Isaiah 64:2 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!
Isaiah 64:2 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!
Isaiah 64:2 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!
Isaiah 64:2 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!
Isaiah 64:2 nlt
As fire causes wood to burn
and water to boil,
your coming would make the nations tremble.
Then your enemies would learn the reason for your fame!
Isaiah 64 2 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isaiah 64:2 | As fire causeth the brush to burn... | Isaiah 64:2 |
| Psalm 97:3 | Fire burneth before him, and consumeth his enemies round about. | Psalm 97:3 (God's fiery presence) |
| Exodus 19:18 | And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire. | Exodus 19:18 (Sinai manifestation) |
| Psalm 144:5 | Bow thy heavens, O LORD, and come down: touch the mountains, and they shall smoke. | Psalm 144:5 (Prayer for God's descent) |
| Micah 1:4 | And the mountains shall be melted under him, and the valleys shall be cleft, as wax before the fire, as the rivers are poured down a steep place. | Micah 1:4 (God's judgment manifestation) |
| Nahum 1:6 | Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his fury is poured out like fire, and the rock is thrown down by him. | Nahum 1:6 (God's wrath) |
| Psalm 68:2 | As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God. | Psalm 68:2 (God's destructive power) |
| Deuteronomy 32:22 | For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and burneth unto the lowest hell, and consumeth the earth with her increase, and setteth on fire the foundations of the mountains. | Deuteronomy 32:22 (Divine wrath) |
| Isaiah 30:27 | Behold, the name of the LORD cometh from far, burning with his anger, and the burden thereof is heavy: his lips are filled with indignation, and his tongue as a devouring fire. | Isaiah 30:27 (Lord's anger) |
| Jeremiah 23:29 | Is not my word like as a fire and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces? | Jeremiah 23:29 (Word as fire) |
| 2 Thessalonians 1:8 | In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that they which obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: | 2 Thessalonians 1:8 (Christ's return in judgment) |
| Revelation 1:14 | His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; | Revelation 1:14 (Christ's glory) |
| Revelation 19:12 | His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had it written, No man knew but he himself. | Revelation 19:12 (Christ's power) |
| Hebrews 12:29 | For our God is a consuming fire. | Hebrews 12:29 (God's consuming nature) |
| Psalm 50:3 | Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him. | Psalm 50:3 (God's coming judgment) |
| Exodus 3:2 | And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. | Exodus 3:2 (Burning bush manifestation) |
| Isaiah 42:8 | I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. | Isaiah 42:8 (God's unique glory) |
| Isaiah 43:10 | Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. | Isaiah 43:10 (God's unique existence) |
| Romans 11:36 | For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen. | Romans 11:36 (Sovereignty of God) |
| John 3:8 | The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. | John 3:8 (Spirit's sovereign work) |
Isaiah 64 verses
Isaiah 64 2 Meaning
This verse speaks of God's desired action towards His people: coming down to make His name known among the nations and frightening them with His terrible deeds, all to instill awe and respect.
Isaiah 64 2 Context
Isaiah 64 is a prayer of confession and petition. The prophet, speaking on behalf of the people, acknowledges their past sins and God's just judgment, which led to their exile and devastation. The people are deeply aware of their separation from God due to their transgressions. This verse, following confessions of sin, expresses a desperate longing for God's direct intervention, as if He were physically present to intervene and restore them. It anticipates a future demonstration of His power, leading nations to recognize His supreme authority. This prayer reflects a profound yearning for God's glory to be manifest, driving nations to reverence Him.
Isaiah 64 2 Word Analysis
- “Oh that you would rend the heavens”:
- "rend" (Hebrew: Qarah) - To tear, rip, or split open.
- Signifies a powerful, decisive action by God, breaking through His perceived absence.
- A fervent desire for God to reveal Himself powerfully, as if piercing the veil between heaven and earth.
- “and come down”:
- "come down" (Hebrew: Yarad) - To descend, go down.
- Implies a tangible, visible manifestation of God's presence.
- Connects to theophantic (God's appearance) events in the Old Testament, like at Sinai.
- “that the mountains might shake at your presence”:
- "shake" (Hebrew: Ra'ash) - To quake, tremble, move violently.
- "presence" (Hebrew: Paniym) - Face, countenance; signifies God's direct proximity.
- Depicts the awesome, overwhelming power of God’s imminent arrival, capable of affecting the very foundations of the earth.
Isaiah 64 2 Bonus Section
The prayer in Isaiah 64 reflects a desire for a visible "coming down" of God. This concept is often associated with divine interventions that reveal God's glory and power to both His people and the nations. The intensity of the imagery—fire, melting mountains—mirrors the terrifying and awe-inspiring descriptions of God's presence at Mount Sinai (Exodus 19). Furthermore, this yearning for God to manifest His power to put His enemies to shame finds echoes in prophetic visions of future judgment and the establishment of God's kingdom, where His sovereignty is universally recognized and respected. The "rending of the heavens" also carries a messianic anticipation, a desire for God to actively intervene through His chosen servant.
Isaiah 64 2 Commentary
This verse is a passionate plea for God's immediate and visible intervention. The people, crushed by sin and its consequences, yearn for a divine breakthrough that would shame their enemies and establish God’s sovereign rule. The imagery of God "rending the heavens" and "coming down" speaks to a spectacular display of His power. This event is anticipated not just for their deliverance, but to make His name and authority known among all nations. The resultant "mountains shaking" emphasizes the magnitude of God's presence and the dread it instills in those who oppose Him or His people. This isn't a gentle unveiling, but a forceful manifestation designed to evoke awe and submission.