Isaiah 64
64
1Why don't you tear the sky apart and come down? The mountains would see you and shake with fear. 2They would tremble like water boiling over a hot fire. Come and reveal your power to your enemies, and make the nations tremble at your presence! 3There was a time when you came and did terrifying things that we did not expect; the mountains saw you and shook with fear. 4#1 Cor 2.9No one has ever seen or heard of a God like you, who does such deeds for those who put their hope in him. 5You welcome those who find joy in doing what is right, those who remember how you want them to live. You were angry with us, but we went on sinning; in spite of your great anger we have continued to do wrong since ancient times.#64.5 Probable text in spite of… ancient times; Hebrew unclear. 6All of us have been sinful; even our best actions are filthy through and through. Because of our sins we are like leaves that wither and are blown away by the wind. 7No one turns to you in prayer; no one goes to you for help. You have hidden yourself from us and have abandoned#64.7 Some ancient translations abandoned; Hebrew melted. us because of our sins.
8But you are our father, LORD. We are like clay, and you are like the potter. You created us, 9so do not be too angry with us or hold our sins against us for ever. We are your people; be merciful to us. 10Your sacred cities are like a desert; Jerusalem is a deserted ruin, 11and our Temple, the sacred and beautiful place where our ancestors praised you, has been destroyed by fire. All the places we loved are in ruins. 12LORD, are you unmoved by all this? Are you going to do nothing and make us suffer more than we can endure?
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Isaiah 64: GNBUK
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.
Isaiah 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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