as flint, and is used in various biblical contexts to describe challenges.
Definition: narrow, tight
Usage: Occurs in 107 OT verses. KJV: adversary, afflicted(-tion), anguish, close, distress, enemy, flint, foe, narrow, small, sorrow, strait, tribulation, trouble. See also: Genesis 14:20; Psalms 89:24; Psalms 3:2.
בּוֹסְס֖וּ
bûwç
H947
"to trample"
V-o-Perf-3cp
To trample or tread down something, like an enemy or an undesirable thing. This word can also mean to reject or despise something. It appears in various forms throughout the Old Testament, often in the context of war or conflict.
Definition: 1) to tread down, reject, trample down 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to tread down, trample (of warriors) 1a2) of rejection (fig.) 1b) (Polel) 1b1) to tread down (in bad sense) 1b2) to desecrate 1c) (Hithpolel) 1c1) to tread 1c2) to kick out 1c2a) of infants' blind movements 1c2b) of Jerusalem (fig.) 1d) (Hophal) to be trodden down
Usage: Occurs in 12 OT verses. KJV: loath, tread (down, under (foot)), be polluted. See also: Psalms 44:6; Isaiah 63:6; Psalms 60:14.
מִקְדָּשֶֽׁ/ךָ
miqdâsh
H4720
"sanctuary"
N-ms | Suff
A sanctuary or holy place, like a temple or palace, set apart for God or idols, a sacred space.
Definition: 1) sacred place, sanctuary, holy place 1a) sanctuary 1a1) of the temple 1a2) of the tabernacle 1a3) of Ezekiel's temple 1a4) of Jehovah
Usage: Occurs in 71 OT verses. KJV: chapel, hallowed part, holy place, sanctuary. See also: Exodus 15:17; Lamentations 1:10; Psalms 68:36.
Study Notes — Isaiah 63:18
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Isaiah 63:18 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Isaiah 63:18
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Isaiah 63:18
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Isaiah 63:18
- Trapp's Commentary on Isaiah 63:18
- Ellicott's Commentary on Isaiah 63:18
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Isaiah 63:18
- Cambridge Bible on Isaiah 63:18
- Barnes' Notes on Isaiah 63:18
- Whedon's Commentary on Isaiah 63:18
- Sermons on Isaiah 63:18
Context — A Prayer for Mercy
16Yet You are our Father, though Abraham does not know us and Israel does not acknowledge us. You, O LORD, are our Father; our Redeemer from Everlasting is Your name.
17Why, O LORD, do You make us stray from Your ways and harden our hearts from fearing You? Return, for the sake of Your servants, the tribes of Your heritage.
18For a short while Your people possessed Your holy place, but our enemies have trampled Your sanctuary.
19We have become like those You never ruled, like those not called by Your name.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalms 74:3–7 | Turn Your steps to the everlasting ruins, to everything in the sanctuary the enemy has destroyed. Your foes have roared within Your meeting place; they have unfurled their banners as signs, like men wielding axes in a thicket of trees and smashing all the carvings with hatchets and picks. They have burned Your sanctuary to the ground; they have defiled the dwelling place of Your Name. |
| 2 | Revelation 11:2 | But exclude the courtyard outside the temple. Do not measure it, because it has been given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for 42 months. |
| 3 | Deuteronomy 7:6 | For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His prized possession out of all peoples on the face of the earth. |
| 4 | Lamentations 1:10 | The adversary has seized all her treasures. For she has seen the nations enter her sanctuary— those You had forbidden to enter Your assembly. |
| 5 | Isaiah 64:11–12 | Our holy and beautiful temple, where our fathers praised You, has been burned with fire, and all that was dear to us lies in ruins. After all this, O LORD, will You restrain Yourself? Will You keep silent and afflict us beyond measure? |
| 6 | Daniel 8:24 | His power will be great, but it will not be his own. He will cause terrible destruction and succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy the mighty men along with the holy people. |
| 7 | Lamentations 4:1 | How the gold has become tarnished, the pure gold has become dull! The gems of the temple lie scattered on every street corner. |
| 8 | Exodus 19:4–6 | ‘You have seen for yourselves what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. Now if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you will be My treasured possession out of all the nations—for the whole earth is Mine. And unto Me you shall be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you are to speak to the Israelites.” |
| 9 | Matthew 24:2 | “Do you see all these things?” He replied. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” |
| 10 | Isaiah 62:12 | And they will be called the Holy People, the Redeemed of The LORD; and you will be called Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken. |
Isaiah 63:18 Summary
This verse is saying that God's people only had control of His holy place, the Temple, for a short time before their enemies took over and disrespected it. This is a sad reminder that even God's own people can fail to protect and honor His presence in their lives, as seen in 2 Chronicles 36:14-16. But it also points to the need for God's people to return to Him and seek His restoration, as promised in Joel 2:25-27 and Isaiah 61:4. By reflecting on this verse, we can consider how we might be allowing 'enemies' to trample God's sanctuary in our own hearts and lives, and seek to rebuild and restore His presence within us, as described in Psalm 51:10-12.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean for enemies to trample God's sanctuary?
