the Week of Proper 23 / Ordinary 28
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King James Version
Isaiah 64:2
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As fire kindles the brushwood, as fire causes water to boil—To make Your name known to Your adversaries,That the nations may tremble at Your presence!
As fire kindles the brushwood, as fire causes water to boil— To make Your name known to Your adversaries, That the nations may tremble at Your presence!
As when fire puts the brushwood in flames, or as when water is boiling from the heat of the fire: to make your name feared by your haters, so that the nations may be shaking before you;
Like as at an hotte fire, and [that the malitious might boyle away] as the water doth vpon the fire: whereby thy name might be knowen among thyne enemies, and that the gentiles might tremble before thee.
—as fire kindleth brushwood, as the fire causeth water to boil, to make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the nations might tremble at thy presence!
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!
As the brushwood fire burns and fire causes water to boil, make known Your name to Your foes, that nations might tremble before You.
The mountains would burst into flames like burning bushes. The mountains would boil like water on the fire. Then your enemies would learn about you. And all nations would shake with fear when they see you.
as when fire kindles the brushwood, [and] the fire causes the waters to boil; to make your name known to your adversaries, that the nations may tremble at your presence!
As when the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the waters to boyle: to make thy Name knowen to thine aduersaries, that the nations may tremble at thy presence.
like as at an hote fyre: and that the malicious might boyle, as the water doth vpon the fyre: Wherby thy name might be knowne amoge thine enemies, & yt the Getiles might treble before ye.
As [sure as] fire kindles the brushwood, as fire causes water to boil— To make Your name known to Your adversaries, That the nations may tremble at Your presence!
as when fire kindleth the brushwood, and the fire causeth the waters to boil; to make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at thy presence!
as when fire kindles the brushwood, [and] the fire causes the waters to boil; to make your name known to your adversaries, that the nations may tremble at your presence!
[As when] the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the waters to boil, to make thy name known to thy adversaries, [that] the nations may tremble at thy presence!
Like a fire that burns twigs, like a fire that makes water boil, let your enemies know who you are. Then all nations will shake with fear when they see you.
As when fire ignites dry wood, or fire makes water boil, let your adversaries know who you are, and may the nations shake at your presence!
Be a spark that starts a fire causing water to boil. Then your enemies will know who you are; all nations will tremble because you are nearby.
When you did tremendous things that we were not expecting, we wished that you would come down, so that the mountains would shake at your presence!
As the melting fire burned, as the fire caused the waters to boyle, (that thou mightest declare thy Name to thy aduersaries) the people did tremble at thy presence.
That they might melt as wax melts before the fire, and that fire might devour thy enemies, that thy name might be made known to thy enemies, so that the nations might tremble at thy presence!
as when fire kindles the brushwood, [and] the fire causes the waters to boil; to make your name known to your adversaries, that the nations may tremble at your presence!
When Thou didst tremendous things which we looked not for--Oh that Thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might quake at Thy presence!--
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!
as when fire burns the wood and causes the water to boil. Come and make Your name known to those who are against you, that the nations may shake in fear before You!
as wax melts before the fire; and fire shall burn up the enemies, and thy name shall be manifest among the adversaries: at thy presence the nations shall be troubled,
as when fire kindleth the brushwood, and the fire causeth the waters to boil: to make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at thy presence.
as fire kindles the brushwood and causes the water to boil, to make Your name known to Your enemies, so that nations will tremble at Your presence!
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!
At thy presence, had mountains, quaked: As fire kindleth brushwood, As fire causeth, water, to boil, So if thou wouldst make known thy Name to thine adversaries, At thy presence, nations, would tremble.
They would melt as at the burning of fire, the waters would burn with fire, that thy name might be made known to thy enemies: that the nations might tremble at thy presence.
as fire kindles brushwood, the fire causes water to boil, to make your name known to your adversaries, that the nations might tremble from your presence.
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!
As fire kindles brushwood, as fire causes water to boil— To make Your name known to Your adversaries, That the nations may tremble at Your presence!
They would tremble like water boiling over a hot fire. Come and reveal your power to your enemies, and make the nations tremble at your presence!
as fire kindles the brushwood, and fire causes water to boil— to make Your name known to Your enemies, so that nations will tremble at Your presence!
and failiden as brennyng of fier, and brente in fier; that thi name were made knowun to thin enemyes, and folkis weren disturblid of thi face.
as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil--to make thy name known to thy adversaries, and that the nations might tremble at thy presence!
