1 מִיH4310 זֶהH2088 בָּאH935 מֵאֱדוֹםH123 חֲמוּץH2556 בְּגָדִיםH899 מִבָּצְרָהH1224 זֶהH2088 הָדוּרH1921 בִּלְבוּשׁוֹH3830 צֹעֶהH6808 בְּרֹבH7230 כֹּחוֹH3581 אֲנִיH589 מְדַבֵּרH1696 בִּצְדָקָהH6666 רַבH7227 לְהוֹשִֽׁיעַH3467
2 מַדּוּעַH4069 אָדֹםH122 לִלְבוּשֶׁךָH3830 וּבְגָדֶיךָH899 כְּדֹרֵךְH1869 בְּגַֽתH1660
3 פּוּרָהH6333 דָּרַכְתִּיH1869 לְבַדִּיH905 וּמֵֽעַמִּיםH5971 אֵֽיןH369 אִישׁH376 אִתִּיH854 וְאֶדְרְכֵםH1869 בְּאַפִּיH639 וְאֶרְמְסֵםH7429 בַּחֲמָתִיH2534 וְיֵזH5137 נִצְחָםH5332 עַלH5921 בְּגָדַיH899 וְכָלH3605 מַלְבּוּשַׁיH4403 אֶגְאָֽלְתִּיH1351
4 כִּיH3588 יוֹםH3117 נָקָםH5359 בְּלִבִּיH3820 וּשְׁנַתH8141 גְּאוּלַיH1350 בָּֽאָהH935
5 וְאַבִּיטH5027 וְאֵיןH369 עֹזֵרH5826 וְאֶשְׁתּוֹמֵםH8074 וְאֵיןH369 סוֹמֵךְH5564 וַתּוֹשַֽׁעH3467 לִיH0 זְרֹעִיH2220 וַחֲמָתִיH2534 הִיאH1931 סְמָכָֽתְנִיH5564
6 וְאָבוּסH947 עַמִּיםH5971 בְּאַפִּיH639 וַאֲשַׁכְּרֵםH7937 בַּחֲמָתִיH2534 וְאוֹרִידH3381 לָאָרֶץH776 נִצְחָֽםH5332
7 חַֽסְדֵיH2617 יְהוָהH3068 אַזְכִּירH2142 תְּהִלֹּתH8416 יְהוָהH3068 כְּעַלH5921 כֹּלH3605 אֲשֶׁרH834 גְּמָלָנוּH1580 יְהוָהH3068 וְרַבH7227 טוּבH2898 לְבֵיתH1004 יִשְׂרָאֵלH3478 אֲשֶׁרH834 גְּמָלָםH1580 כְּֽרַחֲמָיוH7356 וּכְרֹבH7230 חֲסָדָֽיוH2617
8 וַיֹּאמֶרH559 אַךְH389 עַמִּיH5971 הֵמָּהH1992 בָּנִיםH1121 לֹאH3808 יְשַׁקֵּרוּH8266 וַיְהִיH1961 לָהֶםH1992 לְמוֹשִֽׁיעַH3467
9 בְּֽכָלH3605 צָרָתָםH6869 לאH3808 לוֹH3808 צָרH6862 וּמַלְאַךְH4397 פָּנָיוH6440 הֽוֹשִׁיעָםH3467 בְּאַהֲבָתוֹH160 וּבְחֶמְלָתוֹH2551 הוּאH1931 גְאָלָםH1350 וַֽיְנַטְּלֵםH5190 וַֽיְנַשְּׂאֵםH5375 כָּלH3605 יְמֵיH3117 עוֹלָֽםH5769
10 וְהֵמָּהH1992 מָרוּH4784 וְעִצְּבוּH6087 אֶתH853 רוּחַH7307 קָדְשׁוֹH6944 וַיֵּהָפֵךְH2015 לָהֶםH0 לְאוֹיֵבH341 הוּאH1931 נִלְחַםH3898 בָּֽםH0
11 וַיִּזְכֹּרH2142 יְמֵֽיH3117 עוֹלָםH5769 מֹשֶׁהH4872 עַמּוֹH5971 אַיֵּהH346 הַֽמַּעֲלֵםH5927 מִיָּםH3220 אֵתH854 רֹעֵיH7462 צֹאנוֹH6629 אַיֵּהH346 הַשָּׂםH7760 בְּקִרְבּוֹH7130 אֶתH853 רוּחַH7307 קָדְשֽׁוֹH6944
12 מוֹלִיךְH1980 לִימִיןH3225 מֹשֶׁהH4872 זְרוֹעַH2220 תִּפְאַרְתּוֹH8597 בּוֹקֵֽעַH1234 מַיִםH4325 מִפְּנֵיהֶםH6440 לַעֲשׂוֹתH6213 לוֹH0 שֵׁםH8034 עוֹלָֽםH5769
13 מוֹלִיכָםH1980 בַּתְּהֹמוֹתH8415 כַּסּוּסH5483 בַּמִּדְבָּרH4057 לֹאH3808 יִכָּשֵֽׁלוּH3782
14 כַּבְּהֵמָהH929 בַּבִּקְעָהH1237 תֵרֵדH3381 רוּחַH7307 יְהוָהH3068 תְּנִיחֶנּוּH5117 כֵּןH3651 נִהַגְתָּH5090 עַמְּךָH5971 לַעֲשׂוֹתH6213 לְךָH0 שֵׁםH8034 תִּפְאָֽרֶתH8597
15 הַבֵּטH5027 מִשָּׁמַיִםH8064 וּרְאֵהH7200 מִזְּבֻלH2073 קָדְשְׁךָH6944 וְתִפְאַרְתֶּךָH8597 אַיֵּהH346 קִנְאָֽתְךָH7068 וּגְבוּרֹתֶךָH1369 הֲמוֹןH1995 מֵעֶיךָH4578 וְֽרַחֲמֶיךָH7356 אֵלַיH413 הִתְאַפָּֽקוּH662
16 כִּֽיH3588 אַתָּהH859 אָבִינוּH1 כִּיH3588 אַבְרָהָםH85 לֹאH3808 יְדָעָנוּH3045 וְיִשְׂרָאֵלH3478 לֹאH3808 יַכִּירָנוּH5234 אַתָּהH859 יְהוָהH3068 אָבִינוּH1 גֹּאֲלֵנוּH1350 מֵֽעוֹלָםH5769 שְׁמֶֽךָH8034
17 לָמָּהH4100 תַתְעֵנוּH8582 יְהוָהH3068 מִדְּרָכֶיךָH1870 תַּקְשִׁיחַH7188 לִבֵּנוּH3820 מִיִּרְאָתֶךָH3374 שׁוּבH7725 לְמַעַןH4616 עֲבָדֶיךָH5650 שִׁבְטֵיH7626 נַחֲלָתֶֽךָH5159
18 לַמִּצְעָרH4705 יָרְשׁוּH3423 עַםH5971 קָדְשֶׁךָH6944 צָרֵינוּH6862 בּוֹסְסוּH947 מִקְדָּשֶֽׁךָH4720
19 הָיִינוּH1961 מֵֽעוֹלָםH5769 לֹֽאH3808 מָשַׁלְתָּH4910 בָּםH0 לֹֽאH3808 נִקְרָאH7121 שִׁמְךָH8034 עֲלֵיהֶםH5921 לוּאH0 קָרַעְתָּH7167 שָׁמַיִםH8064 יָרַדְתָּH3381 מִפָּנֶיךָH6440 הָרִיםH2022 נָזֹֽלּוּH2151
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.