Isaiah 63

1 Who is this that cometh from Edom, in dyed clothes from Bozrah? this fair man in his stole, either long cloak, going in the multitude of his strength? I that speak rightfulness, and am a for-fighter for to save (It is I who speak righteously/It is I who speak of right over wrong, and am a fighter for you, and will save you).

2 Why therefore is thy clothing red? and thy clothes as of men stamping in a presser? (And so why is thy clothing red? and thy clothes like those who stamp at a winepress?)

3 I alone stamped the press, and of folks, either Gentiles, no man is, either was, with me (I stamped the winepress alone, and no one from the nations, or from the Gentiles, was with me); (and so) I stamped them in my strong vengeance, and I defouled them in my wrath; and their blood is sprinkled on my clothes, and I made foul all my clothes.

4 For why a day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my yielding cometh.

5 I looked about, and none helper was; I sought, and none was that helped; and mine arm saved to me, and mine indignation, that helped me. (I looked about, but no one would help me; I sought everywhere, but no one would help; so my own arm saved me, and my anger, that upheld me.)

6 And I defouled peoples in my strong vengeance; and I made them drunken in mine indignation, and I drew down their strength into the earth. (And I defiled the nations in my strong vengeance; and I made them drunk in my indignation, and I poured out their blood onto the ground.)

7 I shall have mind on the merciful doings of the Lord, I shall preach the praising of the Lord, on all things which the Lord [hath] yielded to us, and the multitude of [the] goods of the house of Israel, which he gave to them, by his forgiveness, and by the multitude of his mercies. (I shall remember the merciful doings of the Lord, I shall preach the praises of the Lord, for all the things which the Lord hath given to us, and for the multitude of his goodness to the house of Israel, which he gave to them, by his forgiveness, and by the multitude of his mercies.)

8 And the Lord said, Nevertheless it is my people, sons not denying (me), and (so) he was made a saviour to them, (And the Lord said, Yea, they be my people, and my sons and daughters shall not deceive me, and so he was made their Saviour,)

9 in all the tribulation of them. It was set in tribulation, and the angel of his face saved them. In his love and in his forgiveness he again-bought them, and he bare them, and raised them in all [the] days of the world. (in all their trials and tribulation. For he was set in tribulation with them, and it was not the angel sent from him, but he himself who saved them. In his love and in his forgiveness he redeemed, or he rescued, them, and he carried them, and he raised them up in all the days of the world.)

10 Forsooth they excited him to wrathfulness, and tormented the spirit of his holy; and he was turned into an enemy of them, and he overcame them in battle. (But they rebelled against him, and tormented his Holy Spirit; and he was turned into their enemy, and he defeated them in battle.)

11 And he had mind on the days of the world, of Moses, and of his people. Where is he, that led them out of the sea, with the shepherds of his flock? Where is he, that setted the spirit of his holy in the middle thereof; (And then they remembered the old days, the days of Moses, and his people, and they said, Where is he, who led them out of the Red Sea, or out of the Sea of Reeds/who led them up from the Nile River, with the shepherds of his flock? Where is he, who put his Holy Spirit within him?)

12 which led out Moses to the right half in the arm of his majesty? which parted waters before them, that he should make to himself a name everlasting; (who led them out by the right hand of Moses with his majestic arm? who parted the waters before them, so that he would make an everlasting name for himself?)

13 which led them out through depths of waters, as an horse not stumbling in desert, (who led them out through the depths of the waters, like a horse not stumbling in the wilderness,)

14 as a beast going down in the field? The Spirit of the Lord was the leader thereof; so thou leddest thy people, that thou madest to thee a name of glory. (like a beast going down into the field? The Spirit of the Lord was their leader; so thou leddest thy people, and thou madest a glorious name for thyself.)

15 Behold thou from heaven, and see from thine holy dwelling place, and from the seat of thy glory. Where is thy fervent love, and thy strength, the multitude of thine entrails, and of thy merciful doings? They withheld themselves on me (Why hast thou withheld thyself from us?).

16 Forsooth thou art our father, and Abraham knew not us, and Israel knew not us. Thou, Lord, art our father, and our again-buyer; thy name is from the world. (For thou art our father, though Abraham knew us not, and Israel, or Jacob, knew us not. Thou, Lord, art our father, and our Redeemer; thy name is from forever.)

17 Lord, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways? thou hast made hard our heart, that we dreaded not thee? be thou converted, for thy servants, the lineages of thine heritage. (Lord, why hast thou let us go astray from thy ways? hast thou hardened our hearts, so that we do not fear thee?/so that we do not have reverence for thee? return thou for the sake of thy servants, the tribes of thy inheritance.)

18 They had as nought thine holy people in possession, and our enemies defouled thine hallowing. (For a little while they had thy holy people in possession, and our enemies defiled thy sanctuary.)

19 We be made as in the beginning, when thou were not Lord of us, neither thy name was called to help on us. (And we were made like in the beginning, when thou were not Lord of us, and we did not call on thy name for help/and we were not called by thy name.)

Isaiah 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.