1Who is this that comethH935 from EdomH123, with dyedH2556 garmentsH899 from BozrahH1224? this that is gloriousH1921 in his apparelH3830, travellingH6808 in the greatnessH7230 of his strengthH3581? I that speakH1696 in righteousnessH6666, mightyH7227 to saveH3467 . 2Wherefore art thou redH122 in thine apparelH3830, and thy garmentsH899 like him that treadethH1869 in the winefatH1660? 3I have troddenH1869 the winepressH6333 alone; and of the peopleH5971 there was noneH376 with me: for I will treadH1869 them in mine angerH639, and trampleH7429 them in my furyH2534; and their bloodH5332 shall be sprinkledH5137 upon my garmentsH899, and I will stainH1351 all my raimentH4403. 4For the dayH3117 of vengeanceH5359 is in mine heartH3820, and the yearH8141 of my redeemedH1350 is comeH935 . 5And I lookedH5027, and there was none to helpH5826 ; and I wonderedH8074 that there was none to upholdH5564 : therefore mine own armH2220 brought salvationH3467 unto me; and my furyH2534, it upheldH5564 me. 6And I will tread downH947 the peopleH5971 in mine angerH639, and make them drunkH7937 in my furyH2534, and I will bring downH3381 their strengthH5332 to the earthH776. 7I will mentionH2142 the lovingkindnessesH2617 of the LORDH3068, and the praisesH8416 of the LORDH3068, according to all that the LORDH3068 hath bestowedH1580 on us, and the greatH7227 goodnessH2898 toward the houseH1004 of IsraelH3478, which he hath bestowedH1580 on them according to his merciesH7356, and according to the multitudeH7230 of his lovingkindnessesH2617. 8For he saidH559, Surely they are my peopleH5971, childrenH1121 that will not lieH8266 : so he was their SaviourH3467 . 9In all their afflictionH6869 he was afflictedH6862, and the angelH4397 of his presenceH6440 savedH3467 them: in his loveH160 and in his pityH2551 he redeemedH1350 them; and he bareH5190 them, and carriedH5375 them all the daysH3117 of oldH5769. 10But they rebelledH4784, and vexedH6087 his holyH6944 SpiritH7307: therefore he was turnedH2015 to be their enemyH341, and he foughtH3898 against them. 11Then he rememberedH2142 the daysH3117 of oldH5769, MosesH4872, and his peopleH5971, saying, Where is he that brought them upH5927 out of the seaH3220 with the shepherdH7462 of his flockH6629? where is he that putH7760 his holyH6944 SpiritH7307 withinH7130 him? 12That ledH3212 them by the right handH3225 of MosesH4872 with his gloriousH8597 armH2220, dividingH1234 the waterH4325 beforeH6440 them, to makeH6213 himself an everlastingH5769 nameH8034? 13That ledH3212 them through the deepH8415, as an horseH5483 in the wildernessH4057, that they should not stumbleH3782 ? 14As a beastH929 goeth downH3381 into the valleyH1237, the SpiritH7307 of the LORDH3068 caused him to restH5117 : so didst thou leadH5090 thy peopleH5971, to makeH6213 thyself a gloriousH8597 nameH8034. 15Look downH5027 from heavenH8064, and beholdH7200 from the habitationH2073 of thy holinessH6944 and of thy gloryH8597: where is thy zealH7068 and thy strengthH1369, the soundingH1995 of thy bowelsH4578 and of thy merciesH7356 toward me? are they restrainedH662 ? 16DoubtlessH3588 thou art our fatherH1, though AbrahamH85 be ignorantH3808 H3045 of us, and IsraelH3478 acknowledgeH5234 us not: thou, O LORDH3068, art our fatherH1, our redeemerH1350 ; thy nameH8034 is from everlastingH5769. 17O LORDH3068, why hast thou made us to errH8582 from thy waysH1870, and hardenedH7188 our heartH3820 from thy fearH3374? ReturnH7725 for thy servants'H5650 sake, the tribesH7626 of thine inheritanceH5159. 18The peopleH5971 of thy holinessH6944 have possessedH3423 it but a little whileH4705: our adversariesH6862 have trodden downH947 thy sanctuaryH4720. 19We are thine: thou neverH5769 barest ruleH4910 over them; they were not calledH7121 by thy nameH8034.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 MESSIAH COMING AS THE AVENGER, IN ANSWER TO HIS PEOPLE'S PRAYERS. (Isa. 63:1-19)
Who--the question of the prophet in prophetic vision.
dyed--scarlet with blood (
Isa 63:2-
Isa 63:3;
Rev 19:13).
