Scripture quotations on this page are from the World English Bible (public domain), shown in quotation marks; all commentary is written by Scripture Trove. Source: Isaiah 63 · Commentary
Isaiah chapter 63 marks the beginning of the final five chapters (63-66) of the book, a unit titled "Final Judgment and New Heavens and New Earth." The first half (63:1-6) presents the vision of the Warrior in Red Garments, where God returns from Bozrah in Edom, treading the winepress, serving as the Old Testament root for the Rider on the White Horse in Revelation 19:11-15. The second half (63:7-19) transitions into a lengthy poem of repentance (extending through 64:12), first recalling God's past mercies (7-14), then pleading for Him to tear open the heavens and descend in response to the present desolation (15-19). The tension in this chapter is unusually strong for prophetic literature, with the warrior of judgment and the intercessor for the people appearing in the same chapter.
Book Three: The Book of Glory (Isaiah 56-66) - Final Judgment and New Heavens and New Earth (63-66)
Chapter Position: The opening voice of this unit. Isaiah 63:1-6 provides an eschatological summary of the "judgment of the nations" theme (chapters 13-23, chapter 34) throughout the book of Isaiah, with God Himself treading the winepress. Isaiah 63:7-19 is the first half of a lengthy poem of repentance (extending to 64:12), echoing the exiles' speechless question, "Where is God?" Structurally, this chapter resembles a two-part sermon that "first shocks with intense imagery, then transitions into tender intercession."
This chapter can be divided into the following four sections:
Vision of the Warrior in Red Garments (63:1-6) A warrior in red garments returns from Edom, treading the winepress alone; the day of judgment has come upon the nations.
Recalling Mercy (63:7-9) Transitions into the opening voice of the poem of repentance, recalling Yahweh's mercies, "In all their affliction he was afflicted."
Reflection on Grieving the Holy Spirit (63:10-14) The people's rebellion grieves the Holy Spirit; the prophet recalls the Holy Spirit's guidance during the Exodus.
Pleading for the Lord to Tear Open the Heavens (63:15-19) Repentance turns into supplication, "Oh that you would tear the heavens," asking why He has hardened their hearts and made them unlike the people called by His name.
The entire chapter is a rare superimposition of two visions in prophetic literature. The first section presents intense imagery of judgment (red garments, treading the winepress, alone), while the second section is a low lament of repentance (recalling mercy, pleading for the Lord to tear open the heavens). Superficially, they appear as two independent units, but they are actually part of a unified gospel logic: because judgment is real, and because God is a true warrior, our repentance and supplication are meaningful. Structurally, this chapter opens the lengthy poem of repentance (63:7-64:12); chapter 64 will continue to elaborate on the content of the supplication.
God is not a detached observer. When He comes as a warrior of judgment upon the nations, He is also the one who "was afflicted in all their affliction." When you feel discouraged today, feel that your rebellion is outrageous, and feel that the Holy Spirit has departed, remember what the prophet does in verse 19: he does not solve the problem himself; he prays to God, "Oh that you would tear the heavens." This prayer came true in the New Testament when the heavens were torn open at Jesus' baptism (Mark 1:10). God actively tears open the barrier between heaven and humanity.
| Section | Verses | Content |
|---|---|---|
| Visionary Proclamation: Warrior in Red Garments | 63:1-6 | God returns from Edom, treads the winepress alone, image of final judgment |
| Transition to Repentance: Recalling Mercy | 63:7-9 | "He was afflicted in their affliction," ultimate Immanuel theology |
| Accusation: Grieving the Holy Spirit | 63:10 | "But they rebelled, and grieved his Holy Spirit" |
| Reflection: Where is the Holy Spirit of the Exodus | 63:11-14 | Repeatedly asks "where," memory is the starting point of repentance |
| Supplication: Why has Your love ceased | 63:15-16 | "For Abraham doesn't know us, and Israel doesn't acknowledge us: you, Yahweh, are our Father" |
| Confession: We have become like foreigners | 63:17-19 | "We have become as those over whom you never ruled" + "Oh that you would tear the heavens" |
Brothers and sisters, reading chapter 63 is like this: the first 6 verses make you gasp, and the next 13 verses make you weep. It places two seemingly contradictory things in the same chapter: God is the warrior in red garments who judges; God is also the Father who suffers with you.
Let's pause at verse 9. "In all their affliction he was afflicted." In your most weary, lonely, and "no one understands" moments today, please hear this sentence. The Hebrew version here has an ancient translation dispute, but the Chinese Union Version and most modern translations have chosen this meaning: God does not stand outside your suffering and watch from afar; He personally enters your suffering. This is the Old Testament root of Christ's incarnation. God sees your tears; the unspoken weariness in your heart, God also shares that weariness.
If you feel today that the Holy Spirit has departed, please read verse 10. "But they rebelled, and grieved his Holy Spirit." When we sin, we do not anger an abstract power, but grieve a personal Holy Spirit who can feel pain. In Ephesians 4:30, Paul tells the church, "Don't grieve the Holy Spirit of God," almost verbatim echoing Isaiah 63:10. What does this mean? It means the Holy Spirit is not "on-off" electricity; it is a relationship, and relationships can be hurt.
But please also note: the Holy Spirit being grieved does not mean the Holy Spirit will abandon. The exiles who returned also asked, "Where is the Holy Spirit" (63:11), but they were not abandoned; God still remembered them and guided them. It is the same for you today; you may feel the Holy Spirit is distant, but as long as you are still seeking Him, still asking Him to "tear the heavens," He is still working in your heart, grieving, remembering, and leading.
The question the people ask in verse 15, "Where are your zeal and your mighty acts?", is an unspoken question in the hearts of many brothers and sisters in Chinese churches. While we attend gatherings, read the Bible, and pray, we inwardly ask: "God, where is Your mighty power? Why haven't my family relationships changed? Why is my work still so difficult? Why, after so many years of asking, does that relative still not believe?" The prophet does not give a glib answer to such questions; he allows this doubt to be fully expressed in the poem of repentance. This is the posture of honest faith, not pretending everything is fine, but placing real disappointment before God.
