Isaiah 64:5 · Bible study
Isaiah 64:5 Commentary: Grace for the Repentant and Righteous
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Isaiah 64:5 reveals God's character: He meets the righteous, yet the people confess sin and ask for salvation. How can both be true?
Research Summary
- Meaning: God welcomes the righteous, but the people confess sin and appeal for salvation based on God's enduring character.
- Key words: meetest, rejoiceth, worketh righteousness, angry, sinned, continuance, saved.
- Main debate: The meaning of 'in those is continuance' and the extent of textual corruption in the verse.
- Thermatic theme: The tension between God's holiness and mercy, and the hope that confession builds on covenant faithfulness.
- Best use: A prayer of confession and trust, suitable for services focused on repentance or restoration.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
You welcome those who gladly do right, who remember Your ways. Surely You were angry, for we sinned. How can we be saved if we remain in our sins?
WEB World English Bible 2000
You meet him who rejoices and does righteousness, those who remember you in your ways. Behold, you were angry, and we sinned. We have been in sin for a long time. Shall we be saved?
KJV King James Version 1769
Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways: behold, thou art wroth; for we have sinned: in those is continuance, and we shall be saved.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways: behold, thou wast wroth, and we sinned: in them have we been of long time; and shall we be saved?
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Thou hast met with the rejoicer And the doer of righteousness, In Thy ways they remember Thee, Lo, Thou hast been wroth when we sin, By them is continuance, and we are saved.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Thou meetest him that rejoiceth to do righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways: (behold, thou wast wroth, and we have sinned:) in those is perpetuity, and we shall be saved.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Thou hast met him that rejoiceth, and doth justice: in thy ways they shall remember thee: behold thou art angry, and we have sinned: in them we have been always, and we shall be saved.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Saliste al encuentro al que con alegría obraba justicia, á los que se acordaban de ti en tus caminos: he aquí, tú te enojaste porque pecamos; en esos hay perpetuidad, y seremos salvos.
Tu foste ao encontro do alegre, e do que pratica justiça, e aos que se lembram de ti em teus caminhos. Eis que te enfureceste porque pecamos por muito tempo. Seremos salvos?
Nous sommes tous comme des impurs,
Du begegnest dem Fröhlichen und denen, so Gerechtigkeit übten und auf deinen Wegen dein gedachten. Siehe, du zürntest wohl, da wir sündigten und lange darin blieben; uns ward aber dennoch geholfen.
Gij ontmoet den vrolijke, en die gerechtigheid doet dengenen, die Uwer gedenken op Uw wegen; zie, Gij waart verbolgen, omdat wij gezondigd hebben; in dezelve is de eeuwigheid, opdat wij behouden wierden.
Tu vai incontro a chi gode nel praticar la giustizia, a chi, camminando nelle tue vie, si ricorda di te; ma tu ti sei adirato contro di noi, perché abbiamo peccato; e ciò ha durato da tanto tempo… sarem noi salvati?
Zabieżałeś weselącemu się i czyniącemu sprawiedliwość, i tym, którzy na drogach twoich wspominali na cię. Otoś się ty rozgniewał, przeto żeśmy grzeszyli na tych drogach ustawicznie, wszakże zachowani będziemy,
Ты милостиво встречал радующегося и делающего правду, поминающего Тебя на путях Твоих. Но вот, Ты прогневался, потому что мы издавна грешили; и как же мы будем спасены?
你迎接 那 歡喜 行 義、記念 你道的人； 你 曾發怒，我們仍犯罪；這景況 已久，我們還能得救嗎？
Will you not have mercy on him who takes pleasure in doing righteousness, even on those who keep in mind your ways? Truly you were angry, and we went on doing evil, and sinning against you in the past.
Verse in Context
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree this verse sets up a tension between God's character and Israel's condition. God is the one who meets those who joyfully do righteousness, a fact the people affirm as the basis for their appeal. Yet they confess that God's anger is just, because they have sinned. Bible scholars Clarke and Barnes note the Hebrew text of the final clauses is corrupt and nearly unintelligible, making a precise translation uncertain. But the theological movement is clear: the people acknowledge their sin and God's righteous wrath, then ask, 'Shall we be saved?', a question born of both despair and hope. JFB and Gill see in the phrase 'in those is continuance' a reference to God's enduring covenant mercy, giving ground for faith. Wesley reads the verse as a simple sequence: God meets the righteous; when the people sinned, they incurred anger; yet because they remember God's ways, they may be saved. The consensus is that the verse functions as a prayer of confession that trusts in God's character more than in human worthiness.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: High
Main views:
- Textual emendation view: The Hebrew text is corrupt; the meaning is likely lost or must be reconstructed (Clarke, Barnes, Lowth).
- Covenant faithfulness view: The 'continuance' refers to God's enduring ways of mercy; the people appeal to his covenant promises (JFB, Gill).
- Penitential appeal view: The verse is a straightforward prayer: the people acknowledge their sin but trust in God's character as the one who welcomes the repentant (Wesley, Matthew Henry).
