Isaiah64
King James Version · Public Domain
1Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence,
2As when the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the waters to boil, to make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at thy presence!
3When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, thou camest down, the mountains flowed down at thy presence.
4For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.
5Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways: behold, thou art wroth; for we have sinned: in those is continuance, and we shall be saved.
6But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
7And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities.
8But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.
9Be not wroth very sore, O Lord, neither remember iniquity for ever: behold, see, we beseech thee, we are all thy people.
10Thy holy cities are a wilderness, Zion is a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.
11Our holy and our beautiful house, where our fathers praised thee, is burned up with fire: and all our pleasant things are laid waste.
12Wilt thou refrain thyself for these things, O Lord? wilt thou hold thy peace, and afflict us very sore?
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Isaiah 64.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The church prays that God's power may be manifested. (1-5). A confession of sin, and afflictions bewailed. (6-12).
vv1-5
They desire that God would manifest himself to them and for them, so that all may see it. This is applicable to the second coming of Christ, when the Lord himself shall descend from heaven. They plead what God had used to do, and had declared his gracious purpose to do, for his people. They need not fear being disappointed of it, for it is sure; or disappointed in it, for it is sufficient. The happiness of his people is bound up in what God has designed for them, and is preparing for them, and preparing them for; what he has done or will do. Can we believe this, and then think any thing too great to expect from his truth, power, and love? It is spiritual and cannot be comprehended by human understanding. It is ever ready. See what communion there is between a gracious God and a gracious soul. We must make conscience of doing our duty in every thing the Lord our God requires. Thou meetest him; this speaks his freeness and forwardness in doing them good. Though God has been angry with us for our sins, and justly, yet his anger has soon ended; but in his favour is life, which goes on and continues, and on that we depend for our salvation.
vv6-12
The people of God, in affliction, confess and bewail their sins, owning themselves unworthy of his mercy. Sin is that abominable thing which the Lord hates. Our deeds, whatever they may seem to be, if we think to merit by them at God's hand, are as rags, and will not cover us; filthy rags, and will but defile us. Even our few good works in which there is real excellence, as fruits of the Spirit, are so defective and defiled as done by us, that they need to be washed in the fountain open for sin and uncleanness. It bodes ill when prayer is kept back. To pray, is by faith to take hold of the promises the Lord has made of his good-will to us, and to plead them; to take hold of him, earnestly begging him not to leave us; or soliciting his return. They brought their troubles upon themselves by their own folly. Sinners are blasted, and then carried away, by the wind of their own iniquity; it withers and then ruins them. When they made themselves as an unclean thing, no wonder that God loathed them. Foolish and careless as we are, poor and despised, yet still Thou art our Father. It is the wrath of a Father we are under, who will be reconciled; and the relief our case requires is expected only from him. They refer themselves to God. They do not say, "Lord, rebuke us not," for that may be necessary; but, "Not in thy displeasure." They state their lamentable condition. See what ruin sin brings upon a people; and an outward profession of holiness will be no defence against it. God's people presume not to tell him what he shall say, but their prayer is, Speak for the comfort and relief of thy people. How few call upon the Lord with their whole hearts, or stir themselves to lay hold upon him! God may delay for a time to answer our prayers, but he will, in the end, answer those who call on his name and hope in his mercy.
Key Words
לוּא: a conditional particle; if; by implication (interj. as a wish) would that!
קָרַע: to rend, literally or figuratively (revile, paint the eyes, as if enlarging them)
שָׁמַיִם: the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies revolve)
יָרַד: to descend (literally, to go downwards; or conventionally to a lower region, as the shore, a boundary, the enemy, etc.; or figuratively, to fall); causatively, to bring down (in all the above applications)
הַר: a mountain or range of hills (sometimes used figuratively)
זָלַל: to shake (as in the wind), i.e. to quake; figuratively, to be loose morally, worthless or prodigal
מִן: properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses
פָּנִים: the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.)
אֵשׁ: fire (literally or figuratively)
קָדַח: to inflame
Cross References
Isaiah 64Paul adapts this text to describe the spiritual and gospel blessings prepared by God.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Repeats the intimate appeal to God as Father, continuing the community lament from the prior chapter.
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Uses the identical metaphor of the potter and the clay to declare God's absolute sovereignty.
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Parallel poetic plea for God to bow or rend the heavens and touch the mountains.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Prophetic description of mountains melting and flowing down under the presence of Yahweh.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Alludes to Sinai where the mountains melted and shook at the presence of the Lord.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Echoes the imagery of mountains melting like wax at the presence of the Lord.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Refers to the 'terrible' or 'marvelous' things God did during Israel's early history.
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Peter's statement echoes 'him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness' being accepted by God.
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Parallel theme of waiting for God in the path of His judgments and remembering His name.
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Paul utilizes the clay and potter imagery to argue for God's sovereign mercy.
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A similar desperate lament pleading that we are called by His name.
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A parallel corporate lament asking why God is angry forever against His pasture sheep.
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Lamentations describes the historical fulfillment of the beautiful house of God being burned.
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Draws on the key Hebrew phrase of 'taking hold' of God's strength.
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Illuminates God holding His peace or refraining Himself before He acts.
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