Isaiah 64
64
A Cry for Revival
1God, if only you would tear open
the heavenly realm and come down!
How the mountains would tremble # 64:1 See Judg. 5:5; Hab. 3:6. Mountains can also symbolize governments and kingdoms. There is one King and one kingdom that rises above every other mountain (see Isa. 2:1–5).
in your awesome presence! # 64:1 Or “before your faces.”
2In the same way that fire sets kindling to blaze
and causes water to boil,
let the fire of your presence # 64:2 Fire is a frequent metaphor for the presence of God. See Gen. 3:24; Ex. 3:1–2; Isa. 4:5; 6:6; 10:16–17; 29:6; 30:27, 30; 31:9; 33:14; 66:15–16; Acts 2:3; Heb. 12:29. come down.
Reveal to your enemies your mighty name
and cause the nations to tremble before you!
3When you did amazing wonders we didn’t expect,
you came down,
and mountains shuddered in your presence!
4These amazing things had never been heard of before;
you did things never dreamed of!
No one perceived your greatness.
No eye has ever seen a God like you, # 64:4 See 1 John 1:1–4.
who intervenes for those # 64:4 Or “who works on behalf of those.”
who wait and long # 64:4 The Hebrew word chakah implies waiting with trusting anticipation (longing). for you! # 64:4 Or “him.” See Isa. 40:31; 1 Cor. 2:9–10.
5Those who delight in doing what is right—
you go out to meet # 64:5 Or “you attack them [with kindness].” them with kindness.
They remember you and cherish your ways.
You showed your anger
when we sinned again and again,
yet we can be saved. # 64:5 Or, as a question, “How can we be saved?” There is no verse in Isaiah that is more perplexing and difficult to translate than this one. The exact Hebrew meaning is uncertain.
Sin Is Our Problem
6We have all become contaminated with sin,
and you see our self-righteousness as nothing better
than a menstrual rag.
We are all like fallen leaves,
and our sins sweep us away like the wind. # 64:6 The implication is that we are whirled along by the wind of our sins.
7No one calls on your name
or presses in to lay hold of you,
for you have hidden your face from us.
You have let us be ruined # 64:7 Or “melted.” by our own sins.
The Master Potter
8Yet still, Yahweh, you are our Father.
We are like clay and you are our Potter.
Each one of us is the creative, artistic work of your hands.
9Yahweh, don’t be angry with us!
Don’t remember our sins again forever!
Please look at us; we are your people.
10Your sacred cities are abandoned like a desert;
Zion is a wasteland; Jerusalem sits in ruins.
11Our holy temple, our source of pride,
where our ancestors sang your praise,
has been consumed by fire.
All that we held dear has been destroyed.
12Now, Yahweh, after all this, are you still unmoved?
Will you continue to stand silently by
and afflict us so severely?
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Isaiah 64: TPT
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Learn More About The Passion TranslationIsaiah 64
64
1#sn In BHS the chapter division occurs in a different place from the English Bible: 64:1 ET (63:19b HT) and 64:2-12 (64:1-11 HT). Beginning with 65:1 the verse numbers in the English Bible and the Hebrew Bible are again the same. If only you would tear apart the sky#tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context. and come down!
The mountains would tremble#tn Or “quake.” נָזֹלּוּ (nazollu) is from the verbal root זָלַל (zalal, “quake”; see HALOT 272 s.v. II זלל). Perhaps there is a verbal allusion to Judg 5:5, the only other passage where this verb occurs. In that passage the poet tells how the Lord’s appearance to do battle caused the mountains to shake. before you!
2 (64:1) As when fire ignites dry wood,
or fire makes water boil,
let your adversaries know who you are,#tn Heb “to make known your name to your adversaries.” Perhaps the infinitive construct with preposition -לְ (lamed) should be construed with “come down” in v. 1a, or subordinated to the following line: “To make known your name to your adversaries, let the nations shake from before you.”
and may the nations shake at your presence!
