1 Oh H3863 that thou wouldest rend H7167 the heavens, H8064 that thou wouldest come down, H3381 that the mountains H2022 might flow down H2151 at thy presence, H6440
For, behold, the LORD H3068 cometh forth H3318 out of his place, H4725 and will come down, H3381 and tread H1869 upon the high places H1116 of the earth. H776 And the mountains H2022 shall be molten H4549 under him, and the valleys H6010 shall be cleft, H1234 as wax H1749 before H6440 the fire, H784 and as the waters H4325 that are poured H5064 down a steep place. H4174
And G2532 straightway G2112 coming up G305 out of G575 the water, G5204 he saw G1492 the heavens G3772 opened, G4977 and G2532 the Spirit G4151 like G5616 a dove G4058 descending G2597 upon G1909 him: G846
Behold, the days H3117 come, H935 saith H5002 the LORD, H3068 that the plowman H2790 shall overtake H5066 the reaper, H7114 and the treader H1869 of grapes H6025 him that soweth H4900 seed; H2233 and the mountains H2022 shall drop H5197 sweet wine, H6071 and all the hills H1389 shall melt. H4127
The earth H776 shook, H7493 the heavens H8064 also dropped H5197 at the presence H6440 of God: H430 even Sinai H5514 itself H2088 was moved at the presence H6440 of God, H430 the God H430 of Israel. H3478
And the Lord H136 GOD H3069 of hosts H6635 is he that toucheth H5060 the land, H776 and it shall melt, H4127 and all that dwell H3427 therein shall mourn: H56 and it shall rise up H5927 wholly like a flood; H2975 and shall be drowned, H8257 as by the flood H2975 of Egypt. H4714
But G1161 the day G2250 of the Lord G2962 will come G2240 as G5613 a thief G2812 in G1722 the night; G3571 in G1722 the which G3739 the heavens G3772 shall pass away G3928 with a great noise, G4500 and G1161 the elements G4747 shall melt G3089 with fervent heat, G2741 the earth G1093 also G2532 and G2532 the works G2041 that are therein G1722 G846 shall be burned up. G2618 Seeing then G3767 that all G3956 these things G5130 shall be dissolved, G3089 what manner G4217 of persons ought G1163 ye G5209 to be G5225 in G1722 all holy G40 conversation G391 and G2532 godliness, G2150 Looking for G4328 and G2532 hasting G4692 unto the coming G3952 of the day G2250 of God, G2316 wherein G1223 G3739 the heavens G3772 being on fire G4448 shall be dissolved, G3089 and G2532 the elements G4747 shall melt G5080 with fervent heat? G2741
A prayer H8605 of Habakkuk H2265 the prophet H5030 upon Shigionoth. H7692 O LORD, H3068 I have heard H8085 thy speech, H8088 and was afraid: H3372 O LORD, H3068 revive H2421 thy work H6467 in the midst H7130 of the years, H8141 in the midst H7130 of the years H8141 make known; H3045 in wrath H7267 remember H2142 mercy. H7355 God H433 came H935 from Teman, H8487 and the Holy One H6918 from mount H2022 Paran. H6290 Selah. H5542 His glory H1935 covered H3680 the heavens, H8064 and the earth H776 was full H4390 of his praise. H8416 And his brightness H5051 was as the light; H216 he had horns H7161 coming out of his hand: H3027 and there was the hiding H2253 of his power. H5797 Before H6440 him went H3212 the pestilence, H1698 and burning coals H7565 went forth H3318 at his feet. H7272 He stood, H5975 and measured H4128 the earth: H776 he beheld, H7200 and drove asunder H5425 the nations; H1471 and the everlasting H5703 mountains H2042 were scattered, H6327 the perpetual H5769 hills H1389 did bow: H7817 his ways H1979 are everlasting. H5769 I saw H7200 the tents H168 of Cushan H3572 in affliction: H205 and the curtains H3407 of the land H776 of Midian H4080 did tremble. H7264 Was the LORD H3068 displeased H2734 against the rivers? H5104 was thine anger H639 against the rivers? H5104 was thy wrath H5678 against the sea, H3220 that thou didst ride H7392 upon thine horses H5483 and thy chariots H4818 of salvation? H3444 Thy bow H7198 was made quite H6181 naked, H5783 according to the oaths H7621 of the tribes, H4294 even thy word. H562 Selah. H5542 Thou didst cleave H1234 the earth H776 with rivers. H5104 The mountains H2022 saw H7200 thee, and they trembled: H2342 the overflowing H2230 of the water H4325 passed by: H5674 the deep H8415 uttered H5414 his voice, H6963 and lifted up H5375 his hands H3027 on high. H7315 The sun H8121 and moon H3394 stood still H5975 in their habitation: H2073 at the light H216 of thine arrows H2671 they went, H1980 and at the shining H5051 of thy glittering H1300 spear. H2595 Thou didst march through H6805 the land H776 in indignation, H2195 thou didst thresh H1758 the heathen H1471 in anger. H639 Thou wentest forth H3318 for the salvation H3468 of thy people, H5971 even for salvation H3468 with thine anointed; H4899 thou woundedst H4272 the head H7218 out of the house H1004 of the wicked, H7563 by discovering H6168 the foundation H3247 unto the neck. H6677 Selah. H5542
The mountains H2022 quake H7493 at him, and the hills H1389 melt, H4127 and the earth H776 is burned H5375 at his presence, H6440 yea, the world, H8398 and all that dwell H3427 therein. Who can stand H5975 before H6440 his indignation? H2195 and who can abide H6965 in the fierceness H2740 of his anger? H639 his fury H2534 is poured out H5413 like fire, H784 and the rocks H6697 are thrown down H5422 by him.
