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Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Isaiah 64:3

The second part of the verse, being (in the original) verbally repeated from Isaiah 64:1, ought probably to be omitted as a copyist's error. The passage gains in compactness by its excision. Isaiah 64:1 will then form a single sentence, the last clause of which runs: while thou doest terrible things which we hoped not for; i.e. surpassing all our expectations.

terrible things A standing phrase, as Cheyne remarks, for the marvels of the Exodus, the type of the great final deliverance. Cf. Deuteronomy 10:21; 2 Samuel 7:23; Psalms 106:22.

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See also Isaiah 64:3 in other biblical comments:

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    WHEN THOU DIDST TERRIBLE THINGS - In delivering the people from Egypt, and in conducting them to the promised land. WHICH WE LOOKED NOT FOR - Which we had never before witnessed, and which we had no...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 63:7-19-64:12 The Great Intercessory Prayer 1. _Jehovah's loving kindness and power in the past remembered (Isaiah 63:7) _ 2. _Their deepest need (Isaiah 63:15) _ 3. The cry of faith, Thou ar...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    ISAIAH 63:15 TO ISAIAH 64:9. A FERVENT PRAYER TO YAHWEH TO INTERVENE AGAIN FOR HIS CHILDREN. The appeal rings like a litany, reminding Yahweh, who has withdrawn into His glorious heavenly palace, of H...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    WHEN THOU DIDST TERRIBLE THINGS. Reference to Pentateuch (Exodus 34:10, same word)....

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    OH THAT THOU WOULDST REND, &C.— _Wouldst rend,_ &c. Isaiah 64:2 _as the fire kindleth the dry fuel; as the fire causeth the waters to boil,_ &c. Lowth. The ideas are here taken from the descent of God...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    D. RESTLESSNESS OF ZION (cont-'d), Chapter S 63 - 64 4. PENITENTLY VEXED TEXT: Isaiah 64:1-7 1 Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might quake a...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, thou camest down, the mountains flowed down at thy presence. WHEN THOU DIDST. Supply from Isaiah 64:2, As when, etc. TERRIBLE THINGS - (P...

  • Darby's translation notes (1890)

    64:3 down (b-18) Or 'quake.' didst (c-3) Or 'doest.' down, (d-13) Or 'comest down.'...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    1-3. The imagery is taken from the account of the divine manifestation at Sinai (Exodus 19:18)....

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    These verses contain a series of word pictures that describe the effect of God’s arrival....

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    ISAIAH: GOD CONTROLS THE NATIONS GOD’S PROMISES TO HIS SPECIAL PEOPLE ISAIAH CHAPTER S 58 TO 66 _NORMAN HILLYER_ CHAPTER 64 This chapter continues the people’s desperate prayer, which began at...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    ‘In the past’ refers in particular to the time of Moses when the people escaped from Egypt (see the Book of Exodus). The ‘wonderful deeds’ were all for the benefit of God’s people. God did these thing...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    WHEN THOU DIDST TERRIBLE THINGS... — The latter clause, “thou camest down ...” is supposed by some critics to be an accidental repetition from Isaiah 64:1. By others it is taken as an intentional repe...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    _[Isaiah 64:2]_ בַּ עֲשֹׂותְךָ֥ נֹורָאֹ֖ות לֹ֣א נְקַוֶּ֑ה...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    CHAPTER XXV A LAST INTERCESSION AND THE JUDGMENT Isaiah 63:7 through Isaiah 66:1 WE might well have thought, that with the section we have been considering the prophecy of Israel's Redemption had re...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    A CRY FOR PARDON Isaiah 64:1-12 _The great past_, Isaiah 64:1-5. We are introduced to the prophet's oratory and hear the outpourings of his heart. As he recalls the story of bygone days, he asks that...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    The praise and confession merge into a prayer in which the sore need of the people is first described, and then a cry full of intense anguish is lifted for the dawning of the day when Jehovah will act...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Bear. Exodus xx. 18. Hebrew, "expect." Judas [the Machabee] appeared victorious, when the nation was prostrate._...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    Here is a most fervent, animated prayer, in which the Church petitions her Lord, that by the sovereignty of his grace, and the outpouring of his Holy Spirit, he would so come forth, and come down in t...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    3._Terrible things which we did not look for. _He says that the Israelites saw what they did not at all expect; for, although God had forewarned them, and had given them experience of his power in man...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 64 AND 65. The next two Chapter s give us a full revelation of the dealings of God in answer to this appeal. First of all, God, through His grace, had been so...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    WHEN THOU DIDST TERRIBLE THINGS, WHICH WE LOOKED NOT FOR, THOU CAMEST DOWN,.... Referring to the wonderful things God did in Egypt, at the Red sea, and in the wilderness, and particularly at Mount Sin...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    When thou didst terrible things [which] we looked not for, thou camest down, the mountains flowed down at thy presence. Ver. 3. _When thou didst terrible things._] Or, As when thou didst &c.; as thou...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _When thou didst terrible things_ This may relate to what he did first in Egypt, and afterward in the wilderness; _which we looked not for_ Such things as we could not have expected; _the mountains fl...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, such as the visible coming of the Lord to the final Judgment will be, THOU CAMEST DOWN, THE MOUNTAINS FLOWED DOWN AT THY PRESENCE, with an unpa...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    V. 1. OH, THAT THOU WOULDEST REND THE HEAVENS, so the suppliant now begs the Lord, THAT THOU WOULDEST COME DOWN, bursting forth to execute vengeance, suddenly descending on Thy people's foes, THAT THE...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    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...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    WHEN THOU DIDST TERRIBLE THINGS: this may relate to what he did among the Egyptians, though it be not recorded, and afterward in the wilderness. WHICH WE LOOKED NOT FOR, viz. our forefathers, of whose...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Isaiah 64:3 did H6213 (H8800) things H3372 (H8737) look H6960 (H8762) down H3381 (H8804) mountains...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    ISAIAH'S HEART CRY TO YAHWEH FOR HIM TO WORK DRAMATICALLY (ISAIAH 64:1). Isaiah 64:1 ‘Oh that you would rend the heavens, that you would come down, That the mountains might flow down at your presen...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    Isaiah 64:1. _Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence, as when the melting fire burneth,_ Or, much better, «as when th...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Fear and hope of remnant of Israel in day of vengeance. CHARACTERS: God, Christ. CONCLUSION: The remnant of Israel in the day of Christ's vengeance will bewail their sins, thereby justifyi...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Isaiah 64:1. A new scene of prophetic events opens here, where the prophet in time of trouble cries the more in spirit to the Messiah. _Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens and come down._ It is str...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _When Thou didst terrible things_ “TERRIBLE THINGS” A standing phrase for the marvels of the Exodus, the type of the great final deliverance (Deuteronomy 10:21; 2Sa Psalms 106:22). (_Prof. T. K. Ch...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION ISAIAH 64:1 ISRAEL'S PRAYER CONTINUED AND CONCLUDED. Not content with praying God to look upon them once more with favour (Isaiah 63:15), Israel now asks for a theophany, or manifesta

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Oh that you would rend the heavens, that you would come down, and that the mountains might flow down at thy presence, As when the melting fire burns, the fire causes the waters to boil, and makes thy...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    2 Samuel 7:23; Deuteronomy 10:21; Deuteronomy 4:34; Exodus 34:10;...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Terrible things — This may relate to what he did among the Egyptians, tho' it be not recorded, and afterward in the wilderness. Looked not for — Such things as we could never expect. Mountains — Kings...

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