What Does Isaiah 25:11 Mean in the King James?

And he shall spread forth his hands in the midst of them, as he that swimmeth spreadeth forth his hands to swim: and he shall bring down their pride together with the spoils of their hands.

Isaiah 25:11 · KJV

The analysis reads the King James wording.

King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.

This verse in the Selah Decoded Version

THE KEY

The swimming gesture is no rescue scene: the hands reach through the water while pride and the spoils gained by those hands are brought low.

THE MEANING

The hands spread as a swimmer’s, yet pride and the gain made by those hands descend together. The verse speaks now wherever power reaches to preserve its height: neither motion nor accumulated spoils can keep it raised.

WHAT THIS UNDOES

It undoes the belief that reaching harder and accumulating more can keep pride above collapse: the hands move, but the elevation falls.

THE ROOT

גַּאֲוָתוֹ

ga’avato

GROWS FROM

גאה

Rise, be high, or exalt oneself.

The Hebrew word for “pride” carries the image of height: what is brought down is an elevation the hands have claimed. The same root can describe rising or triumph, so the verse turns attention to whose height endures.

ALSO GROWS

ga’ah: Rose, became exalted.

גָּאָה

This verb shares the root ⁨גאה⁩ and names the rising that stands behind the height of pride.

hitga’ah: Exalt oneself, act proudly.

הִתְגָּאָה

This form shares the root consonants ⁨גאה⁩ and makes the self-raising in pride explicit.

הִשְׁפִּיל

hishpil

GROWS FROM

שפל

Be low or bring low.

The verb translated “bring down” belongs to the same root as “low.” The height carried by ⁨גאה⁩ meets its opposite in ⁨שפל⁩: the verse depicts pride’s claimed elevation descending.

ALSO GROWS

shāphāl: Low, humble.

שָׁפָל

It shares the root consonants ⁨שפל⁩ and makes the low state explicit.

shiflut: Lowliness, low state.

שִׁפְלוּת

This noun shares the root consonants ⁨שפל⁩ and extends the verb’s downward movement into a state of lowliness.

THE PATTERN

Self-exaltation descends, while the lowly are raised by God.

The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.

Isaiah 2:11 · KJVHuman height is brought low, while the LORD alone remains exalted.

For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Luke 14:11 · KJVThe verse names the reversal directly: self-exaltation descends, and the lowly are raised.

Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

James 4:10 · KJVThe lowly are lifted by the Lord, completing the downward movement of self-exaltation with an upward movement given by God.

THE THREAD

Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.

Exodus 15:1 · KJV

The Hebrew root ⁨גאה⁩ appears in Exodus as “hath triumphed gloriously,” describing the LORD’s rising in victory. Here, the same root’s height belongs to human pride that is brought low; the contrast reveals whose elevation endures.

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