Isaiah 64:3

God's power and sovereignty

¹ Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence,

² As when the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the waters to boil, to make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at thy presence!

When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, thou camest down, the mountains flowed down at thy presence.

⁴ For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.

⁵ 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.

This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: When You did awesome works that we did not expect, You came down, and the mountains trembled at Your presence.
KJV: When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, thou camest down, the mountains flowed down at thy presence.
WEB: When you did awesome things which we didn’t look for, you came down, and the mountains quaked at your presence.
ASV: When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, thou camest down, the mountains quaked at thy presence.
DARBY: When thou didst terrible things [which] we looked not for, thou camest down, and the mountains flowed down at thy presence.
BLB: at Your doing fearsome [things] we could not have expected! You come down, before Your face the mountains shake.

ÅB: når du gjorde forferdelige ting som vi ikke ventet, når du for ned, og fjellene skalv for ditt åsyn!
OTB: Da du gjorde forferdelige ting som vi ikke ventet, kom du ned, og fjellene skalv for ditt åsyn.
B1930: når du gjorde forferdelige ting som vi ikke ventet, når du for ned, og fjellene skalv for ditt åsyn!

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Exodus 34:10
And he said, Behold, I make a covenant: before all thy people I will do marvels, such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation: and all the people among which thou art shall see the work of the LORD: for it is a terrible thing that I will do with thee.
Read in context
Psalms 65:5–6
By terrible things in righteousness wilt thou answer us, O God of our salvation; who art the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of them that are afar off upon the sea:
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Psalms 66:5
Come and see the works of God: he is terrible in his doing toward the children of men.
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Deuteronomy 10:21
He is thy praise, and he is thy God, that hath done for thee these great and terrible things, which thine eyes have seen.
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Psalms 106:22
Wondrous works in the land of Ham, and terrible things by the Red sea.
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Psalms 66:3
Say unto God, How terrible art thou in thy works! through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee.
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Habakkuk 3:3
God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise.
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2 Samuel 7:23
And what one nation in the earth is like thy people, even like Israel, whom God went to redeem for a people to himself, and to make him a name, and to do for you great things and terrible, for thy land, before thy people, which thou redeemedst to thee from Egypt, from the nations and their gods?
Read in context