And I am come down H3381 to deliver H5337 them out of the hand H3027 of the Egyptians, H4714 and to bring H5927 them up out of that land H776 unto a good H2896 land H776 and a large, H7342 unto a land H776 flowing H2100 with milk H2461 and honey; H1706 unto the place H4725 of the Canaanites, H3669 and the Hittites, H2850 and the Amorites, H567 and the Perizzites, H6522 and the Hivites, H2340 and the Jebusites. H2983
The mountains H2022 skipped H7540 like rams, H352 and the little hills H1389 like lambs. H1121 H6629 What ailed thee, O thou sea, H3220 that thou fleddest? H5127 thou Jordan, H3383 that thou wast driven H5437 back? H268 Ye mountains, H2022 that ye skipped H7540 like rams; H352 and ye little hills, H1389 like lambs? H1121 H6629 Tremble, H2342 thou earth, H776 at the presence H6440 of the Lord, H113 at the presence H6440 of the God H433 of Jacob; H3290
The heathen H1471 raged, H1993 the kingdoms H4467 were moved: H4131 he uttered H5414 his voice, H6963 the earth H776 melted. H4127
Then the earth H776 shook H1607 and trembled; H7493 the foundations H4146 also of the hills H2022 moved H7264 and were shaken, H1607 because he was wroth. H2734 There went up H5927 a smoke H6227 out of his nostrils, H639 and fire H784 out of his mouth H6310 devoured: H398 coals H1513 were kindled H1197 by it. He bowed H5186 the heavens H8064 also, and came down: H3381 and darkness H6205 was under his feet. H7272 And he rode H7392 upon a cherub, H3742 and did fly: H5774 yea, he did fly H1675 upon the wings H3671 of the wind. H7307 He made H7896 darkness H2822 his secret place; H5643 his pavilion H5521 round about H5439 him were dark H2824 waters H4325 and thick clouds H5645 of the skies. H7834 At the brightness H5051 that was before him his thick clouds H5645 passed, H5674 hail H1259 stones and coals H1513 of fire. H784 The LORD H3068 also thundered H7481 in the heavens, H8064 and the Highest H5945 gave H5414 his voice; H6963 hail H1259 stones and coals H1513 of fire. H784 Yea, he sent out H7971 his arrows, H2671 and scattered H6327 them; and he shot out H7232 lightnings, H1300 and discomfited H2000 them. Then the channels H650 of waters H4325 were seen, H7200 and the foundations H4146 of the world H8398 were discovered H1540 at thy rebuke, H1606 O LORD, H3068 at the blast H5397 of the breath H7307 of thy nostrils. H639
LORD, H3068 when thou wentest out H3318 of Seir, H8165 when thou marchedst out H6805 of the field H7704 of Edom, H123 the earth H776 trembled, H7493 and the heavens H8064 dropped, H5197 the clouds H5645 also dropped H5197 water. H4325 The mountains H2022 melted H5140 from before H6440 the LORD, H3068 even that Sinai H5514 from before H6440 the LORD H3068 God H430 of Israel. H3478
And mount H2022 Sinai H5514 was altogether on a smoke, H6225 because H6440 H834 the LORD H3068 descended H3381 upon it in fire: H784 and the smoke H6227 thereof ascended H5927 as the smoke H6227 of a furnace, H3536 and the whole mount H2022 quaked H2729 greatly. H3966 And when the voice H6963 of the trumpet H7782 sounded H6963 long, H1980 and waxed louder H2390 and louder, H3966 Moses H4872 spake, H1696 and God H430 answered H6030 him by a voice. H6963
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Isaiah 64
Commentary on Isaiah 64 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 64
Isa 64:1-12. Transition from Complaint to Prayer.
