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Wesley's Explanatory Notes

Isaiah 64:4

Besides thee — This is to be applied to all the wonderful works, that God at all times wrought for his people: and thus they are a plea with God, that they might well expect such things from him now, that had done such wonderful things for their fathers. Waiteth — This may be taken with reference both to the state of grace and glory, those incomprehensible things that are exhibited through Christ in the mysteries of the gospel.

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See also Isaiah 64:4 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Isaiah 64:4. _FOR SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE WORLD_ MEN _HAVE NOT_ _HEARD_ - "For never have men heard"] St. Paul is generally supposed to have quoted this passage of Isaiah, Isaiah 64:1; Isaia...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    FOR SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE WORLD - This verse is quoted, though not literally, by the apostle Paul, as illustrating the effects of the gospel in producing happiness and salvation (see the notes at...

  • 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 The appeal rings like a litany, reminding Yahweh, who has withdrawn into His glorious heavenly palace, of H...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

    SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE WORLD. from of old. MEN HAVE NOT HEARD. Quoted in 1 Corinthians 2:9. Compare Psa 3:19. NOR. So, some codices, with two early printed editions, Syriac, and Vulgate. But oth...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Isaiah 63:7 to Isaiah 64:12. A Prayer of the People for the Renewal of Jehovah's former Lovingkindness (1) Isaiah 63:7. The prayer begins with thankful commemoration of Jehovah's goodness to the nati...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    This difficult passage contains (1) an appeal to that which distinguishes Jehovah from all other deities: He is the only God who works for them that wait for Him in the way of righteousness; (2) a con...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    FOR SINCE THE BEGINNING, &C.— See 1 Corinthians 2:9. The meaning of the phrase, _Neither hath the eye seen, O God, besides thee,_ is, "no one can relate or explain, as no one hath seen, what is known...

  • 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

    For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him. FOR SINCE THE B...

  • Darby's translation notes (1890)

    64:4 heard, (e-4) Or 'Even from everlasting, they have not heard.' see 1 Corinthians 2:9 . acteth (f-19) Or 'seen except thee, O God, what he will do.'...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

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

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    O GOD, etc.] RV 'a God beside thee, which worketh for him that waiteth for Him.' St. Paul (1 Corinthians 2:9) alludes to this passage to emphasise the fact that human wisdom cannot fathom the working...

  • 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...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    NEITHER HATH THE EYE SEEN, O GOD, BESIDE THEE... — The best commentators are in favour of rendering, _Neither hath the eye seen a God beside Thee, who will work for him that waiteth for Him._ The sens...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    _[Isaiah 64:3]_ וּ מֵ עֹולָ֥ם לֹא ־שָׁמְע֖וּ...

  • 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...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    For since the beginning of the world [men] have not (c) heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, besides thee, [what] he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him. (c) Paul...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Thee. Never was deliverance more unexpected or miraculous. St. Paul quotes this passage, to shew the wisdom manifested in the incarnation, 1 Corinthians ii. 9. It is commonly applied to the glory of...

  • 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

    4._From of old they have not heard. _This verse confirms what has been already said, that believers do not here ask anything strange or uncommon, but only that God may shew himself to be to them what...

  • 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

    FOR SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE WORLD MEN HAVE NOT HEARD, NOR PERCEIVED BY THE EAR,.... Not only the things unexpected, undesired, and undeserved, had been done for the Lord's people of old; but there...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    For since the beginning of the world [men] have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, [what] he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him. Ver. 4. _For...

  • 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

    For since the beginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside Thee, any God beside the one true God, WHAT HE HATH PREPARED FOR HIM THAT WAI...

  • 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...

  • Marginal Notes in the King James Version (1611)

    SEEN, O GOD, BESIDES THEE, WHAT HE HATH PREPARED FOR HIM: Or, seen a God beside thee which doeth so for him, etc....

  • 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

    Whereas there are but three ways whereby men ordinarily come to the knowledge of a thing, viz. by the ear, either our own hearing, or by hearsay; and by the eye; and by reason, which the apostle adds,...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Isaiah 64:4 world H5769 heard H8085 (H8804) ear H238 (H8689) eye H5869 seen H7200 (H8804) God...

  • 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

    _Yet since the beginning of the world men have not heard_ GOD ABSOLUTELY ALONE IN HIS GRACIOUSNESS “From of old men have not heard, nor perceived, nor has eye seen a God beside Thee, who acted for h...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    ISAIAH—NOTE ON ISAIAH 64:4 NO... GOD BESIDES YOU. Israel’s God is unique; there is no other god like him (see Isaiah 43:11;...

  • 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

    1 Corinthians 1:7; 1 Corinthians 2:10; 1 Corinthians 2:9; 1 John 3:1;...

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