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Isa 63:1-19.

MESSIAH COMING AS THE AVENGER, IN ANSWER TO HIS PEOPLE'S PRAYERS.

Messiah, approaching Jerusalem after having avenged His people on His and their enemies, is represented under imagery taken from the destruction of "Edom," the type of the last and most bitter foes of God and His people (see

Isa 34:5,

&c.).

1. Who--the question of the prophet in prophetic vision.

dyed--scarlet with blood

(Isa 63:2, 3; Re 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; 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

(Re 14:19, 20; 19:15).

The image was appropriate, as the country round Bozrah abounded in grapes. This final blow inflicted by Messiah and His armies

(Re 19:13-15)

shall decide His claim to the kingdoms usurped 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

La 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

(Zep 3:8).

my redeemed--My people to be redeemed.

day . . . year--here, as in

Isa 34:8; 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, 21-23; Ps 75:8; Jer 25:26, 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, 20),

extending from

Isa 63:7 to 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, 4).