The Book of the Prophet Isaiah
Isaiah 63
Chapter LXIII · Vol. III, pp. 1222–1224
1 Christ showeth who he is, and his victory over his enemies, 7 and what his mercy toward his church. 10 In his just wrath, he remembereth his free mercy. 15 The church in their prayer, 17 and complaint, profess their faith.
1 Who isa this that cometh from bEdom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious1 in his apparel, ctravelling in the greatness of his strength? I dthat speak in righteousness, mighty to save.
2 Wherefore eart thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the wine-fat?
e Re.19.13,15. ch.9.5; ver.3.
3 Ig have trodden the wine-press alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment.
4 For the hday of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come.
h Zep.3.8. ch.34.8; 61.2. Je.50.17,18,29,33,34; 51.33-36. Joel 3.8-15. Col.2.15. 1 Jn.3.8. Re.6.9-17; 11.17,18; 18.20; 20.9.
5 And I looked, and ithere was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore jmine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me.2
i ch.26.18; 41.28; 37.3; 59.16. Jn.16.32.
j Ps.98.1. ch.59.16; 51.5,9; 52.10. Mat.28.18.
2 Reference is here made to Christ's kingly power solely. He alone can effectually defend and deliver his church from all assailants. Human power may be made use of, but it is only as an instrument in his hands. He gives the wisdom and the power requisite to secure final and complete salvation.—P.
6 And I kwill tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth.
k ver.2,3. Ps.110.1,5,6. ch.28.3,18; 25.10; 49.26. Job 40.11-13. Ps.60.3; 75.8. Je.25.16,26,27. Re.16.6.
7 Il will mention the loving-kindnesses of the LORD, and the praises of the LORD, according to all that the LORD hath bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his loving-kindnesses.
8 For he said, nSurely they are my people, children that will not olie:3 so he was their Saviour.
n Ge.17.7. Ex.19.5,6. Ro.11.28,29. 1 Jn.3.9, with ch.5.1,2. Zep.3.7. Je.2.5.
o Col.3.9. Je.3.10,20.
3 They shall not lie to God in hypocrisy, nor to man in unfaithfulness.—C.
9 Inp all their affliction he was afflicted, and the qangel of his presence saved them: rin his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and she bare them, and carried them all the days of old.
10 But they trebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore uhe was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them.
11 Then he vremembered the days of old, Moses and his people, saying, Where is he that brought them up out of the sea with the shepherd4 of his flock? where is he that put his holy Spirit within him?
12 That xled them by the right hand of Moses with his glorious arm, dividing the water before them, to make himself an everlasting name?
14 As a beast6 goeth down into the valley, the Spirit of the LORD zcaused him7 to rest: so didst thou lead thy people, ato make thyself a glorious name.
15 Lookb down from heaven, and behold from the habitation of thy holiness and of thy glory:8 wherec is thy zeal and thy strength, the sounding9 of thy bowels and of thy mercies toward me? are they restrained?
* This is the beginning of an earnest and impassioned appeal to God for help and deliverance. It is a model prayer for the church in seasons of great danger and calamity. The church is taught to plead past favours, divine love, human helplessness, the exulting cries of enemies; and she is taught to expect a favourable answer.—P.
b 2 Ch.30.27. De.26.15. 1 Ki.8.32. La.3.50. Ps.123.1; 102.19,20; 80.14. Jn.11.1,2. De.26.7,15. 2 Co.12.2,4. Eze.3.12. Am.9.6. Zec.2.13. ch.18.4; 57.15; 66.1.
8 See note * in first column.
c Ps.89.49; 115.1; 86.15. ch.9.7; 49.15. Je.31.20. Ho.11.8. Zec.1.14. Ex.34.6,7. Mi.7.18,19. Ep.2.4-7. He.2.17,18.
9 Or, the multitude.
16 Doubtlessd thou art our father, ethough Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not: thou, O LORD, art our father, our redeemer; thy name is from everlasting.1
d De.32.6. 1 Ch.29.10. ch.64.8,10. Mal.1.6; 2.10. Jn.8.39,41. Mat.6.9. Ro.8.15.
1 Or, our redeemer, from everlasting is thy name.
17 O LORD, why ghast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear? Returnh for thy servants' sake, the tribes of thine inheritance.
