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Selected Verse: Isaiah 64:3 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
Isa 64:3	Strong Concordance	When thou didst [06213] terrible things [03372] which we looked [06960] not for, thou camest down [03381], the mountains [02022] flowed down [02151] at thy presence [06440].
	King James	When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, thou camest down, the mountains flowed down at thy presence.

Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse

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A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
When--Supply from Isa 64:2, "As when." terrible things-- (Psa 65:5). we looked not for--far exceeding the expectation of any of our nation; unparalleled before (Exo 34:10; Psa 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).

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

When--Supply from Isa 64:2, "As when."

terrible things-- (Psa 65:5).

we looked not for--far exceeding the expectation of any of our nation; unparalleled before (Exo 34:10; Psa 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).

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
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 right to expect. Thou camest down - As on Mount Sinai. The mountains flowed down - (See the notes above). The reference is to the manifestations of smoke and fire when Yahweh descended on Mount Sinai (see Exo 19:18).

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]
The following clause gives the reason for this; ו being very frequently the logical equivalent for kı̄ (e.g., Isa 3:7 and Isa 38:15). The justification of this wish, which is forced from them by the existing misery, is found in the incomparable acts of Jehovah for the good of His own people, which are to be seen in a long series of historical events. Isa 64:3 (4.). "For from olden time men have not heard, nor perceived, nor hath an eye seen, a God beside Thee, who acted on behalf of him that waiteth for Him." No ear, no eye has ever been able to perceive the existence of a God who acted like Jehovah, i.e., really interposed on behalf of those who set their hopes upon Him. This is the explanation adopted by Knobel; but he wrongly supplies נוראות to יעשׂה, whereas עשׂה is used here in the same pregnant sense as in Ps. 22:32; Psa 37:5; 52:11 (cf., gâmar in Psa 57:3; Psa 138:8). It has been objected to this explanation, that האזין is never connected with the accusative of the person, and that God can neither be heard nor seen. But what is terrible in relation to שׁמע in Job 42:5 cannot be untenable in relation to האזין. Hearing and seeing God are here equivalent to recognising His existence through the perception of His works. The explanation favoured by Rosenmller and Stier, viz., "And from olden time men have not heard it, nor perceived with ears, no eye has seen it, O God, beside Thee, what (this God) doth to him that waiteth for Him," is open to still graver objections. The thought is the same as in Psa 31:20, and when so explained it corresponds more exactly to the free quotation in Co1 2:9, which with our explanation there is no necessity to trace back to either Isa 42:15-16, or a lost book, as Origen imagined (see Tischendorf's ed. vii. of the N.T. on this passage). This which no ear has heard, no eye seen, is not God Himself, but He who acts for His people, and justifies their waiting for Him (cf., Hofmann, Die h. Schrift Neuen Testaments, ii. 2, 51). Another proof that Paul had no other passage than this in his mind, is the fact that the same quotation is met with in Clement's Epistle to the Corinthians (ch. 34), where, instead of "those that love Him," we have "those that wait for Him," a literal rendering of למחכּה־לו. The quotation by Paul therefore by no means leads us to take Elohim as a vocative or וגו יעשׂה as the object, although it must not be concealed that this view of the passage and its reference to the fulness of glory in the eternal life is an old rabbinical one, as Rashi expressly affirms, when he appeals to R. Jose (Joseph Kara) as bondsman for the other (see b. Sanhedrin 99a). Hahn has justly objected to this traditional explanation, which regards Elohim as a vocative, that the thought, that God alone has heard and perceived and seen with His eye what He intends to do to His people, is unsuitable in itself, and at variance with the context, and that if וגו יעשׂה was intended as the object, אשר (את) would certainly be inserted. And to this we may add, that we cannot find the words Elohim zūlâthekhâ (God beside Thee) preceded by a negation anywhere in chapters 40-66 without receiving at once the impression, that they affirm the sole deity of Jehovah (comp. Isa 45:5, Isa 45:21). The meaning therefore is, "No other God beside Jehovah has ever been heard or seen, who acted for (ageret pro) those who waited for Him." Mechakkēh is the construct, according to Ges. 116, 1; and ya‛ăsēh has tsere here, according to Kimchi (Michlol 125b) and other testimonies, just as we meet with תעסה four times (in Gen 26:29; Jos 7:9; Sa2 13:12; Jer 40:16) and ונעשׂה once (Jos 9:24), mostly with a disjunctive accent, and not without the influence of a whole or half pause, the form with tsere being regarded as more emphatic than that with seghol. (Note: In addition to the examples given above, we have the following forms of the same kind in kal: ימּצה (with tiphchah) in Jer 17:17; תּראה (with tsakpeh) in Dan 1:13, compare תּגלּה (with athnach) in Lev 18:7-8, and תגלּה (with the smaller disjunctive tiphchah) in Lev 18:9-11; ינקּה (with athnach) in Nah 1:3; אזרה (with tsakeph) in Eze 5:12. This influence of the accentuation has escaped the notice of the more modern grammarians (e.g., Ges. 75, Anm. 17).)