Verse 16 tells you the way out of this disappointment. "For Abraham doesn't know us, and Israel doesn't acknowledge us: you, Yahweh, are our Father." Even if you feel today that no one truly understands you, and even your closest people don't comprehend you, God is still your Father. His love is not based on the recognition of relatives, the acceptance of church co-workers, or your past merits; it is based on His own nature.
Finally, please go to the end of verse 19, "Oh that you would tear the heavens." The prophet uses all his strength to ask God to actively tear open the barrier between heaven and humanity. This prayer came true in the New Testament when "the heavens were torn open" at Jesus' baptism (Mark 1:10); when Jesus was crucified, the veil of the temple was "torn in two from the top to the bottom" (Mark 15:38). God "actively tore open" twice, so that you could come before Him. When you feel today that you are separated from God by countless walls, please remember: those walls, He has already torn down on the cross.
Section Positioning: This passage presents one of the most intense images in prophetic literature: God returning from Edom as the final Judge. In the sermon structure, this is the "visionary declaration" segment; it is not direct speech but first allows the audience to "see."
63:1 "Who is this who comes from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? Who this who is glorious in his clothing, marching in the greatness of his strength? “It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.”"
Isaiah 63:1（World English Bible）
This verse opens the vision with a question-and-answer format, where the prophet (or the personified seer) asks, and the warrior answers. This literary style has precedents in the Old Testament (cf. Song of Solomon 3:6, "Who is this who comes up from the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all the powders of the merchant?").
"Edom" (אֱדוֹם, Edom) and "Bozrah" (בָּצְרָה, Botzrah, the capital of Edom). Edom is the descendant of Jacob's twin brother Esau (Genesis 25:30, the etymology of Edom, "red," is linked to Esau's "red stew" incident), located in the mountainous region south of the Dead Sea. In the prophetic books, Edom often represents "the sworn enemy of God's people"; they not only failed to help Israel during its exile but also gloated over its misfortune (cf. the entire book of Obadiah, Psalm 137:7).
However, please note that Edom here is not merely a literal nation; it is the general representative of "nations hostile to God's people." This is consistent with the prophecy of judgment against Edom in Isaiah 34 ("For my sword has drunk its fill in the sky. Behold, it descends on Edom, and on the people of my curse, for judgment," Isaiah 34:5). Therefore, the scene in 63:1-6 is not a specific historical battle but a comprehensive image of the final judgment.
"dyed garments," "glorious in his apparel," the Hebrew חֲמוּץ בְּגָדִים (chamutz begadim) means "garments stained red." Verses 63:2-3 reveal that this red is not from beautiful dye but from being stained with blood from treading. This is a strong irony in prophetic poetry: outwardly glorious, but in reality, blood-stained.
"It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save," the warrior identifies himself. The "I" (אֲנִי, ani) here, if emphatic in Hebrew, confirms that this warrior is Yahweh Himself. The two verbs "speak" and "save" are juxtaposed: God both speaks truth (מְדַבֵּר בִּצְדָקָה, "speaking in righteousness") and performs salvation. Judgment and salvation are two sides of the same action.
63:2 "Why is your clothing red, and your garments like him who treads in the wine vat?"
Isaiah 63:2（World English Bible）
The questioner (prophet, vision-beholder) presses for an answer: what is this red color? This verse is a rhetorical question, setting the stage for the answer in the next verse.
"treads in the wine press" (דֹּרֵךְ בְּגַת, dorech b'gat). Ancient winemaking involved pouring grapes into the treading trough of a wine press (גַת, gat), where people would stomp barefoot, allowing the juice to flow into a collection vat. As they trod, grape juice would splash, staining the t treader's legs and lower body red. This scene was common, festive, and joyful in Canaanite agricultural society (cf. Isaiah 16:10, "No one treads out wine in the presses, with shouts of joy").
But the prophet here transforms the joyful agricultural scene into a terrifying image of judgment; this is not the red of grape juice, but the red of blood.
63:3 "“I have trodden the wine press alone; and of the peoples, no one was with me: Yes, I trod them in my anger, and trampled them in my wrath. Their lifeblood is sprinkled on my garments, and I have stained all my clothing."
Isaiah 63:3（World English Bible）
"alone" (לְבַדִּי, levaddi). This is the crucial solitude of the end-time judgment. The entire judgment is carried out by God alone; no one works with Him. "of the peoples there was no man with me" has two layers of meaning: ① Literally: no nation could help in the judgment. ② Theologically: no one is worthy to judge with God, because everyone stands in the position of being judged.
This image of "bearing it alone" reaches its complete fulfillment on the cross, where Christ alone bore the sins of the world, and the disciples all scattered and fled (Matthew 26:56, "Then all the disciples left him and fled"). The prophet here declares: "The end-time judgment will be completed by God alone; the atonement on the cross was also completed by Christ alone." Two instances of being alone: one bearing sin, the other judging sin.
"my anger... my wrath," the Hebrew words are אַף (af, "nostril," metaphorically "anger") and חֵמָה (chemah, "fierce wrath"). This is a strong description of God's righteous anger in prophetic poetry. In the context of Chinese churches, we tend to avoid speaking of "God's wrath," but in the Bible, this is the inverse of God's love; because He truly cares, He truly becomes angry when faced with nations that persistently do evil.
63:4 "For the day of vengeance was in my heart, and the year of my redeemed has come."
Isaiah 63:4（World English Bible）
The parallelism of "day of vengeance" and "year of my redeemed" is a double rhythm of prophetic style. Note "day" versus "year": judgment is brief (a day), redemption is extended (a year). This contrast is perfectly consistent with Isaiah 61:2, "the year of Yahweh's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God" (Isaiah 61 is the passage Jesus personally unrolled in the synagogue at Nazareth in Luke 4:18-19, but when Jesus quoted it, He only read up to "year of favor" and stopped, leaving the "day of vengeance" yet to be fulfilled).
The comparison between Isaiah 61:2 and 63:4 has particular pastoral significance: Christ's first coming brought the "year of favor" (Luke 4:18-19 stopping point); Christ's second coming will bring the "day of vengeance." We live today between the two comings, having received the blessings of the year of favor, but still awaiting the final fulfillment of the day of vengeance.
"heart," the Hebrew word לֵב (lev). Judgment is not a spontaneous outburst from God but a plan that has long been in His heart.
