1 מי-H4310 זה ׀H2088 באH935 מאדוםH123 חמוץH2556 בגדיםH899 מבצרהH1224 זהH2088 הדורH1921 בלבושוH3830 צעהH6808 ברבH7230 כחוH3581 אניH589 מדברH1696 בצדקהH6666 רבH7227 להושיעH3467
2 מדועH4069 אדםH122 ללבושךH3830 ובגדיךH899 כדרךH1869 בגתH1660
3 פורה ׀H6333 דרכתיH1869 לבדיH905 ומעמיםH5971 אין-H369 אישH376 אתיH854 ואדרכםH1869 באפיH639 וארמסםH7429 בחמתיH2534 ויזH5137 נצחםH5332 על-H5921 בגדיH899 וכל-H3605 מלבושיH4403 אגאלתיH1351
4 כיH3588 יוםH3117 נקםH5359 בלביH3820 ושנתH8141 גאוליH1350 באהH935
5 ואביטH5027 ואיןH369 עזרH5826 ואשתומםH8074 ואיןH369 סומךH5564 ותושעH3467 לי זרעיH2220 וחמתיH2534 היאH1931 סמכתניH5564
6 ואבוסH947 עמיםH5971 באפיH639 ואשכרםH7937 בחמתיH2534 ואורידH3381 לארץH776 נצחםH5332 ס
7 חסדיH2617 יהוה ׀H3068 אזכירH2142 תהלתH8416 יהוהH3068 כעלH5921 כלH3605 אשר-H834 גמלנוH1580 יהוהH3068 ורב-H7227 טובH2898 לביתH1004 ישראלH3478 אשר-H834 גמלםH1580 כרחמיוH7356 וכרבH7230 חסדיוH2617
8 ויאמרH559 אך-H389 עמיH5971 המהH1992 בניםH1121 לאH3808 ישקרוH8266 ויהיH1961 להםH1992 למושיעH3467
9 בכל-H3605 צרתם ׀H6869 כ לא ק לוH3808 צרH6862 ומלאךH4397 פניוH6440 הושיעםH3467 באהבתוH160 ובחמלתוH2551 הואH1931 גאלםH1350 וינטלםH5190 וינשאםH5375 כל-H3605 ימיH3117 עולםH5769
10 והמהH1992 מרוH4784 ועצבוH6087 את-H853 רוחH7307 קדשוH6944 ויהפךH2015 להם לאויבH341 הואH1931 נלחם-H3898 בם
11 ויזכרH2142 ימי-H3117 עולםH5769 משהH4872 עמוH5971 איה ׀H346 המעלםH5927 מיםH3220 אתH854 רעיH7462 צאנוH6629 איהH346 השםH7760 בקרבוH7130 את-H853 רוחH7307 קדשוH6944
12 מוליךH1980 לימיןH3225 משהH4872 זרועH2220 תפארתוH8597 בוקעH1234 מיםH4325 מפניהםH6440 לעשותH6213 לו שםH8034 עולםH5769
13 מוליכםH1980 בתהמותH8415 כסוסH5483 במדברH4057 לאH3808 יכשלוH3782
14 כבהמהH929 בבקעהH1237 תרדH3381 רוחH7307 יהוהH3068 תניחנוH5117 כןH3651 נהגתH5090 עמךH5971 לעשותH6213 לך שםH8034 תפארתH8597
15 הבטH5027 משמיםH8064 וראהH7200 מזבלH2073 קדשךH6944 ותפארתךH8597 איהH346 קנאתךH7068 וגבורתךH1369 המוןH1995 מעיךH4578 ורחמיךH7356 אליH413 התאפקוH662
16 כי-H3588 אתהH859 אבינוH1 כיH3588 אברהםH85 לאH3808 ידענוH3045 וישראלH3478 לאH3808 יכירנוH5234 אתהH859 יהוהH3068 אבינוH1 גאלנוH1350 מעולםH5769 שמךH8034
17 למהH4100 תתענוH8582 יהוהH3068 מדרכיךH1870 תקשיחH7188 לבנוH3820 מיראתךH3374 שובH7725 למעןH4616 עבדיךH5650 שבטיH7626 נחלתךH5159
18 למצערH4705 ירשוH3423 עם-H5971 קדשךH6944 צרינוH6862 בוססוH947 מקדשךH4720
19 היינוH1961 מעולםH5769 לא-H3808 משלתH4910 בם לא-H3808 נקראH7121 שמךH8034 עליהםH5921
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.