6 But we are all as an unclean H2931 thing, and all our righteousnesses H6666 are as filthy H5708 rags; H899 and we all do fade H5034 H1101 as a leaf; H5929 and our iniquities, H5771 like the wind, H7307 have taken us away. H5375
Thou carriest them away as with a flood; H2229 they are as a sleep: H8142 in the morning H1242 they are like grass H2682 which groweth up. H2498 In the morning H1242 it flourisheth, H6692 and groweth up; H2498 in the evening H6153 it is cut down, H4135 and withereth. H3001
And G2532 you G5209 hath he quickened, who were G5607 dead G3498 in trespasses G3900 and G2532 sins; G266 Wherein G1722 G3739 in time past G4218 ye walked G4043 according to G2596 the course G165 of this G5127 world, G2889 according to G2596 the prince G758 of the power G1849 of the air, G109 the spirit G4151 that now G3568 worketh G1754 in G1722 the children G5207 of disobedience: G543
Because G3754 thou sayest, G3004 G3754 I am G1510 rich, G4145 and G2532 increased with goods, G4147 and G2532 have G2192 need G5532 of nothing; G3762 and G2532 knowest G1492 not G3756 that G3754 thou G4771 art G1488 wretched, G5005 and G2532 miserable, G1652 and G2532 poor, G4434 and G2532 blind, G5185 and G2532 naked: G1131 I counsel G4823 thee G4671 to buy G59 of G3844 me G1700 gold G5553 tried G4448 in G1537 the fire, G4442 that G2443 thou mayest be rich; G4147 and G2532 white G3022 raiment, G2440 that G2443 thou mayest be clothed, G4016 and G2532 that the shame G152 of thy G4675 nakedness G1132 do G5319 not G3361 appear; G5319 and G2532 anoint G1472 thine G4675 eyes G3788 with eyesalve, G2854 that G2443 thou mayest see. G991
The voice H6963 said, H559 Cry. H7121 And he said, H559 What shall I cry? H7121 All flesh H1320 is grass, H2682 and all the goodliness H2617 thereof is as the flower H6731 of the field: H7704 The grass H2682 withereth, H3001 the flower H6731 fadeth: H5034 because the spirit H7307 of the LORD H3068 bloweth H5380 upon it: surely H403 the people H5971 is grass. H2682 The grass H2682 withereth, H3001 the flower H6731 fadeth: H5034 but the word H1697 of our God H430 shall stand H6965 for ever. H5769
But G1161 the rich, G4145 in G1722 that he G846 is made low: G5014 because G3754 as G5613 the flower G438 of the grass G5528 he shall pass away. G3928 For G1063 the sun G2246 is no sooner risen G393 with G4862 a burning heat, G2742 but G2532 it withereth G3583 the grass, G5528 and G2532 the flower G438 thereof G846 falleth, G1601 and G2532 the grace G2143 of the fashion G4383 of it G846 perisheth: G622 so G3779 also G2532 shall G3133 the rich man G4145 fade away G3133 in G1722 his G846 ways. G4197
For G1360 all G3956 flesh G4561 is as G5613 grass, G5528 and G2532 all G3956 the glory G1391 of man G444 as G5613 the flower G438 of grass. G5528 The grass G5528 withereth, G3583 and G2532 the flower G438 thereof G846 falleth away: G1601 But G1161 the word G4487 of the Lord G2962 endureth G3306 for G1519 ever. G165 And G1161 this G5124 is G2076 the word G4487 which G3588 by the gospel is preached G2097 unto G1519 you. G5209
What is man, H582 that he should be clean? H2135 and he which is born H3205 of a woman, H802 that he should be righteous? H6663 Behold, he putteth no trust H539 in his saints; H6918 yea, the heavens H8064 are not clean H2141 in his sight. H5869 How much more abominable H8581 and filthy H444 is man, H376 which drinketh H8354 iniquity H5766 H5766 like water? H4325
And he said, H559 This is wickedness. H7564 And he cast H7993 it into the midst H8432 of the ephah; H374 and he cast H7993 the weight H68 of lead H5777 upon the mouth H6310 thereof. Then lifted I up H5375 mine eyes, H5869 and looked, H7200 and, behold, there came out H3318 two H8147 women, H802 and the wind H7307 was in their wings; H3671 for they had H2007 wings H3671 like the wings H3671 of a stork: H2624 and they lifted up H5375 the ephah H374 between the earth H776 and the heaven. H8064 Then said H559 I to the angel H4397 that talked H1696 with me, Whither do these bear H3212 the ephah? H374 And he said H559 unto me, To build H1129 it an house H1004 in the land H776 of Shinar: H8152 and it shall be established, H3559 and set H3240 there upon her own base. H4369
At that time H6256 shall it be said H559 to this people H5971 and to Jerusalem, H3389 A dry H6703 wind H7307 of the high places H8205 in the wilderness H4057 toward H1870 the daughter H1323 of my people, H5971 not to fan, H2219 nor to cleanse, H1305 Even a full H4392 wind H7307 from those places shall come H935 unto me: now also will I give H1696 sentence H4941 against them.
I will declare H5046 thy righteousness, H6666 and thy works; H4639 for they shall not profit H3276 thee. When thou criest, H2199 let thy companies H6899 deliver H5337 thee; but the wind H7307 shall carry them all away; H5375 vanity H1892 shall take H3947 them: but he that putteth his trust H2620 in me shall possess H5157 the land, H776 and shall inherit H3423 my holy H6944 mountain; H2022
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)?