63:5 "I looked, and there was no one to help; and I wondered that there was no one to uphold: therefore my own arm brought salvation to me; and my own wrath upheld me."
Isaiah 63:5（World English Bible）
"no one to help" and "no one to uphold" are extensions of the "alone" theme from 63:3. God alone undertakes the entire work of salvation and judgment.
"my own arm brought salvation to me," this is profound theology. The arm (זְרוֹעַ, zeroa') in Isaiah is a symbol of God's mighty work (cf. 40:10, 51:5, 52:10, 53:1). Pay special attention to 53:1, "To whom has the arm of Yahweh been revealed?" That passage is immediately followed by the Suffering Servant song ("He has no good looks or majesty... He was oppressed, yet when he was afflicted he didn't open his mouth"). The "arm" in Isaiah 53 is the suffering servant; the "arm" in Isaiah 63 is the warrior of judgment. These are two aspects of the same God, forming a complete theology of salvation between the cross and the second coming.
This verse also echoes Isaiah 59:16, "He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no one to intercede," a consistent theme in chapters 59-63: when all people stand by idly, God alone rises to act.
63:6 "I trod down the peoples in my anger, and made them drunk in my wrath, and I poured out their lifeblood on the earth.”"
Isaiah 63:6（World English Bible）
"made them drunk" (שִׁכַּרְתִּים, shikkartim), the image of drunkenness. This is a recurring theme in prophetic poetry: the "cup of God's wrath" (cf. Isaiah 51:17, 22, "you who have drunk at the hand of Yahweh the cup of his wrath"; Jeremiah 25:15-29; Revelation 14:10, "he will drink of the wine of the wrath of God"). Nations become drunk with their own sins and are ultimately judged.
"poured out their lifeblood on the earth," this image forms a theological echo with the command after Noah's flood (Genesis 9:6, "Whoever sheds man's blood, by man will his blood be shed"). God's respect for human life is also the basis for His righteous judgment of sin.
Summary of the Vision of the Red-Clothed Warrior: Isaiah 63:1-6 is the eschatological climax of the "judgment" theme throughout the book of Isaiah. This scene has direct echoes in the New Testament:
The scene of Christ's second coming in Revelation is almost a word-for-word echo of Isaiah 63:1-6: the red, blood-stained garments, treading the wine press alone, judging the nations. The tension between the two comings becomes a complete theology here: the first coming is the Lamb (suffering), the second coming is the Warrior (judgment); the "alone" of the first coming is bearing sin, the "alone" of the second coming is judging sin.
Section Positioning: This section begins a long poem of repentance (extending to 64:12). In the sermon structure, this is a "transition," moving from a vision of judgment to the intercession of the people. Note the brilliant structure: only by first seeing the reality of judgment can one truly repent.
63:7 "I will tell of the loving kindnesses of Yahweh and the praises of Yahweh, according to all that Yahweh has given to us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he has given to them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses."
Isaiah 63:7（World English Bible）
"Recount the loving kindnesses," the verb is אַזְכִּיר (azkir, "I will cause...to be remembered"). Looking back at past grace is the starting point of repentance, not first accusing oneself of how bad one is, but first acknowledging how good God is. This is the theological order of healthy repentance: first remembering grace, then grieving one's betrayal.
"Loving kindnesses" (חֶסֶד, chesed), this is one of the most important theological terms in the Old Testament, referring to God's steadfast, faithful love within the covenant. This verse uses "loving kindnesses" twice; God's loving kindness is so abundant that saying it once is not enough, it must be said twice.
"Praises" (תְּהִלָּה, tehillah, "praise, praiseworthy attribute"), "mercies" (רַחֲמִים, rachamim, sharing a root with "womb," it is the kind of love a mother has for her children, welling up from deep within her being"), "multitude of his loving kindnesses." This verse uses four Hebrew terms expressing God's love in quick succession, with extremely high density. This is the grammar of a repentance poem: only by being immersed in God's love can one sincerely ask for forgiveness.
63:8 "For he said, “Surely, they are my people, children who will not deal falsely;” so he became their Savior."
Isaiah 63:8（World English Bible）
God's hope: He believes His people will not lie. What a tender picture, God saying to Israel in the Abrahamic covenant and the Sinai covenant, "You shall be my people," looking upon them with a father's trust. "Will not deal falsely" (לֹא יְשַׁקֵּרוּ, lo' yeshaqqeru), God believes they will not become liars.
But the following 63:10 will reveal that this hope was broken. This contrast of "God's hope vs. the people's betrayal" is a classic sorrowful structure in prophetic literature.
"So he became their Savior," מוֹשִׁיעַ (moshia', "savior"), sharing a root with the prophet's name ("Yahweh is salvation"). God's identity as Savior is not because the people are worthy, but because of His own love.
63:9 "In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and in his pity he redeemed them. He bore them, and carried them all the days of old."
Isaiah 63:9（World English Bible）
This is the pinnacle of Immanuel theology in the entire Old Testament: "God Himself was afflicted in the suffering of His people."
This Hebrew verse presents an ancient interpretive difficulty. The traditional Masoretic Text reads לֹא צָר (lo' tsar, "no distress, no adversary"); but the ancient Greek Septuagint and many modern translations read לוֹ צָר (lo tsar, "to him distress, he also was distressed"). The Chinese Union Version adopts the latter, "he was afflicted," which is the choice of most modern translations (NIV, ESV, CSB) and also the more profound theology.
Why is this translation important? God does not stand outside the suffering of His people, watching from afar; He personally enters into suffering. This echoes the suffering servant in Isaiah 53, "Surely he has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows" (53:4). The theological root of Christ's incarnation as "Immanuel" ("God with us") is already present in Isaiah 63:9.
"Angel of his presence" (מַלְאַךְ פָּנָיו, mal'akh panav), "the angel of His presence" is the angel of God's presence in the Exodus narrative (Exodus 23:20-21 "Behold, I send an angel before you...for my name is in him"), sometimes interpreted as a pre-incarnate Christophany, "the angel of Yahweh."
