Discovery BoxIsaiah 64:3-5
Context64:3 When you performed awesome deeds that took us by surprise, 1
you came down, and the mountains trembled 2 before you.
64:4 Since ancient times no one has heard or perceived, 3
no eye has seen any God besides you,
who intervenes for those who wait for him.
64:5 You assist 4 those who delight in doing what is right, 5
who observe your commandments. 6
Look, you were angry because we violated them continually.
How then can we be saved? 7
[64:3] 1 tn Heb “[for which] we were not waiting.”
[64:3] 2 tn See the note at v. 1.
[64:4] 3 tn Heb “from ancient times they have not heard, they have not listened.”
[64:5] 5 tn Heb “meet [with kindness].”
[64:5] 6 tn Heb “the one who rejoices and does righteousness.”
[64:5] 7 tn Heb “in your ways they remember you.”
[64:5] 8 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “look, you were angry and we sinned against them continually [or perhaps, “in ancient times”] and we were delivered.” The statement makes little sense as it stands. The first vav [ו] consecutive (“and we sinned”) must introduce an explanatory clause here (see Num 1:48 and Isa 39:1 for other examples of this relatively rare use of the vav [ו] consecutive). The final verb (if rendered positively) makes no sense in this context – God’s anger at their sin resulted in judgment, not deliverance. One of the alternatives involves an emendation to וַנִּרְשָׁע (vannirsha’, “and we were evil”; LXX, NRSV, TEV). The Vulgate and the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa support the MT reading. One can either accept an emendation or cast the statement as a question (as above).