Bozrah--(See on
Isa 34:6).
travelling--rather, stately; literally, "throwing back the head" [GESENIUS].
speak in righteousness--answer of Messiah. I, who have in faithfulness given a promise of deliverance, am now about to fulfil it. Rather, speak of righteousness (
Isa 45:19;
Isa 46:13); salvation being meant as the result of His "righteousness" [MAURER].
save--The same Messiah that destroys the unbeliever saves the believer.
2 The prophet asks why His garments are "dyed" and "red."
winefat--rather, the "wine-press," wherein the grapes were trodden with the feet; the juice would stain the garment of him who trod them (
Rev 14:19-
Rev 14:20;
Rev 19:15). The image was appropriate, as the country round Bozrah abounded in grapes. This final blow inflicted by Messiah and His armies (
Rev 19:13-
Rev 19:15) shall decide His claim to the kingdoms u surped by Satan, and by the "beast," to whom Satan delegates his power. It will be a day of judgment to the hostile Gentiles, as His first coming was a day of judgment to the unbelieving Jews.
3 Reply of Messiah. For the image, see
Lam 1:15. He "treads the wine-press" here not as a sufferer, but as an inflicter of vengeance.
will tread . . . shall be . . . will stain--rather preterites, "I trod . . . trampled . . . was sprinkled . . . I stained."
blood--literally, "spirited juice" of the grape, pressed out by treading [GESENIUS].
4 is--rather, "was." This assigns the reason why He has thus destroyed the foe (
Zeph 3:8).
my redeemed--My people to be redeemed.
day . . . year--here, as in
Isa 34:8;
Isa 61:2, the time of "vengeance" is described as a "day"; that of grace and of "recompense" to the "redeemed," as a "year."
5 The same words as in
Isa 59:16, except that there it is His "righteousness," here it is His "fury," which is said to have upheld Him.
6 Rather, preterites, "I trod down . . . made them drunk." The same image occurs
Isa 51:17,
Isa 51:21-
Isa 51:23;
Ps 75:8;
Jer 25:26-
Jer 25:27.
will bring down . . . strength to . . . earth--rather, "I spilled their life-blood (the same Hebrew words as in
Isa 63:3) on the earth" [LOWTH and Septuagint].
7 Israel's penitential confession and prayer for restoration (
Ps 102:17,
Ps 102:20), extending from Isa. 63:7-64:12.
loving-kindnesses . . . praises . . . mercies . . . loving-kindnesses--The plurals and the repetitions imply that language is inadequate to express the full extent of God's goodness.
us--the dispersed Jews at the time just preceding their final restoration.
house of Israel--of all ages; God was good not merely to the Jews now dispersed, but to Israel in every age of its history.
8 he--Jehovah "said," that is, thought, in choosing them as His covenant-people; so "said" (
Ps 95:10). Not that God was ignorant that the Jews would not keep faith with Him; but God is here said, according to human modes of thought to say within Himself what He might naturally have expected, as the result of His goodness to the Jews; thus the enormity of their unnatural perversity is the more vividly set forth.
lie--prove false to Me (compare
Ps 44:17).
so--in virtue of His having chosen them, He became their Saviour. So the "therefore" (
Jer 31:33). His eternal choice is the ground of His actually saving men (
Eph 1:3-
Eph 1:4).
9 he was afflicted--English Version reads the Hebrew as the Keri (Margin), does, "There was affliction to Him." But the Chetib (text) reads, "There was no affliction" (the change in Hebrew being only of one letter); that is, "In all their affliction there was no (utterly overwhelming) affliction" [GESENIUS]; or, for "Hardly had an affliction befallen them, when the angel of His presence saved them" [MAURER]; or, as best suits the parallelism, "In all their straits there was no straitness in His goodness to them" [HOUBIGANT], (
Judg 10:16;
Mic 2:7;
2Cor 6:12).
angel of his presence--literally, "of His face," that is, who stands before Him continually; Messiah (
Exod 14:19;
Exod 23:20-
Exod 23:21;
Pro 8:30), language applicable to no creature (
Exod 32:34;
Exod 33:2,
Exod 33:14;
Num 20:16;
Mal 3:1).
bare them-- (
Isa 46:3-
Isa 46:4;
Isa 40:11;
Exod 19:4;
Deut 32:11-
Deut 32:12).