"Bore them" and "carried them," these two verbs describe a mother holding a child. God loves His people like a mother holding her child. This is perfectly consistent with Deuteronomy 1:31, "Yahweh your God carried you, as a man carries his son, in all the way that you went through the wilderness." When you feel heavy, tired, and long to be held today, please remember that this is God's posture toward you.
Section Positioning: This section shifts from a loving look back to a painful reflection on how the people betrayed God's love. In the sermon structure, this is the "accusation" segment, but the object of the accusation is not others; it is the prophet confessing the sins of the entire community.
63:10 "But they rebelled, and grieved his holy Spirit. Therefore he turned and became their enemy, and he himself fought against them."
Isaiah 63:10（World English Bible）
This is one of the rare Old Testament passages speaking of the "grieving of the Holy Spirit."
"His Holy Spirit" (רוּחַ קָדְשׁוֹ, ruach qodsho, "His Spirit"), this is one of the few passages in the Old Testament that directly refers to the Holy Spirit (others include Psalm 51:11 "don't take your Holy Spirit from me"). The personhood of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament, being able to be "grieved," has important Old Testament grounding here.
"Grieved" (עִצֵּב, itzev), this word does not mean "angry," but "to cause pain to the heart." The Holy Spirit is not merely an impersonal force; He is a person who can feel pain.
Direct New Testament Echo: Ephesians 4:30 "Don't grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption." Paul almost verbatim echoes Isaiah 63:10. This forms a bridge between the Old and New Testaments for the doctrine of the "personhood of the Holy Spirit."
"Therefore he turned himself to be their enemy," can God turn from a "fatherly" posture to an "enemy" posture? This is a heartbreaking tension in prophetic literature. The answer is: when the people persist in rebellion, God's love does not cancel His justice. But please note, this "enmity" is not a change in God's essence; it is God's response to rebellious behavior. He remains the same God, but the people have chosen a position of enmity toward Him.
63:11-13 "Then he remembered the days of old, Moses and his people, saying, “Where is he who brought them up out of the sea with the shepherds of his flock? Where is he who put his Holy Spirit among them?” Who caused his glorious arm to be at Moses’ right hand? Who divided the waters before them, to make himself an everlasting name? Who led them through the depths, like a horse in the wilderness, so that they didn’t stumble?"
Isaiah 63:11-13（World English Bible）
These three verses are a series of rhetorical questions, "Where is he?" appearing repeatedly, forming the core rhythm of the repentance poem. The people and the prophet are asking: Where is the God who performed the mighty deeds of the Exodus today?
"Remembered the days of old," the Hebrew is וַיִּזְכֹּר יְמֵי־עוֹלָם (vayyizkor yemei-olam) "He (or they) remembered the days of eternity." Memory is the starting point of repentance; returning to God's mighty work in the past allows one to look up again in today's speechlessness.
"Put his Holy Spirit in the midst of them," this is another passage that directly mentions the "Holy Spirit." During the Exodus, the Holy Spirit participated in leading Israel out, which is consistent with Numbers 11:25-29 where the seventy elders were moved by the Spirit. The prophet establishes a theological line here: the Holy Spirit has always been at work in salvation history; He led during the Exodus, He will still lead during the return, He descended mightily at Pentecost in the New Testament, and He is still doing new things in the church age.
"Glorious arm" (זְרוֹעַ תִּפְאַרְתּוֹ, zeroa' tif'arto), the "arm" theme appears again (cf. 53:1, 63:5). God's arm performed mighty deeds during the Exodus, was nailed on the cross, and will judge at His second coming—three actions of the same arm.
63:14 "As the livestock that go down into the valley, Yahweh’s Spirit caused them to rest. So you led your people, to make yourself a glorious name."
Isaiah 63:14（World English Bible）
"Caused them to rest" (תְּנִיחֶנּוּ, tenichennu, "caused...to rest"), the goal of the Exodus was not merely to leave Egypt, but to enter rest (referring to the "rest" of the Promised Land). Hebrews 3-4 extensively develops this theme: true rest is not just geographical, but spiritual; it is not just brought in by Joshua, but by Christ.
"As the livestock that go down into the valley," a tender image. A flock of sheep and cattle, led by a shepherd, entering a valley pasture, finding rest in their weariness and water for their thirst. This is a prelude to the theme of Yahweh as shepherd (Psalm 23).
"To make yourself a glorious name," the ultimate goal of God's redemption is not the comfort of His people, but His own glorious name. This is the core of healthy salvation theology: salvation is God-centered, not man-centered.
Section Positioning: This section marks the transition of the penitential psalm from "recollection" to "supplication." The prophet intercedes for the entire community with the strongest language, "Oh that you would tear the heavens and come down!" This is one of the most moving pleas in the entire Old Testament. In sermon structure, this is the "sincere prayer" segment before the "promissory declaration."
63:15 "Look down from heaven, and see from the habitation of your holiness and of your glory. Where are your zeal and your mighty acts? The yearning of your heart and your compassion is restrained toward me."
Isaiah 63:15（World English Bible）
"Look down from heaven" (הַבֵּט מִשָּׁמַיִם וּרְאֵה, habbet mishshamayim ur'eh), literally "look from heaven." This is a standard plea in penitential psalms (compare Psalm 80:14, "Turn again, we beg you, God of Armies. Look down from heaven, and see, and visit this vine"). It is the cry of the people when they feel God is distant.
"Zeal" (קִנְאָה, qin'ah). This Hebrew word means both "jealousy" and "zeal." It describes God's love for His people, a love that "cannot tolerate others taking them away." Exodus 20:5 says, "for I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous (same qin'ah) God." This "jealousy" is not negative; it is a love so profound that it is unwilling to share.
"The yearning of your heart" (הֲמוֹן מֵעֶיךָ, hamon me'eikha, "the multitude, the resounding of your inward parts"). Hebrew uses inward parts (especially the womb, liver) to describe deep emotions. This represents the deepest love in Hebrew thought, emotions welling up from the depths of the body's organs.
The core question the people ask is: You love us so much, why does it seem to have stopped?
63:16 "For you are our Father, though Abraham doesn’t know us, and Israel does not acknowledge us. You, Yahweh, are our Father. Our Redeemer from everlasting is your name."
Isaiah 63:16（World English Bible）
This is a significant theological declaration. The people acknowledge two things: ① Even if the ancestors Abraham and Jacob (Israel) no longer recognize us, ② God is still our Father.