(As fire kindleth stubble -- Fire causeth water to boil,) To make known Thy name to Thine adversaries, From Thy presence do nations tremble.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
melting fire: Heb. fire of meltings
to make: Isaiah 37:20, Isaiah 63:12, Exodus 14:4, 1 Samuel 17:46, 1 Samuel 17:47, 1 Kings 8:41-43, Psalms 46:10, Psalms 67:1, Psalms 67:2, Psalms 79:10, Psalms 83:13, Psalms 98:1, Psalms 98:2, Psalms 102:15, Psalms 102:16, Psalms 106:8, Ezekiel 38:22, Ezekiel 38:23, Ezekiel 39:27, Ezekiel 39:28, Daniel 4:1-3, Daniel 4:32-37, Daniel 6:25-27, Joel 3:16, Joel 3:17
that the nations: Exodus 15:14-16, Deuteronomy 2:25, Psalms 9:20, Psalms 48:4-6, Psalms 99:1, Jeremiah 5:22, Jeremiah 33:9, Micah 7:15-17, Revelation 11:11-13
Reciprocal: Exodus 15:11 - fearful Exodus 19:11 - the Lord Psalms 46:6 - earth Psalms 68:2 - as wax Psalms 83:14 - As the fire Psalms 97:5 - hills Psalms 104:32 - looketh Psalms 144:5 - Bow Isaiah 10:17 - for a flame Isaiah 25:5 - shalt bring Ezekiel 22:21 - and ye Hosea 11:10 - shall tremble Micah 1:3 - cometh Micah 7:17 - they shall be Nahum 1:5 - the hills Habakkuk 3:10 - mountains Zechariah 14:4 - cleave John 17:11 - thine
Gill's Notes on the Bible
As when the melting fire burneth,.... Or, "the fire of melting" k; a strong vehement fire, as Kimchi, such as is used under a furnace for melting metals; though De Dieu thinks a slow gentle fire is intended, such as is sufficient to keep the liquor boiling; which he concludes from the use of the word in the Arabic language, which, according to an Arabic lexicographer l he quotes, so signifies; and to the same purpose Hottinger m, by the help of the Arabic language, interprets the word of a small low noise, the hissing of a boiling pot; though, as Vitringa observes, could it be granted, which can not, that a slow fire raises great bubbles in water, such as when it boils; yet the fire, with which God consumes his enemies, in a figurative sense, is represented as most vehement and noisy. It seems much better, with R. Jonah, quoted by Kimchi, to understand it of "dry stubble", which makes a great blaze and noise, and causes water to boil and rise up in bubbles; and with this agree some other versions, which render it by "bavins" n, dry sticks and branches of trees; which being kindled,
the fire causeth the waters to boil; as the fire, under the pot, causes the waters to boil in it; the church here prays that the wrath of God might break forth upon his and her enemies, like fire that melts metals, and boils water. The figures used seem to denote the fierceness and vehemency of it. The Targum is,
"as when thou sendedst thine anger as fire in the days of Elijah, the sea was melted, the fire licked up the water;''
as if the allusion was to the affair in 1 Kings 18:38, but rather the allusion is, as Kimchi and others think, to the fire that burnt on Mount Sinai, when the Lord descended on it, and the cloud which flowed with water, as the above writer supposes, and which both together caused the smoke:
to make thy name known to thine adversaries; his terrible name, in the destruction of them; his power and his glory:
that the nations may tremble at thy presence; as Sinai trembled when the Lord was on it; and as the antichristian states will when Christ appears, and the vials of his wrath will be poured out; and the Lord's people will be delivered, and the Jews particularly converted.
k ×ש ××ס×ס "ignis liquefactionum", Calvin, Vatablus; "igne liquationum", Cocceius. l Eliduri in Lexico Arabico tradit ××ס, "significare quemvis lenem et submissum strepitum", De Dieu. m "Quemadmodum accenso igne fit lenis submissusque strepitus, sibilus et stridor ferventis ollae, et ignis excitat bullas", Hottinger. Smegma Orientale, I. 1. c. 7. p. 146. n "Quemadmodum conflagrante igne cremia", Junius Tremellius "nam quum accendit ignis cremia", Piscator; "sicut ardente igne ex ramalibus", Grotius; "ut ignis cremia consumens strepero motu exsilit", Vitringa.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
As when the melting fire burneth - Margin, âThe fire of meltings.â Lowth renders it, âAs when the fire kindleth the dry fuel.â So Noyes, âAs fire kindleth the dry stubble.â The Septuagint render it: ΩÌÏ ÎºÎ·ÏοÌÏ Î±ÌÏÎ¿Ì ÏÏοÏÏÌÏÎ¿Ï ÏÏ ÏοÌÏ ÏηÌκεÏαι HoÌs keÌros apo prosoÌpou puros teÌketai - âAs wax is melted before the fire.â So the Syriac renders it. The Hebrew word rendered here in the margin âmeltingsâ (××ס×× haÌmaÌsıÌym), properly means, according to Gesenius, brushwood, twigs. So Saddias renders it. And the true idea here is, that the presence of Yahweh would cause the mountains to melt, as a fire consumes light and dry brushwood or stubble. Dr. Jubb supposes that the meaning is, âAs the fire of things smelted burnethâ - an idea which would furnish a striking comparison, but there is much doubt whether the Hebrew will bear that construction.
