Isaiah 64:3
in Isaiah 64When You did awesome works that we did not expect, You came down, and the mountains trembled at Your presence.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, thou camest down, the mountains quaked at thy presence.
KJV
When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, thou camest down, the mountains flowed down at thy presence.
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This verse in Isaiah 64
Commentary
12 notes on this verseWhen thou didst terrible things, which we looked not for, thou camest down,.... Referring to the wonderful things God did in Egypt, at the Red sea, and in the wilderness, and particularly at Mount Sinai, things that were unexpected, and not looked for; then the Lord came down, and made visible displays of his power and presence, especially on Mount Sinai; see Exo 19:18, the mountains flowed down at thy presence; not Sinai only, but others also; Kimchi says Seir and Paran; Jdg 5:4.
This site's exposition
If only You would rend the heavens and come down
on Isaiah 64:1-3
The prayer breaks into its boldest request, “If only You would rend the heavens and come down”, the appearing Sinai gave at Exodus 19:18. Verse 2 pictures it as fire that “causes the water to boil”. Verse 3 grounds the plea in memory: “You came down”.
This site's exposition
When You did awesome works
Gill places these awesome works in Egypt, at the sea, in the wilderness and at Sinai. He adds Seir and Paran to the mountains that trembled, citing Judges 5:4. Spurgeon takes them as grounds to expect the same again.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
(Chapter 64, Verses 1 and following.) Oh, that you would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake before you! As when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil, to make your name known to your adversaries, so that the nations might tremble at your presence! When you did awesome deeds that we did not expect, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence.
These things we suffered were not on account of your weakness but on account of our transgression. For when you make your personal appearance from heaven, the mountains will melt and dissolve like wax too near to the fire. For fire will feast on our …
The Medieval Church1 voice
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 …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The provision he has made for the safety and happiness of his people, even of all those that seek him, and serve him, and trust in him, is very rich and very ready, so that they need not fear being either disappointed of it, for it is sure, or disappointed in it, for it is sufficient.
They confess themselves to be sinful and unworthy of God's favour, and that they had deserved the judgments they were now under,
4 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
When thou didst terrible things - In delivering the people from Egypt, and in conducting them to the promised land. Which we looked not for - Which we had never before witnessed, and which we had no right to expect. Thou camest down - As on Mount Sinai. The mountains flowed down - (See the notes above). The reference is to the manifestations of smoke and fire when Yahweh descended on Mount Sinai (see Exo 19:18).
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Ps 68:8). camest down--on Mount Sinai. mountains flowed--Repeated from Isa 64:1; they pray God to do the very same things for Israel now as in former ages. GESENIUS, instead of "flowed" here, and "flow" in Isa 64:1, translates from a different Hebrew root, "quake . . . quaked"; but "fire" melts and causes to flow, rather than to quake (Isa 64:2).
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
THE people of God were in a very sad state when this chapter described them. Isaiah pictures them as brought into the lowest degree of fear and sorrow. He pleads with God to return to His chosen people and restore their former peace and prosperity. He makes use of the past as an argument for the future and recites the wonderful acts of God in days gone by as an encouragement to expect that He would do the same again.
THE people of God were in a very sad state when this chapter described them. Isaiah pictures them as brought into the lowest degree of fear and sorrow. He pleads with God to return to His chosen people and restore their former peace and prosperity. He makes use of the past as an argument for the future and recites the wonderful acts of God in days gone by as an encouragement to expect that He would do the same again. If it were not that God is unchangeable, no inference could be drawn from His past behavior toward us, but inasmuch as He is immutably the same, yesterday, today and forever, we may safely infer that what He has done He will do again. They say that history repeats itself—it were more true to say that God abides the same, that His ways are everlasting and His mercy endures forever. Therefore it is good and sound pleading to say, "You have done this and that, therefore again make bare Your arm and once more let Your people rejoice in Your faithfulness and Your power." While we may all do this on behalf of the Church of God and find a rich store of arguments in her past history, we may also do it for ourselves. Some of us are now getting into years and we have known the Savior for 30 years or more—we ought to be well supplied with reasons for trusting Him and I am sure we are. Let us look back on the past and remember how He has forgiven our transgressions, how He has recovered our backslidings, how He has relieved our necessities, how He has cheered our despondencies and strengthened our weaknesses—He that is our God is still the God of salvation and He will continue still to bless us, even to the end.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
When You performed against the Egyptians and against all the adversaries awesome deeds, that we did not hope You would perform all those awesome deeds, for we were unworthy of them.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
8 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| בַּעֲשׂוֹתְךָ֥ | baasotkha | when doing you | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| נוֹרָא֖וֹת | noraot | awesome [deeds] | H3372 → | 315 times |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | [which] not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| נְקַוֶּ֑ה | nekaveh | we were looking for | H6960 → | 49 times |
| יָרַ֕דְתָּ | yaradta | you came down | H3381 → | 381 times |
| מִפָּנֶ֖יךָ | mipaneikha | from before you | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| הָרִ֥ים | harim | mountains | H2022 → | 546 times |
| נָזֹֽלּוּ׃ | nazolu | they shook | H2151 → |
בַּעֲשׂוֹתְךָ֥when doing you
baasotkhaH6213 →2628 times
נוֹרָא֖וֹתawesome [deeds]
noraotH3372 →315 times
לֹ֣א[which] not
lo'H3808 →5168 times
נְקַוֶּ֑הwe were looking for
nekavehH6960 →49 times
יָרַ֕דְתָּyou came down
yaradtaH3381 →381 times
מִפָּנֶ֖יךָfrom before you
mipaneikhaH6440 →2123 times
הָרִ֥יםmountains
harimH2022 →546 times
נָזֹֽלּוּ׃they shook
nazoluH2151 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Exodus 34:10And the LORD said, “Behold, I am making a covenant. Before all your people I will perform wonders that have never been done in any nation in all the world. All the people among…
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 7:23
And who is like Your people Israel—the one nation on earth whom God went out to redeem as a people for Himself and to make a name for Himself? You performed great and awesome…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Deuteronomy 10:21
He is your praise and He is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome wonders that your eyes have seen.
- Psalms 77:14
You are the God who works wonders; You display Your strength among the peoples.
- Psalms 66:5
Come and see the works of God; how awesome are His deeds toward mankind.
- Jeremiah 32:21
You brought Your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and wonders, with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, and with great terror.
- 2 Samuel 7:23
Through
Psalms 66:3Say to God, “How awesome are Your deeds! So great is Your power that Your enemies cower before You.
it leads to
- Psalms 18:44
When they hear me, they obey me; foreigners cower before me.
- Psalms 65:5
With awesome deeds of righteousness You answer us, O God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas.
- Psalms 18:44
Through
Habakkuk 3:3God came from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah His glory covered the heavens, and His praise filled the earth.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 33:2
He said: “The LORD came from Sinai and dawned upon us from Seir; He shone forth from Mount Paran and came with myriads of holy ones, with flaming fire at His right hand.
- Deuteronomy 33:2
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies2
On this verse
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About Isaiah
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 1538: “Divine Surprises” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Prophecies of Isaiah; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theodoret of Cyrus, COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 20:64.1 and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.