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]

The following clause gives the reason for this; ו being very frequently the logical equivalent for kı̄ (e.g., Isa 3:7 and Isa 38:15). The justification of this wish, which is forced from them by the existing misery, is found in the incomparable acts of Jehovah for the good of His own people, which are to be seen in a long series of historical events. Isa 64:3 (4.). "For from olden time men have not heard, nor perceived, nor hath an eye seen, a God beside Thee, who acted on behalf of him that waiteth for Him." No ear, no eye has ever been able to perceive the existence of a God who acted like Jehovah, i.e., really interposed on behalf of those who set their hopes upon Him. This is the explanation adopted by Knobel; but he wrongly supplies נוראות to יעשׂה, whereas עשׂה is used here in the same pregnant sense as in Ps. 22:32; Psa 37:5; 52:11 (cf., gâmar in Psa 57:3; Psa 138:8). It has been objected to this explanation, that האזין is never connected with the accusative of the person, and that God can neither be heard nor seen. But what is terrible in relation to שׁמע in Job 42:5 cannot be untenable in relation to האזין. Hearing and seeing God are here equivalent to recognising His existence through the perception of His works. The explanation favoured by Rosenmller and Stier, viz., "And from olden time men have not heard it, nor perceived with ears, no eye has seen it, O God, beside Thee, what (this God) doth to him that waiteth for Him," is open to still graver objections. The thought is the same as in Psa 31:20, and when so explained it corresponds more exactly to the free quotation in Co1 2:9, which with our explanation there is no necessity to trace back to either Isa 42:15-16, or a lost book, as Origen imagined (see Tischendorf's ed. vii. of the N.T. on this passage). This which no ear has heard, no eye seen, is not God Himself, but He who acts for His people, and justifies their waiting for Him (cf., Hofmann, Die h. Schrift Neuen Testaments, ii. 2, 51). Another proof that Paul had no other passage than this in his mind, is the fact that the same quotation is met with in Clement's Epistle to the Corinthians (ch. 34), where, instead of "those that love Him," we have "those that wait for Him," a literal rendering of למחכּה־לו. The quotation by Paul therefore by no means leads us to take Elohim as a vocative or וגו יעשׂה as the object, although it must not be concealed that this view of the passage and its reference to the fulness of glory in the eternal life is an old rabbinical one, as Rashi expressly affirms, when he appeals to R. Jose (Joseph Kara) as bondsman for the other (see b. Sanhedrin 99a). Hahn has justly objected to this traditional explanation, which regards Elohim as a vocative, that the thought, that God alone has heard and perceived and seen with His eye what He intends to do to His people, is unsuitable in itself, and at variance with the context, and that if וגו יעשׂה was intended as the object, אשר (את) would certainly be inserted. And to this we may add, that we cannot find the words Elohim zūlâthekhâ (God beside Thee) preceded by a negation anywhere in chapters 40-66 without receiving at once the impression, that they affirm the sole deity of Jehovah (comp. Isa 45:5, Isa 45:21). The meaning therefore is, "No other God beside Jehovah has ever been heard or seen, who acted for (ageret pro) those who waited for Him." Mechakkēh is the construct, according to Ges. 116, 1; and ya‛ăsēh has tsere here, according to Kimchi (Michlol 125b) and other testimonies, just as we meet with תעסה four times (in Gen 26:29; Jos 7:9; Sa2 13:12; Jer 40:16) and ונעשׂה once (Jos 9:24), mostly with a disjunctive accent, and not without the influence of a whole or half pause, the form with tsere being regarded as more emphatic than that with seghol.

