Isaiah 64:7-12

Context

64:7 No one invokes¹ your name,

or makes an effort² to take hold of you.

For you have rejected us³

and handed us over to our own sins.⁴

64:8 Yet,⁵ Lord, you are our father.

We are the clay, and you are our potter;

we are all the product of your labor.⁶

64:9 Lord, do not be too angry!

Do not hold our sins against us continually!⁷

Take a good look at your people, at all of us!⁸

64:10 Your chosen⁹ cities have become a desert;

Zion has become a desert,

Jerusalem¹⁰ is a desolate ruin.

64:11 Our holy temple, our pride and joy,¹¹

the place where our ancestors praised you,

has been burned with fire;

all our prized possessions have been destroyed.¹²

64:12 In light of all this,¹³ how can you still hold back, Lord?

How can you be silent and continue to humiliate us?

[64:7] ¹tn Or “calls out in”; NASB, NIV, NRSV “calls on.”

[64:7] ²tn Or “rouses himself”; NASB “arouses himself.”

[64:7] ³tn Heb “for you have hidden your face from us.”

[64:7] ⁴tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “and you caused us to melt in the hand of our sin.” The verb וַתְּמוּגֵנוּ (vattÿmugenu) is a Qal preterite 2nd person masculine singular with a 1st person common plural suffix from the root מוּג (mug, “melt”). However, elsewhere the Qal of this verb is intransitive. If the verbal root מוּג (mug) is retained here, the form should be emended to a Polel pattern (וַתְּמֹגְגֵנוּ, vattÿmogÿgenu). The translation assumes an emendation to וַתְּמַגְּנֵנוּ (vattÿmaggÿnenu, “and you handed us over”). This form is a Piel preterite 2nd person masculine singular with a 1st person common plural suffix from the verbal root מִגֵּן (miggen, “hand over, surrender”; see HALOT 545 s.v. מגן and BDB 171 s.v. מָגָן). The point is that God has abandoned them to their sinful ways and no longer seeks reconciliation.

[64:8] ⁵tn On the force of וְעַתָּה (vÿ’attah) here, see HALOT 902 s.v. עַתָּה.

[64:8] ⁶tn Heb “the work of your hand.”

[64:9] ⁷tn Heb “do not remember sin continually.”

[64:9] ⁸tn Heb “Look, gaze at your people, all of us.” Another option is to translate, “Take a good look! We are all your people.”

[64:10] ⁹tn Heb “holy” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV, NLT); NIV “sacred.”

[64:10] ¹⁰map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[64:11] ¹¹tn Heb “our source of pride.”

[64:11] ¹²tn Or “all that we valued has become a ruin.”

[64:12] ¹³tn Heb “because of these”; KJV, ASV “for these things.”