Why would the people say, "Abraham doesn't know us"? Possible interpretations: ① Too much time has passed, and the ancestors cannot directly intervene in today's situation. ② We have become so degenerate that even our ancestors would be ashamed to acknowledge us. But God still recognizes us; His love is not based on the merits of our ancestors, but on His own nature.
"You are our Father." This is one of the few passages in the Old Testament that directly calls God "Father" (others include Deuteronomy 32:6, Malachi 1:6, Isaiah 64:8). The title "Father" implies a relational, intimate, and responsible role. God is not just Creator and Ruler; He is Father.
"Redeemer" (גֹּאֲלֵנוּ, go'alenu). The Hebrew word גֹּאֵל (go'el) refers to the "kinsman-redeemer," a family legal role prescribed in Leviticus. When someone in the family fell into poverty, was sold into slavery, or had their land taken, the nearest relative had both the obligation and the right to redeem them. God is the "kinsman-redeemer"; He takes responsibility for His people in a familial capacity. In the New Testament, Christ's atoning sacrifice fully fulfills this line.
63:17 "O Yahweh, why do you make us wander from your ways, and harden our heart from your fear? Return for your servants’ sake, the tribes of your inheritance."
Isaiah 63:17（World English Bible）
This is one of the most difficult verses to handle in penitential psalms. "Why have you made us to err?" "hardened our heart?" This is language that attributes responsibility to God.
But please be careful, this is not a genuine accusation against God. It is a "rhetorical counter-question" used by the prophet in the penitential psalm. On the surface, it asks why God allowed us to be this way, but in reality, it acknowledges that we fell into this state because God permitted us (compare Romans 1:24-28, "God gave them up"). The people's straying was not directly forced by God, but was the result of God allowing it after their persistent rejection of Him.
However, this verse also preserves the most sincere cry of the exiled people: "Why has all this happened to us? Why does God seem to harden our hearts?" The prophet does not smooth over this confusion but allows it to be expressed in the penitential psalm. This is the posture of honest faith.
"For your servants' sake, the tribes of your inheritance." The basis of the plea is not "we deserve it," but "we are Yours." The strongest basis for prayer is always His own name and the identity of His own people.
63:18 "Your holy people possessed it but a little while. Our adversaries have trodden down your sanctuary."
Isaiah 63:18（World English Bible）
"Sanctuary" (מִקְדָּשֶׁךָ, miqdashekha) refers to the Temple in Jerusalem. In 586 BC, when Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquered Jerusalem, the Temple was burned. The greatest pain for the exiled people was that "God's dwelling place was trampled." This verse is the prophet's lament, foreseeing this scene.
"But a little while" (מִצְעָר, mitz'ar) means "briefly" or "a small amount." The people contrast this with the Abrahamic covenant (Genesis 17:8, "the promised land will be yours forever"), realizing they only "temporarily" possessed the land. This is the tension between an eternal promise and a brief reality.
63:19 "We have become like those over whom you never ruled, like those who were not called by your name."
Isaiah 63:19（World English Bible）
"As those over whom you never ruled." This is the low point of the penitential psalm. The people admit: We live as if we are not ruled by God. This is a profoundly painful admission, not "others don't recognize us," but "we ourselves have lived in a way that doesn't resemble God's people."
"Oh that you would tear the heavens and come down!" The Hebrew Bible places this phrase at the end of 63:19 or the beginning of 64:1 (the Chinese Bible divides it into two verses): לוּא־קָרַעְתָּ שָׁמַיִם יָרַדְתָּ (lu'-qara'ta shamayim yaradta) "Oh that you would tear the heavens, and come down."
This is one of the most intense cries for "God's intervention" in the entire Old Testament. The verb "tear" (קָרַע, qara') in Hebrew is violent: tearing clothes (Genesis 37:34), tearing a scroll (Jeremiah 36:23), tearing open the sea (Exodus 14:21, related root בָּקַע baqa'). The people are not asking for "God to gently descend," but for God to tear open the barrier between heaven and humanity.
The significant fulfillment in the New Testament: Mark 1:10, "Immediately coming up from the water, he saw the heavens parting, and the Spirit descending on him like a dove." At the moment of Jesus' baptism, the heavens were torn open. The Greek word σχιζομένους (schizomenous, "being torn apart") perfectly corresponds to the Hebrew qara' in Isaiah 63:19.
Even more significantly, the same Greek word appears only twice in Mark's Gospel: once in 1:10 when the heavens were torn open at Jesus' baptism, and again in 15:38 when the temple curtain was torn in two from top to bottom at Jesus' crucifixion. Tearing of the heavens → tearing of the curtain. God "actively tears open" twice, allowing people to come before Him.
The plea of Isaiah 63:19 was first fulfilled at Christ's baptism and completely accomplished on the cross. This is the most beautiful New Testament commentary: the people asked God to tear the heavens, and God answered in Christ.
