5 Thou meetest H6293 him that rejoiceth H7797 and worketh H6213 righteousness, H6664 those that remember H2142 thee in thy ways: H1870 behold, thou art wroth; H7107 for we have sinned: H2398 in those is continuance, H5769 and we shall be saved. H3467
For we are consumed H3615 by thine anger, H639 and by thy wrath H2534 are we troubled. H926 Thou hast set H7896 our iniquities H5771 before thee, our secret H5956 sins in the light H3974 of thy countenance. H6440 For all our days H3117 are passed away H6437 in thy wrath: H5678 we spend H3615 our years H8141 as a tale H1899 that is told.
I have surely H8085 heard H8085 Ephraim H669 bemoaning H5110 himself thus; Thou hast chastised H3256 me, and I was chastised, H3256 as a bullock H5695 unaccustomed H3808 H3925 to the yoke: turn H7725 thou me, and I shall be turned; H7725 for thou art the LORD H3068 my God. H430 Surely after H310 that I was turned, H7725 I repented; H5162 and after H310 that I was instructed, H3045 I smote H5606 upon my thigh: H3409 I was ashamed, H954 yea, even confounded, H3637 because I did bear H5375 the reproach H2781 of my youth. H5271 Is Ephraim H669 my dear H3357 son? H1121 is he a pleasant H8191 child? H3206 for since H1767 I spake H1696 against him, I do earnestly H2142 remember H2142 him still: therefore my bowels H4578 are troubled H1993 for him; I will surely H7355 have mercy H7355 upon him, saith H5002 the LORD. H3068
Brethren, G80 I G1473 count G3049 not G3756 myself G1683 to have apprehended: G2638 but G1161 this one thing G1520 I do, forgetting G1950 those things G3303 which are behind, G3694 and G1161 reaching forth unto G1901 those things which are before, G1715 I press G1377 toward G2596 the mark G4649 for G1909 the prize G1017 of the high G507 calling G2821 of God G2316 in G1722 Christ G5547 Jesus. G2424 Let G5426 us therefore, G3767 as many as G3745 be perfect, G5046 be G5426 thus G5124 minded: G5426 and G2532 if in any thing G1536 ye be G5426 otherwise G2088 minded, G5426 God G2316 shall reveal G601 even G2532 this G5124 unto you. G5213
A devout G2152 man, and G2532 one that feared G5399 God G2316 with G4862 all G3956 his G846 house, G3624 which G5037 gave G4160 much G4183 alms G1654 to the people, G2992 and G2532 prayed G1189 to God G2316 alway. G1275 He saw G1492 in G1722 a vision G3705 evidently G5320 about G5616 the ninth G1766 hour G5610 of the day G2250 an angel G32 of God G2316 coming in G1525 to G4314 him, G846 and G2532 saying G2036 unto him, G846 Cornelius. G2883 And G1161 when he looked G816 on him, G846 he was G1096 afraid, G1719 and G2532 said, G2036 What G5101 is it, G2076 Lord? G2962 And G1161 he said G2036 unto him, G846 Thy G4675 prayers G4335 and G2532 thine G4675 alms G1654 are come up G305 for G1519 a memorial G3422 before G1799 God. G2316
Thus saith H559 the LORD, H3068 Keep H8104 ye judgment, H4941 and do H6213 justice: H6666 for my salvation H3444 is near H7138 to come, H935 and my righteousness H6666 to be revealed. H1540 Blessed H835 is the man H582 that doeth H6213 this, and the son H1121 of man H120 that layeth hold H2388 on it; that keepeth H8104 the sabbath H7676 from polluting H2490 it, and keepeth H8104 his hand H3027 from doing H6213 any evil. H7451 Neither let the son H1121 of the stranger, H5236 that hath joined H3867 himself to the LORD, H3068 speak, H559 saying, H559 The LORD H3068 hath utterly H914 separated H914 me from his people: H5971 neither let the eunuch H5631 say, H559 Behold, I am a dry H3002 tree. H6086 For thus saith H559 the LORD H3068 unto the eunuchs H5631 that keep H8104 my sabbaths, H7676 and choose H977 the things that please H2654 me, and take hold H2388 of my covenant; H1285 Even unto them will I give H5414 in mine house H1004 and within my walls H2346 a place H3027 and a name H8034 better H2896 than of sons H1121 and of daughters: H1323 I will give H5414 them an everlasting H5769 name, H8034 that shall not be cut off. H3772 Also the sons H1121 of the stranger, H5236 that join H3867 themselves to the LORD, H3068 to serve H8334 him, and to love H157 the name H8034 of the LORD, H3068 to be his servants, H5650 every one that keepeth H8104 the sabbath H7676 from polluting H2490 it, and taketh hold H2388 of my covenant; H1285 Even them will I bring H935 to my holy H6944 mountain, H2022 and make them joyful H8055 in my house H1004 of prayer: H8605 their burnt offerings H5930 and their sacrifices H2077 shall be accepted H7522 upon mine altar; H4196 for mine house H1004 shall be called H7121 an house H1004 of prayer H8605 for all people. H5971
Yea, in the way H734 of thy judgments, H4941 O LORD, H3068 have we waited H6960 for thee; the desire H8378 of our soul H5315 is to thy name, H8034 and to the remembrance H2143 of thee. With my soul H5315 have I desired H183 thee in the night; H3915 yea, with my spirit H7307 within H7130 me will I seek thee early: H7836 for when thy judgments H4941 are in the earth, H776 the inhabitants H3427 of the world H8398 will learn H3925 righteousness. H6664
This shall be a continual H8548 burnt offering H5930 throughout your generations H1755 at the door H6607 of the tabernacle H168 of the congregation H4150 before H6440 the LORD: H3068 where I will meet H3259 you, to speak H1696 there unto thee. And there I will meet H3259 with the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 and the tabernacle shall be sanctified H6942 by my glory. H3519
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)?