God’s Word Translation
Isaiah 64:2
2Be like the fire that kindles brushwood and makes water boil. Come down to make your name known to your enemies. The nations will tremble in your presence.
Isaiah 64:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)As when the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the waters to boil, to make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at thy presence!
- New International Version (NIV)As when fire sets twigs ablaze and causes water to boil, come down to make your name known to your enemies and cause the nations to quake before you!
- English Standard Version (ESV)as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil— to make your name known to your adversaries, and that the nations might tremble at your presence!
- New King James Version (NKJV)As fire burns brushwood, As fire causes water to boil— To make Your name known to Your adversaries, That the nations may tremble at Your presence!
Context of Isaiah 64:2
1If only you would split open the heavens and come down! The mountains would quake at your presence. Be like the fire that kindles brushwood and makes water boil. Come down to make your name known to your enemies. The nations will tremble in your presence. 3When you did awe-inspiring things that we didn’t expect, you came down and the mountains quaked in your presence. 4No one has ever heard, no one has paid attention, and no one has seen any god except you. You help those who wait for you.
Read all of Isaiah 64Isaiah 64:2 word by word
כִּקְדֹ֧חַ אֵ֣שׁ הֲמָסִ֗ים מַ֚יִם תִּבְעֶה־אֵ֔שׁ לְהוֹדִ֥יעַ שִׁמְךָ֖ לְצָרֶ֑יךָ מִפָּנֶ֖יךָ גּוֹיִ֥ם יִרְגָּֽזוּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- the meltingהֶ֫מֶסhâmâs · brushwoodH2003
- fireאֵשׁ'êsh · fireH784
- burnethקָדַחqâdach · to kindleH6919
- causeth the watersמַיmayim · waterH4325
- to boilבָּעָהbâ‛âh · to enquireH1158
- to make thy nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
- knownיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
- to thine adversariesצַרtsar tsâr · enemyH6862
- the nationsגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
- may trembleרָגַזrâgaz · to trembleH7264
- at thy presenceפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
Cross-references for Isaiah 64:2
- Isaiah 37:20Now, Lord our God, rescue us from Assyria’s control so that all the kingdoms on earth will know that you alone are the Lord.”
- Isaiah 63:12Where is the one who sent his powerful arm to support the right hand of Moses? Where is the one who divided the water in front of them to make an everlasting name for himself?
- Exodus 14:4I will make Pharaoh so stubborn that he will pursue them. Then, because of what I do to Pharaoh and his entire army, I will receive honor, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” So that is what the Israelites did.
- 1 Samuel 17:46Today the Lord will hand you over to me. I will strike you down and cut off your head. And this day I will give the dead bodies of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals. The whole world will know that Israel has a God.
- 1 Kings 8:41“People will hear about your great name, mighty hand, and powerful arm. So when people who are not Israelites come from distant countries because of your name
- Psalms 46:10Let go ⌞of your concerns⌟! Then you will know that I am God. I rule the nations. I rule the earth.
- Psalms 67:1May God have pity on us and bless us! May he smile on us. Selah
- Psalms 79:10Why should the nations ⌞be allowed to⌟ say, “Where is their God?” Let us watch as the nations learn that there is punishment for shedding the blood of your servants.
- Psalms 83:13O my God, blow them away like tumbleweeds, like husks in the wind.
- Psalms 98:1Sing a new song to the Lord because he has done miraculous things. His right hand and his holy arm have gained victory for him.
- Psalms 102:15The nations will fear the Lord’s name. All the kings of the earth will fear your glory.
- Psalms 106:8He saved them because of his reputation so that he could make his mighty power known.
- Ezekiel 38:22I will punish Gog with plagues and death. I will send rainstorms, large hailstones, fire, and burning sulfur on his troops and on the many armies with him.
- Ezekiel 39:27I will bring them back from the other nations and gather them from the countries of their enemies. Many nations will see that I am holy.
- Daniel 4:1From King Nebuchadnezzar. To the people of every province, nation, and language in the world. I wish you peace and prosperity.
- Daniel 6:25Then King Darius wrote to the people of every province, nation, and language all over the world: I wish you peace and prosperity.
Commentaries on Isaiah 64:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2As when the melting fire burneth "As the fire kindleth the dry fuel" - המסים hamasim . "It means dry stubble, and the root is המס hamas, "says Rabbi Jonah, apud Sal ben Belec in loc. Which is approved by Schultens, Orig. Hebrews p. 30. "The fire kindling the stubble does not seem like enough to the melting of the mountains to be brought as a simile to it. What if thus? - 'That the mountains might flow down at thy presence! As the fire of things smelted…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2As when the melting fire burneth - Margin, The fire of meltings.‘ Lowth renders it, As when the fire kindleth the dry fuel.‘ So Noyes, As fire kindleth the dry stubble.‘ The Septuagint render it: ̔ ̀ ̓̀ ́ ̀ ́ Hōs kēros apo prosōpou puros tēketai - As wax is melted before the fire.‘ So the Syriac renders it. The Hebrew word rendered here in the margin meltings‘ (המסים hămâsı̂ym ), properly means, according to Gesenius, brushwood, twigs. So Saddias…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-12The prophet’s reflections on the past (Isaiah 63:7–14) inspire him to pray that God would now rescue his people as he has done before.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. Oh, that Thy wrath would consume Thy foes as the fire. Rather, "as the fire burneth the dry brushwood" [Gesenius].Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 64:2
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 64
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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