The comparison is a very vivid and sublime one, as it is in the view given above - that the presence of Yahweh would set on fire the mountains, and cause them to flow down as under the operation of an intense heat. I do not know that there is reason to suppose that the prophet had any reference to a volcanic eruption, or that he was acquainted with such a phenomenon - though Syria and Palestine abounded in volcanic appearances, and the country around the Dead Sea is evidently volcanic (see Lyellâs Geology, i. 299); but the following description may furnish an illustration of what would be exhibited by the flowing down of the mountains at the presence of Yahweh, and may serve to show the force of the language which the prophet employs in these verses. It is a description of an eruption of Vesuvius in 1779, by Sir William Hamilton. âJets of liquid lava,â says he, âmixed with stones and scoriae, were thrown up to the height of at least 10,000 feet, having the appearance of a column of fire.
The falling matter being nearly as vividly inflamed as that which was continually issuing forth from the crater, formed with it one complete body of fire, which could not be less than two miles and a half in breadth, and of the extraordinary height above mentioned, casting a heat to the distance of at least six miles around it.â Speaking of the lava which flowed from the mountain, he says, âAt the point where it issued from an arched chasm in the side of the mountain, the vivid torrent rushed with the velocity of a flood. It was in perfect fusion, unattended with any scoriae on its surface, or any gross material not in a state of complete solution. It flowed with the translucency of honey, in regular channels, cut finer than art can imitate, and glowing with all the splendor of the sunâ (Lyellâs Geology, i. 316). Perhaps there can be conceived no more sublime representation of what was in the mind of the prophet than such an overflowing volcano. It should be observed, however, that Gesenius supposes that the word which is rendered Isaiah 64:1-3, âflow downâ (× ×××Ö¼ naÌzoluÌ), is derived, not from × ×× naÌzal, to flow, to run as liquids do; but from ××× zaÌlal, to shake, to tremble, to quake as mountains do in an earthquake. But it seems to me that the connection rather demands the former signification, as the principal elements in the figure is fire - and the office of fire is not to cause to tremble, but to burn or melt. The effect here described as illustrative of the presence of God, was that produced by intense burning heat.
The fire causeth the waters to boil - Such an effect was anticipated at the presence of Yahweh. The idea is still that of an intense heat, that should cause all obstacles to be consumed before the presence of the Lord. To illustrate this, the prophet speaks of that which is known to be most intense, that which causes water to boil; and the prayer is, that Yahweh would descend in the manner of such intense and glowing fire, in order that a the foes of the people might be destroyed, and all the obstacles to the restoration of his people removed. The exact point of the comparison, as I conceive, is the intensity of the heat, as emblematic of the majesty of Yahweh, and of the certain destruction of his foes.
To make thy name known - By the exhibition of thy majesty and glory.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Isaiah 64:2. As when the melting fire burneth - "As the fire kindleth the dry fuel"] ××ס×× hamasim. "It means dry stubble, and the root is ××ס hamas," says Rabbi Jonah, apud Sal. ben Melec in loc. Which is approved by Schultens, Orig. Heb. 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 burneth,
As the fire causeth the waters to boil - '
There is no doubt of the Hebrew words of the second line bearing that version." - Dr. JUBB.
I submit these different interpretations to the reader's judgment. For my own part I am inclined to think that the text is much corrupted in this place. The ancient Versions have not the least traces of either of the above interpretations. The Septuagint and Syriac agree exactly together in rendering this line by, "As the wax melted before the fire," which can by no means be reconciled with the present text. The Vulgate, for ××ס×× hamasim, read ×××¡× yemasu.
That the nations — For ×××× goyim, the nations, four MSS. (one of them ancient) have ×ר×× harim, the mountains. - L.
