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.
Parallel translations
- WEB For from of old men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen a God besides you, who works for him who waits for him.
- BSB From ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides You, who acts on behalf of those who wait for Him.
- NKJV For since the beginning of the world Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, Nor has the eye seen any God besides You, Who acts for the one who waits for Him.
- NASB For from days of old they have not heard or perceived by ear, Nor has the eye seen a God besides You, Who acts in behalf of one who waits for Him.
- NLT For since the world began, no ear has heard and no eye has seen a God like you, who works for those who wait for him!
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
No one has ever heard of a God like Yahweh, who acts for those who wait for Him. It matters because it celebrates the incomparable God who works on behalf of His people.
Overview
This verse declares God's uniqueness: He alone acts for those who patiently trust Him. Paul quotes it in 1 Corinthians 2:9 to describe the surpassing things God has prepared for those who love Him, revealed by His Spirit in the gospel. The verse calls God's people to hopeful, expectant waiting on the God who saves.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 26
- 1 Cor 2:9–10But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
- Ps 31:19Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!
- Jas 5:7Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.
- Isa 25:9And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.
- Eph 3:17–21That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
- Ps 130:5I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.
- Col 1:26–27Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
- Gen 49:18I have waited for thy salvation, O LORD.
- Lam 3:25–26The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.
- Isa 30:18And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.
- John 14:3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
- 1 Jn 3:1–2Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
- 1 Tim 3:16And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
- Eph 3:5–10Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
- Matt 25:34Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
- Heb 11:16But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.
- Rom 8:19For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
- 1 Cor 1:7So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:
- Luke 2:25And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.
- Ps 62:1Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation.
- Rom 8:23–25And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
- 1 Jn 4:10Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
- 1 Th 1:10And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
- Rev 22:1–5And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
- Rev 21:1–4And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
- Rev 21:22–24And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
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Christ at the center
Isaiah sees him most clearly: the virgin's son Immanuel, the child on David's throne, the shoot from Jesse, the light to the nations, and above all the Suffering Servant pierced for our transgressions (ch. 53).
How Isaiah 64:4 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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