Isaiah 64:5

“Thou meetest him that rejoiceth, &c.] Not in a carnal way, nor in a sinful manner, nor in a hypocritical one, or in vain boastings, all such rejoicing is evil: but in the Lord, in the person of Christ; in the greatness, glory, and fullness of his person; at the promise, and in the view, of his coming in the flesh, as Abraham did; in the grace of God displayed in him, and in hope of the glory of God by him; such a frame of spirit is agreeable to the Lord: and worketh righteousness; a truly gracious soul is not idle, but works; not in his own strength, nor for life, or anything but what is just and right; no man indeed can work out a perfect righteousness, nor should men attempt to work out…”

“meetest--that is, Thou makest peace, or enterest into covenant with him (see on Isa 47:3). rejoiceth and worketh--that is, who with joyful willingness worketh [GESENIUS] (Act 10:35; Joh 7:17). those--Thou meetest "those," in apposition to "him" who represents a class whose characteristics "those that," &c., more fully describes. remember thee in thy ways-- (Isa 26:8). sinned--literally, "tripped," carrying on the figure in "ways." in those is continuance--a plea to deprecate the continuance of God's wrath; it is not in Thy wrath that there is continuance (Isa 54:7-8; Psa 30:5; Psa 103:9), but in Thy ways ("those"), namely, of covenant mercy to Thy people (Mic 7:18-20; Mal 3:6); on the…”

“Thou meetest him - Perhaps there are few verses in the Bible that have given more perplexity to interpreters than this; and after all that has been done, the general impression seems to be, that it is wholly inexplicable, or without meaning - as it certainly is in our translation. Noyes says of his own translation of the last member of the verse, ‘I am not satisfied with this or any other translation of the line which I have seen.’ Lowth says, ‘I am fully persuaded that these words as they stand at present in the Hebrew text are utterly unintelligible. There is no doubt of the meaning of each word separately, but put together they make no sense at all. I conclude, therefore, that the copy…”

“Meetest - As the father the prodigal. Worketh - That rejoices to work righteousness. Continuance - To those that work righteousness. Be saved - In so doing, in working righteousness. Isaiah 64:6”

“64:5-6 constant sinners . . . infected and impure with sin: See also 59:1-15. The only hope for salvation and transformation is through Jesus Christ (see Rom 7:25–8:11).”

“meetest: Exo 20:24, Exo 25:22, Exo 29:42, Exo 29:43, Exo 30:6; Heb 4:16 rejoiceth: Psa 25:10, Psa 37:4, Psa 112:1; Act 10:2-4, Act 10:35; Phi 3:13-15 those that: Isa 26:8, Isa 26:9, Isa 56:1-7 thou art wroth: Isa 63:10; Psa 90:7-9 in those: Psa 103:17; Jer 31:18-20; Hos 6:3, Hos 11:8; Mal 3:6 Isaiah 64:6”

“(6) The people who ask the question in Isa 64:5 do not regard themselves as worthy of redemption, as their self-righteousness has been so thoroughly put to shame. "We all became like the unclean thing, and all our virtues like a garment soiled with blood; and we all faded away together like the leaves; and our iniquities, like the storm they carried us away." The whole nation is like one whom the law pronounces unclean, like a leper, who has to cry "tâmē, tâmē "as he goes along, that men may get out of his way ( Lev 13:45). Doing right in all its manifold forms (tsedâqōth, like Isa 33:15, used elsewhere of the manifestations of divine righteousness), which once made Israel…”