SEV Biblia, Chapter 64:4
Ni nunca oyeron, ni oídos percibieron; ni ojo ha visto Dios fuera de ti, que hiciese otro tanto por el que en él espera.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Isaiah 64:4
Verse 4. For since the beginning of the world men have not heard "For never have men heard"] St. Paul is generally supposed to have quoted this passage of Isaiah, 1 Cor. ii. 9; and Clemens Romanus in his first epistle has made the same quotation, very nearly in the same words with the apostle. But the citation is so very different both from the Hebrew text and the version of the Septuagint, that it seems very difficult, if not impossible, to reconcile them by any literal emendation, without going beyond the bounds of temperate criticism. One clause, "neither hath it entered into the heart of man, "(which, by the way, is a phrase purely Hebrew, bl l[ hl[ alah al leb, and should seem to belong to the prophet,) is wholly left out; and another is repeated without force or propriety; viz., "nor perceived by the ear, "after, "never have heard: " and the sense and expression of the apostle is far preferable to that of the Hebrew text. Under these difficulties I am at a loss what to do better, than to offer to the reader this, perhaps disagreeable, alternative: either to consider the Hebrew text and Septuagint in this place as wilfully disguised and corrupted by the Jews; of which practice in regard to other quotations in the New Testament from the Old, they lie under strong suspicions, (see Dr. Owen on the version of the Septuagint, sect. vi. - ix.;) or to look upon St. Paul's quotation as not made from Isaiah, but from one or other of the two apocryphal books, entitled, The Ascension of Esaiah, and the Apocalypse of Elias, in both of which this passage was found; and the apostle is by some supposed in other places to have quoted such apocryphal writings. As the first of these conclusions will perhaps not easily be admitted by many, so I must fairly warn my readers that the second is treated by Jerome as little better than heresy. See his comment on this place of Isaiah. - L. I would read the whole verse thus; "Yea, from the time of old they have not heard, they have not hearkened to, an eye hath not seen a God besides thee. He shall work for that one that waiteth for him. " This I really think on the whole to be the best translation of the original. The variations on this place are as follows: for w[m shameu, they have heard, a MS. and the Septuagint read wn[m shamanu, we have heard: for the second al lo, not, sixty-nine MSS. and four editions have alw velo, and not, and the Syriac, Chaldee, and Vulgate. And so y[w veayin, and eye, Septuagint and Syriac. ta eth, the, (emphatic,) is added before µyhla Elohim, God, in MS. Bodleian. ykjml limechakkey, to them that wait, plural, two MSS. and all the ancient Versions. - L.
Matthew Henry Commentary
The church prays that God's power may be manifested. (Is. 64:1-5) confession of sin, and afflictions bewailed. (Is. 64:6-12)
Is. 64:1-5 They desire that God would manifest himself to them and for them, so that all may see it. This is applicable to the second comin of Christ, when the Lord himself shall descend from heaven. They plea what God had used to do, and had declared his gracious purpose to do for his people. They need not fear being disappointed of it, for it is sure; or disappointed in it, for it is sufficient. The happiness of his people is bound up in what God has designed for them, and is preparin for them, and preparing them for; what he has done or will do. Can we believe this, and then think any thing too great to expect from his truth, power, and love? It is spiritual and cannot be comprehended by human understanding. It is ever ready. See what communion there is between a gracious God and a gracious soul. We must make conscience of doing our duty in every thing the Lord our God requires. Thou meetes him; this speaks his freeness and forwardness in doing them good Though God has been angry with us for our sins, and justly, yet his anger has soon ended; but in his favour is life, which goes on an continues, and on that we depend for our salvation.
Is. 64:6-12 The people of God, in affliction, confess and bewail their sins, owning themselves unworthy of his mercy. Sin is that abominabl thing which the Lord hates. Our deeds, whatever they may seem to be, i we think to merit by them at God's hand, are as rags, and will no cover us; filthy rags, and will but defile us. Even our few good work in which there is real excellence, as fruits of the Spirit, are s defective and defiled as done by us, that they need to be washed in the fountain open for sin and uncleanness. It bodes ill when prayer is kep back. To pray, is by faith to take hold of the promises the Lord ha made of his good-will to us, and to plead them; to take hold of him earnestly begging him not to leave us; or soliciting his return. The brought their troubles upon themselves by their own folly. Sinners ar blasted, and then carried away, by the wind of their own iniquity; i withers and then ruins them. When they made themselves as an unclea thing, no wonder that God loathed them. Foolish and careless as we are poor and despised, yet still Thou art our Father. It is the wrath of Father we are under, who will be reconciled; and the relief our cas requires is expected only from him. They refer themselves to God. The do not say, "Lord, rebuke us not," for that may be necessary; but, "No in thy displeasure." They state their lamentable condition. See what ruin sin brings upon a people; and an outward profession of holines will be no defence against it. God's people presume not to tell his what he shall say, but their prayer is, Speak for the comfort an relief of thy people. How few call upon the Lord with their whol hearts, or stir themselves to lay hold upon him! God may delay for time to answer our prayers, but he will, in the end, answer those wh call on his name and hope in his mercy __________________________________________________________________
Original Hebrew
ומעולם 5769 לא 3808 שׁמעו 8085 לא 3808 האזינו 238 עין 5869 לא 3808 ראתה 7200 אלהים 430 זולתך 2108 יעשׂה 6213 למחכה׃ 2442
