John Calvin Commentary Isaiah 65:6

"Behold, it is written before me: I will not keep silence, but will recompense, yea, I will recompense into their bosom," — Isaiah 65:6 (ASV)

Lo, it is written before me. He alludes to the common custom of judges, who keep written records of investigations concerning any matter before them, along with testimonies, proceedings, and everything of that kind. This is done so that, when it becomes necessary to use them, the culprit's guilt can be easily proven.

For we write those things that we want to be remembered by posterity. The Lord therefore testifies that these things can never fade into oblivion because they have been written. For, although for a time He passes them over in silence, yet the wicked will not escape unpunished, but will eventually feel that He is a righteous judge.

Therefore, we should learn that we must not abuse God’s patience, because He bears with us for a long time and does not immediately stretch out His hand to punish us. For all our faults are nevertheless written before Him, for which we must eventually suffer punishment, if we do not repent.

Indeed, the Lord has no need of writing as an aid to memory; but He uses this form of expression so that we may not think that He has forgotten anything when He is slow in executing His judgments. Jeremiah even says expressly that:

the sin of Judah is written with an iron pen and with the nail of a diamond. (Jeremiah 17:1).

To recompense into the bosom is a phrase frequently used in Scripture; for men think either that their sins are concealed or that they will not be called to account for them; but, hurried along by unbridled lust, or laying the blame on some other person, they drive fear far from themselves (Psalms 79:12; Jeremiah 32:18). On this account, the Lord threatens that He will recompense into their bosom, so that they may consider who the Judge is with whom they are dealing.