The people of thy holiness have possessed it but a little while: our adversaries have trodden down thy sanctuary.

ISAIAH 63:18KJV
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Isaiah 63:18 (KJV)

What does Isaiah 63:18 mean?

Isaiah 63:18 describes how God's holy people only possessed the land or sanctuary for a short time before their enemies came and trampled it down. The verse expresses sorrow that the place set apart for God was taken over by adversaries soon after it was given to His people.

In this verse, the prophet Isaiah is speaking to God, reflecting on the history of Israel. He laments that the people chosen and made holy by God ("the people of thy holiness") had only a brief period of security before their enemies ("adversaries") invaded and desecrated the sanctuary, likely referring to the temple or the land itself. This verse is part of a larger prayer recalling God's past acts and pleading for His mercy in the face of national disaster.

The Hebrew behind Isaiah 63:18

  • "Holiness" (קֹדֶשׁ, qodesh): This word means something set apart or sacred. Here, it highlights that the people and the sanctuary were specially dedicated to God, making their loss even more significant.
  • "Possessed" (יָרַשׁ, yarash): This verb means to take possession or inherit. The verse stresses that Israel's hold on the sanctuary was brief, not lasting as they had hoped.
  • "Adversaries" (צָר, tsar): This word means enemies or oppressors. The use of this term underlines the sense of being overpowered by hostile forces.
  • "Sanctuary" (מִקְדָּשׁ, miqdash): This refers to a holy place, most likely the temple in Jerusalem. Its mention emphasizes the depth of loss, as even the most sacred space was not spared.

Why Isaiah 63:18 matters

  • Isaiah 63:18 clarifies that the loss of the sanctuary was not just a military defeat but a spiritual tragedy, as it involved the desecration of what was most holy to Israel.
  • The verse connects personal and national sorrow, showing how the people's relationship with God was deeply tied to the land and the temple.
  • This lament sets the stage for the following verses, which continue to plead for God's intervention and mercy, grounding the prayer in real historical pain.

Where else these words appear

“while” Hebrew H4705 · used in 4 verses

  • Genesis 19:20 Behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one: Oh, let me escape thither,( is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.
  • 2 Chronicles 24:24 For the army of the Syrians came with a small company of men, and the LORD delivered a very great host into their hand, because they had forsaken the LORD God of their fathers. So they executed judgment against Joash.
  • Job 8:7 Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase.

“down” Hebrew H947 · used in 12 verses

  • Psalms 44:5 Through thee will we push down our enemies: through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us.
  • Proverbs 27:7 The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.
  • Jeremiah 12:10 Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot, they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness.

“sanctuary” Hebrew H4720 · used in 71 verses

  • Exodus 15:17 Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, O LORD, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, in the Sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established.
  • Nehemiah 10:39 For the children of Israel and the children of Levi shall bring the offering of the corn, of the new wine, and the oil, unto the chambers, where are the vessels of the sanctuary, and the priests that minister, and the porters, and the singers: and we will not forsake the house of our God.
  • Ezekiel 28:18 Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.

“adversaries” Hebrew H6862 · used in 102 verses

  • Genesis 14:20 And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.
  • Psalms 18:6 In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.
  • Psalms 136:24 And hath redeemed us from our enemies: for his mercy endureth for ever.