(Note: In addition to the examples given above, we have the following forms of the same kind in kal: ימּצה (with tiphchah) in Jer 17:17; תּראה (with tsakpeh) in Dan 1:13, compare תּגלּה (with athnach) in Lev 18:7-8, and תגלּה (with the smaller disjunctive tiphchah) in Lev 18:9-11; ינקּה (with athnach) in Nah 1:3; אזרה (with tsakeph) in Eze 5:12. This influence of the accentuation has escaped the notice of the more modern grammarians (e.g., Ges. 75, Anm. 17).)

Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65]
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, princes, and potentates, may metaphorically be understood by these mountains.

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² As when the melting [02003] fire [0784] burneth [06919], the fire [0784] causeth the waters [04325] to boil [01158], to make thy name [08034] known [03045] to thine adversaries [06862], that the nations [01471] may tremble [07264] at thy presence [06440]!

¹ Oh [03863] that thou wouldest rend [07167] the heavens [08064], that thou wouldest come down [03381], that the mountains [02022] might flow down [02151] at thy presence [06440],

⁸ The earth [0776] shook [07493], the heavens [08064] also dropped [05197] at the presence [06440] of God [0430]: even Sinai [05514] itself [02088] was moved at the presence [06440] of God [0430], the God [0430] of Israel [03478].

¹⁰ And he said [0559], Behold, I make [03772] a covenant [01285]: before all thy people [05971] I will do [06213] marvels [06381], such as have not been done [01254] in all the earth [0776], nor in any nation [01471]: and all the people [05971] among [07130] which thou art shall see [07200] the work [04639] of the LORD [03068]: for it is a terrible thing [03372] that I will do [06213] with thee.

⁵ By terrible things [03372] in righteousness [06664] wilt thou answer [06030] us, O God [0430] of our salvation [03468]; who art the confidence [04009] of all the ends [07099] of the earth [0776], and of them that are afar off [07350] upon the sea [03220]:

¹⁸ And mount [02022] Sinai [05514] was altogether on a smoke [06225], because [06440] [0834] the LORD [03068] descended [03381] upon it in fire [0784]: and the smoke [06227] thereof ascended [05927] as the smoke [06227] of a furnace [03536], and the whole mount [02022] quaked [02729] greatly [03966].

¹² A third part [07992] of thee shall die [04191] with the pestilence [01698], and with famine [07458] shall they be consumed [03615] in the midst [08432] of thee: and a third part [07992] shall fall [05307] by the sword [02719] round about [05439] thee; and I will scatter [02219] a third part [07992] into all the winds [07307], and I will draw out [07324] a sword [02719] after [0310] them.

³ The LORD [03068] is slow [0750] to anger [0639], and great [01419] in power [03581], and will not at all [05352] acquit [05352] the wicked: the LORD [03068] hath his way [01870] in the whirlwind [05492] and in the storm [08183], and the clouds [06051] are the dust [080] of his feet [07272].

⁹ The nakedness [06172] of thy sister [0269], the daughter [01323] of thy father [01], or daughter [01323] of thy mother [0517], whether she be born [04138] at home [01004], or born [04138] abroad [02351], even their nakedness [06172] thou shalt not uncover [01540].
¹⁰ The nakedness [06172] of thy son's [01121] daughter [01323], or of thy daughter's [01323] daughter [01323], even their nakedness [06172] thou shalt not uncover [01540]: for theirs [02007] is thine own nakedness [06172].
¹¹ The nakedness [06172] of thy father's [01] wife's [0802] daughter [01323], begotten [04138] of thy father [01], she is thy sister [0269], thou shalt not uncover [01540] her nakedness [06172].

⁷ The nakedness [06172] of thy father [01], or the nakedness [06172] of thy mother [0517], shalt thou not uncover [01540]: she is thy mother [0517]; thou shalt not uncover [01540] her nakedness [06172].
⁸ The nakedness [06172] of thy father's [01] wife [0802] shalt thou not uncover [01540]: it is thy father's [01] nakedness [06172].

¹³ Then let our countenances [04758] be looked upon [07200] before [06440] thee, and the countenance [04758] of the children [03206] that eat [0398] of the portion [06598] of the king's [04428] meat [06598]: and as thou seest [07200], deal [06213] with thy servants [05650].

¹⁷ Be not a terror [04288] unto me: thou art my hope [04268] in the day [03117] of evil [07451].

