The Meaning of Isaiah 64:2 Explained

Isaiah 64:2

KJV: 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!

YLT: (As fire kindleth stubble -- Fire causeth water to boil,) To make known Thy name to Thine adversaries, From Thy presence do nations tremble.

Darby: as fire kindleth brushwood, as the fire causeth water to boil, to make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the nations might tremble at thy presence!

ASV: as when fire kindleth the brushwood, and the fire causeth the waters to boil; to make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at thy presence!

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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! 

What does Isaiah 64:2 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Had God appeared, He would have ignited the brushwood of people"s lives and brought them to a rolling boil in judgment. Then the nations would know who Yahweh really was, and they would tremble at His presence.

Context Summary

Isaiah 64:1-12 - A Cry For Pardon
The great past, Isaiah 64:1-5. We are introduced to the prophet's oratory and hear the outpourings of his heart. As he recalls the story of bygone days, he asks that God would do as He had done. It is as easy for God to rend the heavens as for us to tear a piece of cloth: and great mountains of difficulty dissolve before Him, as a pyramid of snow in a thaw. God works while we wait. When there is no sign of His help, He is hastening toward us. If you go out to meet Him, He will quicken His pace, and run to embrace you. These are God's ways and in them there is everlasting continuance. See Malachi 3:6.
Confession and prayer, Isaiah 64:6-12. The leper, the foul garment, the fading leaf fleeing before the autumn gusts-such emblems become us. If our righteousnesses are black, what must not our sins be! We need Him who comes not with water only, but with water and with blood. See 1 John 5:6. Perhaps our greatest sin is our prayerlessness. We do not stir ourselves up to it. God cannot refrain His mercy, if we cannot refrain our tears! [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 64

1  The church prays for the illustration of God's power
4  Celebrating God's mercy, it makes confession of their natural corruptions
9  It complains of their afflictions

What do the individual words in Isaiah 64:2 mean?

As burns fire brushwood water causes to boil as fire to make known Your name to Your adversaries at Your presence the nations [That] may tremble
כִּקְדֹ֧חַ אֵ֣שׁ הֲמָסִ֗ים מַ֚יִם תִּבְעֶה־ אֵ֔שׁ לְהוֹדִ֥יעַ שִׁמְךָ֖ לְצָרֶ֑יךָ מִפָּנֶ֖יךָ גּוֹיִ֥ם יִרְגָּֽזוּ

כִּקְדֹ֧חַ  As  burns 
Parse: Preposition-k, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: קָדַח  
Sense: to kindle, be kindled.
אֵ֣שׁ  fire 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: אֵשׁ  
Sense: fire.
הֲמָסִ֗ים  brushwood 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: הֲמָסִים  
Sense: brushwood.
מַ֚יִם  water 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
תִּבְעֶה־  causes  to  boil 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: בָּעָה 
Sense: to seek out, swell, cause to swell, boil up, enquire.
אֵ֔שׁ  as  fire 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: אֵשׁ  
Sense: fire.
לְהוֹדִ֥יעַ  to  make  known 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
שִׁמְךָ֖  Your  name 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: שֵׁם  
Sense: name.
לְצָרֶ֑יךָ  to  Your  adversaries 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: צַר 
Sense: narrow, tight.
מִפָּנֶ֖יךָ  at  Your  presence 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, common plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
גּוֹיִ֥ם  the  nations 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: גֹּוי 
Sense: nation, people.
יִרְגָּֽזוּ  [That]  may  tremble 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: רָגַז  
Sense: tremble, quake, rage, quiver, be agitated, be excited, be perturbed.