1. rend … heavens—bursting forth to execute vengeance, suddenly descending on Thy people's foe (Ps 18:9; 144:5; Hab 3:5, 6).
flow down—(Jud 5:5; Mic 1:4).
2. Oh, that Thy wrath would consume Thy foes as the fire. Rather, "as the fire burneth the dry brushwood" [Gesenius].
3. When—Supply from Isa 64:2, "As when."
terrible things—(Ps 65:5).
we looked not for—far exceeding the expectation of any of our nation; unparalleled before (Ex 34:10; Ps 68:8).
camest down—on Mount Sinai.
mountains flowed—Repeated from Isa 64:1; they pray God to do the very same things for Israel now as in former ages. Gesenius, instead of "flowed" here, and "flow" in Isa 64:1, translates from a different Hebrew root, "quake … quaked"; but "fire" melts and causes to flow, rather than to quake (Isa 64:2).
4. perceived by the ear—Paul (1Co 2:9) has for this, "nor have entered into the heart of man"; the virtual sense, sanctioned by his inspired authority; men might hear with the outward ear, but they could only by the Spirit "perceive" with the "heart" the spiritual significancy of God's acts, both those in relation to Israel, primarily referred to here, and those relating to the Gospel secondarily, which Paul refers to.
O God … what he … prepared—rather, "nor hath eye seen a god beside thee who doeth such things." They refer to God's past marvellous acts in behalf of Israel as a plea for His now interposing for His people; but the Spirit, as Paul by inspiration shows, contemplated further God's revelation in the Gospel, which abounds in marvellous paradoxes never before heard of by carnal ear, not to be understood by mere human sagacity, and when foretold by the prophets not fully perceived or credited; and even after the manifestation of Christ not to be understood save through the inward teaching of the Holy Ghost. These are partly past and present, and partly future; therefore Paul substitutes "prepared" for "doeth," though his context shows he includes all three. For "waiteth" he has "love Him"; godly waiting on Him must flow from love, and not mere fear.
5. meetest—that is, Thou makest peace, or enterest into covenant with him (see on Isa 47:3).
rejoiceth and worketh—that is, who with joyful willingness worketh [Gesenius] (Ac 10:35; Joh 7:17).
those—Thou meetest "those," in apposition to "him" who represents a class whose characteristics "those that," &c., more fully describes.
remember thee in thy ways—(Isa 26:8).
sinned—literally, "tripped," carrying on the figure in "ways."
in those is continuance—a plea to deprecate the continuance of God's wrath; it is not in Thy wrath that there is continuance (Isa 54:7, 8; Ps 30:5; 103:9), but in Thy ways ("those"), namely, of covenant mercy to Thy people (Mic 7:18-20; Mal 3:6); on the strength of the everlasting continuance of His covenant they infer by faith, "we shall be saved." God "remembered" for them His covenant (Ps 106:45), though they often "remembered not" Him (Ps 78:42). Castellio translates, "we have sinned for long in them ('thy ways'), and could we then be saved?" But they hardly would use such a plea when their very object was to be saved.
6. unclean thing—legally unclean, as a leper. True of Israel, everywhere now cut off by unbelief and by God's judgments from the congregation of the saints.
righteousness—plural, "uncleanness" extended to every particular act of theirs, even to their prayers and praises. True of the best doings of the unregenerate (Php 3:6-8; Tit 1:15; Heb 11:6).
filthy rags—literally, a "menstruous rag" (Le 15:33; 20:18; La 1:17).
fade … leaf—(Ps 90:5, 6).
7. stirreth—rouseth himself from spiritual drowsiness.
take hold—(Isa 27:5).
8. father—(Isa 63:16).
clay … potter—(Isa 29:16; 45:9). Unable to mould themselves aright, they beg the sovereign will of God to mould them unto salvation, even as He made them at the first, and is their "Father."
9. (Ps 74:1, 2).
we are … thy people—(Jer 14:9, 21).
10. holy cities—No city but Jerusalem is called "the holy city" (Isa 48:2; 52:1); the plural, therefore, refers to the upper and the lower parts of the same city Jerusalem [Vitringa]; or all Judea was holy to God, so its cities were deemed "holy" [Maurer]. But the parallelism favors Vitringa. Zion and Jerusalem (the one city) answering to "holy cities."
11. house—the temple.
beautiful—includes the idea of glorious (Mr 13:1; Ac 3:2).
burned—(Ps 74:7; La 2:7; 2Ch 36:19). Its destruction under Nebuchadnezzar prefigured that under Titus.
pleasant things—Hebrew, "objects of desire"; our homes, our city, and all its dear associations.
12. for these things—Wilt Thou, notwithstanding these calamities of Thy people, still refuse Thy aid (Isa 42:14)?