²⁴ And they answered [06030] Joshua [03091], and said [0559], Because it was certainly [05046] told [05046] thy servants [05650], how that the LORD [03068] thy God [0430] commanded [06680] his servant [05650] Moses [04872] to give [05414] you all the land [0776], and to destroy [08045] all the inhabitants [03427] of the land [0776] from before [06440] you, therefore we were sore [03966] afraid [03372] of our lives [05315] because [06440] of you, and have done [06213] this thing [01697].

¹⁶ But Gedaliah [01436] the son [01121] of Ahikam [0296] said [0559] unto Johanan [03110] the son [01121] of Kareah [07143], Thou shalt not do [06213] this thing [01697]: for thou speakest [01696] falsely [08267] of Ishmael [03458].

¹² And she answered [0559] him, Nay, my brother [0251], do not force [06031] me; for no such thing ought [03651] to be done [06213] in Israel [03478]: do [06213] not thou this folly [05039].

⁹ For the Canaanites [03669] and all the inhabitants [03427] of the land [0776] shall hear [08085] of it, and shall environ us round [05437], and cut off [03772] our name [08034] from the earth [0776]: and what wilt thou do [06213] unto thy great [01419] name [08034]?

²⁹ That thou wilt do [06213] us no hurt [07451], as we have not touched [05060] thee, and as we have done [06213] unto thee nothing but [07535] good [02896], and have sent thee away [07971] in peace [07965]: thou art now [06258] the blessed [01288] of the LORD [03068].

²¹ Tell [05046] ye, and bring them near [05066]; yea, let them take counsel [03289] together [03162]: who hath declared [08085] this from ancient time [06924]? who hath told [05046] it from that time? have not I the LORD [03068]? and there is no God [0430] else beside [01107] me; a just [06662] God [0410] and a Saviour [03467]; there is none [0369] beside [02108] me.

⁵ I am the LORD [03068], and there is none else, there is no God [0430] beside [02108] me: I girded [0247] thee, though thou hast not known [03045] me:

¹⁵ I will make waste [02717] mountains [02022] and hills [01389], and dry up [03001] all their herbs [06212]; and I will make [07760] the rivers [05104] islands [0339], and I will dry up [03001] the pools [098].
¹⁶ And I will bring [03212] the blind [05787] by a way [01870] that they knew [03045] not; I will lead [01869] them in paths [05410] that they have not known [03045]: I will make [07760] darkness [04285] light [0216] before [06440] them, and crooked things [04625] straight [04334]. These things [01697] will I do [06213] unto them, and not forsake [05800] them.

⁹ But [235] as [2531] it is written [1125], [3739] Eye [3788] hath [1492] not [3756] seen [1492], nor [2532] [3756] ear [3775] heard [191], neither [2532] [3756] have entered [305] into [1909] the heart [2588] of man [444], the things which [3739] God [2316] hath prepared [2090] for them that love [25] him [846].

²⁰ Thou shalt hide [05641] them in the secret [05643] of thy presence [06440] from the pride [07407] of man [0376]: thou shalt keep them secretly [06845] in a pavilion [05521] from the strife [07379] of tongues [03956].

⁵ I have heard [08085] of thee by the hearing [08088] of the ear [0241]: but now mine eye [05869] seeth [07200] thee.

⁸ The LORD [03068] will perfect [01584] that which concerneth me: thy mercy [02617], O LORD [03068], endureth for ever [05769]: forsake [07503] not the works [04639] of thine own hands [03027].

³ He shall send [07971] from heaven [08064], and save [03467] me from the reproach [02778] of him that would swallow me up [07602]. Selah [05542]. God [0430] shall send forth [07971] his mercy [02617] and his truth [0571].

⁵ Commit [01556] thy way [01870] unto the LORD [03068]; trust [0982] also in him; and he shall bring it to pass [06213].

³ When thou didst [06213] terrible things [03372] which we looked [06960] not for, thou camest down [03381], the mountains [02022] flowed down [02151] at thy presence [06440].

¹⁵ What shall I say [01696]? he hath both spoken [0559] unto me, and himself hath done [06213] it: I shall go softly [01718] all my years [08141] in the bitterness [04751] of my soul [05315].

⁷ In that day [03117] shall he swear [05375], saying [0559], I will not be an healer [02280]; for in my house [01004] is neither bread [03899] nor clothing [08071]: make [07760] me not a ruler [07101] of the people [05971].