Isaiah 63NASB
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Isaiah63

New American Standard

1Who is this who comes from Edom, With garments of glowing colors from Bozrah, This One who is majestic in His apparel, Marching in the greatness of His strength? “It is I, the One who speaks in righteousness, mighty to save.”

2Why is Your apparel red, And Your garments like one who treads in the wine press?

3“I have trodden the wine trough alone, And from the peoples there was no one with Me. I also trod them in My anger And trampled them in My wrath; And their lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments, And I stained all My clothes.

4For the day of vengeance was in My heart, And My year of redemption has come.

5I looked, but there was no one to help, And I was astonished and there was no one to uphold; So My own arm brought salvation to Me, And My wrath upheld Me.

6I trampled down the peoples in My anger And made them drunk with My wrath, And I poured out their lifeblood on the earth.”

7I will make mention of the mercies of the Lord, and the praises of the Lord, According to all that the Lord has granted us, And the great goodness toward the house of Israel, Which He has granted them according to His compassion And according to the abundance of His mercies.

8For He said, “Certainly they are My people, Sons who will not deal falsely.” So He became their Savior.

9In all their distress He was distressed, And the angel of His presence saved them; In His love and in His mercy He redeemed them, And He lifted them and carried them all the days of old.

10But they rebelled And grieved His Holy Spirit; Therefore He turned Himself to become their enemy, He fought against them.

11Then His people remembered the days of old, of Moses. Where is He who brought them up out of the sea with the shepherds of His flock? Where is He who put His Holy Spirit in the midst of them,

12Who caused His glorious arm to go at the right hand of Moses, Who divided the waters before them to make for Himself an everlasting name,

13Who led them through the depths? Like the horse in the wilderness, they did not stumble;

14Like the cattle which go down into the valley, The Spirit of the Lord gave them rest. So You led Your people, To make for Yourself a glorious name.

15Look down from heaven and see from Your holy and glorious lofty habitation; Where are Your zeal and Your mighty deeds? The stirrings of Your heart and Your compassion are restrained toward me.

16For You are our Father, though Abraham does not know us And Israel does not recognize us. You, Lord, are our Father, Our Redeemer from ancient times is Your name.

17Why, Lord, do You cause us to stray from Your ways And harden our heart from fearing You? Return for the sake of Your servants, the tribes of Your heritage.

18Your holy people possessed Your sanctuary for a little while, Our adversaries have trampled it down.

19We have become like those over whom You have never ruled, Like those who were not called by Your name.

Study Guide

Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Isaiah 63.

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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.

Cross References

Isaiah 63

The victorious King arriving with garments dipped in blood parallel to Christ's depiction.

Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB

v1Isaiah 34:6thematic

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

v5Isaiah 59:16thematic

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

v4Isaiah 61:2thematic

The parallel pairing of the 'day of vengeance' and the 'year' of redemption.

Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB

v9Exodus 23:20thematic

The 'Angel of his presence' identifying with the Angel sent before Israel.

Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB

v9Malachi 3:1typology

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

v10Ephesians 4:30thematic

Grieving/vexing the Holy Spirit, echoing Israel's rebellion in the wilderness.

Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB

v10Acts 7:51thematic

Stephen's indictment of Israel for always resisting the Holy Spirit, just like their fathers.

Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB

v10Lamentations 2:5thematic

The Lord turning to be His people's enemy and actively fighting against them.

Supported by JFB

v11Psalms 77:20thematic

God leading His flock through the sea by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, John Calvin

v12Exodus 14:21thematic

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

v15Jeremiah 31:20thematic

The sounding/troubling of the bowels as an expression of divine maternal compassion.

Supported by JFB

v16Isaiah 64:8thematic

The community's continued appeal to Yahweh as Father and potter.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v17Isaiah 6:10thematic

The theme of judicial hardening of hearts and spiritual blindness sent by God.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v18Daniel 8:13thematic

Adversaries treading down the sanctuary of God's holy people.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v18Deuteronomy 7:6thematic

Israel designated as 'the people of thy holiness'—a special, set-apart possession.

Supported by JFB