What is clear: God meets those who do righteousness, and the people confess their sin and look to God for salvation.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The meaning of 'in those is continuance' | The Hebrew text of this clause is obscure and likely corrupt (Clarke, Barnes). | Some read it as referring to God's ways of mercy (JFB, Gill), others as a description of the people's long history of sin, and still others propose emending the text entirely (Clarke). |
| Whether God meets only the righteous | God's character is to welcome those who joyfully do righteousness. | How this applies to the sinful people: some see the confession itself as a turn to righteousness; others emphasize that the people rely on God's covenant mercy despite their unworthiness (Matthew Henry, Wesley). |
| The nature of God's anger | God's anger is a just response to sin. | Is this anger temporary or ongoing? JFB cites Psalm 30:5 and 103:9 to argue God's anger does not last forever; others note the people's plea implies they hope for the anger to cease even while confessing their guilt. |
| The textual corruption of the verse | The latter part of the verse is widely recognized as textually difficult. | Some commentators (Clarke, Barnes) consider the received text unintelligible and resort to emendation; others (JFB, Gill) find coherent meaning in the traditional reading by interpreting 'those' as referring to God's ways. |
| The basis for salvation | Salvation is from God, not from human merit. | Catholics and Protestants alike see grace as central, but traditions differ on the role of human cooperation: some emphasize God's sovereign faithfulness to the covenant (Reformed), while others highlight the necessity of active repentance and rejoicing in righteousness (Wesleyan). |
Historical & Cultural Context
Isaiah 64:5 sits within a community lament spanning Isaiah 63:7, 64:12. The people recall God's past acts of redemption, then confess that their sins have provoked his anger. This prayer likely dates from the early post-exilic period, when the returned exiles faced a devastated Jerusalem and a delayed restoration. The phrase 'Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness' echoes the language of the tabernacle, where God promised to meet his people (Exodus 25:22; 29:42, 43). The people are not claiming personal righteousness; they are appealing to God's revealed character as one who welcomes those who walk in his ways (Psalm 25:10; 37:4). The verse's confession, 'Behold, you were angry, and we sinned', mirrors the pattern of prophetic litigation: God has a case against his people, and they plead guilty. Yet even in their guilt, they call on God to remember his covenant faithfulness (see v. 8, 9, 'we are your people'). The cultural background includes a strong sense of corporate solidarity: the sins of the community are confessed as 'we sinned,' and the hope of salvation is communal, 'shall we be saved?' The reference to 'continuance' (or 'perpetuity') likely alludes to the enduring nature of God's covenant ways, which the people hope will prevail over their persistent rebellion.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources agree that the final portion of Isaiah 64:5 presents significant textual problems. Adam Clarke and Albert Barnes each describe the Hebrew as 'utterly unintelligible' in its current form, with the words making no coherent sense when combined. The Septuagint apparently read a different underlying text (translated 'therefore we have erred'). Various emendations have been proposed, including Archbishop Secker's suggestion 'look upon us, and we shall be saved,' but none has gained universal support. The Cambridge Bible notes that 'the text is in some places hopelessly corrupt.' Despite these difficulties, the general theological trajectory of the verse remains clear from the surrounding context and the first part of the verse.
Reception History
Isaiah 64:5 has been read through the ages as a model of penitential prayer. Early Christian writers saw in the opening phrase a description of God's fellowship with those who delight in his law, while the confession of sin provided language for corporate repentance. Medieval interpreters often used the verse to illustrate the paradox of God's justice and mercy: he is angry at sin, yet his 'ways' have continuance, meaning his covenant promises endure. The Reformers found here the basis for assurance: salvation rests not on the faithful's own righteousness but on God's unchanging character. In modern liturgical use, the verse inspires hymns and prayers that hold together honest confession and hopeful trust, reminding Christians that the same God who meets the righteous also hears the plea of the sinful who return to him.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God's Character: He meets those who rejoice in doing righteousness. His nature is to welcome the obedient, to be present with those who remember his ways.
- Human Condition: We have sinned and incurred God's anger. Our history is one of rebellion, and we cannot claim righteousness for ourselves (see v. 6: 'all our righteousness is like a polluted garment').
- Hope: Yet there is continuance in God's ways. Because he is faithful to his covenant, we can ask, 'Shall we be saved?', a question that holds both confession and trust.
Five-point outline
- The Welcome God Gives: The verse opens by affirming God's readiness to meet those who rejoice in righteousness. This is an invitation to delight in obedience.
- The Memory of God's Ways: The people remember God in his ways, his acts of deliverance, his commands, his mercy. Remembrance is both worship and plea.
- The Reality of Sin: They admit God's anger is justified. 'Behold, you were angry, and we sinned.' Honest confession is the path to restoration.
- The Question of Duration: 'We have been in sin for a long time. Shall we be saved?' The length of their sin does not cut off hope; it deepens the plea for mercy.
- The Ground of Salvation: The hope rests not in the people's righteousness but in God's abiding character, the 'continuance' of his ways (covenant faithfulness).