3 When you performed awesome deeds that took us by surprise,#tn Heb “[for which] we were not waiting.”
you came down, and the mountains trembled#tn See the note at v. 1. before you.
4 Since ancient times no one has heard or perceived,#tn Heb “from ancient times they have not heard, they have not listened.”
no eye has seen any God besides you,
who intervenes for those who wait for him.
5 You assist#tn Heb “meet [with kindness].” those who delight in doing what is right,#tn Heb “the one who rejoices and does righteousness.”
who observe your commandments.#tn Heb “in your ways they remember you.”
Look, you were angry because we violated them continually.
How then can we be saved?#tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “look, you were angry and we sinned against them continually [or perhaps, “in ancient times”] and we were delivered.” The statement makes little sense as it stands. The first vav [ו] consecutive (“and we sinned”) must introduce an explanatory clause here (see Num 1:48 and Isa 39:1 for other examples of this relatively rare use of the vav [ו] consecutive). The final verb (if rendered positively) makes no sense in this context – God’s anger at their sin resulted in judgment, not deliverance. One of the alternatives involves an emendation to וַנִּרְשָׁע (vannirsha’, “and we were evil”; LXX, NRSV, TEV). The Vulgate and the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa support the MT reading. One can either accept an emendation or cast the statement as a question (as above).
6 We are all like one who is unclean,
all our so-called righteous acts are like a menstrual rag in your sight.#tn Heb “and like a garment of menstruation [are] all our righteous acts”; KJV, NIV “filthy rags”; ASV “a polluted garment.”
We all wither like a leaf;
our sins carry us away like the wind.
7 No one invokes#tn Or “calls out in”; NASB, NIV, NRSV “calls on.” your name,
or makes an effort#tn Or “rouses himself”; NASB “arouses himself.” to take hold of you.
For you have rejected us#tn Heb “for you have hidden your face from us.”
and handed us over to our own sins.#tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “and you caused us to melt in the hand of our sin.” The verb וַתְּמוּגֵנוּ (vattÿmugenu) is a Qal preterite 2nd person masculine singular with a 1st person common plural suffix from the root מוּג (mug, “melt”). However, elsewhere the Qal of this verb is intransitive. If the verbal root מוּג (mug) is retained here, the form should be emended to a Polel pattern (וַתְּמֹגְגֵנוּ, vattÿmogÿgenu). The translation assumes an emendation to וַתְּמַגְּנֵנוּ (vattÿmaggÿnenu, “and you handed us over”). This form is a Piel preterite 2nd person masculine singular with a 1st person common plural suffix from the verbal root מִגֵּן (miggen, “hand over, surrender”; see HALOT 545 s.v. מגן and BDB 171 s.v. מָגָן). The point is that God has abandoned them to their sinful ways and no longer seeks reconciliation.
8 Yet,#tn On the force of וְעַתָּה (vÿ’attah) here, see HALOT 902 s.v. עַתָּה. Lord, you are our father.
We are the clay, and you are our potter;
we are all the product of your labor.#tn Heb “the work of your hand.”
9 Lord, do not be too angry!
Do not hold our sins against us continually!#tn Heb “do not remember sin continually.”
Take a good look at your people, at all of us!#tn Heb “Look, gaze at your people, all of us.” Another option is to translate, “Take a good look! We are all your people.”
10 Your chosen#tn Heb “holy” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV, NLT); NIV “sacred.” cities have become a desert;
Zion has become a desert,
Jerusalem#map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4. is a desolate ruin.
11 Our holy temple, our pride and joy,#tn Heb “our source of pride.”
the place where our ancestors praised you,
has been burned with fire;
all our prized possessions have been destroyed.#tn Or “all that we valued has become a ruin.”
12 In light of all this,#tn Heb “because of these”; KJV, ASV “for these things.” how can you still hold back, Lord?
How can you be silent and continue to humiliate us?
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