Isaiah63
King James Version · Public Domain
1Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save.
2Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat?
3I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment.
4For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come.
5And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me.
6And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth.
7I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the Lord, and the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord hath bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses.
8For he said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie: so he was their Saviour.
9In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.
10But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them.
11Then he remembered the days of old, Moses, and his people, saying, Where is he that brought them up out of the sea with the shepherd of his flock? where is he that put his holy Spirit within him?
12That led them by the right hand of Moses with his glorious arm, dividing the water before them, to make himself an everlasting name?
13That led them through the deep, as an horse in the wilderness, that they should not stumble?
14As a beast goeth down into the valley, the Spirit of the Lord caused him to rest: so didst thou lead thy people, to make thyself a glorious name.
15Look down from heaven, and behold from the habitation of thy holiness and of thy glory: where is thy zeal and thy strength, the sounding of thy bowels and of thy mercies toward me? are they restrained?
16Doubtless thou art our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not: thou, O Lord, art our father, our redeemer; thy name is from everlasting.
17O Lord, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants' sake, the tribes of thine inheritance.
18The people of thy holiness have possessed it but a little while: our adversaries have trodden down thy sanctuary.
19We are thine: thou never barest rule over them; they were not called by thy name.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Isaiah 63.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: Christ's victory over his enemies. (1-6). His mercy toward his church. (7-14). The prayer of the church. (15-19).
vv1-6
The prophet, in vision, beholds the Messiah returning in triumph from the conquest of his enemies, of whom Edom was a type. Travelling, not as wearied by the combat, but, in the greatness of his strength, prepared to overcome every opposing power. Messiah declares that he had been treading the wine-press of the wrath of God, Rev. 14:19; 19:13, and by his own power, without any human help, he had crushed his obstinate opposers, for the day of vengeance was determined on, being the appointed season for rescuing his church. Once, he appeared on earth in apparent weakness, to pour out his precious blood as an atonement for our sins; but he will in due time appear in the greatness of his strength. The vintage ripens apace; the day of vengeance, fixed and determined on, approaches apace; let sinners seek to be reconciled to their righteous Judge, ere he brings down their strength to the earth. Does Christ say, "I come quickly?" let our hearts reply, "Even so, come; let the year of the redeemed come."
vv7-14
The latter part of this chapter, and the whole of the next, seem to express the prayers of the Jews on their conversation. They acknowledge God's great mercies and favours to their nation. They confess their wickedness and hardness of heart; they entreat his forgiveness, and deplore the miserable condition under which they have so long suffered. The only-begotten Son of the Father became the Angel or Messenger of his love; thus he redeemed and bare them with tenderness. Yet they murmured, and resisted his Holy Spirit, despising and persecuting his prophets, rejecting and crucifying the promised Messiah. All our comforts and hopes spring from the loving-kindness of the Lord, and all our miseries and fears from our sins. But he is the Saviour, and when sinners seek after him, who in other ages glorified himself by saving and feeding his purchased flock, and leading them safely through dangers, and has given his Holy Spirit to prosper the labours of his ministers, there is good ground to hope they are discovering the way of peace.
vv15-19
They beseech him to look down on the abject condition of their once-favoured nation. Would it not be glorious to his name to remove the veil from their hearts, to return to the tribes of his inheritance? The Babylonish captivity, and the after-deliverance of the Jews, were shadows of the events here foretold. The Lord looks down upon us in tenderness and mercy. Spiritual judgments are more to be dreaded than any other calamities; and we should most carefully avoid those sins which justly provoke the Lord to leave men to themselves and to their deceiver. "Our Redeemer from everlasting" is thy name; thy people have always looked upon thee as the God to whom they might appeal. The Lord will hear the prayers of those who belong to him, and deliver them from those not called by his name.
Key Words
מִי: who? (occasionally, by a peculiar idiom, of things); also (indefinitely) whoever; often used in oblique construction with prefix or suffix
זֶה: the masculine demonstrative pronoun, this or that
בּוֹא: to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)
מִן: properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses
אֱדֹם: Edom, the elder twin-brother of Jacob; hence the region (Idumaea) occupied by him
חָמֵץ: to be pungent; i.e. in taste (sour, i.e. literally fermented, or figuratively, harsh), in color (dazzling)
בֶּגֶד: a covering, i.e. clothing; also treachery or pillage
בׇּצְרָה: Botsrah, a place in Edom
הָדַר: to swell up (literally or figuratively, active or passive); by implication, to favor or honour, be high or proud
לְבוּשׁ: a garment (literally or figuratively); by implication (euphemistically) a wife
Cross References
Isaiah 63The victorious King arriving with garments dipped in blood parallel to Christ's depiction.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
Direct geographical parallel with Bozrah and Edom as scenes of divine judgment.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
The eschatological treading of the winepress of God's wrath outside the city.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
Identical wording describing God's wonder that there was no helper to bring salvation.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
The Lord treading His enemies as in a winepress, describing severe judgment.
Supported by JFB
The parallel pairing of the 'day of vengeance' and the 'year' of redemption.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
The 'Angel of his presence' identifying with the Angel sent before Israel.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
The Angel/Messenger of the Covenant who brings redemption and presence.
Supported by JFB
God bearing and carrying Israel on eagles' wings during the days of old.
Supported by JFB
Grieving/vexing the Holy Spirit, echoing Israel's rebellion in the wilderness.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Stephen's indictment of Israel for always resisting the Holy Spirit, just like their fathers.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
The Lord turning to be His people's enemy and actively fighting against them.
Supported by JFB
God leading His flock through the sea by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, John Calvin
The dividing of the Red Sea waters before Moses to make a name.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB
The liturgical cry to 'Look down from heaven, thy holy habitation' to bless Israel.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The sounding/troubling of the bowels as an expression of divine maternal compassion.
Supported by JFB
The community's continued appeal to Yahweh as Father and potter.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The theme of judicial hardening of hearts and spiritual blindness sent by God.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Adversaries treading down the sanctuary of God's holy people.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Israel designated as 'the people of thy holiness'—a special, set-apart possession.
Supported by JFB