Notes
Ver. 1-6. Who is this that cometh from the overthrow and destruction of the deeply wicked, temporal or spiritual, having almighty power to perform his will withersoever he goes? It is I, the Messiah, who promise nothing but what I faithfully perform, and who through my own perfect sacrifice, am able to save to the uttermost.—I by myself alone, without needing any created assistance, have utterly subdued and overcome the wicked: and I will quickly come myself in the tremendous loss of such as still remain; for the seasons appointed for the overthrow of the wicked and the deliverance of believers, are fixed in my purpose and view. And though none be found able or willing to espouse their quarrel, or attempt their deliverance, my power and zeal shall save them, who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and even render them astonished at the greatness of my compassion.—8. They will not deal falsely and deceitfully in their promise with me.—14. The Lord carried them gently and surely, as on plain ground, through the Red Sea and the wilderness, till, to render himself famous in the earth, he brought them into the quiet possession of Canaan. 16-19. Abraham cannot either take notice of our troubles, or afford us any relief.—Why hast thou given us up to a spirit of error and obstinacy, and left us to the bent and bias of our own corrupt hearts, that we cannot fear thee in a filial and reverential manner? O be reconciled, and show thyself favourable to us. Instead of possessing Canaan for ever, as was promised to the patriarchs, we, thy peculiar people, have enjoyed it but a little while; and our adversaries, who were never in such near relation to thee, have destroyed thy temple and thy land.
Ver. 1. The first six verses of this chapter are a responsive ode or hymn:—the astonished and joyous church questioning, and the triumphant Messiah responding. He here speaks in his kingly office: he is mighty to save, or deliver from the power of man. Edom is mentioned because it was one of the most determined enemies of Israel. Bozrah is mentioned because it was the capital and stronghold of Edom. These together symbolized the foes of the church in every age; and King Messiah is represented as gaining a complete victory over them. P.——Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? The Lord hath a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Idumea, Is. 34. 6, &c.: see also Je. 47. 7-22; Eze. 25. 12-14; 35. 1-15, in which predictions there appears a wonderful contrast between Jacob and Esau; for though Jacob be scattered throughout all lands, he can still be found and known, while in truth there is not any remaining of the house of Esau. 'Edom is cut off for ever.'—The question in this prophecy seems therefore to refer to this predicted period of 'vengeance,' and furnishes, most probably, an emblem and specimen of those national judgments with which God forewarns and threatens all nations which becoming, through agriculture and commerce, prosperous and great, as Edom, forget God, become proud of their wealth, unkind, cruel, and idolatrous.—The people to whom the standard has been lifted up, ch. 62. 10, and the daughter of Zion warned of her coming salvation, ch. 62. 11, prefer this interesting question. C.
Ver. 5. Wondered. Messiah is said to have wondered at the want of a Saviour, as he was grieved at the hardness of the people's hearts, Mar. 3. 5—both being expressions perfectly suitable to him when 'found in fashion as a man.' C.
Ver. 7. I will mention, &c. Messiah continues to speak, but pauses, as it were, from the work of judgment, to show how judgment upon the wicked is lovingkindness to those whom it delivers from their hands. C.
Ver. 9. For the import of 'Angel of his presence,' see Ex. 3. 2, 6; 13. 21; 14. 19; 23. 20, 21; Ju. 13. 18; comp. with Is. 9. 6; Zec. 12. 8; Mal. 3. 1, all indicating no other than Christ. C.
Ver. 11. Remembered—not as a thing forgotten, but as a thing in 'everlasting remembrance,' Ps. 112. 6. C.
Ver. 15. Toward me. Messiah here speaks as 'head over all things to the church, which is his body.' C.
Ver. 16. Here the church utters her prayer—'Thou art our Father' by regeneration of the Holy Spirit, Jn. 3. 5, though Abraham be ignorant of us in the starlike multitude of his seed— though Israel acknowledge us not in the distribution of blessings to his family. C.
Ver. 17. Why hast thou made us to err, &c. Why hast thou adjudged us to be delivered over to our own errors, and judicially hardened our hearts as was the heart of Pharaoh? see Ex. 4. 21, or 'suffered us to err from thy ways to harden our heart' (Lowth, Boothroyd). C.
Reflections.—Wonderful is Jesus Christ in the view of all that know him. And yet he indulges his servants and people in the most familiar inquiries and requests. Blessed are the periods which God hath fixed for showing mercy to believers, and distributing judgment to the wicked. And with the greatest zeal, fervent affection, and care, he accomplishes every promise or threatening. Nor can the inability or unconcern of others in the least discourage our almighty Saviour, or hinder his success: but thrice dreadful is their destruction in which his glory must be exalted!— Never ought we to remember God's mercies but with minds lost in love, in wonder, and in praise. And every blessing of providence, grace, or glory, in time or eternity, ought to be viewed as having its sole rise in his infinitely rich and gracious mercy. Alas! how base is it to lie, to deal treacherously, to rebel and vex the Holy Ghost, in opposition to that infinite pity and manifold salvation of God's dear Son! But wonderfully God mingles his sharpest corrections of his people with his gracious comforts. And it is comely when recounting of mercies, confession of iniquities, and pleading of promises are rightly connected; and when supplicants complain chiefly of spiritual judgments, and fill their mouths with arguments before him.