Isaiah 64

1 I would that thou brakest heavens, and camest down, that hills floated away from thy face, (O that thou wouldest break open the heavens, and come down, and that the hills would flow down before thee,)

2 and failed, [(or) vanish(ed) away,] as the burning of fire, and (as) [waters] burnt in (the) fire; that thy name were made known to thine enemies, and folks were troubled of thy face. (and tremble, and perish, like something burned in the fire, or like water boiled by the fire; so that thy name was made known to thy enemies, and the nations were troubled before thee.)

3 When thou shalt do marvels, we shall not abide. Thou camest down, and hills floated away from thy face. (There was a time when thou camest down, and did terrible things, which we did not expect; and the hills flowed down before thee.)

4 From the world they heard not, neither perceived with ears; God, none eye saw, without thee, what things thou hast made ready to them that abide thee. (From the beginning of the world, none have heard of, nor have perceived with their ears; and not one eye hath seen anyone besides thee, O God, who hath made such things as thou hast, for those who wait for thee.)

5 Thou mettest him that is glad, and doeth rightfulness; in thy ways they shall bethink on thee. Lo! thou art wroth, and we sinned; in those sins we were ever, and we shall be saved. (Thou meetest him who is happy to do what is right; yea, all those who remember thee in thy ways. But lo! thou wast angry, for we sinned; and we were ever in those sins.)

6 And all we be made as an unclean man; all our rightfulnesses be as the cloth of a woman in menstruation, or unclean blood; and all we fell down as a leaf, and our wickednesses, as (the) wind, have taken away us. (And we all be made like an unclean man; all our righteousnesses be like the cloth of a woman in menstruation, or in unclean blood; and we all fell down like a leaf, and our wickednesses have taken us away, like the wind.)

7 None is, that calleth thy name to help, that riseth, and holdeth thee; thou hast hid thy face from us, and thou hast hurtled down us in(to) the hand of our wickedness. (There is no one who calleth on thy name for help, or who riseth up, and taketh hold of thee; and so thou hast hid thy face from us, and thou hast hurtled us down into the hand, or the power, of our own wickedness.)

8 And now, Lord, thou art our father; forsooth we be clay, and thou art our maker, and all we be the works of thine hands. (But now, Lord, thou art our father; and we be but clay, and thou art our Maker, and we all be the works of thy hands.)

9 Lord, be thou not wroth (any more than) enough, and have thou no more mind on our wickedness. Lo! Lord, behold thou, all we be thy people. (Lord, be thou not angry any more than enough, and no more remember thou our wickedness. Lo! Lord, behold thou, we all be thy people.)

10 The city of thy holy, either saintuary, is forsaken, Zion is made desert, Jerusalem is made desolate; (Thy holy cities be deserted, Zion is made a wilderness, Jerusalem is made desolate;)

11 the house of our hallowing and of our glory, where our fathers praised thee, is made into (a) burning of fire; and all our desirable things be turned into fallings. (our glorious holy Temple, where our forefathers praised thee, hath been burned into ashes; and all the things that we desired, or cherished, be turned into ruins.)

12 Lord, whether on these things thou shalt withhold thee? shalt thou be still, and shalt thou torment us greatly? (Lord, shalt thou still withhold thyself after all these things that have happened? shalt thou still be silent, and shalt thou still greatly torment us?)

Isaiah 64 Commentary

Chapter 64

The church prays that God's power may be manifested. (1-5) A confession of sin, and afflictions bewailed. (6-12)

Verses 1-5 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.

Verses 6-12 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.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 64

The prayer of the church is continued in this chapter; in which she prays for some visible display of the power and presence of God, as in times past, Isa 64:1-3, and the rather, since unheard of and unseen things were prepared by the Lord for his people; and it was his usual way to meet those that were truly religious, Isa 64:4,5, and she acknowledges her sins and transgressions; the imperfections of her own righteousness, and remissness in duty, Isa 64:5-7, pleads relation to God, and implores his mercy, Isa 64:8,9, represents the desolate condition of Judea, Zion, Jerusalem, and the temple, and entreats divine commiseration, Isa 64:10-12.