Yeshayah 63

1 3 Who is this that cometh from Edom, with crimson begadim (garments) from Botzrah? This that is glorious in His apparel, striding in the greatness of His ko’ach? It is I, speaking in tzedakah, mighty to save.

2 Why art Thou adom (red) in Thine apparel, and Thy garments like him that treadeth in the winepress?

3 I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the amim (peoples, nations) there was none with Me; for I will trample them in Mine wrath [i.e., Moshiach’s work of wrath], and trod them down in My fury; and the juice of their life blood splattered upon My garments, and I stained all My raiment.

4 For Yom Nekam (Day of Vengeance) is in Mine lev, and My Shanat Geulah (Year of Redemption) is come.

5 And I looked, and there was no ozer (helper); and I was appalled that there was no supporter; therefore Mine own zero’a wrought Salvation for Me; and My wrath, it upheld Me.

6 And I will trample down the amim (nations) in Mine wrath, and make them drunk in My fury, and I will pour out the juice of their life blood down on the earth.

7 I will rehearse the chasadim (lovingkindnesses) of Hashem, and the tehillot Hashem, according to all that Hashem hath bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the Bais Yisroel, which He hath bestowed on them according to His rachamim, and according to the multitude of His chasadim.

8 For He said, Surely they are My people, banim that will not be sheker (false); so He became their Moshi’a (Savior).

9 In all their tzoros He was afflicted, and the malach of His presence saved them; in His ahavah and in His mercy He redeemed them; and He lifted them up, and carried them kol y’mei olam.

10 But they rebelled, and grieved His Ruach Hakodesh; therefore He turned against them as oyev (enemy), and He fought against them.

11 Then His people remembered the y’mei olam (days of old), of Moshe. Where is He that brought them up out of the yam (sea) with the ro’im of His tzon? Where is He that put His Ruach Hakodesh in the midst of them?

12 Who led them at the right hand of Moshe with His zero’a tiferet, dividing the mayim before them, to make Himself a Shem Olam?

13 Who led them through the tehomot, like the sus (horse) in the midbar, that they should not stumble?

14 As behemah goeth down into the valley, the Ruach Hashem caused them to rest; thus didst Thou lead Thy people, to make for Thee a Shem Tiferet.

15 Look down from Shomayim, and behold from the habitation of Thy kodesh and of Thy Tiferet. Where is Thy kina (zeal) and Thy gevurah (might)? The yearning of Thy heart and of Thy rachamim are withheld toward me.

16 Doubtless Thou art Avinu, though Avraham not have da’as of us, and Yisroel not acknowledge us; Thou, Hashem, art Avinu, Go’aleinu; Shemecha is from everlasting.

17 Hashem, why hast Thou made us to go astray from Thy drakhim, and hardened libenu (our hearts) from fearing Thee? Shuv (return) l’ma’an (for the sake of) Avadeicha (Thy servants), Shivtei Nachalatecha (the Tribes of Thine Inheritance).

18 Am Kadshecha (People of Thy holiness, Thy Holy People) have possessed it but a little while; our adversaries have trampled down Thy Mikdash.

19 We have become such as them over whom Thou hast never ruled, those who were not called by Shimecha (Thy Name).

Yeshayah 63 Commentary

Chapter 63

Christ's victory over his enemies. (1-6) His mercy toward his church. (7-14) The prayer of the church. (15-19)

Verses 1-6 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, ( Revelation 14:19 , Revelation 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."

Verses 7-14 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.

Verses 15-19 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.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 63

This chapter contains a prophecy of the vengeance of Christ upon the enemies of his church in the latter day, whereby complete salvation would be obtained for them; and this illustrated by the mercies of God to the people of Israel of old; and is concluded with the church s prayer to him. The account of the vengeance taken by Christ on his enemies is introduced by a colloquy between him and his church; who puts a question, in which he is described by the places from whence he came, by his apparel, and by his manner of walking; to which he returns an answer, Isa 63:1, then a second question is put, about the colour of his garments; for which he gives a reason, Isa 63:2,3 it being the time of his vengeance on his enemies, and of the redemption of his people, Isa 63:4 the manner in which he performed both is observed, Isa 63:5 and the thorough work he would make; and the entire riddance of all his enemies is determined upon, Isa 63:6, which puts the prophet, or the church, in mind of former mercies bestowed upon Israel of old, the peculiar people and children of God, the Lord had a great opinion of, and favour for, whom he dealt very tenderly with, and redeemed, and saved, and preserved, Isa 63:7-9 though they acted an ungrateful part to him, which is aggravated by the various kind steps of Providence, in leading them through the Red sea, guiding them in the wilderness, and bringing them to rest safely in Canaan's land, for his own glory, Isa 63:10-14 and all is closed with the church's prayer to God, imploring his grace and mercy; pleading relation to him; expostulating with him about their present case, and observing the difference between them and their enemies, Isa 63:15-19 and which prayer is continued in the next chapter.