Isaiah 64

Chap. LXIV. Ver. 1—12. A prayer for divine mercy, and a confession of Israel’s sin.—This chapter contains an appeal to the mercy of God, in the most ardent and pathetic language, imploring God to appear for the salvation of his people now, with the same power and splendour as he appeared at the giving of the law. The Prophet acknowledges what great things God had formerly done for the salvation of his people, and expresses his confidence that things no less great and wonderful were still in reserve for them, notwithstanding their unworthiness. This unworthiness is expressed in terms of the greatest contrition and humility; “All our righteousnesses (says he) are as filthy rags.” This is certainly a very comprehensive proposition, and a very humbling doctrine.

It includes not merely the ceremonial righteousness of the Jew, or the hypocritical righteousness of the Pharisee; but, as Gataker remarks, the Hebrew divine law, (which is a counterpart of the divine purity,) and as it respects the cause of our salvation, are not only useless as a worn out garment, but obnoxious as a polluted one, to which a wise and good man will say with abhorrence, ‘Get thee hence!’ ((Isaiah 30:22).)

Notes on the verses

Chap. LXIV. Ver. 1. Oh that thou wouldest.—{This chapter continues the prayer begun in the preceding, ver. 7.; containing a penitential confession and supplication of the Israelites in their present dispersion, in which they have so marvellously subsisted, and continue to subsist, as a people.}—Bagster. Ver. 2. The melting fire.—See marzin; i.e. the fire of a furnace for smelting metals. Here seems an evident allusion to the Lord’s appearing on Mount Sinai. See (Judges 5:5). (Psalms 97:5).; exliv. 5, 6. Ver. 5. Thou meetest him that rejoiceth, &c.—Lowth, “Thou meetest with joy him that worketh,” &c.—In those is continuance.—In what? after considering the variety of interpretations and conjectures offered, we are inclined to prefer the following, including one of the clauses in a parenthesis.

Thou meetest those that remember thee in thy ways: (Behold! thou art wroth, for we have sinned:) in those (the ways of God) is continuance, perpetuity, even for ever, as the word often means: and therefore, shall we be saved.—This, though somewhat obscure, appears to us to agree with both the verses which precede and follow. Compare (Malachi 3:6). Ver. 6. As filthy rags—polluted garments; Lowth says, “rejected;” but pollution, and that the most disgusting, is certainly the idea of the original. See Gataker.