| Vocabulary | Original | Transliteration | Verse References | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edom | אֱדוֹם | Edom | 63:1 | Descendants of Esau; often represents "nations hostile to God's people" in prophetic books |
| Botzrah | בָּצְרָה | Botzrah | 63:1 | Capital of Edom; a pun with batzar "grape harvest," reinforcing the winepress imagery |
| garments stained red | חֲמוּץ בְּגָדִים | chamutz begadim | 63:1 | "garments stained red"; outwardly splendid, but actually blood-stained |
| speaking in righteousness | מְדַבֵּר בִּצְדָקָה | medabber bitsdaqah | 63:1 | God both speaks truth and acts in salvation |
| treading the winepress | דֹּרֵךְ בְּגַת | dorech b'gat | 63:2-3 | Joyful imagery of agricultural harvest → transformed into a scene of judgment |
| alone | לְבַדִּי | levaddi | 63:3 | The crucial solitude of the final judgment; a parallel to the atoning work of the cross |
| wrath | אַף | af | 63:3, 6 | "Nostril" as a metonymy for wrath |
| fury | חֵמָה | chemah | 63:3, 6 | God's righteous wrath |
| day of vengeance | יוֹם נָקָם | yom naqam | 63:4 | Parallel to "year of favor" (cf. 61:2); the final judgment |
| year of my redeemed | שְׁנַת גְּאוּלַי | shenat ge'ulai | 63:4 | "the year of my redeemed" |
| arm | זְרוֹעַ | zeroa' | 63:5, 12 | Symbol of God's mighty work; forms a two-sided redemptive theology with the "arm" of the suffering servant in 53:1 |
| made them drunk | שִׁכַּרְתִּים | shikkartim | 63:6 | Theme of God's cup of wrath (cf. 51:17, 22) |
| I will recount the loving kindnesses | אַזְכִּיר חַסְדֵי יְהוָה | azkir chasdei YHWH | 63:7 | "I will cause the loving kindnesses of Yahweh to be remembered" |
| loving kindness | חֶסֶד | chesed | 63:7 | God's steadfast, faithful loving kindness in the covenant |
| compassion | רַחֲמִים | rachamim | 63:7 | Cognate with "womb"; love from the depths of a mother's heart |
| Savior | מוֹשִׁיעַ | moshia' | 63:8 | Cognate with the prophet's name "Yahweh is salvation" |
| he was afflicted | לוֹ צָר | lo tsar | 63:9 | The ultimate Immanuel theology; God suffers with them in their affliction |
| angel of his presence | מַלְאַךְ פָּנָיו | mal'akh panav | 63:9 | "the angel of his presence"; the accompanying angel in the Exodus narrative |
| Holy Spirit | רוּחַ קָדְשׁוֹ | ruach qodsho | 63:10, 11 | "his Holy Spirit"; one of the few Old Testament passages that directly names the Holy Spirit |
| grieved | עִצֵּב | itzev | 63:10 | "to cause...pain"; Old Testament basis for the personhood of the Holy Spirit |
| days of old | יְמֵי־עוֹלָם | yemei-olam | 63:11 | "days of eternity"; the Exodus history |
| glorious arm | זְרוֹעַ תִּפְאַרְתּוֹ | zeroa' tif'arto | 63:12 | The mighty power of the parting of the sea in the Exodus |
| gave him rest | תְּנִיחֶנּוּ | tenichennu | 63:14 | "caused...to rest"; Old Testament root of the theme in Hebrews 3-4 |
| Look down from heaven | הַבֵּט מִשָּׁמַיִם וּרְאֵה | habbet mishshamayim ur'eh | 63:15 | Standard plea in penitential psalms (cf. Ps 80:14) |
| zeal / jealousy | קִנְאָה | qin'ah | 63:15 | God's love that "does not wish to share" |
| yearning compassion | הֲמוֹן מֵעֶיךָ | hamon me'eikha | 63:15 | "the multitude/sound of your inward parts"; love welling up from the depths of the inward parts |
| Father | אָבִינוּ | Avinu | 63:16 | "our Father"; one of the few Old Testament passages that directly addresses God as Father |
| Redeemer | גֹּאֲלֵנוּ | go'alenu | 63:16 | "the kinsman-redeemer"; a family legal role |
| sanctuary | מִקְדָּשֶׁךָ | miqdashekha | 63:18 | The temple in Jerusalem |
| for a little while | מִצְעָר | mitz'ar | 63:18 | "brief, a little"; creates tension with the eternal promise |
| Oh that you would tear the heavens | לוּא־קָרַעְתָּ שָׁמַיִם | lu'-qara'ta shamayim | 63:19 end | "Oh that you would tear the heavens"; Old Testament root of Mark 1:10 / Mark 15:38 |
(See the structure diagram in Chapter Guide / Section Structure.)
Main Structure Observation: This chapter is a rare superposition of two visions in prophetic literature. The first section (63:1-6) is a vision of judgment, and the second section (63:7-19) is a repentant plea. While seemingly opposed, they are actually complementary. Precisely because judgment is real, the repentant plea carries weight; precisely because God is a true warrior, the cry "Oh that you would tear the heavens" is not an empty word.
| Theme | Ancient Near Eastern Context | Presentation in This Chapter |
|---|---|---|
| Edom and Israel's Historical Enmity | Edom (descendants of Esau) refused passage to Israel during the Exodus (Num 20:14-21); gloated when Babylon captured Jerusalem (Obad 1:10-14; Ps 137:7) | 63:1 "Bozrah of Edom" represents end-time judgment; God personally deals with the ancient enmity of "nations hostile to his people" |
| Winepress | One of the largest industries in ancient Canaanite agriculture; winepresses were daily infrastructure in every village; treading grapes was festive and joyful | 63:2-3 Reverses the joyful imagery into a terrifying image of judgment, with blood replacing grape juice |
| Warrior's Red Garment | Ancient Near Eastern warriors often wore dyed battle robes (red dye was expensive) to display military might; but red garments returning from battle were often stained with blood | 63:1-3 The surface is a beautiful red garment, but it is actually stained with blood; this irony is a powerful technique in prophetic poetry |
| God's Cup of Wrath | "Cup of the gods" was a common judgment image in ancient Near Eastern religions, given to enemy nations to make them drunk and defeated | 63:6 "Made them drunk" + 51:17 "the cup of his wrath in Yahweh's hand"; unique Old Testament theology: God is the Lord of all cups |
| Kinsman Redeemer (go'el) | Ancient Israelite law: when someone in the family fell into poverty, was sold into slavery, or had land taken, the nearest relative (go'el) had the obligation and right to redeem them; the Book of Ruth is a classic example | 63:16 "You are our Redeemer (go'el)"; God takes responsibility for his people as their nearest family member |
| Exodus Holy Spirit Tradition | Num 11:25-29 seventy elders moved by the Holy Spirit; Deut 34:9 Joshua filled with the spirit of wisdom | 63:11, 14 "his Holy Spirit in their midst"; the prophet confirms the Holy Spirit was at work during the Exodus; establishes the theology of "the Holy Spirit throughout salvation history" |
| Tearing Gesture | Standard action of mourning in the ancient Near East was tearing clothes (Gen 37:34); tearing is a violent action of "breaking, revealing what is inside" | 63:19b "Oh that you would tear the heavens"; the people ask God to violently break the barrier between heaven and humanity |
63:1-3 is a typical "question-and-answer format" in prophetic poetry. The questioner asks "Who is this?" "Why red?", and the one questioned answers "It is I... I have trodden the winepress alone." This literary form gives the vision a strong theatrical sense, placing the reader in the position of "observer and questioner."
