Isaiah 66:18

For I know their works, and their thoughts,.... That is, of the persons before described; their evil works and thoughts, which are known to Christ the discerner of the thoughts and intents of the

For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory. For I (knew) - know is not in the Hebrew.

The Hebrew is thus word for word. And I their works, and their thoughts, coming together all nations and languages, and they shall come and see my glory. So that it is necessary for interpreters to supply some words to make out the sense. And the sense will differ according to the nature and sense of those supplied words. We supply the verb know, as ; others supply. I have noted. Others make it a question; And I, should I endure their thoughts and their works? Others, But as for me, oh their works and their thoughts! Some make these words, for I know their works and their thoughts it shall come, one sentence, and to relate to the judgments before threatened, ,16, and the latter words a new sentence, and a promise of the call of the Gentiles. If we thus divide the words into two sentences, the former part doth but assert the certainty of the judgment that should come upon this people, and the confirmation or reason of it from the omniscience and justice of God. They have done these things, and I know it, and am of purer eyes than to behold iniquity. I know I have marked their thoughts and works (before mentioned). Oh the vileness of them! Should I suffer, should I endure them? No. It shall come; either the judgments before threatened shall come; or it shall come to pass, that I will cast them off, and then I will gather all nations, & c. So it shall come may either refer to the threatening of judgments in the former part, or the promise of calling the Gentiles in the latter part of the verse. Others make the verse one entire sentence, and the sense thus, Seeing I know their works, &c., or when the time shall come that I shall let them by my vengeance know that I know their works, I will gather all nations and languages. I will gather all nations, I will call the Gentiles into my church, and they shall see my glory; my oracles, my holy institutions and ordinances, which hitherto have been locked up in the church of the Jews, , and been their glory, shall be published to the Gentiles, .

Isaiah 66:18 For I [know] their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory. Ver. 18. For I know (or, I will punish) their works and their thoughts.] Or, Yea, their thoughts which they may think to be free. See Jeremiah 6:19. It shall come to pass that I will gather.] It is easy to observe that this chapter consisteth of various passages interwoven the one within the other; of judgments to the wicked, of mercies and comforts to the godly, &c. All nations and tongues.] A plain prophecy of the calling of the Gentiles to the kingdom of Christ; for which purpose the miraculous gift of tongues was bestowed upon the apostles. And they shall come and see my glory,] i.e., In Christ, who is the brightness of his Father’ s glory; and in sending of whom the glory of his truth, wisdom, power, justice, and goodness shone forth as the sun at noon.

(18) For I know their works . . .—The Hebrew has no verb, either—as in the Quos ego . . . of Virgil, Æn., 1:139—for the sake of emphasis, or through an accidental omission in transcription. I know is supplied by many versions and commentators; I will punish or I have seen by others. The thought, in any case, is that the eye of Jehovah sees the evil things that are done in the secret places, caves or groves, in which the heathen rites were celebrated. All nations and tongues . . .—The phrase, though not incompatible with Isaiah’s authorship, is specially characteristic of the prophets of the Exile (Daniel 3:4; Daniel 3:7; Daniel 3:29; Daniel 4:1; Zechariah 8:23). They shall come, and see my glory.—The “glory” in the prophet’s thoughts is that of Jehovah manifested in His righteous judgments on open enemies and concealed apostates.

Verse 18. For I know their works] A word is here lost out of the present text, leaving the text quite imperfect. The word is יודע yodea, knowing, supplied from the Syriac. The Chaldee had the same word in the copy before him, which he paraphrases by קדמי גלן kedemi gelon, their deeds are manifest before me; and the Aldine and Complutensian editions of the Septuagint acknowledge the same word επισταμαι, which is verified by MS. Pachom. and the Arabic version. I think there can be little doubt of its being genuine. The concluding verses of this chapter refer to the complete restoration of the Jews, and to the destruction of all the enemies of the Gospel of Christ, so that the earth shall be filled with the knowledge and glory of the Lord. Talia saecla currite! Lord, hasten the time! It shall come - "And I come"] For באה baah, which will not accord with any thing in the sentence, I read בא ba, with a MS.; the participle answering to יודע yodea, with which agree the Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate. Perhaps it ought to be ובא veba, when I shall come, Syr.; and so the Septuagint, according to Edit. Ald. and Complut., and Cod. Marchal.

18–22. The extension of the knowledge of Jehovah’s power to the outlying nations, and the consequent voluntary surrender of the Israelites exiled among them. The first sentence of Isa 66:18 is untranslatable as it stands, and the text is certainly corrupt. A good suggestion is made by Duhm. He transfers the phrase “their works and their thoughts” to the last clause of Isa 66:17 (“their works and their thoughts together shall come to an end”); then dropping the fem. term. of the participle the remaining sentence reads, And I am coming to gather all the nations and tongues. Both verses are thus improved, and the new section beginning here is disentangled from its misleading association with the idea of judgement. all nations and tongues] An expression characteristic of the Aramaic part of the Book of Daniel (ch. Isaiah 3:4 and parallels); cf. also Zechariah 8:23. they shall come, and see my glory] i.e., probably, the visible supernatural glory of Jehovah as He dwells in the Temple. See Ezekiel 43:1-4. (The section contains many traces of the influence of the book of Ezekiel.) The idea that the nations shall assemble to be destroyed by Jehovah (Zechariah 14:2; Zechariah 14:12 ff.; Joe 3:2; Zephaniah 3:8) is alien to the tenor of the verse and is not necessarily implied by Isaiah 66:19.

For I know their works - The word ‘know,’ says Lowth, is here evidently left out of the Hebrew text, leaving the sense quite imperfect.

18. For I know their works and their thoughts — There is great abruptness in these words, and they indicate very excited emotion.