Chapter 64
64:1 O that you wouldst rend the heavens, and wouldst come down: the mountains would melt away at your presence.
64:2 They would melt as at the burning of fire, the waters would burn with fire, that your name might be made known to your enemies: that the nations might tremble at your presence.
64:3 When you shall do wonderful things, we shall not bear them: you didst come down, and at your presence the mountains melted away.
64:4 From the beginning of the world they have not heard, nor perceived with the ears: the eye has not seen, O God, besides you, what things you have prepared for them that wait for you.
64:5 You have met him that rejoices, and doth justice: in your ways they shall remember you: behold you are angry, and we have sinned: in them we have been always, and we shall be saved.
64:6 And we are all become as one unclean, and all our justices as the rag of a menstruous woman: and we have all fallen as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
64:7 There is none that calls upon your name: that rises up, and takes hold of you: you have hid your face from us, and have crushed us in the hand of our iniquity.
64:8 And now, O Lord, you are our father, and we are clay: and you are our maker, and we all are the works of your hands.
64:9 Be not angry enough, O Lord, and remember no longer our iniquity: behold, see we are all your people.
64:10 The city of your sanctuary is become a desert, Zion is made a desert, Jerusalem is desolate.
64:11 The house of our holiness, and of our glory, where our fathers praised you, is burnt with fire, and all our lovely things are turned into ruins.
64:12 Wilt you refrain yourself, O Lord, upon these things, will you hold your peace, and afflict us vehemently?
1113 . O that you wouldst rend . Here he offers a petition.
And first, he asks for the presence of the judge;
second, he asks for mercy: behold you are angry (Isa 64:5).
Concerning the first, he does two things.
First, he sets out the petition;
second, the fulfillment of the petition: you didst come down (Isa 64:3).
Concerning the first of these, he does two things.
First, he asks for the coming of the judge: O that you wouldst rend the heavens . He speaks figuratively, as though to one living above the heavens; or: that you would empty yourself, putting aside your majesty, and would assume flesh: bow down your heavens and descend (Ps 143[144]:5).
1114 . Second, he sets out the effect of the coming of the judge
[first,] in insensible creatures, namely in the mountains: the mountains would melt away at your presence , as if to say: they would not endure your presence, if it pleased you; or the mountains , the powerful and the proud, above: the mountains shall be melted (Isa 34:3) with their strength. In the waters: the waters would burn with fire , because you are all fiery, if you should wish: at another time the fire, above its own power, burnt in the midst of water (Wis 16:19); or, by the waters are signified peoples: the many waters are many peoples (Rev 17:15).
Second, the effect on men,
and first, on the gentiles: that the nations might tremble at your presence : the Gentiles shall be troubled (Ps 64:8–9[65:7–8]); literally, they will be shaken; or this refers to the conversion of the gentiles after the coming of Christ.
Second, the effect on the Jews: when you shall do wonderful things, we shall not bear , that is, we, who are accustomed to see and hear, because of our stupor, as they were terrified in Exodus 20:18, thus: they that had excused themselves (Heb 12:19); or we shall not bear his coming, even having seen his miracles.
1115 . You didst come down . Here he sets out the fulfillment of the petition.
And first, as to his coming: you didst come down , to judge us: using the past tense for the future; or, into the womb of the virgin. Or better, according to the literal sense, he sets out the proof of the effect, as if to say: if you should come down now, the same things would happen, which happened when you came down to free your people from Egypt (Exod 4); he bowed the heavens, and came down, and darkness was under his feet (Ps 17:10[18:9]).
1116 . Second, as to the effect.
First, in wonders: at your presence the mountains , the rocks of Arnon, melted away , Numbers 21:14–15; the mountains skipped (Ps 113[114]:4); mystically: the Jews, or the demons.
Second, in benefits,
and first, he sets out the greatness of his benefits: from the beginning of the world they have not heard , for never has anything been seen or heard, like what God did for the Jews, and will do for the saints in glory: eye has not seen, nor ear heard: neither has it entered into the heart of man, what things God has prepared for them that love him (1 Cor 2:9).
Second, as to the promptness of his benefitting them: you have met him that rejoices , to help him, while he was still petitioning or coming to you; him that rejoices , in you: wisdom goes about seeking such as are worthy of her (Wis 6:17). Mystically: Simeon (Luke 2).
1117 . Behold you are angry . Here he sets out mercy.
And first, he shows the need of the petitioner;
second, he offers the petition: and now, O Lord (Isa 64:8).
Concerning the first, he does two things.
First, he shows his need from the eminence of evil, as to their fault; then from the committing of evils: behold you are angry, and we have sinned : the order is reversed: for this reason you are angry, because we have sinned, and , nevertheless, we shall be saved , by your mercy, above: our wicked doings are with us (Isa 59:12).
And as to the imperfection of their good deeds: and we are all become as one unclean, and all our justices , because they are wrapped up in other sins: if I be washed, as it were, with snow waters, and my hands shall shine ever clean, yet you shall plunge me in filth, and my garments shall abhor me (Job 9:30–31).
And as to their punishment: and we have all fallen , killed, or from our state of worthiness; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away , from our land: against a leaf, that is carried away with the wind, you show your power (Job 13:25).
1118 . Second, he shows the need of the petitioner as to lack of help.
And first, lack of human help: there is none that calls upon and takes hold of you , with prayers: I held him: and I will not let him go (Song 3:4);
second, lack of divine help: you have hid your face , of your mercy, and have crushed us in the hand , that is, the work, of our iniquity ; according to what it says in Proverbs 18:21: I will hide my face from them (Deut 32:20).
1119 . And now, O Lord . Here he sets out mercy. And concerning this, he does two things.
First, he asks for mercy, assigning the reason: you are our father : as clay is in the hand of the potter, so are we in the hand of God (Jer 18:6); remember, I beseech you, that you have made me as the clay (Job 10:9). And he offers the petition: be not angry enough , that is, exceedingly, or according to what our merits demand: remember not our former iniquities: let your mercies speedily prevent us (Ps 78[79]:8).
Second, he sets out their misery: behold , Lord, see we are all . The city of your sanctuary ( sancti ), that is, the sanctuary of the temple, namely, Jerusalem: the enemy has put out his hand to all her desirable things (Lam 1:10). And he wonders at his patience: will you refrain yourself, O Lord, upon these things? Why look you upon our iniquities? (Hab 1:13).
1120 . Note on the words, what things you have prepared for them that love thee (Isa 64:4), that God prepares for the saints,
first, a place of eternal rest: if not, I would have told you: because I go to prepare a place for you (John 14:2);
second, a kingdom of eternal dignity: come, you blessed of my Father, possess you the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world (Matt 25:34);
third, a table of divine refreshment: you have prepared a table before me (Ps 22[23]:5);
fourth, a lamp of eternal light: I have prepared a lamp for my anointed (Ps 131[132]:17).
1121 . Note also on the words, all our justices as the rag of a menstruous woman (Isa 64:4), that a work of justice is defiled by filth,
first, of mortal stain: you have stained your glory (Sir 47:22[20]);
second, of negligence committed: cursed be he that doth the work of the Lord negligently (Jer 48:10);
third, of perverse intention: if your eye scandalize you (Matt 5:29);
fourth, of rising pride, above: the wind shall carry them all off (Isa 57:13).