63:2-3 reverses the joyful agricultural imagery of the winepress into an image of judgment involving bloodshed. This is one of the strongest ironic techniques in prophetic poetry, using a familiar, originally joyful scene to convey completely opposite theological content.
63:11-15 The phrase "where is he?" appears five times in total ("where is he who brought them up," "where is he who put his holy Spirit in the midst of them," "where is he who caused his glorious arm to go," "where are your zeal and your mighty acts," "the yearning of your heart and your compassions are restrained toward me"). This repetition forms the core rhythm of the penitential poem, the people's repeated questioning in their speechlessness.
63:3 / 63:5 The word "alone" / "no one" appears twice, forming a keyword chain in the first part of this chapter. God judges alone, just as Christ atoned alone. The two instances of "alone" form a parallelism in redemptive theology.
63:5 / 63:12 The word "arm" appears twice, referring to "the arm that brought salvation alone" and "the arm that divided the sea at the Exodus." Adding 53:1 "To whom has the arm of Yahweh been revealed?" (Song of the Suffering Servant), Isaiah's "arm theology" forms a complete three-sided picture: the mighty arm of the Exodus, the suffering arm of the cross, and the judging arm of the end times.
63:10 / 63:11 / 63:14 The "Holy Spirit" is mentioned three times, making this chapter the highest density of the Holy Spirit theme in the Old Testament. The prophet establishes the theology of "the Holy Spirit permeating salvation history": He guided during the Exodus → He grieved during the exile → He should still lead during the return.
These two form a symmetrical framework of "God actively coming to His people." God is the one who comes, whether to judge or to redeem, He is the one who actively comes.
In this short chapter of 19 verses, several completely different metaphors appear: treading the winepress (63:2-3), the arm working (63:5, 12), the cup of wrath (63:6), maternal embrace (63:9 "carried them and bore them"), livestock going down into the valley (63:14), redemption by a kinsman-redeemer (63:16), tearing the heavens (63:19). Each metaphor presents the same God from different angles: Judge, fellow sufferer, guide, Father, Redeemer, and one who is called upon.
This chapter closely follows the New Jerusalem trilogy (60-62), pushing the vision of salvation history towards end-time judgment and penitential supplication. Let us track how this chapter advances several main lines of Isaiah:
63:1-6 The vision of the warrior in red garments becomes a prefigurement of Christ's second coming in the New Testament (Rev 19:11-15). This forms a complete parallelism with Isaiah's Messianic chain:
The Messianic theology of the entire book of Isaiah is thus complete: the same Servant who alone bore sin on the cross will alone judge sin at the end of time.
63:1-6 Judgment + 63:7-19 Penitential supplication. This chapter itself is a microcosm of the double rhythm of judgment and hope. This is the breath of prophetic genre; judgment is never God's ultimate goal, but behind it is the possibility of the people turning to God. This line begins with 1:18 "Though your sins are as scarlet," runs through all 66 chapters of the book, and is clearly presented again in this chapter.
The three mentions of "Holy Spirit" in 63:10 / 63:11 / 63:14 make this chapter the most concentrated on the theme of the Holy Spirit in Isaiah. Other occurrences of this line in Isaiah include:
Isaiah 63 contributes the unique theology of "grieving the Holy Spirit" to this line, which is the direct Old Testament root of Ephesians 4:30 in the New Testament.
63:16 / 64:8 are among the few passages in Isaiah that directly address God as "Father." This line is fully accomplished by Christ in the New Testament; the Lord's Prayer beginning "Our Father in heaven" (Matt 6:9) is the fulfillment of the Old Testament Father theology of Isaiah 63:16.
63:11-14 repeatedly review the Exodus, which is the prophet's preparation for hoping for a "second Exodus." This line runs through Isaiah: 11:15-16, 40:3-5, 41:17-20, 43:14-21, 48:20-21, 49:8-13, reaching its climax in this chapter's "Oh that you would tear the heavens, that you would come down." The first Exodus was physical (out of the land of Egypt), the second Exodus is spiritual (out of sin and the condition of captivity). Christ accomplished this "Exodus" on the cross (Luke 9:31, when Jesus was transfigured, they "spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem," the Greek word for "departure" is exodos "going out, Exodus").
Isaiah 63:1-6 is an eschatological summary of the "Destiny of the Nations" theme in the Book of Isaiah. This thread begins with the oracles against the nations in chapters 13-23, runs through chapter 34's judgment on Edom, and reaches its eschatological conclusion in 63:1-6. At the same time, the other aspect of Isaiah, "Nations Entering Salvation" (2:2-3, 19:23-25, 56:6-8, 60:1-22, 66:18-21), will continue to unfold in chapters 65-66. Judgment and salvation are simultaneously two actions of God toward the nations.