This refers to the desecration of the Temple in Jerusalem by foreign invaders, which is a fulfillment of prophetic warnings found in Deuteronomy 28:49-50 and Leviticus 26:16-17.
How can God's people possess His holy place for only a short while?
This reflects the transient nature of human obedience and the fleeting nature of earthly kingdoms, as seen in 1 Samuel 8:7-8 and Isaiah 1:1-31.
Is this verse talking about a specific historical event or a recurring pattern?
While it may refer to a specific event, such as the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem in 586 BC, it also speaks to the ongoing struggle between God's people and the forces of darkness, as described in Ephesians 6:12 and 2 Corinthians 4:4.
What is the significance of the sanctuary in this verse?
The sanctuary represents the dwelling place of God among His people, as seen in Exodus 25:8 and Hebrews 9:1-5, and its desecration is a profound offense against God's holiness and a violation of His covenant with Israel, as warned in Leviticus 26:31 and Jeremiah 7:10-11.
Reflection Questions
- What are some ways that I may be allowing 'enemies' to trample God's sanctuary in my own heart and life?
- How can I ensure that I am living in a way that honors and protects God's holy place within me, as described in 1 Corinthians 3:16-17?
- What are some historical or contemporary examples of God's people failing to protect His sanctuary, and what can we learn from these examples?
- In what ways can I participate in the rebuilding and restoration of God's sanctuary, whether in my own life or in the lives of others, as seen in Ezra 1:1-5 and Haggai 1:1-15?
Gill's Exposition on Isaiah 63:18
The people of thy holiness have possessed it but a little while,.... Either the land of Canaan, which the Jews, the Lord's holy people, whom he had separated from others, possessed about fourteen
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Isaiah 63:18
The people of thy holiness have possessed it but a little while: our adversaries have trodden down thy sanctuary.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Isaiah 63:18
The people of thy holiness; or, thy holy people, as being set apart for his servants; holiness being to be understood for a covenant separation from other people. But a little while. i.e. 1. Comparatively to the promise, which was for ever, though they had possessed it about one thousand four hundred years. Or, 2. It seeming to them so, as things, especially such as are desirable, seem when they are past, ,26 Psalms 90 4. Or, 3. They enjoyed but small spaces of time in quietness, so they had small enjoyment of it. Or, 4. It may respect the temple, which stood but four hundred years. Have trodden down thy sanctuary; the temple, called the sanctuary from the holiness of it; this our adversaries the Babylonians have trodden down, ; and this also implies their ruining of their whole ecclesiastical policy.
Trapp's Commentary on Isaiah 63:18
Isaiah 63:18 The people of thy holiness have possessed [it] but a little while: our adversaries have trodden down thy sanctuary.Ver. 18. The people of thine holiness have possessed it but a little while,] viz., In respect of that perpetuity promised them by thee; besides the many calamities that have befallen us, whereby we have had small enjoyment of this thine inheritance. All the days of the afflicted are evil, their life lifeless, and not to be reckoned on. Our adversaries have trodden down thy sanctuary.] This they did in the days of Antiochus, but especially about the time of our Saviour’ s incarnation; when the sceptre departed from Judah, Pompey with his army entered into the sanctuary; Herod got the government, the Romans set up their ensigns and statues in the holy of holies, &c. This desolation of the second temple the Jews do here bewail; but we have cause to rejoice, for that by Christ the whole world is now become a temple, and every place a goodly oratory.