10 vexed--grieved (
Ps 78:40;
Ps 95:10;
Acts 7:51;
Eph 4:30;
Heb 3:10,
Heb 3:17).
he fought--rather, "He it was that fought," namely, the angel of His presence [HORSLEY], (
Lam 2:5).
11 remembered--Notwithstanding their perversity, He forgot not His covenant of old; therefore He did not wholly forsake them (
Lev 26:40-
Lev 26:42,
Lev 26:44-
Lev 26:45;
Ps 106:45-
Ps 106:46); the Jews make this their plea with God, that He should not now forsake them.
saying--God is represented, in human language, mentally speaking of Himself and His former acts of love to Israel, as His ground for pitying them notwithstanding their rebellion.
sea--Red Sea.
shepherd--Moses; or if the Hebrew be read plural, "shepherds," Moses, Aaron, and the other leaders (so
Ps 77:20).
put . . . Spirit . . . within him--Hebrew, "in the inward parts of him," that is, Moses; or it refers to the flock, "in the midst of his people" (
Num 11:17,
Num 11:25;
Neh 9:20;
Hag 2:5).
12 The right hand of Moses was but the instrument; the arm of God was the real mover (
Exod 15:6;
Exod 14:21).
dividing the water-- (
Neh 9:11;
Ps 78:13).
13 deep--literally, "the tossing and roaring sea."
wilderness--rather, the "open plain" [HORSLEY], wherein there is no obstacle to cause a horse in its course the danger of stumbling.
14 As a beast . . . rest--image from a herd led "down" from the hills to a fertile and well-watered "valley" (
Ps 23:2); so God's Spirit "caused Israel to rest" in the promised land after their weary wanderings.
to make . . . name--(So
Isa 63:12;
2Sam 7:23).
15 Here begins a fervent appeal to God to pity Israel now on the ground of His former benefits.
habitation of . . . holiness-- (
Isa 57:15;
Deut 26:15;
2Chr 30:27;
Ps 33:14;
Ps 80:14).
zeal . . . strength--evinced formerly for Thy people.
sounding of . . . bowels--Thine emotions of compassion (
Isa 16:11;
Jer 31:20;
Jer 48:36;
Hos 11:8).
16 thou . . . father--of Israel, by right not merely of creation, but also of electing adoption (
Isa 64:8;
Deut 32:6;
1Chr 29:10).
though Abraham . . . Israel--It had been the besetting temptation of the Jews to rest on the mere privilege of their descent from faithful Abraham and Jacob (
Matt 3:9;
John 8:39;
John 4:12); now at last they renounce this, to trust in God alone as their Father, notwithstanding all appearances to the contrary. Even though Abraham, our earthly father, on whom we have prided ourselves, disown us, Thou wilt not (
Isa 49:15;
Ps 27:10). Isaac is not mentioned, because not all his posterity was admitted to the covenant, whereas all Jacob's was; Abraham is specified because he was the first father of the Jewish race.
everlasting--an argument why He should help them, namely, because of His everlasting immutability.
17 made us to err--that is, "suffer" us to err and to be hardened in our heart. They do not mean to deny their own blameworthiness, but confess that through their own fault God gave them over to a reprobate mind (
Isa 6:9-
Isa 6:10;
Ps 119:10;
Rom 1:28).
Return-- (
Num 10:36;
Ps 90:13).
18 people of . . . holiness--Israel dedicated as holy unto God (
Isa 62:12;
Deut 7:6).
possessed--namely, the Holy Land, or Thy "sanctuary," taken from the following clause, which is parallel to this (compare
Isa 64:10-
Isa 64:11;
Ps 74:6-
Ps 74:8).
thy--an argument why God should help them; their cause is His cause.
19 thine . . . never--rather, "We are Thine from of old; Thou barest not rule over them" [BARNES]. LOWTH translates, "We for long have been as those over whom Thou hast not ruled, who are not called by Thy name"; "for long" thus stands in contrast to "but a little while" (
Isa 63:18). But the analogy of
Isa 63:18 makes it likely that the first clause in this verse refers to the Jews, and the second to their foes, as English Version and BARNES translate it. The Jews' foes are aliens who have unjustly intruded into the Lord's heritage.
