Isaiah 57:15 tells us that the high and holy God, who lives forever, also chooses to live with people who are humble and sorry for their sin. He does not stay far off from them; instead he comes near to bring life back to their spirits and hearts. The prophet Isaiah speaks these words for the Lord to the people of Judah, who had turned away from God and needed to hear that he was still ready to restore them.
For thus says the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also who is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite.
Isaiah 57:15 (WEB)
What Isaiah 57:15 Means
The verse begins by describing God as the one who is high and lofty, who dwells in eternity, and whose name is Holy. Those words stress his greatness and his separateness from everything created. Yet the verse then says that this exalted God makes his home in a high and holy place and also with the person whose spirit is crushed by sin and whose heart is humble before him. Greatness and nearness are held together in the same sentence.
The phrase “to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite” explains what God does for such people. To revive means to bring back to life, to refresh what has been worn down. The verse promises that God is actively at work restoring those who recognize their need. It does not promise an easy life or the removal of every hardship, but it does promise that God will not leave the humble and repentant in their despair.
The Context of Isaiah 57:15
The book of Isaiah is traditionally attributed to the prophet Isaiah, who ministered in Jerusalem during the eighth century before Christ. Chapter 57 is a rebuke of Israel’s idolatry and empty reliance on their own strength. The verses just before, in 57:12 and 13, warn that human works and gathered allies will not save the people when they cry out, and that only those who take refuge in the Lord will inherit the land.
The verses that follow in 57:16 through 18 explain that God will not contend forever or stay angry, and that he will heal and comfort the wayward. Seen this way, verse 15 is the center of a turn from judgment toward mercy. It explains why God’s anger does not have the last word: he dwells with the humble, and so his purpose is restoration rather than destruction.
Key Phrases in Isaiah 57:15
Psalm 34:18
The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a crushed spirit.
(WEB)
This psalm echoes the same comfort, promising that the Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those whose spirit is crushed. It shows that God’s closeness to the humble is a theme that runs throughout Scripture.
Psalm 51:17
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
(WEB)
David’s prayer of repentance names a broken and contrite heart as the sacrifice God does not despise. It gives a personal picture of the humility that Isaiah describes and shows how a sinner can come to God with confidence.
A Short Prayer From Isaiah 57:15
Lord, you are the high and holy One who lives forever, and yet you are willing to make your home with people like me. I bring you my sorrow and my sin today, and I ask you to revive what has grown weary and hard within me. Teach me to be honest before you without hiding behind excuses. Breathe new life into my spirit and heart, and let me rest in the assurance that you are near to those who come to you humbly. Amen.