Ellicott's Commentary on Isaiah 63:18
(18) The people of thy holiness . . .—Better, For a little while have they possessed thy sanctuary, or, with a various reading, thy holy mountain. The plea is addressed to Jehovah, on the ground of His promise that the inheritance was to be an everlasting one. Compared with that promise, the period of possession, from Joshua and David to the fall of the monarchy, was but as a “little while.” (Comp. Psalms 90:4.) The seeming failure of the promise was aggravated by the fact that the enemies of Israel had trodden down the sanctuary.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Isaiah 63:18
Verse 18. The people of thy holiness have possessed it but a little while - "It is little that they have taken possession of thy holy mountain"] The difficulty of the construction in this place is acknowledged on all hands. Vitringa prefers that sense as the least exceptionable which our translation has expressed; in which however there seems to be a great defect; that is, the want of that in the speaker's view must have been the principal part of the proposition, the object of the verb, the land, or it, as our translators supply it, which surely ought to have been expressed, and not to have been left to be supplied by the reader. In a word, I believe there is some mistake in the text; and here the Septuagint help us out; they had in their copy הר har, mountain, instead of עם am, people, τουορουςτουἁγιουσου, the mountain of thy Holy One. "Not only have our enemies taken possession of Mount Sion, and trodden down thy sanctuary; even far worse than this has befallen us; thou hast long since utterly cast us off, and dost not consider us as thy peculiar people." - L.
Cambridge Bible on Isaiah 63:18
18. The people … while] The want of an acc. to the verb excites suspicion, for it is hardly possible to take “thy sanctuary” as the obj. common to the two clauses. The text of the LXX., which reads “mountain” instead of “people” and has the verb in the first pers. plu., is perhaps to be preferred: For a little while have we possessed Thy holy mountain. Comp. ch. Isaiah 57:13. The second part of the verse speaks of a desecration of the Temple, which apparently followed the possession of the land. The difficulty of reconciling these two facts has been pointed out in the Introductory Note above. If any destruction of the second Temple were known to have taken place about the time of Ezra, the circumstances would be explained. But the stronger statements in Isaiah 64:10-11 make it unlikely that if such a calamity had really happened it should not have been expressly mentioned, even in the meagre historical records which have been preserved of that period.
Barnes' Notes on Isaiah 63:18
The people of thy holiness - The people who have been received into solemn covenant with thee.
Whedon's Commentary on Isaiah 63:18
THE LAST WITH ISRAEL, Isaiah 63:7 to Isaiah 65:25.Israel’s former Mercies and Sins.There are various schemes of division of the matter now following.
Sermons on Isaiah 63:18
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
|
Sanctification by Thomas Watson | Thomas Watson preaches about the importance, nature, counterfeits, necessity, signs, pursuit, inducements, and attainment of sanctification. He emphasizes that sanctification is th |
|
Machpelah, and Its First Tenant by F.B. Meyer | F.B. Meyer reflects on the profound grief of Abraham following the death of Sarah, emphasizing the deep bond they shared over their long life together. He highlights Abraham's tear |
|
Church History - Session 8 (The Book of Revelation: A Historic Sequence) by Edgar F. Parkyns | In this sermon, the preacher discusses the concept of the second row and how it signifies the end of the advancing power of Turkey. The preacher then references the biblical passag |
|
The Prophetic Year by Sir Robert Anderson | Sir Robert Anderson delves into the intricate details of the prophetic era in the Bible, exploring the significance of 'weeks' in Jewish culture and the measurement of time in rela |
|
Day 249, Revelation 11 by David Servant | David Servant delves into the mysterious prophecies in Revelation 11, discussing the significance of the final days of Jerusalem being trodden underfoot by nations for three-and-a- |
|
The Horizon of Divine Purpose - Part 1 by T. Austin-Sparks | In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of seeing the person and purpose as interconnected. They express a strong burden for delivering this message and believe it is |
|
(Saved Through the Fire) 04 - Love & Righteousness by Milton Green | In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of loving and encouraging one another, as words can hurt. He expresses a desire to share the teachings with the Pope, emphasiz |