Westminster Annotations, Isaiah · Chapter 64
CHAP. LXIIII.
Vers. 1. OH that thou wouldest rent the heavens] That thou wouldest, by thy mightie power, declare thy love to thy Church: descending again, as thou sometime didst at the giving of the law. Exod. 19. 18. Psal. 68. 2, 8.
the mountains might flow down] Or, melt. Vers. 3. Chap. 34. 3. Mic. 1. 4. Alluding to the manner of burning hils, such as Etna in Sicilie, and Soma in Italie, which breaking out, are wont to runne down with streams of fire and sulphurie matter, into the seas beside them, and valleys beneath them.
V. 2. As when the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the waters to boyl] Heb. the fire of meltings burneth. or, fire burneth the meltings. As the fire maketh the metall to run, when it is cast: and the boyling water to rise in bubbles.
V. 3. When thou didst terrible things] Exod. 34. 10.
the mountains flowed down] Or, melted. Vers. 1. Jud. 5. 5. Psal. 97. 5. Hab. 3. 6.
V. 4. For] Heb. And. as Chap. 9. 11.
men have not heard. &c.] Psal 31. 19. 1 Cor. 2. 9.
neither hath the eye seen, O God, besides thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him] Or, seen a God besides thee, which doth so for him, &c.
what he hath prepared for him, &c.] Such things hast thou done for thy Church, as the like were never known. Chap. 52. 15.
that waiteth for him] That patiently waiteth and dependeth upon thee. Chap. 8. 17. & 30 28.
V. 5. Thou meetest him that rejoyceth, &c.] Or, thou didst meet him, that rejoyced and wrought (or, rejoyced to work) righteousnesse; and those that remembred. Thou shewedst favour to our forefathers, according to their own hearts desire. when they served thee cheerfully, and delighted in well doing. Deut. 16. 11, 14, 15. & 28. 47. Psal. 37. 4. & 68. 3. & 112. 1. Or, thou wast beneficiall to Abraham, who rejoyced in thy favour, and walked uprightly. Gen. 15. 1. & 17. 1, 17. Chap. 41. 2. John 8. 56.
those that remember thee in thy wayes] Those that remembred thee, and returned unto thee, in the time of their afflictions. Deut. 30. 1, 2, 3. 2 Chron. 15. 4. Psalm 22. 27. Chap. 26. 8, 9, 13, 16. Or, th…se that were mindefull of thee, and carefull to walk in thy wayes. Deut. 8. 1-19. Psal. 119. 1, 2. & 128. 1. Eccl. 12. 1, 13.
for] Heb. and. as Psal. 108. 12. Chap. 53. 2, 11. or, because. as Chap. 57. 17.
in those is continuance, and we shall be saved] Or, that we may be saved. as Chap. 53. 2. Mal. 1. 9. Thou continuest constant in those thy courses, to work thereby our salvation. Rom. 2. 4. 1 Cor. 11. 32. Or, if we did continue constant in those thy wayes, we also should be saved. Deut. 30. 20. Chap. 38. 16.
V. 6. we are all as an unclean thing] Worthy therefore to be cast away, and sequestred from thy sight. Levit. 13. 45, 46. Num. 5. 2, 3. & 12. 14. 2 Chron. 26. 20, 21. Chap. 30. 22. Lam. 1. 17. & 4. 14, 15. Hab. 1. 13.
all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags] Those that seem best among us, are no better. Mic. 7. 4. Or, our best actions are not free from default and defilement. Rom. 7. 21.
filthy rags] Heb. a garment of rags; or, as some, of separation. from a word in sound near unto it. Lam. 1. 17. Ezek. 7. 19, 20. & 36. 17.
we all do fade as a leaf] Psal. 90. 5, 6.
our iniquities like the winde, have taken us away] Hos. 4. 19. Chap. 57. 13.
V. 7. none that calleth upon thy name] Notwithstanding our troubles, we seek not to thee as we should. Psal. 14. 4. Chap. 43. 22. & 59. 11. Hos. 7. 7, 14.
for] Or, though as Chap. 53. 8.
thou hast hid thy face from us] Chap. 8. 17. & 57. 17.
hast consumed us] Heb. melted us. or, made us faint. Ezek. 21. 15.
because of our iniquities] Or, by means (as Chap. 62. 3. Heb. by the hand: or, in the room. Chap. 65. 5.) of our iniquities. Psal. 90. 7, 8.
V. 8. But] Or, Yet. as Chap. 17. 6.
thou art our father] Albeit thou mightest justly destroy us; and art able so to do: Jer. 18. 6. yet deal mercifully with us; since thou art our father, and hast taken us to be thy children. Psal. 103. 13. & 138. 8. Job 10. 8. Chap. 19. 25. & 63. 16.
we are the clay, and thou our potter] Chap. 45. 9. Jer. 18. …
we all are the work of thy hand] Psal. 119. 73. & 138. 8. Job 10. 8-11. Mal. 2. 10.
V. 9. Be not wroth very sore] Psal. 79. 8.
neither remember iniquity for ever] Psalm. 25. 7. & 79. 8. & 103. 9.
we are all thy people] Chap. 63. 19.
V. 10. Thy holy cities] Heb. The cities of thine holinesse. or, Thy cities of holinesse. as Ps. 15. 1. Zion and Jerusalem: wherein thy service was celebrated and frequented Ps. 74. 8. Or, the cities of Judah, wherein thy people sometime dwelt. Jer. 10. 22. See Chap. 65. 9, 11.
Jerusalem a desolation] Chap. 1. 7. & 62. 4.
V. 11. Our holy and our beautifull house, &c.] Heb. Our house of holinesse and beautie. as Chap. 65. 11. Thy Temple, wherein we and our fathers have formerly worshipped thee. Psalm 42. 4. and 122. 1.
all our pleasant things] Heb. desirable things. Chap. 44. 9.
V. 12. Wilt thou refrain thy self for these things] At the contempt of thine own name? though our sinnes have deserved all this; yet suffer not thine own glory to be thus impeached and impaired. Psal. 83. 1, 2. & 115. 1, 2.