| Old Testament | New Testament Echo | Related Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 63:1-6 Red-robed warrior treading the winepress alone | Rev 19:11-15 "I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse... He is clothed in a garment sprinkled with blood... He treads the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of God, the Almighty." | The scene of Christ's second coming in Revelation is almost a word-for-word echo of Isa 63:1-6: blood-stained red garments, treading the winepress alone, judging the nations. |
| Isa 63:3 "I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the peoples there was no man with me." | Matt 26:56 "Then all the disciples left him, and fled." John 16:32 "You will leave me alone." | The "aloneness" of the final judgment and the "aloneness" of the cross's atonement form a theological parallelism in redemption, with the same God bearing the burden "alone" twice. |
| Isa 63:4 "day of vengeance + year of my redeemed" vs 61:2 "the year of Yahweh's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God" | Luke 4:18-19 When Jesus read Isaiah 61, he stopped after "the year of the Lord's favor" and did not read "the day of vengeance." | The first coming is the year of favor; the second coming is the day of vengeance. We live between the two comings. |
| Isa 63:9 "In all their affliction he was afflicted" | Matt 1:23 "They shall call his name Immanuel; which is, being interpreted, 'God with us.'" Heb 4:15 "For we don't have a high priest who can't be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but one who has in all points been tempted as we are." | The ultimate expression of Immanuel theology; Christ's incarnation is the physical realization of this theology. |
| Isa 63:9 "the angel of his presence" + 63:11 the Spirit during the Exodus | 1 Cor 10:1-4 Paul, recalling the Exodus, said, "and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of a spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ." | The "angel" in the Old Testament Exodus narrative is understood in New Testament theology as a pre-incarnate manifestation of Christ. |
| Isa 63:10 "But they rebelled, and grieved his Holy Spirit" | Eph 4:30 "Don't grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption." | Almost a word-for-word echo; this is one of the most important Old Testament roots for the doctrine of the "personhood of the Holy Spirit." |
| Isa 63:11 / 63:14 the Spirit during the Exodus | Acts 7:51 "You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit!" (Stephen's sermon) | Stephen's sermon before the Sanhedrin directly echoes Isa 63:10, showing that the people have resisted the Holy Spirit throughout generations. |
| Isa 63:14 "caused them to rest" | Heb 4:9 "There remains therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of God." | True rest is not merely geographical (the promised land) but spiritual (in Christ). Hebrews clarifies this line. |
| Isa 63:16 "You are our Father" | Matt 6:9 "Our Father in heaven" Rom 8:15 "You received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, 'Abba! Father!'" | The Old Testament "Father" theology is fully accomplished in the New Testament through Christ's atonement; in Christ, we receive the Spirit of adoption. |
| Isa 63:16 "Redeemer (go'el)" | Gal 3:13 "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us." Titus 2:14 "who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity." | The "kinsman-redeemer" is fully accomplished in Christ's atonement; Christ's incarnation made Him our "closest relative." |
| Isa 63:19 end "Oh that you would tear the heavens, that you would come down" | Mark 1:10 "Immediately coming up from the water, he saw the heavens parting, and the Spirit descending on him like a dove." Mark 15:38 "The veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom." | Tearing of heavens → Tearing of veil, God "actively tears" twice. The Greek schizomenous ("being torn") corresponds to the Hebrew qara' in Isa 63:19. First fulfilled at Jesus' baptism, completely accomplished on the cross. |
Authoritative Commentaries
Further Reading
Chinese Resources
Contextual Placement This chapter is the beginning of the "Final Judgment and New Heavens and New Earth" unit, which comprises the last five chapters of Isaiah (63-66). The prophet foresees the post-exilic community, whose bodies may have returned to the promised land, but whose hearts are filled with the unspoken question, "Where is God? Why are we still so small?"
In 539 BC, Cyrus issued a decree allowing the exiled Jews to return. However, the reality of the return was far from their hopes. The temple was barely rebuilt (516 BC) and was far from the glory of Solomon's era. Surrounding nations (Samaritans, Ammonites, Arabs) mocked them incessantly. Israel had neither a king nor independence. The greatest temptation the returning community faced daily was "weariness of faith": Where is God? Why isn't He acting powerfully as He did during the Exodus?
Chapter 63 is a two-sided response to this spiritual atmosphere. The prophet foresees that God is not silent. On one hand, He is preparing as a warrior for the final judgment (63:1-6), to execute justice upon the nations. On the other hand, He still remembers His people's past lovingkindness (63:7-14) and allows His people to cry out to Him, "Oh that you would tear the heavens and come down" (63:15-19). This chapter is a response to the exilic return era, and also a response to God's people of all generations who "feel God is silent."
It is important to note: The "red-clad warrior" in this chapter is not a specific historical figure (not a king of Assyria or Babylon), but God Himself as the image of the final judge. The repentance in this chapter is not a specific worship ritual, but rather the prophet's intercession for the entire exilic return community. The tension in the two sections of this chapter points to the same core: God is real, He is at work, and He is doing things we cannot see.
| Dimension | Content |
|---|---|
| Era | The prophet foresees the situation of the post-exilic return community (after 539 BC); Isaiah 63:18 implies the temple has been trampled (referring to 586 BC) |
| Reigning King | No independent king; Judah under Persian rule |
| Main Threat | Not military threat, but weariness of faith; God seems silent, promises seem delayed, the reality of the return is far from hope |
| Audience | The returning Judahite community; broadly, all God's people who "feel God is silent" |
| Contemporary Prophets | Haggai, Zechariah (encouraging temple rebuilding); Malachi (rebuking subsequent spiritual apathy); Jeremiah's sorrow (similar tone to Lamentations) |
| 2 Kings/2 Chronicles Parallel | 2 Kings 25 / 2 Chronicles 36: Temple destroyed; Ezra 1-6: Return and rebuilding of the temple; This chapter provides a theological answer to "Where is God?" for the return era |
| Theme | Content |
|---|---|
| God's Dual Action | God is both a warrior of judgment (63:1-6) and a suffering Father (63:9); these two aspects are not contradictory, but complete in the same God |
| Sole Bearing of Final Judgment | 63:3 "I have trodden the winepress alone"; judgment is completed by God alone; forms a theological parallel with Christ's sole atonement on the cross |
| Tension of Two Comings | The first coming is as a Lamb (suffering); the second coming is as a Warrior (judgment). Isaiah 61:2 vs 63:4 contrasts "the year of Yahweh's favor" and "the day of vengeance" |
| The Utmost of Immanuel | 63:9 "he was afflicted in all their affliction"; God suffers with His people in their suffering. The Old Testament theological root of Christ's incarnation |
| Personhood of the Holy Spirit | "Holy Spirit" is mentioned three times in 63:10 / 63:11 / 63:14, and in 63:10 the Holy Spirit can be "grieved"; this is an Old Testament basis for the doctrine of the Holy Spirit's personhood. Ephesians 4:30 directly echoes this |
| Grammar of Healthy Repentance | First remember grace (63:7), then confess rebellion (63:10), finally cry out (63:15-19); this is the theological order of healthy repentance |
| God as Father | 63:16 is one of the few Old Testament passages that directly addresses God as "Father"; the family theology of the Redeemer as "closest kinsman redeemer" |
| Cry to Tear the Heavens | 63:19 is the strongest "cry for God to intervene," doubly fulfilled in Mark 1:10 / Mark 15:38. God actively tears open the barrier between heaven and humanity |