Illustration hooks
- A child's broken promise: A teenager repeatedly breaks curfew. Each time, the parent is angry but also ready to welcome them home if they genuinely apologize. The child's only hope is the parent's consistent love, not their own good behavior.
- A courtroom with a judge who is also a father: The defendant knows the judge is both just and personally invested in their restoration. The plea is not 'I am innocent' but 'You know me; show mercy.'
- A long-running argument between old friends: One friend has wronged the other many times. The offended friend has a history of forgiveness. The wrongdoer finally asks, 'Can we still be saved?' The answer depends on the character of the one wronged.
Questions your congregation is asking
- If God only meets the righteous, how can I approach him when I've sinned again?
- Does confessing the same sin over and over make God impatient?
- What does it mean to 'rejoice in doing righteousness', is that about feelings or actions?
Leading a Discussion
This verse wrestles with a question many of us feel: how can a God who welcomes the righteous also save people who keep sinning? The people of Isaiah's day did not minimize their guilt. They named God's anger honestly. Yet they held onto hope based on God's character. As your group reads Isaiah 64:5, notice how both confession and trust sit side by side.
Discussion questions
- What does the first part of the verse say about God? What kind of people does he 'meet'? (Consider the cross-references about God meeting his people in the tabernacle.)
- How do the people describe their own condition in the rest of the verse? What words stand out to you?
- Why do you think the people connect God's anger with their sin? Is that connection fair? (Think about what sin does to a relationship.)
- The phrase 'in those is continuance' is difficult. Some commentators see it as referring to God's ways of mercy, others to the people's long history of sin. How does each interpretation change how you read the verse?
- The verse ends with a question: 'Shall we be saved?' Why ask it as a question rather than a statement? What does that reveal about the people's faith?
- How does this verse shape the way we pray when we have failed God? What can we learn from the balance of honesty and hope?
- What is one step you can take this week to 'remember God in his ways' even when you are aware of your own failures?
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Exodus 20:24 | You shall make an altar of earth for me, and shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your cattle. In every place where I record my name I will come to you and I will bless you. |
| Exodus 25:22 | There I will meet with you, and I will tell you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the covenant, all that I command you for the children of Israel. |
| Exodus 29:42 | It shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the Tent of Meeting before Yahweh, where I will meet with you, to speak there to you. |
| Exodus 29:43 | There I will meet with the children of Israel; and the place shall be sanctified by my glory. |
| Exodus 30:6 | You shall put it before the veil that is by the ark of the covenant, before the mercy seat that is over the covenant, where I will meet with you. |
| Psalms 25:10 | All the paths of Yahweh are loving kindness and truth to such as keep his covenant and his testimonies. |
| Psalms 37:4 | Also delight yourself in Yahweh, and he will give you the desires of your heart. |
| Psalms 90:7 | For we are consumed in your anger. We are troubled in your wrath. |
Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
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What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke argues that the Hebrew text of this verse is hopelessly corrupt. Each word is clear on its own, but together they yield no sense at all. He concludes that ancient translators struggled as much as modern readers, leaving any confident interpretation dependent on scholarly conjecture.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes acknowledges that this verse has puzzled interpreters for centuries, with some calling it unintelligible in the Hebrew. He proposes that it contrasts God's joyful character—He meets the righteous with favor—with the people's confession of long-continued sin, leading them to ask in desperation whether such sinners can still be saved.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This commentator highlights a deliberate contrast in the passage between God’s known character as the One who actively works for those who wait for Him, and the harsh severity of His dealings with Israel. He also notes a significant textual variant: instead of being consumed by their iniquities, the people are delivered into the power of them.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Thou diddest meete him, that reioyced in thee, and did iustly: they remembred thee in thy wayes: beholde, thou art angrie, for we haue sinned: yet in them is continuance, and we shall be saued.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill carefully separates true rejoicing from sinful boasting, insisting that genuine righteousness comes not from human effort but from faith in Christ and cheerful obedience. He notes that God "meets" such believers in mercy, and upholds that salvation rests entirely on God's unchanging grace, not on any works of their own.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes that "in those is continuance" does not mean God's wrath lasts, but rather His covenant ways of mercy endure. The commentator stresses that from this certainty of God's lasting faithfulness, believers find confidence to declare, "we shall be saved," despite their own failings.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch highlight the graphic intensity of the prophet's confession: the whole nation is utterly defiled, like a leper or a garment stained with menstrual blood. Their best deeds have become as filthy rags, and their sins sweep them away like a storm, leaving them powerless and unable to claim any worthiness for redemption.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange emphasizes that the prayer to "rend the heavens" asks for a direct, visible display of God's terrible majesty, far beyond any symbolic theophany. Only the true God, who alone has proven Himself by deeds to those who wait for Him, can grant such a manifestation. Lange stresses the people's utter uncleanness, comparing their righteousness to filthy rags.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley compares God's welcome to the father running to meet the prodigal son. Those who rejoice in doing righteousness receive from God both the strength to continue in it and final salvation as the outcome of their faithful work.